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Important Notice: Currently our Contact Sessions are taking place as Virtual Supervised Contacts in response to the current Covid-19 epidemic and Government Action Plan to reduce the number of people leaving their homes. You can find out more about the Virtual Supervised Contact Service here. What is supervised contact? Supervised contact means that your contact with a child will be in the presence of a trained contact worker. Contact sessions are supervised by experienced members of staff who are trained to intervene when absolutely necessary in a professional manner. The staff member will also complete an un-biased factual observation report recording what happens during the contact. What is a supervised contact order? A child Contact Order can be made to give children the right to see both of their parents. The amount of contact and the arrangements made should take into account the situation immediately before the child Contact Order, if there is deemed to be risk the order will specify that Supervised Contact is required. When is supervised contact necessary? Supervised contact is used when it has been determined that a child has suffered or is at risk of suffering harm when spending time with a family member. Where do Supervised Contact Sessions take place? Supervised contact sessions take place either in one of our Supervised Contact rooms at a Swan Family Centre or close by in the community. Our contact centre rooms are individually themed and have lots of resources such as toys, arts and crafts, books etc for children of all ages and allow for a relaxed contact session which enables children to feel at home and safe and encourages positive interaction between children and parents. If Supervised contact takes place in the community, you would usually meet at the contact centre and visit somewhere within walking distance such as a park, accompanied by the Supervised Contact worker. How long can supervised contact sessions last? This is dependant on the court order and what is agreed in court. Why is supervised contact important? Supervised contact ensures the physical and emotional safety of a child. Supervised contact assists in building and sustaining positive relationships between a child and members of their non-resident family. Who pays for supervised contact? If a referral is made by the local authority then supervised contact sessions are usually funded. For private arrangements, the cost of supervised contact is covered by the parent as stipulated in the court order or as mutually agreed by the parents out of court. Can Grandparents have supervised contact? Yes this is possible but would be highlighted within the court order or as part of a mutual agreement between all parties. What is included in a supervised contact report? A supervised contact report covers a wide range of information, including Timekeeping (and ability to adhere to any special measures such as arriving early), Visual Check of the Child’s physical state, Physical Interaction between the parent and the child, any intervention made by the Contact worker, any disputes and how they are handled, the emotional impact of contact on the child and any changes required/recommendations for future contact arrangements. How do I make a referral for Supervised contact at Swan Family Centres? To make a referral, initially, you should send us an enquiry – this can be done via the form below. Once we have received your enquiry we will send you a formal Referral form and our pricing structure. Before your first contact can be set up we need to have a separate meeting with each parent to discuss the details of contact and go through the referral. To get the process started a referral needs to be filled in and sent back to us and the £40 set up fee needs to be paid. Form ID:4074
It’s official – Love Island will now be airing a winter show as well as it’s beloved summer show! Hopefully this will soften the blow that the summer series came to an end last night. With Love Island 2019 winners Amber and Greg having been crowned victorious. I think we can all admit that we became a little too emotionally invested in a few certain Islanders *cough* Amber and #TeamTolly. So it only makes sense that we reflect on what lessons we have learnt from this years islanders and show how these can help us in our job search. #1 – Always seek moral support Ever since the first episode and the shocking late arrival of Tommy and Curtis – the dancer has always been seen as the ‘dad’ of the villa. He is always there to provide advice and support, although his recent advice to Jordan may have got him into trouble – he was still there to talk nonetheless. Like the Love Island villa, job searching can often be a lonely and frustrating place to be in, so get yourself a Curtis, even if it’s just to go through interview questions or to help you pick your best frock for an upcoming interview. #2 – Always be willing to take a risk We have seen many risks being taken over the years Love Island has aired, however we can all agree that in this years’ Casa Amor the Michael, Amber and Joanna twist had us all like … Michael went with his gut feeling and took the risk, instead of playing it safe and sticking with Amber. Job seekers can learn a lot from this. You should never just stick with a job offer because it’s an easy option if you feel like you could find a better option. Always take a risk if a good opportunity presents itself. #3 – Something new and possibly better will always come along Amber has been through a huge journey in the villa this year and following Anton leaving Sunday night, was the only original Islander left in the final four couples. She struggled with her breakup with Michael and spent days having to watch him crack on with Joanna. However her luck changed when she got a text saying Greg was waiting on the hide away terrace! Now they have won the £50,000! The