House of Commons Library Briefing The Commons Library has produced a briefing on gift vouchers and insolvency, relating to what happens to consumers’ gift vouchers and other prepayments when a retailer becomes insolvent. You can read the summary and download the full briefing here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06540/

The Wellbeing Hub for Members’ staff can now be accessed directly from your desktop using the orange and blue icon which should now have appeared. The Wellbeing Hub brings together all resources into one place, with information on what support services are available and ideas, tools and templates to support you with your wellbeing. It is…

This is an event from the Wellness Working Group Wednesday 14 July 1410:00 AM – 11:00 AM Nick Gazzard from the Hollie Gazzard Trust talking to the group about Hollie’s story and the work of the Trust. He will be joined by Neil Cahalin from Member Security Services at the House to speak about available…

The hotlines list has been updated again. Please can you ensure that you use only the current list which can be found on the intranet here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/Documents/research-online-resources/research/constituency-casework/w4mp-hotlines.pdf Please do not save or print the hotlines list, as this risks you using incorrect details and causing annoyance to the people you are contacting.

This is a briefing / Q&A session from the Members’ Services Team. National Audit Office (NAO) / Education Team The National Audit Office is the nation’s independent spending watchdog. It reports to, and is funded by, Parliament to value for money reports on subjects ranging from HS2, Defence contracts, local authority finances, Covid-19, to environmental…

The regional roadshows are getting a revamp and the Members’ Services Team would love to hear your thoughts on what should be included. All MPs’ staff are invited to contribute. If you are available 15 July 9.30 – 10.15am and would be willing to provide them with some feedback about what should be included in…

This is an event from the Wellness Working Group Thursday 8 July 2021 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Author of the Sunday Times Bestseller, The Well Gardened Mind, Sue Stuart-Smith will join us to talk about the benefits of nature for wellbeing. “In a powerful combination of contemporary neuroscience, psychoanalysis and brilliant storytelling, The Well…

This session, aimed at MPs and their HR proxies, is run by the Members’ HR Advice Service to supplement the Best Practice Guide to Office Restructures. The session will provide information about how to manage restructuring the office when you are considering reorganising your staffing resources to respond to changing priorities. It will cover employer…

This is an event from the Wellness Working Group. Tuesday 29 June 2021 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Jamie Bristow is Director of The Mindfulness Initiative, a policy institute about mindfulness and compassion training that grew out of a programme of mindfulness teaching for politicians in the British Parliament. The Mindfulness Initiative provides the secretariat…

The Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests runs workshops for Members and their staff on the following subjects together with the next available dates. ‘Openness and Registering Members’ Financial Interests’, covering: How to help your Member register and declare interests The rules on paid lobbying by MPs How and when to register your own interests Thursday…

This session, aimed at MPs and their HR proxies, is run by the Members’ HR Advice Service to supplement the Best Practice Guide to Office Restructures. The session will provide information about how to manage restructuring the office when you are considering reorganising your staffing resources to respond to changing priorities. It will cover employer…

All MP Staff Q&A Session – Creating a safe workplace for Members’ staff – guidance on bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct 10:00 – 10:45 – Thursday 10 June 2021 Open to all of the staff of MPs.  For further information and booking, please see https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=4492  

Please note that, when trying to access these courses, if you receive automated messages such as “you don’t have Moodle” or “it is not for learners”, please contact the Digital team to sort it out as it is a technical error, thank you. Distressed Callers (1 day) https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=3965 Course overview Core skills when supporting emotional…

All Members’ Staff Virtual Q&A Session: UKVI/Passport office / Civil Service Sports Council This session is open to all staff of all MPs. 10:00 – 11:00 – 24 June 2021 For further information and booking, please visit https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=3963

All MP Staff Q&A Session – Creating a safe workplace for Members’ staff – guidance on bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct 10:00 – 10:45 – Thursday 10 June 2021 Open to all of the staff of MPs.  For further information and booking, please see https://parliament.learningpool.com/mod/facetoface/view.php?id=4492  

This session, aimed at MPs and their HR proxies, is run by the Members’ HR Advice Service to supplement the Best Practice Guide to Office Restructures. The session will provide information about how to manage restructuring the office when you are considering reorganising your staffing resources to respond to changing priorities. It will cover employer…

Members’ staff are invited to learn more about the Vote Office and the services we offer to support their work. Friday 11 Jun 2021, 11:00 – 11:40 on MS Teams Booking essential.  For full details please see here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/business-news/news-current-issues/whats-on/2021/june/introduction-to-the-vote-office-training-for-members-staff/  

The Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests runs workshops for Members and their staff on the following subjects together with the next available dates. ‘Openness and Registering Members’ Financial Interests’, covering: How to help your Member register and declare interests The rules on paid lobbying by MPs How and when to register your own interests Thursday…

Affordable rooms in London this summer Room for Tea is a social enterprise which connects interns looking for an affordable place to stay with hosts who have a spare room in their homes. Our motivation is to help aspiring interns and apprentices access affordable accommodation in London during their work experience, and offer young people…

The Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests runs workshops for Members and their staff on the following subjects together with the next available dates. ‘Openness and Registering Members’ Financial Interests’, covering: How to help your Member register and declare interests The rules on paid lobbying by MPs How and when to register your own interests Thursday…

This briefing paper explains the status of directly-elected mayors in English and Welsh local government, and the routes to establishing them, including the use of local referendums. It also includes an up-to-date list of elected mayors and statistics on previous referendums. Find the briefing here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05000/

