The Irish Society for Quality and Safety in Healthcare is, currently, running an online survey focused upon Compassionate Healthcare in Ireland.  In particular, they would like to ensure that they capture the views of men who may or may not have been a patient in the last 12 months.  The ‘male voice’ is underestimated in the results that they have to date, and they would appreciate the input of males.  The survey can be accessed at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/CompassionSurvey2015

Retail staff ...  Do you encounter customers with memory loss / dementia?  Would you like to learn how to support these customers in an appropriate manner?  If so, why not take a look at Dementia Elevator’s free online dementia training for front line retail staff?  It just takes an hour to complete and it’s completely free.  The programme covers recognising possible dementia in the retail environment, identifying and addressing the challenges faced by a person with dementia in the retail setting, and exploring how the retail physical environment can be made dementia friendly.  The training is interactive and engaging, with videos of retail based scenarios, interviews with professionals and a person with dementia, quizzes, and a participant forum.  It is suitable for staff working in all types of retail outlets.  For more information, visit: http://youtu.be/Dk1NCgk0mWg

Mediation Awareness Week will run from Monday 19th - Saturday 24th October this year.  To mark this occasion, Family Mediation NI will be holding an Open Day on Thursday 22nd October 2015, from 12.30pm - 4.30pm, in their office at 7 University Street, Belfast BT7 1FY.  During this time, mediators, trainers and supervisors will be available to answer queries about personal and professional referrals to Family Mediation NI; mediation information booklets will be on display; a private room will be offered for personal queries; and light refreshments will be provided at the scheduled talks.  Send all Open Day queries to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

It's 10 days to World Mental Health Day 2015 (#WMHDay) ...  The Men's Health Forum in Ireland (MHFI) has partnered with Niamh, Age NI, NICEM, The Rainbow Project and Carers NI to launch a campaign which calls for everyone in our society to be treated with dignity and respect in order to protect and enhance their mental wellbeing. Each of the partners will focus upon a different issue each day, so keep an eye to their websites / Facebook pages / Twitter feeds!  Find out more at: http://bit.ly/1YQqDWE

A new briefing paper titled 'The Dad Factor - How Fathers Improve Child Outcomes' was launched on Monday 21st September 2015 in The Long Gallery, Stormont, Belfast.  This publication was produced by the Dads Direct group in Northern Ireland (comprised of Contact Centres, Family Mediation NI, Home-Start NI, Men’s Health Forum in Ireland, Parenting NI, Relate NI and Sure Starts), and was based upon research collated by Dr Helga Sneddon.  To access a PDF version of this document, visit: www.mhfi.org/TheDadFactor.pdf

Mental health problems are increasingly common.  Too much stress can: damage your immune system and heart; increase your chance of serious health problems; reduce your life-expectancy; damage your sex life ...  'Beat Stress, Feel Better' is a new booklet from the Men’s Health Forum in England and Wales which looks at the causes of stress, how it affects us, and what we can do about it.  It is full of simple, practical tips.  To view an online PDF version of this booklet, visit: http://issuu.com/menshealthforum/docs/beat_stress_v7_toprint_lr

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has launched a consultation on the future of the Lifeline crisis intervention service.  This consultation will run until the 19th of November 2015.  Lifeline is Northern Ireland’s crisis response helpline service for people who are experiencing distress or despair.  The current Lifeline contract was due to end on the 31st of March 2015, but was extended until the 31st of December 2015 - with potential for a further extension to the 30th of September 2016.  The PHA is keen to engage with the public and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the future service specification is appropriately informed.  During this consultation period, the PHA will also host a series of workshops to ensure that all stakeholders have the opportunity to input fully.  For more information, see: www.publichealth.hscni.net/consultation-lifeline-crisis-response-service

AWARE would like to invite you to the first in a series of public talks that they will be hosting across Northern Ireland titled: ‘Let's Talk About It ...  A Conversation on Depression’.  As depression affects 1 in 4 of the population at some stage in their lives, it is vital for people with depression - and those close to them - to know how the illness might affect them and how to take steps to overcome it.  This first event will take place on Wednesday 23rd September 2015, from 7.00pm to 9.00pm (refreshments from 6.45pm), in The Marine Court Hotel, Bangor, Co. Down.  For more information, visit www.aware-ni.org or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.