Author Archives: Amber Tennant

Love your sexual health this Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day is here, and with romance in the air there’s no better time to start thinking about your sexual health!

Sexual health is an essential part of your emotional and social well being, so there’s no need to feel awkward or shy away from talking about it. It’s just as important as your physical or mental health, and the good news is that taking control of your sexual health is easier than ever before.

With the right precautions, information and care, you can enjoy a safe sex life and be in the best position you can be to form healthy sexual relationships.

Take precautions

If you are choosing to have any kind of sex, it’s important to have a healthy awareness about the health risks involved, so you can take the rights steps to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Visit The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) for more information

Get tested

If you’ve had unprotected sex and suspect you may be at risk of an STI, make sure you get tested as soon as possible. Many people with STIs don’t realise they have them, but if left untreated they can put your health at risk. Take control and get tested as early as you can; that way treatment can be started sooner.

Where can I get tested for STIs?

If you’re worried you may have an STI, don’t panic. There are many places you can turn to, to gain advice/guidance, get tested and receive treatment. You can get tested at:

A sexual health clinic – Find your nearest STI services
A community contraceptive clinic – Find contraceptive services near you
Sexual health services – call the national sexual health line on 0300 1237123, or Worth Talking About (for under 18s) on 0300 123 2930
Some GP surgeries
Some pharmacies can also test for chlamydia

Self-test kits for STIs are also available online and on the high street, which sometimes can be delivered to your house, if you would prefer to do the test yourself. Read more about self-test kits

If you or your partner aren’t ready for pregnancy, use contraception

You may wish to start a family one day, but if now isn’t the right time – always use protection. There are many different contraceptive options available to you, and your local GP or contraceptive clinic can discuss your choices and help you choose a method that works best for your needs and lifestyle.
Read more about different forms of contraception

Learn about emergency contraception

If you’ve had unprotected sex and now you or your partner could be pregnant, don’t panic! Emergency contraception is available, including the emergency contraceptive pill or the intrauterine device (IUD). Read more about emergency contraception

Talk openly with your partner

Don’t be afraid to talk to your partner about your sexual health. A truly intimate relationship is all about good communication, and respecting each other’s wishes, feelings and decisions you make about your bodies. If you want to learn more about healthy relationships, visit https://www.relate.org.uk

Be proactive about your sexual health

Remember, protecting your sexual health is not just for Valentine’s Day! Make sure you’re keeping on top of your sexual health all year round. This means attending checkups and preventive screenings when they’re offered to you, and taking steps to manage existing medical conditions.

Debt Awareness Week: What to do if you’re struggling with debt

According to the Money Advice Service, there are now over 8 million people in the UK living with problem debts.*

The stress that money worries create can make many people feel hopeless, but it’s important to remain positive and remember that there is no debt problem that cannot be fixed with careful planning and consistency. Although there may not be an easy or quick fix, there’s always a way out of debt and the earlier you acknowledge your financial situation the easier it will be to deal with it.

Find out about the different ways to deal with debts if you are falling behind with day-to-day bills, loan and credit card repayments or other financial commitments such as your rent or mortgage.

Debt Management Plan (DMP)
Debt Relief Order (DRO)
Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA)
Bankruptcy
Administration Order
Offer in full or final settlement* – if you have a lump sum that would cover part of your debts, you may be able to ask your creditors to accept a part payment and write off the rest of your debts.
Writing off your debts* – If you have no available income, savings or assets and you are able to show your creditors that your circumstances are unlikely to improve in future (for example, if you’re severely ill) in exceptional circumstances you may be able to write off your debts.

*Speak to a debt advisor to see if this solution could work for you.

Make sure you access free debt advice before you make a decision. It’s always a good idea to talk things through with an experienced debt advisor, as they will be able to give you impartial guidance about which option is best for your personal circumstances. Find out where you can get free debt advice

RCVS Knowledge Veterinary Evidence Student Awards!

Calling all veterinary nursing degree students!

If you’re interested in getting your academic work published in a peer-reviewed veterinary journal before you graduate, why not enter the RCVS Knowledge Veterinary Evidence Student Awards?

The competition is open to veterinary nursing, veterinary medicine and veterinary bioscience undergraduates across the county. To enter the competition, you need to write a Knowledge Summary and submit it for publication in Veterinary Evidence.

The winners will have their paper published in the journal and be awarded one of the following cash prizes:

1^st place: £200
2^nd place: £100
3^rd place: £50

To win one of the prizes, a submitted paper must be considered by our judges to be at a ‘publishable standard’. All submissions will be considered for publication, so even if you don’t submit one of the winning entries you still stand a chance of having your paper and name published in Veterinary Evidence.

