The paper, called Civil Action, was published today by the research charity Pro Bono Economics, to mark the start of its Law Family Commission on Civil Society. Third Sector have reported that the commission is a two-year initiative that aims to examine how the potential of civil society can be unleashed in the UK. Find out more.

This is a timely resource, with millions around the world working remotely due to COVID-19. Our in-depth guide covers:

• The pros and cons of remote work for employers and their staff, the wider impact on society and the environment, and technological and cultural challenges that need to be addressed.
• Eye-opening statistics and surveys of work from home (WFH) employees: 68% felt more productive at home, 80% said WFH reduced their expenses, yet 57% also felt more stressed from working remotely.
• Understanding the biggest challenges faced by remote workers: dealing with stress, anxiety, and maintaining work-life balance at home.
• Practical tips and advice to set up a productive and healthy workspace at home including links to other useful information.

The full online guide is here

Following the government’s Spending Review that took place on 25.11.20, DSC spotted five main takeaways for charities. Check out our analysis from Jay Kennedy here.

The Thrive LDN communications toolkit remains updated and the messages and assets will support partners during the remaining planned period of the current national lockdown for signposting to resources to support resilience, mental health and wellbeing. It is available to download via: https://thriveldn.co.uk/toolkits/.

There is suggested standard copy for your own external facing websites within this. Please do explore this and see how it may be used, for example as a news article, if not already the case. We have updated some key messages for digital channels. Download here.

You’ll note some specific resilience messaging has been added to this.  We’re developing this further, in partnership with Good Thinking, and will update with more assets as an ongoing campaign over the winter period. Please feel free to use and post organically or reshare posts through the Thrive LDN accounts, all via @ThriveLDN.

FURTHER UPDATES…

• Guidance for people supporting individuals and communities affected by the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19)

Thank you to colleagues who are sharing and download a Look, Listen, Link A4 poster for your community or faith centre, public and patient area, and/or workplace.

This poster links to our guidance for people who are supporting communities and individuals who have been adversely affected by COVID-19 to help them to know the most supportive things to say and do for people who are distressed.

• Good Thinking’s toolkit for employers

Good Thinking has published an online toolkit on how best to support your employees’ mental health – designed for organisations in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. It is available to support your internal communications activity and will be updated regularly by the Good Thinking team.

• Support after sudden bereavement during the pandemic

We are finalising with partners a toolkit to help provide suddenly bereaved people with reassurance that help is available if they need it. We anticipate being able to publish this by the end of this week.

It provides important London wide information about how existing services have changed how they are supporting people. We have included dedicated support options for groups of people who may be particularly vulnerable, to help ensure they are aware of who can best understand their circumstances. We think it will be an important resource for both internal and external use.

Hammersmith and Fulham Law Centre have an exciting new project to assist women experiencing domestic abuse. Our dedicated Women’s Crisis Navigator will provide a holistic service to women experiencing domestic abuse, enabling them to get early advice to prevent them from experiencing any further harm.

The Law Centre has expertise in housing, homelessness, welfare benefits and immigration but we will also assist women to access advice on family matters, including injunctions and related support services.

We are working on creating partnerships with local organisations based around a referral system. We hope that by working together, more women in crisis will receive the support and legal advice that they require. The referrals made by our partners will act as a key component of accessing justice for the client.

I enclose details of the service that you can display in your organisation and share with other staff members.

Please do get in touch if you would want more details or if you would like to speak about the project.

Email: kate.evans@hflaw.org.uk

Phone: 020 8148 5276