Other News In Brief

BCC Host Neurodivergent Employee Support 'Mini-Summit'

Belfast City Council has hosted a 'mini-summit' to explore better support for neurodivergent employees, attended by employability practitioners working in the city.

The event was the first in a series of theme-based workshops being delivered by the Council in partnership with the Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP).

Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Tina Black, who opened the event, said: "We've hosted this mini-summit in partnership with the IEP as part of our part of our employability and skills programme of support for practitioners. But it's also an important part of our wider Belfast Agenda work to ensure that the city is an inclusive place, where everyone benefits from a thriving and prosperous economy and can fulfil their potential.

"Everyone in our society deserves to be able to work and to have their needs supported in their workplace. So, we've been fortunate to be able to tap into the wealth of knowledge and expertise that IEP Fellows Kevin Moore and Suzanne Eusman, have in the fields of mental health and neurodiversity. It's been great to see how fully engaged our delegates have been by their lively, interactive sessions. Everyone has grasped the opportunity to network with peers and colleagues too – so I think there'll be a lot of learning taken back to workplaces."

Scott Parkin FIEP, Chief Executive of IEP said; "I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet employability practitioners from Belfast at the mini-summit and hear first-hand some of the challenges and priorities they are facing in frontline service provision. It was heartening to hear their stories about the fantastic work they do every day to help people improve their lives by supporting or progressing them into sustained work.

"Through our partnership with Belfast City Council, the IEP aims to provide a network of excellence and best practice, as well as creating a benchmark of quality delivery across employability and skills in Belfast. We look forward to extending the benefits we offer to even more practitioners across the city and the rest of Northern Ireland."

The first seminar of the day 'Your Mind Matters', facilitated live and online by Kevin Moore of social enterprise Big Dog Little Dog, encouraged delegates to explore mental health, mental illness and the relationship between our psychological wellbeing and the workplace. Kevin commented: "I'm really pleased to be starting my 2023 by contributing to this event. Nobody is in any doubt about the increase in mental health challenges which recent years have brought, and the prevalence of mental health issues in the country. I really enjoyed helping our members better understand the subject matter - not just for their customers, but for their own lives and workplaces."

Head of Specialist Employment Services at Autism Plus, Suzanne Eusman FIEP facilitated a second session 'Neurodiversity: Changing Perceptions', giving an overview of neurodiversity and how to change employer perceptions, as well as providing options for low cost, reasonable adjustments to support neurodivergent employees at work, illustrated by case studies.

Suzanne said: "I was absolutely delighted to join the IEP mini-summit to share my knowledge on neurodiversity in the workplace. We need to be working together to highlight the skills that neurodivergent adults can bring to the workplace and I was honoured to be able to share knowledge with employability practitioners across the city. The prevalence rates of autism across Northern Ireland are much higher than the rest of the UK, with over 3,000 school aged children currently with an autism diagnosis in Belfast alone. We need to be forward planning and creating opportunities to ensure that these young people are valued and are able to access meaningful employment now, and in the future."

NI Health Service Crisis 'Deeply Concerning' – SF

Sinn Féin has said that the ongoing crisis in Northern Ireland's health service is "deeply concerning", following the news that operations are being cancelled.

The party’s health, MLA Colm Gildernew, spokesperson said: "Cancelling non-urgent surgeries will have a knock-on effect on emergency departments and cause further distress to patients on waiting lists which are already out of control.

"Years of Tory cuts to the health service has caused suffering and misery for patients on waiting lists.

"This is unacceptable; doctors, nurses and hard pressed ambulance staff working on the front line want investment in the health service.

"They want to substantial investment in health and social care to transform the system, to pay workers a fair wage, and bring an end to the cycle of services and health workers being overwhelmed.

"They are also crying out for political leadership and local ministers to be back around the Executive table working for the patients and the people they care for.

"The DUP should get back to work around the Executive table with the rest of us to help invest additional resources in the system reducing waiting lists and recruiting more doctors and nurses."

Lack Of Local Budget Could Cause 'Unprecedented And Harmful Consequences' – Alliance

The continued lack of an Executive to set a local Budget could have many unprecedented and harmful consequences, Alliance Infrastructure spokesperson Andrew Muir MLA has said.

Mr Muir was speaking after asking the Department for Infrastructure its reaction to having its Budget set by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris late last year. In the reply, Department Permanent Secretary Dr Julie Harrison stated the Budget falls ‘far short' of what is required to meet all the pressures identified.

Alongside other approaches, the letter states if further savings are required, the only other options left open to the Department are ‘in the realms of what would previously have been unthinkable,' including significantly reducing the road gritting programme or switching off street lights.

Mr Muir said the resulting impact on public health and safety in such a scenario could be catastrophic.

"We all know the perilous state of public finances and realise difficult times are ahead," said North Down MLA Mr Muir.

"It is deeply regrettable thanks to the DUP's deadlock the Secretary of State had to set the Budget for Executive Departments in the first place. It means there is no strategic approach to allow for reform or long-term planning, leading to short-term patch-ups and potential ‘unthinkable' options being considered by the Department.

"Not only could the short-term impact on public health and safety of these be catastrophic, but there would be resulting immediate pressures put on other aspects of public services as a consequence, which would be deeply harmful in some circumstances.

"It is vital the DUP's boycott of the institutions is ended and the Executive restored in order to tackle our public finances, set strategic Budgets and priorities for Departments, and prevent the situation getting even worse."