moral of the story is, something better will always come along – if you have been rejected for a role you thought you were perfect for, don’t worry – it just means your one step closer to finding the right job for you! #4 – Laying it on factor 50 is not always the best idea Previous to being coupled up with Belle, Anton didn’t have much luck with finding a romantic connection with the other girls, even though he ran around like a headless chicken making tea, coffee and toasties trying to win over the girls. Sometimes less is more, Anton! Anton has taught us that laying it on thick can sometimes push people away. So, if you’re waiting for a response from a hiring manager about the role you interviewed for a week ago, don’t spam them with phone calls every day asking for an update; maybe send them an email similar to the example below. “Hello (hiring managers name), It was a pleasure to meet with you last week, I enjoyed learning more about the (job title) position you have available. I haven’t heard anything for a while so I thought I would drop you an email to see if you had made a decision or if you are still deciding. If you require any further information from me please email me or call me on (your number). Kindest regards (Your name)” Hopefully like us you’ve learnt something from the islanders this year. Remember, just because Love Island is over, doesn’t mean your job hunt is! So follow these top tips and you’ll be well on your way to finding the job that is 100% your type on paper. Are you looking for your next role? Fill the form given below and we will match you with your perfect role. Form ID:5353
Wouldn’t it be amazing if every CV you sent out got accepted straight away? Unfortunately, this is not the reality of it! The majority of roles you come across in your job search receive hundreds of CVs and applications come through each day. So what will make your application stand out from the others? Why is a tailored CV important? A recruiter will take only a minute or two to review each CV they receive (at most) therefore you need to make sure that the details they are looking for stand out straight away. You can do this by matching your skills to each job you apply for and make sure your CV showcases everything your prospective employer is looking for! Follow this step by step process to get it right every time! Is the job actually worth applying for? Does my experience match what the role is looking for? Do I meet the minimum criteria (e.g. Minimum years experience/qualifications) Does the salary/working hours etc meet my needs? Make a list of everything the advert asks for. Edit your CV using the useful infographic guide below to make sure that you include the IMPORTANT information in the right places on your CV Cut out any irrelevant information, or include minimal details. Do this for each job that you apply for – even if it is a similar role the next job advert may emphasise specific skills and experience so it is always worth tweaking your CV to match these! Research the company and make some notes so that if they call you or ask you to come for an interview you are already prepared We have put together a generic CV and a targetted CV for you to take some inspiration from, take a look below! Click here to zoom in inin Generic CV Targetted CV If your CV is still not getting the attention it deserves, take a look at our top 5 favourite CVs that we have come accross over the years to see if you can spruce yours up to stand out from the crowd!
Nursing is an incredibly rewarding and meaningful career with many, many great aspects. However, with the long and demanding shift schedules and poor rest ratio it can be easy for Nurses (and other Healthcare professionals) to experience and suffer from fatigue. Inadequate sleep and the resulting fatigue can have major implications on the health and safety of both Nurses and the patients in their care. So let us fill you in on everything you need to know all the way from what fatigue is to how you can prevent it. What is fatigue? Fatigue is not just occasionally feeling tired or sleepy like most people think. Fatigue is where you are permanently exhausted with no energy or drive to do anything. Inadequate rest and a stressful work environment can result in fatigue levels rising and being apparent. Why is fatigue bad? Fatigue can lead to a number of medical issues. It causes poor focus or inability to concentrate which puts the patient’s safety (and Nurses) in jeopardy. Another important note is job satisfaction! Don’t ever push yourself beyond your limits, physically and emotionally in your job role as this can result in you resenting it and therefore not putting your 100% attention and care into it. How can I spot fatigue? Tired constantly No “get up and go” mentality Lack of energy Muscle pain and discomfort Sore throat Headache/migraine Unrefreshing sleep/rest Memory loss Struggled concentration How can I prevent fatigue? Fighting the fatigue battle is a lot easier said than done but there are steps you can take to overcome it. Firstly, keep an eye on your health. Having a duty of care for others can make it easy to take a back seat with your own health (physical and mental). Eating well can help you to increase energy levels. You should consider including fruit and vegetables into meals and snacks. Here are some high energy snack ideas… Bananas Fatty fish such as Salmon or Tuna Brown rice Sweet potatoes Eggs Dark chocolate (in moderation) Spinach Thirdly, find your boundaries and learn what triggers your fatigue coming on. If you can get to know this then you can avoid them in the future. You could keep a diary of everything you do, eat or drink that makes you feel run down which will then help you to know what you should avoid in the future! Hopefully, this has helped you to understand fatigue and its dangers a little bit more. Fatigue can affect anybody but there are steps to follow to avoid it. If you’re an experienced Nurse reading this, please fill the form given below and we will be in touch soon. Form ID:5353
