Stephen Chawke’s Post

Exciting news in the acting world, and a win for common sense! SAG-AFTRA has introduced new guidelines for self-tape auditions, a change I've been championing for years. Traditionally, actors were expected to review a full script with barely a day's notice, not knowing which parts to prepare. This, coupled with the fact that first auditions are unpaid, often meant risking day jobs for a shot at a role. That may only be a day or two's work if it isn't a leading part. Having experienced this from both sides of the camera, I've always believed it's a no-brainer to give more notice. It's better for everyone. This new move isn't just good news for actors; it's a step forward for the industry. It makes me wonder, what other outdated practices are out there across different fields that need a rethink. What's your take on this? https://lnkd.in/euGxPeHv

https://lnkd.in/gKGmndDr My most recent column for @businessleader, titled "The Great Post Office Scandal: A Paradigm Shift," has been published today. It focuses on the ITV drama’s effective narrative and use of beloved British actors and how they were able to reveal the breakdown of systems in the UK that are meant to hold powerful individuals accountable. Read it all here: https://lnkd.in/gWertpYf  #PostOfficeScandal #KeirStarmer #ITV #MrBatesVsThePostOffice

If you want to hear more about the Post Office case before our event on 15 January, here are some good links.

Lawyers in the UK might want to watch this drama on ITV next week. 900 plus Postmasters' and sub-postmasters' lives were ruined because of wrongful criminal prosecutions by the Post Office. It will make uncomfortable viewing for some, especially since it is reported in the press, that a barrister who is representing the victims in their continuing fight for compensation, said he believed that enough evidence had emerged for police to consider prosecuting former Post Office executives. For instance, for perverting the course of justice. The drama may have a tremendous impact on public opinion and MPs, against the backdrop of an independent group advising on compensation for the scandal's victims, calling for all convictions to be quashed. And the position of the lawyers who acted for the Post Office? The regulators will have to wait for the publication of the findings of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry before taking any decisions on whether regulatory action was appropriate. It is at times like this that solicitors need leadership. But is there any on this scandal by their representative body? #postoffice #ethicsmatter

Like the movies they are mentioned in, formal Will Readings are a thing of fiction… 🍿🎬 Read my blog detailing who can read a Will and when #Wills #WillReading #PrivateClientSolicitor

Mr Bates vs The Post Office ** I recently watched ITV’s drama series, ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office.’ As many now know, it’s the extraordinary story of the greatest miscarriage of justice in British legal history, between 1999 and 2015, where hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system. I won’t go into the details of the scandal; but draw out a wider thematic about how such incidents, such as injustice, abuse, even bullying, affect victims in early days. I’m speaking of moments when your inner voice says that something is wrong; but you’re assured that it’s YOU that’s the problem. For those who’ve watched this series, it’s moments when victims kept counting and recounting for countless days. In those isolated moments, many feel doubt, shame and failure, and your inner voice begins to feel a bit like this. ‘How could I be so stupid?’ ‘Maybe I heard this wrong.’ ‘I think I’ve gone crazy.’ I reckon many of us have been there and know those moments well. I certainly have. So for whatever it’s worth, for today, all I’ll say is that if you feel this way, please speak to someone about your concerns. Also when someone reaches out to you with a request to speak, think before you say you’re busy. For some people, it takes immense courage even just to reach out for help. #postoffice #justice #bullying #behavior #courage #help #itvdama #youtube #speakup #culture #help #bias #mentalhealth #stress #anxiety

