We have a new collection of books in the library designed to make our staff feel good
The last 12 months have been a very difficult time and the library team are hoping that these new books will help to lift the spirits of our hard working staff.
The collection includes books from several different genres, including:
Romance
Cooking and baking
Gardening
Fantasy
Humour
The full collection is on the display in the library throughout February. Please feel free to visit the library to browse the books or see our catalogue here and email us with any requests: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk. If you are unable to visit the library we can post the books out to you.
The library team would like to thank all the staff in the trust for their contribution to coping with this pandemic. If there is anything that we can help you with please email us: academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk
Katie Fforde is a popular best-selling author of modern day romance books. She believes that falling in love is the best thing in the world, and wants all her characters to experience it, and her readers to share their stories.
Katie first started writing when her mother gave her a writing kit for Christmas, and once she started she just couldn’t stop. She has now written 28 novels. Her first, Living Dangerously, was published in 1995 and her most recent, A Springtime Affair, was published in paperback in January this year.
Each of Katie’s books explores a different profession or background and her research has helped her to bring these to life. She has been a porter in an auction house, tried her hand at pottery, refurbished furniture, delved behind the scenes of a dating website, and has even been on a Ray Mears survival course.
Katie has kindly answered a few questions for us about books that have entertained and inspired her and her work as an author. Read the interview here.
How can leaders support the wellbeing of volunteers?
Source: The King’s Fund
In this latest article from our Leading through Covid-19 series, Samaritans branch director Helen Goldsmith outlines how the charity has prioritised the immediate and long-term wellbeing of volunteers during the pandemic.
Vera Waters is a member of the Society of Authors and has written several books including ‘Half a Rainbow: Insight into Stress’, which was first published in 1990 and ‘Another Cup: An Anthology of Encounters’ (published in 2017). Her books are collections of true stories about people she has met throughout her interesting life and career. As well as writing and speaking to audiences, Vera is a prodigious reader with a collection of over 3,500 books at home.
Vera has kindly answered a few questions for us about books that have entertained and inspired her and her work as an author.
With a background in education, Vera’s career and life experience has taken her into many varied areas and situations. Trouble Shooter, Pioneer, an Agent of Change – this is how the Press have described her over the years. From Berlin to Australia and then over 12 years in America where she is billed as an inspirational and motivational speaker or as the Virginians say a ‘Stem-Winder’.
After holding an important senior position in the NHS at a Preston based psychiatric hospital, Vera found herself advising Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Constabulary. She was the first private counsellor to be retained by a police force and was awarded a rare Home Office Research Grant. She taught police officers of all ranks in 21 forces how to approach people with mental health issues and worked debriefing officers after traumatic events, such as the 1985 Manchester Airport disaster.
Vera’s interesting career and philosophy on life are truly inspiring and her books are filled with fascinating, moving true stories that will resonate or educate.
Read more about Vera and her diverse and fascinating career on her website. Vera’s collection of books are available to borrow now in the Gosall Library or, may be purchased online here.
How could the NHS better use its facilities to support social prescribing, holistic care and community resilience?
Source: Kings Fund
The NHS long-term plan has pledged to refer at least 900,000 people to social prescribing by 2023/24 to help improve people’s wellbeing; the fitter, healthier and more socially connected people are, the less likely it is they’ll need to access local GP or other health professionals. This research, based on a survey conducted with more than 2,000 people in England, shows that there’s also a strong appetite from the public for these services.
Jason Beresford is the author of ‘The Fabulous Four Fish Fingers’, ‘Frozen Fish Fingers’ and ‘Fish Fingers vs Nuggets’, three laugh-out-loud books about a gang of superhero kids. He is also, at times, a teacher, bad ukulele player and a man who speaks Japanese with a Coventry accent. Jason is the first author to feature in our Meet the Author Project. He has kindly answered a few questions about books and his work as an author and would like to use this opportunity to say thank you to NHS staff.
Before Jason became a children’s author, he worked in television for over 20 years. This included a long stint as a reporter for the Japanese TV company TV Asahi where he helped cover Nelson Mandela’s election as President in South Africa, the Rwandan refugee crisis, conflicts in Syria, Israel and across Europe. Jason also worked for the BBC in Coventry and Newcastle and for Tyne Tees TV where he was sent to join the army, he abseiled off Durham cathedral and he was attacked by a jackdaw that thought it was a dog.
Jason went on to direct two of Britain’s best loved soaps (Emmerdale and Coronation Street) and he produced many other TV shows. His memorable moments include reuniting the last surviving Oompah Loompas, crossing Britain on a lawn mower with John Sergeant and filming the party of the year at David Beckham’s house (even though he spent the whole night stuck in the kitchen.)
Jason lives in Leeds and has two daughters who both think he is quite funny at the moment but he knows this won’t last much longer.
Read here for more information about Jason and his work.
Coming soon: a library project to say thankyou to our hard working front line staff
Our clinical and support staff are working tirelessly to look after an increasing number of patients with serious mental health issues as well as supporting other patients and staff with anxiety and depression brought on or exacerbated by the current Covid-19 pandemic.
As librarians we are helping our staff to find valuable research in order to help them treat patients but also to help clinical leaders to try and predict the increased resources for mental health treatment which will be needed as the pandemic continues through the winter.
We are looking at ways to try to reward and motivate our valuable and brave front line staff, and we are inviting authors to send a message of support, thanks or encouragement, or just to raise a laugh or smile.
If you have a suggestion for an author you would like us to interview please email us at academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk
How has Covid-19 and the associated lockdown measures affected mental health and wellbeing in the UK?
This briefing provides insights into how mental health conditions have changed and which risk factors need to be recognised when supporting people’s mental health.
Now more than ever, we need to look after our wellbeing and take time to ourselves. We know that the new lockdown may have caused additional stress, worries or anxieties. We have a great range of welbeing and stress relief books to help you throughout the next month and beyond.
There is a growing body of research on the links between volunteering and wellbeing. This review (co-published with Spirit of 2012, and in partnership with the Institute of Volunteer Research) brings together the most relevant studies. It focuses on the experience of adult formal volunteers, and looks at the key factors involved in improving wellbeing through volunteering.