The deadline for submissions is 31st March 2019, and the winners will be announced at the VET19 conference in June. For more information and details about how to enter visit the RCVS Knowledge website.

10 Key Milestones in British LGBT History

February marks LGBT History Month

It’s crucial that as a society we remember the struggles of those who have fought to give us the lives we have today. This LGBT history month we want to take the time to reflect on events that, over the years, have brought about growth and acceptance.

Read on to find out more about key milestones in British LGBT+ history:

1951 – Roberta Cowell becomes the first known British trans woman to undergo reassignment surgery. Read more about Roberta Cowell
1958 – The Homosexual Law Reform Society is founded to campaign for the legalisation of same-sex relationships in the UK.
1972 – The first Pride march takes place in London, attracting around 2000 participants. Today, Pride in London attracts up to a million people, with other events taking place throughout the country.
1988 – Prompted by the introduction of Section 28, Sir Ian McKellen and others launch Stonewall (now the largest LGBT rights organisation in the UK) in order to lobby against Section 28 and other barriers to equality. The government later repealed Section 28 in 2003, and passed legislation giving LGBT+ people employment rights.
1994 – The UK Crown Dependency of Isle of Man fully decriminalises homosexuality.
2000 – The UK Government lifts the ban on lesbians, gay men and bisexual people serving in the armed forces.
2002 – Same-sex couples are granted equal rights when applying for adoption.
2004 – The Civil Partnership Act is passed and grants civil partnership in the UK.
2005 – The first LGBT History Month is launched at the Tate Modern in London.
2014 – The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 comes into force.

Sources of further information and guidance

The UK has come a long way in the fight for LGBT rights, however there is still a long way to go. Below are sources of further information on LGBT rights in the UK and across the globe, including details about how you can get involved.

Human Rights Watch– News, analysis and resources from a human rights perspective, including LGBT rights.
Stonewall– Group campaigning for the equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people across the UK.
LGBT Foundation– Offers information for LGBT people on sexual health, well-being, groups and events.

Love your CPD this February!

If you’re looking to top up your CPD hours this February, make sure you love your CPD this month by taking advantage of our special offer…

We are offering 30% off all CPD courses when booked online this February!

The offer is available from Monday 4 February to Thursday 28 February 2019 inclusive and can be claimed by entering the code LOVECPD19 at the checkout. With CPD courses starting from just £75 for a half day course at early bird rates, this means CPD at CAW booked throughout the month now starts at just £52.50!

To take advantage of the offer, visit https://cpd.caw.ac.uk between the 4 and 28 February 2018 using code LOVECPD19 at the checkout. Terms and conditions apply.

Terms and conditions

The code LOVECPD19 will provide a 30% discount off of CPD courses run by The College of Animal Welfare when booked online between Monday 4^th-Thursday 28^th February 2019
This discount can only be used on from Monday 4^th– Thursday 28^th February 2019.
The discount can only be used online at https://cpd.caw.ac.uk, using the code LOVECPD2019, at the checkout at the time of booking.
This code cannot be used against online learning courses.
Any courses booked using this promotion must be paid for in full at the time of booking.
The discount can be used as many times, against as many courses, from Monday 4^th– Thursday 28^th February 2019.
We reserve the right to end this discount at any point at our discretion.
Course requirements apply.
This discount will run until midnight on the Thursday 28^th February 2019.
All other standard The College of Animal Welfare Terms and Conditions apply.

NEW animal care traineeship programme!

If you’re aged 16-18, unemployed and looking for experience working with animals, an animal care traineeship could be just what you need to kick-start your career…

We’re delighted to announce the launch of our new animal care traineeship programme!

The 20 week programme will run from our centre in Tingley (near Leeds), and will give you the opportunity to…

Work in a kennels/cattery, dog grooming parlour and reception area in a busy animal care environment.
Develop employability skills including CV writing, interview techniques
Receive support with job applications and Maths/English skills
Receive tuition to help you work towards a Level 1 Award in Work-based Animal Care

To apply for a place on the CAW Traineeship Programme, you must be unemployed with little or no work experience and meet the following criteria:

Aged 16, 17 or 18 on 31 August 2018
Aged 19-24 and have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC plan)
All 16 applicants must have lived in the UK for the last 3 years and be ordinarily resident in the UK

The course begins on Monday 4th March. For more details about the programme and how to apply visit our website.

“How to Trim the Long Legged Terrier” Grooming Seminar!

