Jack sends a heartfelt message to Liverpool employers

AFTER being out of work for nearly 2 years, Jack Smith is delighted with his new role as a receptionist working for easyHotel, but he has a heartfelt message for other City employers:- "Please don't make assumptions that a job seeker, who happens to be a plus size, will have a lazy attitude to work."  25 year old Jack, who says that he is:- 'big hearted and big framed,' felt that his extensive search for work was due to recruiters viewing his shape in a negative way rather than focusing on his employment record and the work that he had undertaken to improve his literacy, as Jack is dyslexic.  Jack, who lives in Walton in Liverpool, was supported into his current employment by the Work and Health Programme, known locally as Work and Health North West, which helps local residents who have been unemployed for a long time, as well as people with health conditions, into work.  The Work and Health Programme, delivered in the North West by employment specialist Ingeus, is commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions and receives support from the European Social Fund. "I want to use my story to urge those employers, who are letting an interviewee's body shape influence their decision making, to think again. A person's bigger size doesn't automatically mean inactivity:- it's a positive attitude to work that counts," explained Jack. "I became quite despondent because I felt that some interviewers saw my weight as an indication of laziness; and nothing could be further from the truth. I was also concerned that my dyslexia was being perceived as an issue."

A good example of this is what happened to Jack.  Jack was referred to Work and Health North West by his advisor at Jobcentre Plus, Pat McGovern. At the time of referral Jack admits that he was despairing of finding work after searching for nearly 2 years. "I used to be a security guard, but I decided not to renew my operating licence because I wanted to try a different line of work. I weigh around 20 stones and I think my size was an advantage in my former career, but I wanted a change of direction and decided to find a job in the Hospitality industry." revealed Jack.

Ingeus case worker Lisa Garnett put together a package of support for Jack:- "We helped to develop Jack's interview skills, which gradually boosted his morale. He also attended educational classes to improve his literacy and numeracy as he has dyslexia. Since Jack was concerned that his size was an issue, we arranged for him to see a specialist Ingeus health advisor to ensure that his diet was healthy and balanced."

Jack was encouraged to attend a recruitment day organised by easyHotel and with his newly acquired skills, and replenished self confidence, he was offered the role of Night Receptionist at their Castle Street Hotel.  "I've got my mojo back. Ingeus covered my travelling costs until I was paid. The people I work with are lovely and I have lost some weight as I prefer to use the stairs in the Hotel when I'm answering a guest's non urgent call." commented Jack.

Liverpool showcases latest NHS digital technologies to support patients

THE 1st digital testing space of its kind in the NHS the:- 'Livernerds Lab' has opened in Liverpool, to test the latest digital technology to support patient care. The lab consists of 2 specialised areas a:- 'Smart Room,' which simulates a Hospital room, and a:- 'Smart House,' which simulates a patient's home. Both spaces are specifically adapted and fitted with the latest digital equipment including sensor technology, virtual reality, telehealth and health care, all enabled by high speed 5G connectivity.  Located within Liverpool's Life Sciences Accelerator, the lab combines the innovative work of the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust's Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) programme and Liverpool 5G Health and Social Care.  The Livernerds Lab has been selected to be part of the ₤3.5 million Liverpool 5G Health and Social Care pilot which is using innovative 5G which enables health and social care devices or apps are to be tried out and tested. This unique opportunity is enabling partners to work together, to test the latest in digital health technology before it is implemented in Hospitals and in the community in patients' homes.

Dr Paul Fitzsimmons, deputy medical director at the Trust said:- "The technology allows health professionals to monitor important changes to a patient's health including heart rate, blood pressure, falls and other important changes. Any changes will then trigger support and can prevent an unnecessary Hospital admission. It is hoped that in the future this innovative work will also be used to support patients who are ready to be discharged from Hospital.  The 'Livernerds Lab' is the perfect place for health professionals, health and social care colleagues and information technology experts to work collaboratively to develop this amazing 'assistive technology' for patients."

David Walliker, chief information Officer at the Trust added:- "Liverpool Life Sciences Accelerator is already home to a number of organisations who are leading the way in the latest in research, life sciences, healthcare and digital health technology and now the Livernerds Lab. This collaborative work is helping to future proof our local health services and shape how we can deliver world class healthcare in our Hospital and in our community. I'm delighted to see already how some of our cardiology and respiratory patients are responding to some of the technology. Patients have technology in their homes and are monitored remotely by a team of nurses who visit patients if the technology highlights any potential health problems."

Rosemary Kay, Project Director, Liverpool 5G Health and Social Care, said:- "We plan to use the Livernerds lab to give local, national and international companies the chance to test products with the potential to drive digital change in health and social care provision, on a 5G network."

New bike ride guide tells tale of Region's female powerhouses

THE Birkdale road where women and children's champion Christiana Hartley once lived, the West Kirby School attended by actress Glenda Jackson and the Liverpool site where Josephine Butler started life changing work with the poor are just some of the destinations featured in a new publication. Bike and Go's Women's World Bike Rides Guide is being published to mark International Women's Day, which takes place on March 8, and includes locations across Merseyside where key female figures have made their mark. The guide, which can be found at:- BikeAndGo.Co.UK, celebrates some of the many women from:- Liverpool, Southport, Wirral and beyond who have changed the world through their forward thinking, altruistic actions throughout the ages.  Some of the suggested trips on offer include a bike ride up to the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, which stands on the site of the Brownlow Hill Workhouse, where Josephine Butler started her work with the poor following the death of her daughter Eva. Desperate to help those in an even worse position than herself, Josephine spent time at the workhouse, and went on to improve the lives of women in a number of different ways, from opening an envelope factory to provide work for homeless girls, to successfully campaigning for a change in various laws that discriminated against women. International Women's Day that took place on 8 March, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. It has occurred for well over a century, with the 1st IWD gathering in 2011 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.  Even those without bikes can try out 1 of the routes in the guide by simply hiring a Bike & Go bike from any 1 of 21 participating train stations across the Region, including:- Liverpool Central, Moorfields, Aigburth, Formby, Southport, Ormskirk and West Kirby.

Suzanne Grant, director of Bike and Go said:- "On International Women's Day it is important to remember the courageous women who were key to the freedoms and rights that women in most western societies can enjoy today.  So many women have made such a difference that it was hard to pick just a few to feature in the guide, but hopefully we've managed to combine some lovely bike ride locations with stories of women who embody everything that International Women's Day stands for.  We would encourage anyone interested in the lives of those who have made a difference to take to 2 wheels and enjoy a lovely bike ride to these historic locations, celebrating the lives of these women in the process."

Bike & Go offers bike hire facilities from 23 participating train stations across the Merseyrail network, including:- Liverpool Central, Moorfields, Aigburth, Southport, Ormskirk, Hoylake and West Kirby, in addition to a further 49 participating train stations across much of the North West, North East and Yorkshire, East and South East of England, and Scotland. There are also bike hire facilities at:-Seacombe Ferry Terminal and Leasowe Castle.

To hire a Bike and Go bike, users simply need to register their card details online, which they can do via smart phones, tablets, or at home, and pay the annual ₤10 subscription fee. They will then receive a user number via email which will allow immediate bike hire at just:- ₤3.80 per 24 hours, whilst they wait for their Bike and Go membership card. Bikes can then be returned to any participating Train Station.