As usual, we packed a lot of interesting and thought-provoking sessions into our two days together.
Friends against scams
Steven Bumford and Allyson Hunt from the National Trading Standards Scams Team talked to us about scams and doorstep crime. Accounting for between £5 billion and £10 billion a year, over half of people aged over 65 have been targeted by fraudsters and doorstep criminals. Sadly, these crimes are under-reported because victims are embarrassed – the very thing the criminals rely on. While the methods may vary, the purpose is always to get personal information or bank details and money. The four most common approaches are via post, phone, online and on the doorstep. Phone scams involve a call or text that uses a small amount of your personal information to trick you into revealing a lot more. Online scams include ‘phishing’ (to collect your personal data), ‘pharming’ (directing users to fake websites that look official) and romance scams via social media. Doorstep crimes may include distraction burglary, bogus callers or officials, high-pressure doorstep selling and rogue traders. While anyone can be targeted, scammers do share information about vulnerable victims, which means that at a later date, victims may be targeted again by a different scammer. To protect yourself:
• never share your personal details or bank information
• just say no at the door
• never agree to pay money
• watch out for unsolicited approaches whether in person, over the phone or online
• beware of upfront payments.
For advice or to report suspicious activity, call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.
Spotlight on Northern Ireland
91热爆 Director of Editorial Complaints and Reviews, Peter Johnston, who is also a Pension Scheme Trustee, gave a fascinating talk about his 91热爆 career which includes 17 years as Director of 91热爆 Northern Ireland. He has been instrumental in the pursuit of editorial impartiality, overseeing 700 staff and more than 8,500 hours of local radio and television content each year. Peter talked about the challenges and the opportunities
of his role, especially within digital formats, and he highlighted how influential iPlayer and social media have become in recent years, giving traditional programmes new life. 91热爆 Rewind has made thousands of clips from the 91热爆’s regional and national news archive available online.
As part of the 91热爆’s policy to showcase regions, Peter entertained us with the behind-the-scenes stories of bringing major events like Sports Personality of the Year and The Biggest Weekend to Northern Ireland as well as hugely successful dramas, including The Fall and Line of Duty which were filmed there.
Protecting members’ data
Day two began with a Pension and Benefits Centre update from Jeff Webley, Head of Operations of the 91热爆 Pension Scheme. During the last year, data protection and Scheme governance have been key areas of focus, and the team has welcomed new members of staff to help with this. Jeff assured members that the Zellis data breach in June, which affected the 91热爆 payroll system, did not impact the Scheme, which uses a completely separate system. The pensions team worked quickly to check if there were any implications for our members and found that none
of the Scheme’s third-party advisers had been affected either. The Scheme’s member self-service website bbc.co.uk/myPension remains the preferred way to contact the pensions team securely. However, if you do need to contact the Pension and Benefits Centre and cannot use the member portal, there is a new local-rate telephone number: 0303 081 2848.
Verifying your identity online
Next, Lisa Lyon, Founder and Chief Executive of mypensionID presented a new pensions app which the Scheme will be using to help members verify their identity securely online. It is important for the Scheme to make sure that pensions are paid to the correct people via regular existence checks for members in the UK and around the world. The mypensionID app will allow those members to complete their verification online using a video selfie.
Valuing older people
Heléna Herklots CBE is the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales. Her role is to champion older people’s interests, promote opportunities and eliminate ageism and discrimination. ‘Older’ people includes anyone aged over 60. There are currently commissioners in Wales and Northern Ireland, but not yet in England or Scotland. Heléna’s priorities are to protect older people’s rights, stop abuse and end ageism to enable everyone to age well.
The challenge is both a legal as well as cultural one, and the Commissioner has powers to review what public bodies do and issue guidance on best practice. Attitudes to older people can contribute to ageism and discrimination, particularly in the media. The Commissioner works to ensure that no one is left behind as they age.
Supporting someone who is bereaved
We finished on a very inspiring talk from Kirsty Slack of Cruse Loss and Bereavement. As the UK’s leading bereavement charity, Cruse helps over 100,000 people every year deal with grief. Grief is a uniquely personal response to loss, and Kirsty explained how we can support people who are bereaved.
One of the things that many people find difficult is knowing what to say to someone who is grieving. Very often, we end up saying nothing at all for fear of upsetting them further. However, grief is a very isolating experience, so it is important to acknowledge their loss
by saying how sorry you are and showing that you care.
Grief is a process. It is not simple or linear but can be complex, oscillating and with no timeframe. Being a good listener is key to providing support. If you are not sure what to say, ‘How are you feeling today?’ is a good place to start. A few key things to avoid saying include:
• I know how you feel (it’s not about you)
• It must be a relief in a way (this may be true, but do not make assumptions)
• At least you still have… (no other person can replace the person who has died)
• They would want you to be happy (this can make the person feel guilty for their grief)
• Time is a great healer (there is no timeframe and the loss will always be there).
You can find out more about Cruse at cruse.org.uk
The conference was closed by Jeff Webley, who thanked the visitors for making the VVS the success it is and wished them a safe journey home.