On Sunday 31 March, we are delighted to be hosting a “How to Achieve the Correct Shape for your Long Legged Terrier” seminar, delivered by award winning dog groomer Jitka Krizova!

This one-day seminar will demonstrate different techniques to achieve the correct shape for your long legged terrier – hand stripping, clipping, scissoring. It will also cover correct, safe handling whilst grooming and how to keep your dog calm the natural way.

The seminar will be supported by The Scissor Boutique and run from our centre in Huntingdon (9:30am-4pm), with lunch & refreshments included. To find out more and book your place for just £75, visit our CPD website.

World Religion Day 2020: What can you do to help stop religious discrimination and intolerance?

World Religion Day is about celebrating religious diversity and encouraging others to better understand the discrimination and intolerance many people face due to their religion.

Religious discrimination and intolerance is on the rise in the UK…

Anti-Semitic incidents in the UK are at an all-time high, with over 700 incidents recorded between January-June 2018 alone (over 100 every month).**
A million people in the UK have experienced faith discrimination at work.*
Jewish and Muslim students in the UK are more likely to experience religious discrimination than students from other religious groups, with about a fifth saying they have experienced discrimination or harassment because of their religion.*
Religious hate crime has increased by 40 percent across England and Wales, with more than half of religiously-motivated attacks in 2017-18 directed at Muslims.*
Muslims are facing the worst job discrimination of any minority group in Britain, according to research which found that they had the lowest chance of being in work or in a managerial role.*

What can you do to help stop religious discrimination and intolerance?

Listen and learn: Demonstrating tolerance and respects starts with sincerely listening to others’ perspectives and trying to understand why others think and feel the way they do. This begins a constructive discussion and makes both sides more open to listening to each other.
Campaign: Contact your local MP and ensure they are showing leadership on religious discrimination. Make sure they understand the needs, issues and priorities of their constituents who belong to religious minorities.
Educate: Turn your school or workplace into an education hub by encouraging people to learn more about religious discrimination in the UK, talk to each other about different religious beliefs, and read up about their legal rights at work. This way, you can encourage others to report incidents of religious abuse and discrimination when they do occur.

Is block release veterinary nurse training for you?

If you’re looking to start training as a veterinary nurse, have you ever considered studying a qualification on a block release basis?

As a block release veterinary nursing student at The College of Animal Welfare, you would attend college in two week blocks, four times per year and be supported by online learning. Outside of college you will gain practical experience in a suitable veterinary practice, either as a paid employee or a non-employed student on work placement. There are also apprenticeship options available.

If you’re wondering whether block release study is right for you, take a look at some of the potential advantages of training this way…

Small class sizes: Traditionally block release programmes have smaller class sizes than day release programmes, which could be ideal if you prefer more intimate class sizes with more one-on-one tutor support.
Less frequent travelling: As a day release student you would be required to travel into college weekly; therefore, if you are located too far from college to be able to do so comfortably, undertaking a block release programme and travelling into college for shorter blocks of time might work better for you. What’s more – we can help source local accommodation for you during your blocks at College if required
Less disruption to practical work: If you learn best by undertaking practical work, it may be more appealing for you to complete theory modules in short blocks as opposed to attending college weekly.

During the course you will learn the key skills and knowledge needed to thrive as a veterinary nurse, and gain significant industry experience in a veterinary practice. Completion of the diplomas will allow you to apply for professional registration as a Registered Veterinary Nurse (RVN) with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Start veterinary nurse training

If you’re interested in studying veterinary nursing on a block release basis, visit our websites for more information and details about how to apply…

Book Clinical Coach Congress 2019 at early bird rates before it’s too late!

The deadline to book onto Clinical Coach Congress 2019 with an early bird discount is fast approaching (31 January 2019).

This year’s event is moving to the wonderful East of England Arena and Events Centre in Peterborough, and is set to be jam-packed full of useful lectures on exam techniques, professional accountabilities, motivating students, coaching styles – and much more. Delegates will also be able to speak to a variety of exhibitors from across the veterinary profession, and be part of the official launch of VetSkill’s new veterinary nursing qualification.

As a standardisation event recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), Clinical Coach Congress is an ideal opportunity to network with fellow clinical coaches and full attendance achieves 12 hours of CPD.

Clinical Coach Congress is held on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 March, and delegates have until January 31^st 2019 to secure their place at the early bird rate of £249.00 + VAT for both days. To book and see the complete agenda visit www.caw.ac.uk/ccc or call The College of Animal Welfare on 01480 422060.