In the second edition of the celebrated Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers, Senior Lecturer in Social Work Johanna Woodcock Ross revisits the complex toolkit of specialist skills required to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.

Retaining the clarity and readability that made the first edition so popular, the book examines both the general communication techniques applicable to all social work practice, and the specialist methods to be employed when working with specific service user groups. Incorporating detailed transcripts, the book dissects the professional communication skills that lie at the heart of social work with people with particular needs; including children, parents, young people who engage in offending behaviours, adults with disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers, those with problematic substance use, those experiencing and recovering from mental health difficulties and older people.

Based on the author’s innovative teaching and award-winning research, this new edition of Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers will support readers in developing their skills within both classroom and placement settings, and is a key resource for professional development. It is essential reading for all social work students and professionals, from training through to professional practice.
Specialist Communication Skills for Social Workers is available from Palgrave.

Johanna is Senior Lecturer and Programme Lead for BA (Hons) Social Work at the University of Kent based at our Medway campus.

Social Work at Kent was ranked 9th in The Complete University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2016, 90% of our Social Work students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.

Social Work students who graduated from Kent in 2015 were the most successful in the UK at finding professional jobs (DLHE).

Sent in by Harriet Armstrong Viner

The School of Politics and IR is hosting the annual Elections, Public Opinion and Parties (EPOP) conference from 9-11 September 2016. EPOP comprises academics and researchers working in the fields of public opinion and electoral behaviour, and represents the largest sub-group within the Political Studies Association.

This year’s conference will welcome over 150 delegates from the UK, Europe and the US. There will be over 30 academic panels, two pre-conference workshops, a plenary session on the future of opinion polling and an annual dinner at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge addressed by Daniel Hannan MEP.

Further details of the conference can be found on the website.

Sent in by Ben Seyd

The Careers and Employability Service are excited to announce details of Employability Festival 2016.  The four week festival was a success last year and will continue with the same format this year, taking place on the Medway campus from 10 October to 21 October and continuing at the Canterbury Campus from 24 October to 4 November.  This year’s programme is packed with industry professionals offering advice on etiquette, networking, interviews, presentations and more.  The Academic Schools and Professional Services have also kindly offered their expertise with information on topics such as self-employment, volunteering, and working as an international student.  As usual the Festival is home to the Employability Fair, taking place on Wednesday 12 October from 12.00 – 15.00 in the Pilkington Open Space.  Exhibitors this year include Enterprise Rent-A-Car, IBM, SEO London, Nuffield Health, Civil Service Fast Stream, Young Lives Foundation and many more.

For a full list of events please see below:

Monday 10 October 11:00-16:00 G0-06
Individual appointments with Justin Penney from EmployAbility: Justin Penney from EmployAbility will be offering individual appointments to students with disabilities. He can offer advice on gaining employment and getting any support needed in the recruitment process, as well as in the workplace.

Monday 10 October 12:00-13:00 R2-09
Starting your employment journey: Enterprise Rent-A-Car will be offering industry advice about Employability Fair etiquette, recruitment, interview skills, networking, dress codes and more.

Monday 10 October 13:00-14:00 R2-09
Presentation skills: Presentations can vary dependant on your audience. You could be presenting your ideas to your peers or at a job interview. At this session Teach First will provide you with top tips to master your presentation style.

Tuesday 11 October 11:00-12:00 SCLGLR
The Employability Points scheme: What is it all about? This bitesize interactive session will give you the chance to find out further information about the University’s unique Employability Points scheme. This will include information on how to earn points, log points and ultimately, get rewarded!

Tuesday 11 October 12:00-13:00 SCLGLR
Employability through volunteering: Gain an understanding of how volunteering whilst at university can enhance your employability and how GK Unions rewards volunteers.

Tuesday 11 October 13:00-14:00 SCLGLR
Opportunities in risk management: Looking for a career that is well-paid, globally portable and with a good work-life balance, in a people-focused profession? Put aside any preconceptions about insurance and learn about B2B risk management. Get insight from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic graduates and the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Wednesday 12 October 10:00-11:00 Room tbc
Find out more about life as a Civil Servant: The Civil Service has so many different opportunities, and this is your chance to speak to current Civil Service Fast Streamers about what they do, and how you can be a part of the largest organisation in the UK.

