Open Hearts Open Minds - Search Article Library

Search Article Library

The content of this library is growing with each edition of our e-news! To see what we've covered so far, look below ( use the category box to search by topic).

For this month's articles, visit the News Page.

To top up your knowledge and ideas with the latest news articles each month, sign up here - it's free! We'll send you our E-news with 3 articles and a Top Tip, plus details of training and events.

Browse by category:

Gypsies Tackle Racism with a New DVD
Enlarge	“You get stones chucked at you, names, abuse, you’re not welcome in shops, pubs, hotels and restaurants - just because of who you are." Gypsies, Travellers and services are now working together on a number of initiatives to raise awareness in the Southwest, and a film has been produced to generate discussion and break down barriers. To find out more, read on

What Kind of Person Suffers from Domestic Violence?
Enlarge	Whilst in 2007/8 there were 8925 incidents reported to the police, these figures, whilst startlingly high, still mask the real scale of the problem. Research commissioned by the Partnership applying accepted prevalence levels, estimated the real scale of the problem would mean that there are something like 33,000 incidents occurring in Devon each year. For more information, read on

Many Hands Make Light Work!
Enlarge	Is this old adage true for cash-strapped organisations wondering whether Partnership will help them find solutions for disadvantaged communities? A Partnership in North Devon argues you don’t need to pour money into co-ordinating services to get better value for deprived communities out of them. For more information, read on...

Overqualified & Underemployed
Enlarge	How the South West is missing out on the skills of migrant workers. While policy-makers and employers bemoan the lack of graduates willing to stay in the South West there are large numbers of migrant workers in the region with higher level qualifications which are not being used. For more information, read on...

Fight back against Hate Crime in Devon - pick up this book and use it
Enlarge	Hate crimes can have a devastating effect on victims in Devon. This article looks at the problem of racist abuse and how a new directory can help you tackle the problem. Read on...

The proof is in the pudding
Enlarge	A recipe for inclusive promotional material. Learn the tips discovered by Devon LINk when they sought to make their information more widely accessible. Read on...

Here's why you can't turn off the feminist 'fawcett' just yet.
Enlarge	At the turn of last century feminism opened the floodgates to major changes for women. Women won the right to vote and much else was tackled, but almost a hundred years later, stubborn inequalities still subject today’s women to great strain and injustice. Read on...

Are you a Devon incomer? Feeling welcome??
Enlarge	132,900 migrants “flooded” into the South West in 2007. They were British incomers from other parts of the UK. Proportionately, this population increase was larger among older people, come to stay for retirement. Read on...

Beauty Before Age?
Enlarge	Following the introduction of new law in 2006 to prevent age discrimination in the workplace, what does Sir Menzies Campbell's resignation in October 07 from the top Lib Dem spot tell us about the prevailing cultural attitudes towards age? To find out more about what the law requires - in spirit and letter - and why everyone should take note to avoid a social exclusion disaster, read on...

Creature Discomforts
Enlarge	Meet the new characters from Wallace and Grommit's creators, whose messge to services is listen, and you can learn from disabled clients. To learn from Peg the Hedgehog and friends and from another local listening exercise and, to find out how you can do it too, read on!

Labourers of Love
Enlarge	Nearly 100 Women gathered in Exeter in June to review what life for them is like in today’s world, and to share this with Devon’s decision makers. To find out more about the issues women raised (like the persistent cultural arrangement that makes women largely responsible for childcare, occupying typically under-paid jobs, and losing on average £1/4 million over a lifetime in potential earnings) read on ...

Social Exclusion - the reality behind the jargon
Enlarge	Social exclusion, social inclusion. What do these word mean and why do they matter? Read on to find out about their cost to lives and services and for stories of real people who've found support to break out of cycles of disadvantage.

Viscious Cycles Get You Down
Enlarge	To find out how your service could help families put the brakes on dangerous downward spirals of deprivation, read on.

Eye Openers - Helping you think and work more inclusively
Enlarge	Research from Exeter Community Initiatives revealed the need for eye opening tools to switch people back onto the social exclusion issues which have fallen below the radar. To find out more about the resources that can help, read on ...

Pride and Prejudice
Enlarge	To find out why a little self awareness can go a long way on the road to an inclusive society, and, to try out some 10 minute exercises that'll help you with this, read on...

OK I'm Listening!
Enlarge	Improving communication skills can make life better for everyone. Poor communication is the problem underlying many alarming headlines, such as the the UK's low position in the UN League tables for good places to grow up as a child. For more about how to improve communication and how it can make a difference to you and the vulnerable clients who stand to gain the most from it, read on ...

Devon Project Dispels Gypsy Myths
Enlarge	To find out how three Gypsy women made their voices heard above media stereotypes, read on.

