Diageo (Smirnoff, Guinness, etc.) have donated a piddling sum to NOFAS UK

Diageo (Smirnoff, Guinness, etc.) have donated a piddling sum to NOFAS UK for the 'education' of midwives about pregnant women drinking alcohol. I wonder how many UK midwives manage to qualify without an awareness of these dangers.

This small gob of money will trickle out as a sticky discharge over the next three years. You can bet each very small cheque will come with a massive PR effort to convince us how socially responsible Diageo is. My Independent on Sunday (12th June) gives a figure of £4m – a measly donation when one considers how much of it might have to go on generous salaries and office costs.

Mr Litherland (the man at the top of the UK Diageo heap) asserts (IoS again) that Diageo feels passionate about this scheme. This makes me want to expunge 'passionate' from my dictionary. What a piece of hypocrisy!  Real passion, the sort that costs money rather than piling more funds into the company bank, would show deep concern for the tens of thousands of UK babies, children, young people and families whose lives are ruined by alcohol – tens of thousands in contrast to the twenty a day NOFAS UK claims as victims of foetal alcohol syndrome.

While the campaign to protect foetuses from alcohol and all other poisons and pollutions is entirely valid, the acceptance of this tainted money does a disservice to all children, their families and all organisations working for them.  NOFAS UK have been duped by Diageo and have been bought cheap. Shame!

Peter Limbrick

Coventry University has been granted over £1.3 million for a range of projects around children with palliative and complex care needs and their families. Part of the outcome is an innovative e-learning programme

Children and Young People's Palliative and Complex Care

In June 2010, the Department of Health released a call to support projects focused on benefitting the lives of children with palliative and complex care needs and their families. Coventry University, led by Professor Jane Coad, was successful in gaining over £1.3 million for a range of projects in a dedicated work stream around Children and Families. As part of this a new innovative e-learning programme was developed.

The programme of e-learning modules aim to assist in the transformation of the workforce and up skilling of health, social care and allied health professionals who wish to expand and enhance their practice around palliative and complex care for children, young people and their families. It is aimed at nurses, midwives, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and individuals working in health informatics, coroners and charity workers.

The programme has been designed following consultation with senior academics, clinical experts, user groups and charities to ensure that the content reflects current contemporary issues in relation to palliative and complex care for children, young people and their families. This programme will be delivered and assessed entirely online via the Internet and we support students in developing their IT skills from the outset.

Each module of learning is offered through the use of interactive web based learning, using case scenarios and electronic learning styles (online classroom, e-activities and discussion forums) which help students ground their reflections from their own practice. We encourage students to work together online to not only develop their specialist knowledge but also to learn how each other's roles combine to offer family centred care. This e-learning approach enables the course to be flexible and learner focused. As there is no requirement to attend the University students able to study from home or their workplace.

If you wish to hear more about this exciting new programme, or would like to enrol please contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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There are many hundreds of thousands of people that live with different types and severities of learning disabilities throughout the UK. Often people with learning disabilities can face extra challenges in life - connecting with society, finding employment and accessing community, healthcare and social services. These are all services that are designed to enable them to live as independently as possible.

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