Wednesday 12 October 11:00-12:00 Room tbc
How to tackle the Fast Stream Assessments: So you want to apply to the Civil Service Fast Stream, but are completely put off by all those tests and assessment centres? Let current Fast Streamers bust a few myths and help prepare you to get onto one of the top graduate programmes in the UK.

Wednesday 12 October 12:00-15:00 Pilkington Open Space
Employability Fair: A range of organisations will be providing information on graduate careers, placements, work experience, part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities and postgraduate study options. No need to book, just come along!

Wednesday 12 October 14:00-15:00 Room tbc
Working in the prison service: Two members of staff from HMYOI Cookham Wood will give their perspectives on employment in the prison service. The areas covered will be social work and forensic psychology.

Wednesday 12 October 15:00-16:00 Room tbc
How to run a business successfully as a student: Businesses don’t necessarily cost a lot to start and don’t have to take up all your time. In a competitive labour market, starting a business gives you the edge over other candidates – you’ll demonstrate just how self-motivated you are.

Thursday 13 October 13:00-14:00 R2-09
Interview skills: Develop your interview skills with this workshop hosted by South East Water.

Thursday 13 October 13:00-14:00 R2-09
Strength and conditioning career pathway: Creating Athletes deliver strength and conditioning services to academies and individuals in elite sport.  This workshop will provide information about their 6 month scheme, which includes qualifications, innovative workshops and field experience.

Friday 14 October 12:00-13:00 R2-09
Psychometric testing: Many employers use psychometric tests as part of their recruitment processes. Dr Yvonne Pendry from the University of Greenwich will be explaining what you can expect from a psychometric test and how to prepare.  Information on practice tests will also be available.

Friday 14 October 14:00-16:00 G0-06
CV and application form clinic: Careers advisers will be available to provide tips on CVs, covering letters and application forms. Please bring printed copies of any documents you would like feedback on.

Monday 17 October 13:00-14:00 Room tbc
Video interviews: Whichever career path you decide to embark on after university it is possible that you’ll be asked to complete a video interview.  FDM Group’s video interview workshop is your chance to discover what to expect, how to prepare and excel.

Tuesday 18 October 12:00-13:00 Room tbc
Self-employment and freelancing: How does self-employment and freelancing work? What can you do? How can you get into it? Gain valuable information from this workshop and get the chance to have your business idea reviewed and your questions answered.

Tuesday 18 October 13:00-14:00 Room tbc
Starting up an online business and how to sell online: This workshop will cover an overview of the different kinds of online business as well as guides on how to set up in online marketplaces, such as eBay and Amazon Marketplace and some top tips for starting an online business.

Wednesday 19 October 11:00-13:00 Room tbc
Mock assessment centre: Join Enterprise Rent-A-Car for an interactive workshop on what you can expect to experience at an assessment centre. Book early to avoid disappointment.

Wednesday 19 October 13:30-15:00 Room tbc
Meet the professionals: Would you like to find out more about careers in the financial services sector and how to succeed? Applicants are invited with any degree background, but willingness to study for a professional qualification is a must. This event brings together the main professional bodies ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA and ICAEW (ACA qualification) who will give a short presentation each followed by Q&As.

Wednesday 19 October 14:00-15:00 Room tbc
Taking a Year in Professional Practice: If you are studying BSc Social Sciences or BA Criminal Justice and Criminology you have the option of taking a Year in Professional Practice. You would spend your third year on a work placement relevant to your course, offering an exceptional opportunity to enhance your employability skills and experience. This presentation will cover what is involved and how to apply.

(Open to students (stage 1 or 2) studying BSc Social Sciences or BA Criminal Justice and Criminology at the Medway campus.)

Thursday 20 October 12:00-13:00 Room tbc
Speed networking: This business take on speed dating is the perfect place to start filling your book of contacts, extend your LinkedIn network and meet like-minded students. After an introduction to networking, you’ll take part in an intensive session of two-minute meetings.

