News
The October Caseworker forum is scheduled for Thursday 20 October, 2:30-3:30pm and will be on the topic of ‘The training offer for caseworkers – what do you want?’
It will be led by Tara Cullen of the Members’ Services Team.
If you would like to be invited, please email [email protected]
Do you enjoy singing but feel you don’t have time?
Did you know there is a choir at Westminster?
They meet for 2 hours every Monday evening and you can find out more details here: https://w4mp.org/w4mp/w4mp-guides/groups-which-staff-can-join/sports-and-social-groups/parliament-choir/
We have just published two short guides about ways to make your documents look better, on screen and in print. They are both available here or from the Guides menu.
Digital right to work checks were introduced during the coronavirus pandemic to enable employers to continue hiring when face-to-face checks were not possible. This allowed applicants to send ID documents to employers using email, video call, and apps.
From 1 October 2022, UK employers wishing to carry out digital checks must:
Many employers have moved to remote and hybrid working, so the option for secure, digital right to work checks is designed to help make the recruitment process more efficient.
What does this mean for you?
These changes mean that employers will not be allowed to verify ID documents using less secure methods like email or video call after 30 September.
How to check an applicant’s right to work
Right to work checks can be done in three ways:
For further information please see the government’s guide on how to check a job applicant’s right to work and guide to right to work checks for employers.
See also
Our guide to foreign nationals working for Members of Parliament
Join us to learn how to deal with a caller who is talking about suicide.
We are very lucky to be joined by Lorraine Khalaf from the NHS who will be able to share her insight on how to deal with suicidal callers and how to support yourself and your colleagues when dealing with this type of caller.
This event will comprise of a presentation from Lorraine followed by a Q&A session.
We would love to hear from you ahead of the event, so if you have any questions you’d like answering, please email [email protected] and we will pass these to Lorraine to answer on the day
These sessions will take place on
10 October 2022 – 15:00-16:00
26 October 2022 – 15:00-16:00
Please book via ACT on the Parliamentary Intranet – you must have a network account in order to access this training. https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=5338
With Ollie Welsby, Trainer, Brightcore Consultancy
Wednesday 5th October 2022, 11.30am – 12.30pm
Online via Teams
Please join this Wellness Working Group session to gain insight from Ollie as to how to manage our own stress as well as looking at managing our wellbeing in the short and long term.
Ollie will help us understand the biology of stress and how we can identify this in ourselves and others. He will also provide us with coping strategies and how to maintain a work life balance.
To book, please email [email protected]
Details of all forthcoming Commons Library Talks can be found on ACT: https://parliament.learningpool.com/course/view.php?id=1563
Please note that you must have a parliamentary network account to access ACT.
Topics include:
Help with fire safety remediation work: high rise blocks (England)
Improving the UK’s science capability for managing animal diseases (NAO talk)
The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
Energy prices, security and market reform
The creation of the UK Infrastructure Bank (NAO talk)
An introduction to occupational and personal pensions in the UK
Mental Health reforms in England
Tackling local breaches of air quality (NAO talk)
Local and national charities working in your constituency can be a vital partner, providing you with frontline insights, up-to-date data and intelligence, and a reliable place to refer people who need urgent help. You will likely already know the charities in your constituency well, so this guide from NPC is intended to help you focus your work with them. NPC is a think tank and consultancy helping charities, funders, and policy makers to maximise social impact.
You can find the guide here: https://www.thinknpc.org/resource-hub/working-with-charities/
Caseworker Discussion Forum hosted by the Commons Library
The Library, in conjunction with the Members’ Services Team, is pleased to invite you to the Casework Discussion Forum which will take place virtually each month.
The next session is taking place on Thursday 18 August, 9:30-10:30am and will be on the topic of Wellbeing – looking after yourself and others. It will be chaired by Wendy Wilson from the Library.
The Forum will be complemented by a dedicated Teams chat which will allow you to share ideas and best practice, as well as support being on hand from the Library should specialist knowledge be required.
(Please note, you do not have to be a Caseworker to attend these sessions, they are open to any Members’ staff who handle casework.)
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]
The Balfour Project intends to appoint fifteen Balfour Project Peace Advocacy Fellows for the academic year 2022-23. If you are a postgraduate or final year undergraduate student with an interest in Israel-Palestine, you are welcome to apply.
The selected fellows will be paid a bursary of £700 payable in two tranches at the midpoint and end of the academic year.
As a fellow, you will be given the opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the work of the Balfour Project by campaigning for peace within your academic institution and more generally,
Applications for the 2022/23 Fellowship are now open.
To find out more about the content and expectations for the 2022/23 Fellowship programme, please read our Call for Fellows.
If you would like to make an application, please click here to fill out and submit an application form.
Applications for the 2022/23 Fellowship close on Friday 16th September 5 pm UK time. After which, the Fellowship coordination team will review applications and be in touch.
Please contact [email protected] should you have any questions.