The Road Less Travelled
Enlarge	To discover some key points that Gypsies and Travellers in Devon want you to know about the myths and facts concerning them, read on...

Improving Health and Wellbeing in Devon - Involving You
Enlarge	People across Devon are being encouraged to get involved in shaping the future of the services they receive. Devon Primary Care Trust invites everyone to take part in influencing the strategic review of health and social care this summer and autumn. To find out how they asked you to have your say and make sure vulnerable people have their needs understood, read on ...

Who's heading for Hospital?
Enlarge	Even between Devon communities - only minutes apart - there is a vast difference in health and well being. For babies born in different parts of the county, there is a difference in life expectancy of up to 18 years. "The Way Ahead” sets out the new measures to be put into place in towns across Devon to reduce inequalities such as this in health, care and treatment, focusing especially on - work in deprived neighbourhoods, - early years outreach - health promotion projects - mental health work with children, young people and high-risk adults - independent living and localized services for older people, and - carer support. Read on for a picture of the inequalities the plan aims to tackle, and to decide for yourself where your work could link in.

Home for Christmas?
Enlarge	Homelessness, amongst young people in particular, is an increasing problem in Devon, with 10% of teenagers running away from home. To find out more about the dangers they face, and a service you could help them turn to, read on ...

Speak 'Out':
Enlarge	How and why it's important to tackle the excluding effects of prejudice faced by 10% of the population. Sexual orientation and gender identity is a personal, private matter, and, unsurprisingly, we’re unlikely to feel we can talk about it as freely as, say, the weather. With the sensitivities around it, we can find this important but in many senses ‘invisible’ subject difficult to discuss. So we’ve asked Intercom – the charity supporting LGBT people and groups in the South West Peninsula – to start to point us in the direction of answers to some of the key questions you may have. To learn more, read on...

Friendships help us cope with mental illness
Enlarge	Although new research shows friendships help us to cope, many people experiencing mental illness are too scared to tell their friends. Read on for more about what you can do to help, whether for friends at home or at work.

Small World - Lonely Planet?
Enlarge	A Family Work specialist draws from her own experience of being both a professional in the field and Mum abroad, to look at the realities facing families arriving in the UK and how they can be supported. To find out how anyone can do something through their work towards alleviating isolation in this corner of the global village, read on ...

The Law of the Hard to Reach - Small is Beautiful
Enlarge	It’s often the case that in the search for a cost effective way of reaching people, small projects are overlooked. But initiatives that may need lots of input without reaching a mass audience often develop to have far more useful impact. To hear how a project with women from Exeter’s refugee community has developed from small beginnings to achieve many more benefits than expected, read on….

Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK
Enlarge	New Policy Institute's 2006 figures on indicators of poverty and exclusion. Read on to find out how poverty in childhood and older age has decreased, and how low-wages and lack of qualifications remain entrenched problems.

Mind the Gap! - Bridging Inequalities
Enlarge	In September 2007 the Trade Union Congress identified 10 top inequalities setting people apart in the UK. A political response is called for, but the important role of anyone who works with the public at the bottom of the income scale is evident too. To find out what the TUC’s top 10 list of inequalities is pointing to, read on...

Social Exclusion in Rural Areas
Enlarge	This review of recent research reveals how the rural idyll conceals levels of deprivation quietly tolerated by isolated individuals scattered throughout the landscape. Read on to find out how outreach to these groups by local agencies needs a re-think.

Avoid shark bites this Christmas
Enlarge	For news of a South West initiative that provides low income households with access to ethical lending, savings schemes, budgeting and money advice, read on...

Fancy a winter warmer?
Enlarge	For the chilling facts about fuel poverty and advice on how you and your organisation can help, read on...

Mending holes in nets
Enlarge	To stop vulnerable people slipping through the net, services are increasingly aware that they must work together effectively. To find about about the things that can make or break your partnership work with other organisations, read on...

A happy, healthy, prosperous New Year?
Enlarge	For advice about sources of help available to people who experience financial crisis in the face of pressure to spend, especially at the end of the year, read on...

Valuing people with Learning Disabilities
Enlarge	For key statistics about Learning Disability and to discover what measures Government now expects your organisation to take to prevent discrimination, read on...

Driving forward inclusion? That's not my job is it?
Enlarge	Increasingly in the private sector, all staff are encouraged to act out of a sense of corporate social responsibility. Who calls the social concern shots in your organisation, is it you, and why does this matter? To find out what you can do to make your organisation more inclusive through your role - whatever it is - read on...

Impact of poverty on young children's experience of school
Enlarge	A Joseph Rowntree study reveals that schools must tune into the circumstances of children from poor backgrounds. To find out why caring a relationships between schools and individual children is key in beating the poverty trap, read on...

