Author: W4MP Editor

Telegraph guides: how to make customer services listen to your complaint

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Will Kirkman of The Telegraph newspaper has published a series of articles about how to get utility company customer services listen to your complaints.  You can find them on the Telegraph website here:

British Gas: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/british-gas-contact-complain-customer-service-how-make-complaint/

BT: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/bt-contact-customer-service-how-complain-make-complaint/

E.ON: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/eon-contact-complain-customer-service-how-make-complaint/

EDF Energy: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/edf-energy-contact-complain-customer-service-how-make-complaint/

NPower: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/npower-contact-complain-customer-service-how-make-complaint/

Plusnet: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/plusnet-contact-how-complain-customer-service-complaint/

SSE: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/sse-contact-complain-customer-services-how-make-complaint/

Scottish Power: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/scottish-power-contact-complain-customer-services-how-make-complaint/

Sky: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/sky-contact-how-complain-customer-service-team-cancel/

TalkTalk: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/talk-talk-contact-customer-service-how-make-complaint-cancel/

Virgin Media: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/virgin-media-contact-how-complain-customer-service-make-complaint/

Vodafone: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/vodafone-contact-how-make-complaint-customer-services-complain/

Virtual Events for Mental Health Awareness Week – 10th – 14th May

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Image shows a poster listing the various events taking place on Mental Health Awareness Week

Please join us for a series of fascinating events to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.

We are also launching the WWG’s very own SharePoint site which includes information on:

  • Spending the IPSA wellbeing funds
  • Group supervision – what is it and how might it help staff?
  • Employee Assistance Programme
  • Courses run by the House on mental health
  • Templates and exercises for you and your team to use to promote wellbeing.

Please email [email protected] in order to receive the links to each meeting.

Monday 10th May
3pm – 4pm –
Ceri Finnegan, Mind
‘Coping in Tough Times’
________________________________________________________________________________

Tuesday 11th May
11am – 12pm
Hein Ten Cate, NHS Consultant Clinical Psychologist on Trauma
‘Understanding trauma, types of trauma, supporting others and looking after oneself.’
________________________________________________________________________________

Wednesday 12th May
3pm – 4pm
MP’s Staff Wellness Working Group
‘Join us to see our new Sharepoint site’
________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday 13th May
3pm – 4pm
Dr Robbie Anderson, Managing Director, Chimp Paradox
‘Optimising the performance of the human mind’
________________________________________________________________________________

Friday 14th May
11am – 12pm
Rachel Edwards, Life and Career Coach
‘Who are you and where are you going?’

________________________________________________________________________________

Take care

Chloe, Steph, Estelle & Tom
Wellness Working Group

Follow the Speaker on Twitter

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Follow the new official @CommonsSpeaker Twitter account!

The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, launched his new official Speaker Twitter  account on Wednesday 21 April 2021.

Follow @CommonsSpeaker to stay up to date with his work as Speaker of the UK House of Commons, both inside and beyond the Chamber.

Wellness Working Group Virtual meeting: Kooth, Mental Health Support for Children and Young People

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Wellness Working Group Online Event

Kooth.com, Mental Health Support for Children and Young People
Time: 11am – 12pm
Date: Friday 16 April 2021

Dr. Lynne Green, Consultant Psychologist and Chief Clinical Officer and Gareth Evans, Director of Accounts and Engagement for Kooth will cover what Kooth is for children and young people, how to talk to parents about Kooth, how to access their services and discuss some case studies on the work they do with children and young people.

1 in 5 children and young people suffer from mental health illness in any given year. Kooth.com is commissioned by the NHS and Local Authorities to provide anonymous and personalised mental health support for children and young people, providing end to end support whatever the need.

To join this meeting, please email [email protected]

As always, please feel free to share this event with your colleagues and encourage them to join the Group.

6-week Mindfulness Course for MPs’ staff

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The world we live in is fast paced and dynamic – while this can feel exciting it can also become overwhelming, so how do we navigate our lives skilfully?  Mindfulness supports resilience and well-being. It is particularly valuable at this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, equipping you with tools to relate to challenging situations, and to form helpful daily habits.

The Working Mind mindfulness programme – new to Parliament this year – is designed specifically for the workplace and is suitable for beginners as well as those who have some familiarity with mindfulness.

This 6-week online mindfulness programme will be interactive and experiential. Between classes you will be invited to practice guided meditations using an app, and to explore ‘mindfulness in action’.

Please note that this programme is only open to Members’ Staff of the House of Commons

For further details and to sign up, please go to this ACT page: https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?f=1899

Hotline details for Opodo/eDreams

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It’s been brought to our attention that MPs’ offices have been emailing the CEO of Opodo/eDreams directly with casework.  However, Opodo/eDreams have provided an MP hotline email address, which will get a quicker response.

Please can MPs’ offices ensure that they use only the email address on our hotlines list and do not send casework to the CEO.

New rates for National Living Wage/ National Minimum Wage come into effect April 1

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These rates are for the National Living Wage (for those aged 23 and over) and the National Minimum Wage (for those of at least school leaving age). The rates change on 1 April every year.

23 and over 21 to 22 18 to 20 Under 18 Apprentice
April 2021 £8.91 £8.36 £6.56 £4.62 £4.30

Apprentices

Apprentices are entitled to the apprentice rate if they’re either:

  • aged under 19
  • aged 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship