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Mixed‐ability grouping is widespread in primary schools and in several subject areas in secondary schools in England. Notwithstanding, there is scant research on mixed‐ability grouping in the education literature, particularly in terms of its impact on students' experiences. The research reported in this paper employs enactment theory to provide original insights into the diverse practices and complex contextual factors that shape students' perceptions and experiences of mixed‐ability grouping in physical education (PE). Enactment theory acknowledges that school decisions about grouping policy are impacted by wider education policy and other contextual influences, and that the expression of grouping policies in specific subjects and classrooms is navigated and negotiated by students as well as teachers. The paper draws on data from in‐depth, semi‐structured focus groups with 41 Year 10 (aged 14–15) students in a mixed‐gender secondary school in England to explore the different ways in which students are positioned and position themselves in the enactment of mixed‐ability grouping in PE. Findings reveal many contextual factors, including ability and gender discourses, school and subject cultures, and the broader policy context, influencing students' positioning and learning experiences in mixed‐ability PE. The discussion explores distinct differences in the enactment of mixed‐ability grouping in PE in Key Stage 3 (aged 11–14) and Key Stage 4 (aged 14–16) and identifies students as enthusiasts, critics, entrepreneurs and copers in grouping policy enactment. The study affirms the need for educators and professionals to critically engage with the construct of ability, and in turn mixed‐ability grouping policies and pedagogic practices in PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Looked after children and care leavers (denoted as LAC) are often described as a 'hard to reach' group of young people, and their voices are rarely sought to inform academic research. Methods: This paper reports on experiences and reflections of a group of children and young people and academic researchers who developed a Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group that was set up in the context of an ongoing health service intervention trial with LAC. Setting and participants: Eighteen qualitative semi‐structured interviews were conducted with seven LAC, the participation officer within a North East Children in Care Council and the four researchers involved in developing and facilitating the PPI group. PPI sessions (n = 9) each approximately 1 hour in length were conducted over an 18‐month period. Analysis: The qualitative interviews were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, and direct quotes are used within the paper. Main outcomes: The LAC used the PPI group to produce a 5‐minute video to highlight why they think young people should be involved in research. Overall findings suggested that it was feasible to develop a research‐related PPI group with LAC. Findings from the research were used to co‐develop 'top tips' of working with vulnerable young people such as looked after children. Conclusion: This paper has shown that PPI with LAC can be done if a co‐production approach to research is taken. It also suggests that assumptions regarding the capabilities of young people as researchers need to be re‐evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Engaging with the public is a key element of health research; however, little work has examined experiences of public involvement in research dissemination. The aim of this paper was to assess the extent of public involvement, experiences of public advisers and resulting changes in the dissemination of the North West Coast Household Health Survey (HHS). Methods: Three writing groups allowed public advisers to contribute to the dissemination of the HHS. A public workshop was set up to aid the co‐production of the research evidence and discuss the experiences of public advisers involved with the survey in March 2018. A focus group with public advisers was conducted in August 2018 to understand their experiences of involvement. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and coded by two researchers. Writing groups are still on‐going. Results: Fourteen public advisers contributed via three face‐to‐face writing groups, by actively interpreting findings and helping in the write‐up of research articles and by presenting talks at the public workshop. At the workshop, seven public advisors contributed to setting priorities for data analysis from the HHS. Five public advisers took part in the focus group, which highlighted that whilst public advisers were generally satisfied with their involvement, they would like to be involved in more activities. Conclusions: Members of the public shaped the dissemination of evidence and provided guidance for future steps. Public advisers were mostly positive about their involvement in the dissemination of the HHS, but highlighted the need for more transparency and support from researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that an estimated 5-10% of the worldwide population is said to have dyslexia, it is of great importance that teachers have an accurate understanding of what dyslexia is and how it effects their students. Using results from a large-scale survey of teachers in England and in Wales (N ≈ 2,600), this paper demonstrates that teachers held a basic understanding of dyslexia, based on the behavioural issues that it is associated with. Teachers lacked the knowledge of the biological (i.e., neurological) and cognitive (i.e., processing) aspects of dyslexia. Moreover, a number of teachers mentioned visual factors in their description of dyslexia, despite there being inconclusive evidence to suggest a direct relationship between visual functioning and dyslexia. Further findings demonstrate