Pregnancy forcing 30,000 out of work
Enlarge	Every year 30,000 women in Britain are sacked, made redundant or leave their jobs because of pregnancy discrimination. To find out more about this and other issues faced by working mothers, read on.

Changing neighbourhood Horizons
Enlarge	To find out more about how two different South Devon towns developed confidence and capacity in their communities to influence their futures, read on...

Engaging Fathers
Enlarge	Research shows that children whose Dads are actively involved in their early years benefit in terms of their educational attainment, social development and well-being and less likely to get into trouble with the police. And how do we increase the amount of time fathers spend interacting with their children? These are 2 questions that were explored in a recent evaluation carried out by Flying Start Children’s Centre in Central Exeter on how to engage with fathers. To discover what they learnt about about how to do this, read on...

Would you know if people felt shut out from your service?
Enlarge	For any organisation, key to providing a service that makes a real difference is successfully understanding and engaging with clientele. Those working particularly with vulnerable people and those with chaotic lifestyles increasingly need extra measures to ensure that keeping in touch with service users’ realities stays at the heart of their ethos. A study by Exeter’s frontline homelessness organisations has revealed what homeless people recommend services need to do. To learn from them how your service can work more effectively with vulnerable people, read on...

Start work with a cuppa & a chat!
Enlarge	A ground-breaking project reveals what it takes to overcome worklessness. In north Devon, Transform4Work has been getting to the root causes of entrenched unemployment. In this article we interview the project's Manager, Gary Smith, to discover the key causes of worklessness and the collaborative, civilized way the project tackles it. Read on to discover Gary's 10 steps for getting people into work, and to hear quotes from T4W's clients about the realities they've faced. Learn how T4W's success was underpinned by an array of voluntary sector groups working as a team through a one-stop-shop, and how by starting off with a cuppa and a chat, you could achieve the same effects. Try this: In the article Gary talks about the importance of tracking a single plan of action with each client. Why not take a look at 'The Quick Evaluator' a template for doing this from Step 6 of Open Hearts Open Minds Inclusion Tool Set

HIV & Inclusion
Enlarge	Any chronic health problems can contribute to social exclusion, but HIV can cause particular difficulties due to the prejudice which those who have the virus are frequently treated. To discover key facts about HIV in society and ways to tackle its impact in the face of the rise of the infection in the UK, read on! Prejudice is one of the issues causing people affected with HIV to suffer social exclusion. Have a look now at Step 3 of Open Hearts Open Minds Inclusion Tool Set to take stock of why it's important to check whether we are acting without prejudice in providing services ( - a useful reality check for even the very self-aware!)

Feeling shut out of things?
Enlarge	Many people in Devon are still waiting.... Disabled people in Devon still aren't getting the all services they require due to inaccessible facilities. But there's some good news.... A new web resource now enables disabled users to find Devon's accessible and welcoming community buildings. And for those buildings that aren't, a Devon project offers tools for doing something about it. In this article, discover more about these accessibility tools and, hear from a deaf wheelchair user who speaks candidly of the frustrations of encountering inaccessible facilities in the community. To find out what it's like to be out and about in a wheelchair, and what it could be like with a little business sense from services, read on...

Get the Green Feel-good Factor!
Enlarge	Here's how plants could help you work better with your service users Mental health charity Mind wants to remind all kinds of services to make access to nature a Priority. At a recent conference, organisations and authorities were called upon to help improve people's access to nature. Whatever your line of work, the charity makes an impressive case for investing in so called 'green' activities; In their recent report it was found that 90% of service users who took part in a woodland walk reported increased self-esteem, whereas 44 % of service users who took part in a shopping centre walk experienced reduced self-esteem. To discover how to link your service into a Devon get-closer-to-nature-initiative and to access ideas and resources suitable for you to use with different client groups read on...

Migrant Workers in Devon
Enlarge	How Devon PCT are working with BME and migrant communities to achieve stronger, healthier communities. A new Devon study has revealed the Housing problems that are among the many pressures causing misery for migrants. To find out about this and what's happening in Devon to prevent migrant workers reaching crisis point, read on...

Old and Alone at Night
Enlarge	Many of our efforts to deal with social exclusion are quite rightly directed at preventing young people and families from experiencing it. But at the other end of the spectrum of lifetime there is a form of isolation that we may not often think about - although chances are that we may all come to face it ourselves, and probably when we are no longer in a position to do anything much about it. Read on for a nightmarish account of what being old and alone at night can mean and a list to help you check out whether your service could influence a better night's sleep whether you work with older people or not..... And if you agree that becoming aware of how older people (or anyone else) may feel powerless over their situation is your first step to dealing with it, then have a look at Exercise 4.2 in Section 4 of our Tools!