Do you have a job interview approaching? We know it's your big day, so here are our 5 top tips to make sure you ace your job interview: 1 - Know the company and the interviewer Just like tennis players should know the court they are playing on – you should know the company you are interviewing for! You can do this by checking out their website and social sites. It is also a good idea to find out key things about the person who will be interviewing you. You can do this by searching them on LinkedIn to find out how long they have worked there and what their achievements are. If you want to go down a more personal route, you could also look into their hobbies and interests by having a cheeky peak at their social media. 2 - Ask questions To build a rapport with your interviewer, don’t just answer their question and wait silently for their next one. Build on their question and start a conversation. Ask them about their job role and how they overcome the problems they face. Also listen to what their answers are to your questions, as they will be paying attention as to how much you’ve been listening. Remember if this is a face to face interview, to keep good eye contact to keep the conversation flowing or if it is a telephone interview remember to smile. You can hear the difference. 3 - Show your passion It’s not enough to simply want a job; you need to be able to express your enthusiasm and your desire for that position at this particular company. Being able to answer the common interview question “What do you know about us?” in detail will show that you have put the time into researching the company and you are passionate about working for them. 4 - Wear appropriate attire Wearing the appropriate attire can make or break an interview. If you are unsure of what their usual work attire is, then why not send a quick email to double-check with your interviewer what you are expected to wear rather than just guess and get it completely wrong. If in doubt, dress in smart business wear or alternatively check their social media feeds. This all comes down to good interview preparation. Imagine you are in a group interview and all of the other candidates are in professional clothing and you're in casual clothes - embarrassing right! 5 - Ask about their company culture In any job interview, you should always ask about their company culture to see if you could see yourself working in that specific environment. Here at Swanstaff, we have a work hard – play hard culture, we go over the top on birthdays and we have some of the craziest team members in our Head Office and Branches located up and down the UK. Now that we have prepared you for your interview, it’s your turn to go and smash it out of the park! Just remember to smile, be yourself and be confident and you’ll ace it! If you are looking for a new role with us at Swanstaff, please fill the form given below and we will be in touch soon. Form ID:5353
According to Talent Works, 87% of Recruiters seek out candidates using LinkedIn. So there is no doubt that LinkedIn is the place to be when job searching if you don't have an account you're almost invisible to Recruiters! But what really catches a Recruiter’s eye when they’re scrolling through your online profile? We have put together the 5 top things that Recruiter's look for on your LinkedIn page! Are you looking for a new role? Please fill the form given below and we will be in touch soon. Form ID:5353
It’s finally here! Wimbledon has begun and we couldn’t be more excited! Have you been itching to get your hands on some Wimbledon tickets as much as us? Now, obviously such an important event just wouldn’t be the same without one of our golden set blogs to help you get in the spirit! Recently with all the excitement of Wimbledon starting, we have been thinking about how Tennis players and Recruiters are similar and here’s what we came up with… Determination – “I don’t play in tournaments to be 2nd best” Andy Murray The first thing that came to mind when we thought about this was determination and the levels that are acquired by Tennis players and Recruiters alike. In the likes of Andy Murray and Serena Williams – you cannot knock their determination to succeed and be at the very top of their game. This is also the mindset that a Recruiter should have! If you’re in recruitment you should strive to be the best you can possibly be – so have this quote by Andy himself in the back of your mind. Competitive – “I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger” Serena Williams Recruiters need to be competitive like Tennis Players in order to succeed and win. These days there are so many other successful Recruiters doing the exact same thing as you, trying to be the best. So you actually have to want to be successful in order to be successful. Hours on the court (or your desk!) Whether you are a successful Recruiter or a successful Tennis player you will have had to put a huge amount of time and effort into being where you are today, am I right? Of course, I am! Remember, the more you practice, the better and more successful you will be. Reacting to fastball situations As a Recruiter, it can sometimes feel like you are being bombarded with fast-flying Tennis balls by an opponent with clients and candidate problems coming at you left, right and center (don’t worry, we all have days like this). You have to react fast and with a solution. Just like Tennis players when their opponent shoots a fastball! Victory! Tennis players and Recruiters celebrate their victories in very similar ways. Normally with a knee slide and a celebratory arm air punch! Or maybe that’s just in our crazy office? Are you interested in finding a new match for your Recruitment career? Fill the form given below and we will be in touch to discuss what internal roles we could offer you. Form ID:5353