the importance of good-quality teacher training in increasing teachers' confidence working with those with dyslexia, while increasing their knowledge of the cognitive aspects of dyslexia. This paper argues that evidence-based teacher training, which informs teachers of the up-to-date research on the biological, cognitive, and behavioural aspects of dyslexia, is essential to combat misconceptions and ensure that teachers have more nuanced and informed understandings of dyslexia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This paper tells the story of Central England People First's ( CEPF) History Project. Method This was an inclusive research project, owned and controlled by members of CEPF which sought to chart its 21-year history, 1990-2012. Results It illustrates both the strengths of such a project and some of the challenges. Conclusion It concludes that using inclusive research methods enabled the story to be told, but that it was less successful in addressing questions about why the organization grew and prospered in the 1990s, only to struggle in its later years, and what this tells us about the conditions which enable self-advocacy to flourish. The paper was collaboratively written by the CEPF History Project team and an academic ally. Different fonts differentiate the contributions, although it is acknowledged that lots of the ideas were shared. Accessible Abstract This paper explores issues in telling the history of self advocacy using inclusive research methods. It explains how and why CEPF recorded its history, what we found out, and some of the questions we have had to think about: whose voices we hear, what to include, what to leave out, what parts of the research people with learning difficulties can do, what self advocacy means to different people, how to make use of research other people have done., It raises some new questions about directions for inclusive research. The Paper was written by the CEPF History team - Craig Hart, Ian Davies, Angela Still and Catherine O'Byrne - working with Jan Walmsley. We wanted to make it clear what were Jan Walmsley's ideas and what were our ideas. We have done this by writing our ideas in a different font. BUT lots of the ideas belong to all of us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to explore the factors that influence how social workers make decisions and develop their decision‐making skills in care proceedings, and to identify effective support and intervention to develop social worker decision‐making skills. The study employed a mixed thematic approach across two phases of study: an initial inductive thematic analysis of responses to an online qualitative questionnaire and then a mixed thematic analysis of follow‐up focus groups and interviews with social workers working in various social work roles within England and Northern Ireland. The findings identified a number of themes that help to understand the decision‐making skills of social workers; thorough assessment skills, relationship‐based anti‐oppressive practice, being mindful of the lived experience of the child and using critical reflection to make complex decisions. Wider structural factors that support or hinder decision‐making, particularly in respect of organizational support and management supervision were also identified. Social workers can be supported to develop decision‐making skills through additional training, reflective learning and management support to develop their practice wisdom within this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Dysphagia has been an increasing area of practice for speech and language therapists (SLTs) for over 20 years, and throughout that period there has been debate about how practical skills in dysphagia can best be developed. The implementation of the new Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) framework was considered from a regional perspective seeking to establish consensus across different speech and language therapy settings. Aim To explore practical solutions to the development of dysphagia competency in new graduates whilst acknowledging the wide variation in staffing and clinical dysphagia experience across the geographical and clinical landscape in the North West of England. Methods & Procedures A four-phase study involved a literature search; interviews with experts in the field of dysphagia; a survey to identify current practice; and a two-round Delphi process. Outcomes & Results Five themes emerged for dysphagia competency development: development of practical skills; supervision; clinical excellence networks; workforce planning; and postgraduate formal training. Challenges, and solutions to these, were identified through the phases of the study. A model for dysphagia competency development relevant to the North West context was achieved by consensus. Conclusions & Implications There are many practical ways of developing dysphagia competency. The themes and model generated provide constructive support to services in adopting the most appropriate methods for their own settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for effective training methods for enhancing cognitive-behavioural therapist competency is not only relevant to new therapists but also to experienced therapists looking to retain and further enhance their skills. Self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) is a self-experiential cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) training programme, which combines the experience of practicing CBT methods on oneself with structured reflection on the implications of the experience for clinical practice. In order to build on previous qualitative studies of SP/SR, which have mainly focused on trainee CBT therapists, the aim of the current study was to quantify the impact of SP/SR on the therapeutic skills of an experienced cohort of CBT therapists. Fourteen CBT therapists were recruited to participate in an SP/SR programme specifically adapted for experienced therapists. In the context of a quasi-experimental design including multiple baselines within a single-case methodology, therapists provided self-ratings of technical cognitive therapy skill and interpersonal empathic skill at four critical time points: baseline, pre-SP/SR and post-SP/SR and follow-up. Analysis of programme completers ( n = 7) indicated that SP/SR enhances both technical skill and interpersonal therapeutic skill. Further intention-to-treat group ( n = 14) analyses including both those who left the programme early ( n = 3) and those who partially completed the programme ( n = 4) added to the robustness of findings with respect to technical cognitive therapy skills but not interpersonal empathic skills. It was concluded that SP/SR, as a training and development programme, could offer an avenue to further therapeutic skill enhancement in already experienced CBT therapists. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message It was possible to quantify the positive impact of a self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR) training and development programme within a cohort of experienced cognitive-behavioural (CBT) therapists., Through SP/SR, experienced CBT therapists can further enhance their self-perceived therapeutic skills in two key domains; technical cognitive therapy skills and interpersonal empathic skill., Further SP/SR studies should aim to incorporate objective measurement of therapeutic skill, ideally from more than one rating source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary Some people with learning disabilities are parents., Sometimes, it is hard to understand and explain things when you are a parent., Speech and language therapists can help parents to understand and explain things., Summary The speech and language therapy (SLT) service in an area of northern England receives referrals of parents who have learning disabilities. The aim of this study was to identify current referral patterns and quantify the level of demand upon the SLT service from this relatively new referral population to enable to service to meet the needs of these clients. Data covering a 24-month period was collected. The SLT clinical database was interrogated to establish the number of parent referrals, and a case note audit was carried out to identify the reason for referral and number of contacts. Results indicted that over a fifth of referrals during that period were of parents, including a relatively high proportion of young women. The SLT service in the area appears to be seen by referrers as a source of support for people with learning disabilities who are or are about to become parents. Several referrals were related to the imminence of court cases, while others reflected the possibility of supporting parents to increase their communication skills to be good enough parents. The level of demand on the service suggests an increase in people who are experiencing communication challenges resulting from their opportunities to live an ordinary life as parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autistic impairments in emotional and social competence, imagination and generating ideas predict qualitative differences in expressive drawings by children with autism beyond that accounted by any general learning difficulties. In a sample of 60 5-19-year-olds, happy and sad drawings were requested from 15 participants with non-savant autism and compared with those drawn by three control groups matched on either degree of learning difficulty ( MLD), mental age ( MA) or chronological age ( CA). All drawings were rated by two artists on a 7-point quality of expression scale. Contrary to our predictions, the drawings from the autistic group were rated similar to those of the MA and MLD groups. Analysis of the people and social content of the drawings revealed that although children with autism did not draw fewer people, they did draw more immature forms than mental age controls. Furthermore, there was tentative evidence that fewer social scenes were produced by the autism sample. We conclude that the overall merit of expressive drawing in autism is commensurate with their general learning difficulties, but the social/emotional impairment in autism affects their drawings of people and social scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'League table' information on school effectiveness in England generally relies either on a comparison of the average outcomes of pupils by school (for example, mean exam scores) or on estimates of the average value added by each school. These approaches assume that the information parents and policymakers need most to judge school effectiveness is the average achievement level or gain in a particular school. Yet schools can be differentially effective for children with differing levels of prior attainment. We present evidence on the extent of differential effectiveness in English secondary schools and find that even the most conservative estimate suggests that around one-quarter of schools in England are differentially effective for students of differing prior ability levels. This affects an even larger proportion of children, as larger schools are more likely to be differentially effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This feature discusses how the library curriculum was developed at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust Library Service to aid the delivery of Skills for Life. In particular, the feature describes how, through collaboration with learndirect, literacy and numeracy skills were embedded into the broader library and information skills training programme. The article reports on how the programme resulted in the provision of qualifications and skills development opportunities to NHS staff, and an increase in the NHS library profile. HS [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]