YMCA Liverpool and Sefton shows commitment to being a #WorkPlaceSafePlace

15 YMCA employees have been trained as:- 'Champions' after Merseyside's Police Commissioner held the 1st Domestic Abuse Workplace Scheme training course for a single organisation. Jane Kennedy arranged the dedicated training for YMCA Liverpool and Sefton to equip the organisation with a greater awareness and understanding of employees who may be affected by domestic abuse and equip the Champion's with the skills to support colleagues who may at risk of abuse or violence. It is the 1st time the Commissioner has hosted 1 of the 5 day Merseyside Domestic Abuse Workplace scheme training courses for a single organisation. Among the staff who volunteered to take the training were YMCA Liverpool and Sefton's hostel managers, refuge staff, mental health workers and support staff. The organisation's Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head of HR were also among those who trained as:- 'Champions.'

Jane said:- "I'm delighted that YMCA Liverpool and Sefton have so enthusiastically engaged with this scheme. By putting forward 15 fantastic volunteers to take this training, they have demonstrated a huge commitment to their staff's wellbeing and welfare and to tackling domestic abuse. The British Crime Survey estimates that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 8 men will experience domestic abuse in their lifetime. Given the nature of the work carried out by YMCA Liverpool and Sefton supporting and caring for people who are potentially vulnerable and may have complex needs, their staff are more likely than most to work with men and women who are at risk of domestic abuse. I hope this training gives them the knowledge, skills and confidence to listen and provide a safe response and effective support to anyone who may be in need. As a social housing provider, the YMCA are also in a crucial position to provide a safe place for people to talk about their situation, make sense of it and gather information to make an informed decision about what they want to do. That means their staff can play a hugely important role in helping to support someone who may be suffering and even help them to break free from an abusive, controlling or potentially violent relationship. I'd like to thank YMCA Liverpool and Sefton for their commitment to providing a safe environment for their staff and the people they support. By volunteering so many of their staff to take this training they are sending out a clear message that domestic abuse will not be tolerated. Huge thanks and congratulations to all our newly trained:- 'Champions' your willingness to give up your time to offer help and support others at a time of need is invaluable. It could even save a life."

Any organisation which commits to joining the Commissioner's free Domestic Abuse Workplace scheme is provided with an extensive domestic abuse policy, a toolkit and materials to promote the scheme within their offices and 5 days of free training for members of staff who volunteer to become workplace:- 'Champions.' This training equips their staff with the skills to spot the signs of possible abuse, offer practical and emotional support and ensure colleagues who are at risk are directed to outreach workers or specialist support where needed. The newly trained:- 'Champions' will join a network of volunteers across Merseyside who are enabled to spot the signs of abuse and support colleagues to get help.

Ellie McNeil, CEO of YMCA Liverpool and Sefton said:- "We are really pleased to work with the Merseyside Domestic Abuse Workplace Scheme, we seek to ensure that YMCA is a place of safety not just for the people who use our services, but also for our staff and volunteers and our team of workplace Champions will use their training to help us do that. We see the impact of domestic abuse on a daily basis and we understand just how much the Workplace scheme is needed."

YMCA Liverpool and Sefton is a registered charity, a registered provider of social housing and company Limited by Guarantee. Founded in 1846, the organisation has built on a long history of providing a place for people to find acceptance, community and activity and now provides accommodation, family work, health and wellbeing, and training and education services. For more information about the Merseyside Domestic Abuse Workplace scheme, please visit:- MerseysidePCC.Info or please contact the Scheme Coordinator Malka Livingstone by calling:- 0151 777 5155 or send them an email.

Educating Liverpool: City wide study unveils how Scousers perceive their education

ACCORDING to the independent UK 2070 Commission, the UK is 1 of the most imbalanced economies in the developed world, meaning issues relating to educational opportunities are further compounded. The economic disparities setting the tone for Regional communities across the UK, has meant there is reduced access to the educational infrastructure readily available in the capital. The nation's leading online tutoring service MyTutor, has commissioned national research dissecting the issue further. The study; commissioned across 2,083 people; analyses the effect that social class and geographical location has on young people's access to education and the consequential impact on their professional careers. Emerging from the investigation, an overwhelming 1 in 4 Brits found that socio economic class was a primary factor that impeded their professional progression. The most disconcerting trends to emerge from the body of statistics is the acute disparity that exists between communities in the Regions, highlighting that students in Regions outside of the South East do suffer from a perceived disadvantage which has affected them in later life.

The research conducted by MyTutor has definitely highlighted the tale of 2 Cities, showing that students in the North West believe the quality of their education was a hindrance to their professional life; a sentiment that was not concurred with in the South East. Students in Liverpool (34%) were more than 4 times more likely to attribute the quality of education they received as a barrier to them reaching their full potential, thus holding them back in their career. This compares to only 8% of those educated in Oxford.

Currently, School performances, at GCSE level, within the North West, are increasing ever so slightly higher than the national average. The percentage of those achieving the GCSE pass rate (entries awarded grades C/4 and above) is now at 64.9%. However compared to 67.1% nationally and 70.2% in the South East, the North West is still performing behind Regional and National counterparts.

In addition to these issues, MyTutor's research has found the following attitudes towards education in Liverpool:-

► A staggering 42% agreed that they didn't have a teacher encourage them to go into Higher Education.

► 81% agreed that they did not have access to 1 to1 learning at School.

► 29% agreed that their education prevented them from moving up the socio economic ladder.

► 40% agreed that their socio economic affected their performance in School.

Bertie Hubbard, Co-Founder and CEO of MyTutor, the UK's leading online tutoring platform, has commented on the Regional disparities highlighted in the research. "There has been a long history of Regional differences, and the Government is now looking to address this as part of the recent pledge to "level up" Britain. There is a real opportunity gap here, and 1 that technology is well placed to help close. By empowering Schools and parents with more cost effective and convenient ways to support their children, such as online tutoring, access is no longer such a barrier to success. As this support structure moves online, these Regional divides can be bridged to give every child the opportunity to achieve both in and outside of the classroom, having a positive effect on the rest of their lives."