April 2022 – The Russian invasion of Ukraine

In 2021 Russia began moving troops and military equipment near to its border with the Ukraine without any official explanation and by December that year, one hundred thousand Russian troops were in place near the border.

In 1991 the Ukraine achieved independence as the Soviet Union collapsed, and it has gradually veered towards the West – both the EU and NATO, Putin (Russia’s leader) has sought to reverse that, seeing the fall of the Soviet Union as the ‘disintegration of historical Russia’, and wants to ensure that the Ukraine does not join NATO.

NATO was formed in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty, and it is a security alliance of 30 countries from North American and Europe. NATO’s fundamental goal is to safeguard the Allies’ freedom and security by political and military means.

On 24^th February 2022 Russia invaded the Ukraine in major cities including; Berdyansk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy and Kyiv and by 4^th April the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights verified that 1,480 Ukraine civilians had died as a result of the invasion, although this number has been disputed due to it being difficult to access all locations.

The invasion has resulted in a humanitarian crisis, and thousands of Ukrainians have fled the country to remain safe. Britain have helped the Ukraine by proving a range of economic, humanitarian and defensive military assistance to Ukraine during this time and have created the Homes for Ukraine scheme for individuals who wish to flee the Ukraine and move to the UK.

There does not seem to be any signs of the invasion stopping any time soon and we are aware that our learners, employers and staff may be impacted emotionally by this topic. If you are and would like to talk about anything that is troubling you, please talk to your tutor or the Safeguarding team.

https://www.statista.com/topics/9087/russia-ukraine-war-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56720589

February 2022 – Learning Difficulties and Inclusive Practice

What is inclusive practice?

Inclusive practice is ensuring that everyone can have the opportunity to take part in education, activities and all parts of society. For example, an individual with ADHD may need more frequent breaks during teaching due to not being able to concentrate for long periods of time, someone with dyslexia may find it easier to read if they have a coloured film over the paper and those who have physical disabilities may need access to a lift in shops so that they can access the same goods as others.

Inclusive practice means that individuals feel valued, understood and part of society rather than ostracised and unable to achieve their goals.

What are Learning difficulties?

A learning disability constitutes a condition which affects learning and intelligence across all areas of life, whereas a learning difficulty constitutes a condition which creates an obstacle to a specific form of learning but does not affect the overall IQ of an individual.

Up to 10% of the UK population have a learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, or autism. If we do not implement inclusive practice that is putting 10% of our population at a bigger disadvantage.  

Although it can be an extra challenge to have a learning difficulty, it does not mean that an individual cannot achieve what they set out to do if they have enough support, for example, Michael Phelps has ADHD, Steven Spielberg and Whoopi Goldberg have dyslexia and David Beckham has OCD.

What does this mean to you?

How do you support inclusive practice in your work setting?

If you need additional support due to a learning difficulty, do you know who to contact?

Additional information

https://www.mencap.org.uk/

https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/

What is Inclusive Practice?

January 2022 – PREVENT

Terrorism is an action or threat designed to influence the government or intimidate the public. In the UK it I defined as a violent action that: *Endangers a persons life *Involves serious violence against a person *Causes serious damage to property *Creates a serious risk to the publics health and safety *Interferes with or seriously disrupts and electronic system   Whereas ‘The counter extremism strategy 2015’ outlines extremism as ‘The vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and respect and tolerance for different faiths and beliefs’. The Government’s Counter Terrorism Prevent strategy has three key objectives: *tackle the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism *safeguard and support those most at risk of radicalisation through early intervention, identifying them and offering support *enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate. The Channel programme forms part of the Prevent strategy. It is an initiative that provides a multi-agency approach to support people vulnerable to the risk of radicalisation. Channel uses a multi-agency approach to: *identify individuals at risk *assess the nature and extent of that risk *develop the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned. https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/ What does this mean to you? If you suspect anyone of terrorism or extremism, it is your responsibility to report this through the counter terrorism prevent strategy channel so that it can be investigated and minimise risk of harm to others. Additional resources: https://youtu.be/DoHgFs_1v1Y https://educateagainsthate.com/