Thursday 20 October 13:00-14:00 Room tbc
International students and working: Are you an international student looking to work in the UK?  GK Unions Advice Centre present a workshop focusing on international students, their work restrictions, what work you can and can’t do etc. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

Friday 21 October 13:00-16:00 G0-06
Placement drop-in: Thinking about doing a year in industry or finding a summer internship?  Come to our drop-in session to speak to a careers adviser for tips on searching and applying for roles.

If you’re starting at our Medway campus in September, you might be wondering where to study, how to get online, and how to find the books you need for your course.

Here’s an overview of the library and IT services you can use.

Drill Hall Library
The Drill Hall Library is your main library at Medway. It has the books and e-resources you need, plus study spaces, PCs and laptops, printers, photocopiers and scanners, and support for your subject.

• Read this useful guide to the Drill Library. It tells you the basics, like when it’s open and how many books you can borrow.
• Visit the Library for an induction session, to learn your way around.
• Look out for games, competitions and fun prizes in Freshers’ Week

IT services for you
Here are some of the IT services you can use as a Kent student:

• Over 500 student PCs in the Drill Hall Library and University of Kent buildings. All the PCs in Kent buildings have Windows 10
• University WiFi (eduroam) in all buildings at Medway. You can set it up before you arrive on campus, or sign in with your Kent IT account username followed by@kent.ac.uk
• Print, copy and scanning machines across campus

If you need IT help, visit the Welcome Desk in the Drill Hall Library, or contact our IT & Library Support Desk.

Research students
Need a space to work? You can use the brand new dedicated Postgraduate Researchers’ Room in the Drill Hall Library. This newly designed and furbished room is available for postgraduates from all three Medway universities, providing an excellent space to study, network, practice presentations and meet those with similar research interests.

If you’re visiting Canterbury campus, you can also use the PGR Research Space in Oaks study hub.

Not a Medway student?
If you’re at Canterbury and you need a book that’s only in the Drill Hall Library, you can request it to be delivered to the Templeman Library through LibrarySearch.

You can also visit our Medway campus and use the Drill Hall Library. To borrow books, you’ll need to register for Invicta Access – just fill in the form and take it to the Loan Desk in the Templeman Library.

A shuttle bus runs in term time between Medway and Canterbury campuses.

Want to know more?
Visit our Hello Library and IT! website for more tips, guides and how-to videos.

Sent in by: Clare Bristow

The International Partnerships Directorate at the University of Kent was established on 1 August 2016.

International Partnerships sits within Academic Division and is responsible for increasing the University’s global presence, profile and esteem by driving forward the development of a range of international partnership activity, encompassing student and staff mobility, visiting faculty, dual awards and articulation arrangements. Kent currently has links with 388 institutions worldwide and seeks to enhance and develop its range of partnerships according to the University’s Internationalisation Strategy 2015-2020.

International Partnerships is led by Hannah McNorton, and is based in the Registry extension at the Canterbury campus. The department’s responsibilities include:

– Managing and increasing partnerships with institutions worldwide
– Cultivating major and multi-lateral strategic partnerships for cross-institutional engagement
– Managing student (study and work) mobility through Study Abroad and/or Erasmus exchange arrangements
– Facilitating staff training and teaching mobility to Erasmus partner universities or other organisations in Europe
– Enhancing engagement with funding opportunities to support international training, capacity building and innovation projects under Erasmus+
– Supporting schools and professional service departments in realising their international partnership ambitions

If you are thinking of establishing a new international partnership, or are interested in finding out more about the activities of International Partnerships (including student or staff mobility opportunities), please contact us directly by email, telephone 01227 824921 or visit our webpage.

Sent in by: International Partnerships

Dear Colleagues

Unfortunately due to the very low usage of the postal service run through Medway reception the service shall cease from the start of September new term 2016.

I have contacted Greenwich University and they are happy for staff and students to obtain postal services from Pembroke Building North located on Campus along Central Ave. This service operates Monday to Friday between 08.00 and 16.30 subject to staff availability. Staff and students will be able to pay for personal items of mail using the following standard Royal Mail services:

• First Class Letters, Large Letters and Packets
• Second Class Letters, Large Letters and Packets
• UK Parcels up to 20kg
Please note that it is not possible to offer tracking, insurance or issue Certificates of Posting.
It is only possible to accept cash, and no credit will be available for this service.
Items will be weighed and measured to ensure the correct postage is applied, and will be collected by Royal Mail.