At Cowshed we believe in work with meaning. There's nothing more meaningful than giving care and support to a young person. Working with our client Maethu Cymru | Foster Wales, our first campaign of 2024 encourages everyone to 'bring something to the table' as a local authority foster carer. Over the last year Cowshed has utilised strategic communications, behavioural science, and deep community insights to develop a national integrated campaign to remove some of the barriers people face when considering applying to become a foster carer. 1. Not feeling they have the skills, experience or attributes needed to make a ‘big’ difference to a young person’s life. 2. Not feeling that fostering could fit into their current lifestyle i.e having children at home, having a full-time job, and a lack of understanding around the variety of fostering available (long term, short term, respite etc.) 3. Misconceptions around the criteria to become a carer (certain age, marital status, income, profession, gender) The campaign has been influenced and informed by Wales’ diverse fostering community, to ensure authenticity and a celebration of all the wonderful things a foster carer can provide. The campaign conveys the realities of fostering and does not shy away from the challenges, but also nods to the support network and professional development offered by fostering with a local authority. Within the creative execution, a table - a re-occurring theme during campaign focus groups - is used as a visual metaphor to indicate that everyone has something to ‘bring to the table’ as a foster carer. Each scenario featured in the series of three television adverts is inspired by a true story told by a foster carer in Wales, and will be delivered alongside a suite of videos, featuring said case studies. The campaign launches today, across PR, television, radio, digital and physical activation (OOH and events). We’ll be sharing a lot more about the campaign over the coming weeks, including the findings of a nationwide survey of foster carers exploring issues related to mealtimes and food insecurity amongst care experienced young people. But for now, follow our client Maethu Cymru | Foster Wales to find out more about the 30’ TV adverts premiering during Emmerdale this evening. #fosterwales #campaign #foster #tv #radio #wales #bringsomethingtothetable

How did the Post Office get it so wrong? 📮 With the new TV Drama, 'Mr Bates vs The Post Office' coming to ITV this week, we thought it would be good to reshare an old article of ours. Due to unidentified bugs and errors in the Horizon system, false discrepancies were flagged, and the sub-postmasters were held accountable. The punishment for this saw some imprisoned and others left in financial ruin. This is a severe example, but without robust financial controls, you become exposed to risk. Check out our blog for more info. https://lnkd.in/eHrG_TS2 #postoffice #reconciliation #mrbatesvsthepostoffice

At Cowshed we believe in work with meaning. There's nothing more meaningful than giving care and support to a young person. Working with our client Maethu Cymru | Foster Wales, our first campaign of 2024 encourages everyone to 'bring something to the table' as a local authority foster carer. Over the last year Cowshed has utilised strategic communications, behavioural science, and deep community insights to develop a national integrated campaign to remove some of the barriers people face when considering applying to become a foster carer. 1. Not feeling they have the skills, experience or attributes needed to make a ‘big’ difference to a young person’s life. 2. Not feeling that fostering could fit into their current lifestyle i.e having children at home, having a full-time job, and a lack of understanding around the variety of fostering available (long term, short term, respite etc.) 3. Misconceptions around the criteria to become a carer (certain age, marital status, income, profession, gender) The campaign has been influenced and informed by Wales’ diverse fostering community, to ensure authenticity and a celebration of all the wonderful things a foster carer can provide. The campaign conveys the realities of fostering and does not shy away from the challenges, but also nods to the support network and professional development offered by fostering with a local authority. Within the creative execution, a table - a re-occurring theme during campaign focus groups - is used as a visual metaphor to indicate that everyone has something to ‘bring to the table’ as a foster carer. Each scenario featured in the series of three television adverts is inspired by a true story told by a foster carer in Wales, and will be delivered alongside a suite of videos, featuring said case studies. The campaign launches today, across PR, television, radio, digital and physical activation (OOH and events). We’ll be sharing a lot more about the campaign over the coming weeks, including the findings of a nationwide survey of foster carers exploring issues related to mealtimes and food insecurity amongst care experienced young people. But for now, follow our client Maethu Cymru | Foster Wales to find out more about the 30’ TV adverts premiering during Emmerdale this evening. #fosterwales #campaign #foster #tv #radio #wales #bringsomethingtothetable

Worth Watching. Managing Directors, CEO's and corporate boards need to work hard to create policies and procedures to create an equal balance of power between management, employees, contractors, suppliers and clients. This also applies to government, politicians and institutions in regards to constitutes and representatives. This helps avoid situations like what happened with Mr Bates and the post masters in the UK. This show is a real eye opener and streams on channel 7. https://lnkd.in/gS4gDvSS