Multilingua - Overcoming Language Barriers in Devon
Enlarge	Multilingua was set up by a group of trained and self-employed interpreters when through their work they became aware of the big gap in services for non-English speaking migrants living in Devon. Multilingua is an Exeter-based agency and all their interpreters are evaluated, police checked and trained and they are all required to sign up to and observe a Code of Practice which covers important issues such as confidentiality, impartiality and child protection. Read on...

Young people - they're up to summat.
Enlarge	A Young Advisors programme encourages involvement in the community. Even when they’re minding their own business, the sight of young people gathered on the streets often suggests to older people that they’re up to no good, which creates an artificial barrier in the community. On the other hand, young people often feel left out of what’s going on around them and that their views don’t count, which further alienates them. Read on...

Stand by me at work
	Domestic violence is experienced by many people who try and keep it under wraps at work, or stay away from work to conceal their suffering. Find out about the impact of domestic violence on the world of work and what you can do to be a supportive colleague. Read on

Being 'Out' There
	Intercom has launched a booklet to help organisations and the media communicate better about Lesbian Gay Bi-sexual and Trans issues. Read On

The Dark Internal Sea
	A woman describes her experience of depression and of the help and support she has benefitted from in Devon. Read on

I Care
	A young person describes her experience of caring for her mother and the support in Devon she has benefitted from. Read on

Choosing the 'right' school
Enlarge	We interview one of Devon’s “Choice Advisers” to find out why parents are looking for help when it comes to making the decisions that could shape their child’s future and, who needs assistance from their service the most. Read on...

What's social exclusion about in 2010 - and for whom?
Enlarge	What's social exclusion about in 2010 – and for whom? Take a look at the New Policy Institute’s review of where we are and it is child poverty rather than the recession that stands out as the big issue. Read on...

So what is M.E. / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
	A Devon Professional talks to Open Hearts Open Minds readers about her own experience of living with M.E. and describes 6 key things you can do when working with colleagues and clients who have the illness. Read on...

Complex community problems in your manor? Simples!
Enlarge	Neighbourhoods experiencing long term disadvantage often feel like they’re locked into a vicious cycle that they can’t get out of. Service providers can get frustrated, wondering why their best efforts make little change. And it’s not just public service providers and communities who have to grapple with the question of why some seemingly random interventions can solve complex problems and others don’t. Read on...

Life under cover of whiteness
Enlarge	Meet Naseem - and you’ve met someone unusual; An Asian woman living with Albinism, her story (in which she flees to Devon seeking safety under cover of whiteness) puts prejudice under scrutiny through the lenses of colour, culture, disability, identity and belonging. Read on...

Had and raging-red bulls through your door lately?
Enlarge	Did you write this about me?? That’s the reaction from young people watching the new animated tool called ‘Jake’s Story’ just out now from Devon’s Youth Offending Team. Read on...

Browse by category:

Menu

Search Article Library

Gypsies Tackle Racism with a New DVD

What Kind of Person Suffers from Domestic Violence?

Many Hands Make Light Work!

Overqualified & Underemployed

Fight back against Hate Crime in Devon - pick up this book and use it

The proof is in the pudding

Here's why you can't turn off the feminist 'fawcett' just yet.

Are you a Devon incomer? Feeling welcome??

Beauty Before Age?

Creature Discomforts

Labourers of Love

Social Exclusion - the reality behind the jargon

Viscious Cycles Get You Down

Eye Openers - Helping you think and work more inclusively

Pride and Prejudice

OK I'm Listening!

Devon Project Dispels Gypsy Myths

The Road Less Travelled

Improving Health and Wellbeing in Devon - Involving You

Who's heading for Hospital?

Home for Christmas?

Speak 'Out':

Friendships help us cope with mental illness

Small World - Lonely Planet?

The Law of the Hard to Reach - Small is Beautiful

Poverty and Social Exclusion in the UK

Mind the Gap! - Bridging Inequalities

Social Exclusion in Rural Areas

Avoid shark bites this Christmas

Fancy a winter warmer?

Mending holes in nets

A happy, healthy, prosperous New Year?

Valuing people with Learning Disabilities

Driving forward inclusion? That's not my job is it?

Impact of poverty on young children's experience of school

Pregnancy forcing 30,000 out of work

Changing neighbourhood Horizons

Engaging Fathers

Would you know if people felt shut out from your service?

Start work with a cuppa & a chat!

HIV & Inclusion

Feeling shut out of things?

Get the Green Feel-good Factor!

Migrant Workers in Devon

Old and Alone at Night

Multilingua - Overcoming Language Barriers in Devon

Young people - they're up to summat.

Stand by me at work

Being 'Out' There

The Dark Internal Sea

I Care

Choosing the 'right' school

What's social exclusion about in 2010 - and for whom?

So what is M.E. / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Complex community problems in your manor? Simples!

Life under cover of whiteness

Had and raging-red bulls through your door lately?