The new Asda supermarket and outlets at Dockside are also alternatives.

Apologies for the cancellation of this service, and if you require additional information please feel free to contact me directly.

Kind Regards,

Lee Montgomery DipSM MBIFM
Facilities Manager, Estates Department

On 3 September 2016, Professor Núria Triana Toribio, Professor of Hispanic Studies in the Department of Modern Languages, will be presenting at the forthcoming British Film Institute (BFI) study day,’The Almodóvar Connection: Spanish Cinema, History and Memory’.

Pedro Almodóvar is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, and producer, who achieved international recognition for such films as Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), All About My Mother (1999) and Volver (2006). The BFI event is a study day that aims to use Almodóvar’s work as a starting point to unravel ideas about Spanish cinema, cinephilia, history, and memory. It forms part of retrospective season, ‘Almodóvar at BFI Southbank’, in anticipation of the release of his new film Julieta (2016).

Núria will be giving a presentation entitled ‘Pedro Almodóvar and the Legend of the Movida’. She will explore the singularity of Almodóvar’s cinema by tracing its roots to a Spanish Punk scene whose ferment generated photographers, artists, and musicians especially, but only one filmmaker who survived. It will consider how those films and their legacy shape contemporary memories of that unique moment in Spanish history. The talk will focus on Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Average Girls (1980) and Labyrinth of Passions (1982), those sunny chronicles of the Spanish Punk moment, in contrast with the darker visions of Arrebato (1980), the film from that period chosen by Almodóvar himself for the BFI.

The BFI is a London-based charitable organisation, established by Royal Charter to promote and preserve film and television. The event will be held at the BFI Southbank, a four-screen venue in London.

Sent in by: Kate Buchan

Exploring academics experiences and perceived role in working with students with mental health problems

We are conducting a research study exploring academics experiences and perceived role in working with students with mental health problems, and would like to invite academics to participate in an online survey. In recent years, there has been increasing awareness of mental health problems amongst university students, however, there is little research into academics perspectives of mental health issues amongst their students.

The survey will be anonymous and will take 15-20 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions or concerns about the study, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr Sara Spear & Dr Yvette Morey, Faculty of Business & Law, University of the West of England via telephone (0117 3287658) or email.

Sent in by: Sara Spear

Artist Shona Illingworth, Fine Art Reader and Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Music and Fine Art, currently has work in the exhibition States of Mind: Tracing the edges of consciousness at the Wellcome Collection, Euston Road, London. Running until 16 October, the exhibition features a series of installations that include Shona Illingworth’s Time Present, which considers the impact of amnesia and the erasure of individual and cultural memory.

Recently shortlisted for the prestigious 2016 Jarman Award, the widely exhibited Illingworth works across sound, film, video, photography, drawing and painting. Her work combines interdisciplinary research (particularly with emerging neuropsychological models of memory and critical approaches to memory studies) with publicly engaged practice.

Illingworth recently chaired and presented a seminar with Jill Bennett at ICOM (International Conference on Memory) in Budapest. Perspectives on Amnesia was an interdisciplinary investigation of memory loss, combining perspectives from arts and cognitive neuropsychology and the value of creative approaches in understanding the day-to-day experience of memory loss.

Sent in by: Jane Seaman

On Sunday 4 September the Canterbury district branch of HOPE Not Hate is holding an event to celebrate our community and stand up to the rise in hate incidents across the UK. It’s part of the #MoreInCommon celebrations taking place all over the UK across the weekend of 3-4 September.

This informal gathering is open to absolutely everyone. We would especially like to welcome UK, EU and international members of the University of Kent, the UK’s European University.

Expect music, food and good conversation. If you can, please bring some food to share, from another country or from your own.

Date: Sunday, 4 September 2016, 1-4pm
Location: Westgate Hall, Westgate Hall Road, CT1 2BT

Sent in by: Laura Bailey