There are still a few places available for the Member’s Staff Induction session on 27 May 2021. If you have any new starters who have not yet signed up the course, please ask them to sign up here: Member’s staff induction The details of the session are s follows. Part 1: Induction (9.30-12.30) Part 2:…

The Commons Library has published a new research briefing looking at online scams. In addition to looking at the scale of the problem, it considers the different types of scams, who are the targeted victims, and what is being done to combat them. You can find it here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9214/

The Commons Library has published a new research briefing looking at the results of the local elections that took place in England on 6 May 2021. You can find it here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9228/  

The Wellness Working Group has launched a new Wellbeing Hub for Members’ Staff. This is a dedicated space created by MPs’ staff for MPs’ staff; they know just how difficult this job can be and the importance of taking time to look after yourself.  They have gathered all resources to support you on this site.…

Award-winning public affairs professional Robert McGeachy has written The Public Affairs Guide to Westminster: The Handbook of Effective and Ethical Lobbying, drawing upon his experience of working in the House of Lords for many years, and of leading successful UK-wide public affairs campaigns. The Westminster Public Affairs Guide shows organisations and individuals how to influence…

The Members’ Services Team run all-Members’ staff phone-ins monthly. These events are available to book through our learning management system, Act. Supporting individuals with Hoarding disorder Tuesday 18 May 10-11am – Supporting individuals with Hoarding disorder

This Commons Library briefing paper provides general information about how the law applies to cohabitants, the number of cohabiting couples, and about the Law Commission’s proposals for reform. The number of couples choosing to live together (cohabit) without getting married or entering a civil partnership, in what is often called “a common law marriage”, increased…

The House of Commons Library has published a briefing paper which provides answers to frequently asked questions about international travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus: International Travel FAQs for England This paper is a compilation of frequently asked questions about international travel from and to England, and how it is affected by current restrictions…

The Commons Library has produced a Universal Credit reading list covering the new benefit from its development more than a decade ago through to April 2020. You can find it here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9211/

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…

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 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…

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…

The Members’ Services Team run all-Members’ staff phone-ins monthly. These events are available to book through our learning management system, Act. Dealing with fixated individuals Members of Parliament are at risk of being targeted by fixated individuals. In this session we will look at identifying obsessive behaviour and discuss the process should your office be…

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…

The new Certificate of Employer’s Liability Insurance, which should be displayed in all MPs’ offices, is now available to download from the intranet here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/PageFiles/133981/DC503%20-%20EL%20certificate.pdf

Time: 12:00 – 13:00 Date: Friday 26 March 2021 Where: Online – MS Teams Stacey Pereira from the Information Rights and Information Security (IRIS) service team will speak at the March All MP staff Q&A session, taking place Friday 26 March 12-1pm. There will also be talks from the Education and Engagement Outreach team to…

The List of Ministerial Responsibilities was updated on 11 March 2021 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-ministers-and-responsibilities  

The House will rise on Thursday 25 March 2021 and will return on Tuesday 13 April 2021. You can see further information here: https://www.parliament.uk/about/faqs/house-of-commons-faqs/business-faq-page/recess-dates/

IPSA has published the 2021-2022 staff salary ranges on the website here: https://www.ipsaonline.org.uk/guidance/pay-and-benefits

Two years ago today, Meg Williams organised the successful inaugural event which took place at Lord’s Cricket Ground, and later that summer a small team took part in their first soft ball cricket tournament.  Needless to say, the last two years have been particularly busy, but with the light at the end of the tunnel…

The Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests runs workshops for Members and their staff on the following subjects together with the next available dates.  The workshops will be run remotely via MS Teams. A. Openness and Registering Members’ Financial Interests, covering: How to help your Member register and declare interests The rules on paid lobbying by…

News from the Parliamentary Digital Service: From Friday 5 March, the calendar page on the UK Parliament website will be replaced by a new What’s On section.  These pages show a day by day view of what’s happening in the Commons, Lords and committees. The new pages still provide comprehensive detail about what’s happening across…

We’ve received an email from our friends over at the Hansard Society, with links to New procedural guides to the Budget and Finance Bill. Here’s what they wrote: If you are watching the Chancellor’s Statement this afternoon, and keeping an eye on the Budget debate over the next week and then the Finance Bill, our new procedural guides…

The Charity Commission register of charities displays information about how charities are run, and how they manage their finances, including information about salaries paid to senior staff members (in bands, upwards from £60k), whether a charity’s trustees are remunerated and its income, if any, from government contracts. You can search for charities in your constituency…

w4mp has received complaints that people who have been removed from the hotlines list are still being contacted by MPs’ offices. Please can you ensure that you use only the current list which can be found on the intranet here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/Documents/research-online-resources/research/constituency-casework/w4mp-hotlines.pdf Please do not save or print the hotlines list, as this risks you using…

Time: 14:00 Date: Friday 26 February 2021 Where: Online – MS Teams The focus of this month’s session will be dealing with aggressive and abusive constituents, both over the phone, in person and on social media. Our expert speakers are Neil Cahalin (Personal Security Adviser) and David Mair (Social Media and Security Analyst). If you…

Time: 11:00 – 12:00 Date: Friday 19 February 2021 The relationships between well-being and work have long been recognised, however the role of these in the fields of politics and government have not historically received the attention they deserve. Research conducted by psychologists within the UK Parliament has been the focus of a recent report…

The BBRS is a new, independent organisation that seeks to resolve disputes between larger SMEs and participating banks.  It is free for businesses to use and offers an alternative to litigation, which for many SMEs is not a realistic option. The service is now fully live and open to thousands of potential customers around the…