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This study calls for the meaningful inclusion of disabled children within Physical Education (PE), by exploring the experiences of a triad of key stakeholders: (a) Disabled children and their families; (b) PE teachers; and (c) Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Providers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between September 2017 and September 2019 with a total of 34 participants from across these three groups. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed the following: (i) disabled children still face many barriers to participation in PE lessons in ‘mainstream’ schools in England; (ii) teaching professionals remain unprepared for including disabled children in PE; and, (iii) both parents and teaching professionals (teachers and ITT providers) cited recommendations to enhance the inclusion of disabled children in PE. It is concluded that disabled children are still outsiders to PE in mainstream schools in England and an intervention into PE teacher training is needed to promote strategies for inclusion.

In this essay, I apply a theological perspective to argue that the Paralympic Games, its athletes and the media, unwittingly collude to demonstrate contempt towards the killing of disabled children...

The aim of this introduction is to provide a context for the contributions that follow in this special issue. The origins and scope of, as well as the rationale for, this special issue are discusse...

At the London 2012 Paralympic Games, a controversy arose regarding Paralympic sponsor Atos, the French IT company contracted at £400 million to implement the UK Government's Work Capability Assessment. Atos was accused of falling short of professional codes of conduct, including declaring fit for work persons who subsequently died following removal of their benefits. The disability rights group Disabled People Against Cuts held UK-wide protests at Atos offices in Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast, and London. I argue that rather than responding positively to the protests, the International Paralympic Committee is causing damage to the Disabled People's Movement. To build the argument within a theological context, the Biblical story of Cain's slaying of his brother Abel is applied to help understand the relationship between the International Paralympic Committee and the Disabled People's Movement, respectively.

Self-neglect, in which an individual does not attend to their hygiene, health or home surroundings, is one of the most challenging aspects of adult social care practice. In England, its inclusion within the remit of adult safeguarding, as a result of changes in adult social care law introduced under the Care Act 2014, has thrown into relief the ethical dilemmas arising from tensions between respect for autonomy on the one hand and the exercise of a protective duty of care on the other. This paper draws on serious case reviews and safeguarding adult reviews in self-neglect cases, along with findings from adult safeguarding research, to propose that an appropriate balance between these two moral imperatives is not always achieved in self-neglect practice. It considers why autonomy appears to be privileged over other considerations, illustrating the complex interplay between law and ethics that gives autonomy pre-eminence. It then considers how a more nuanced, situated and relational approach to autonomy can enable practitioners to move away from dichotomous interpretations of the moral imperatives present in self-neglect work, and can support more nuanced understandings of the ethics of professional decision-making. Finally it considers the personal and organisational implications of this enhanced ethical literacy.

Hemolysis is a leading cause of pre-analytical laboratory errors. The identification of contributing factors is an important step towards the development of effective practices to reduce and prevent hemolysis. We performed a review of PUBMED, Embase, Medline and CINAHL to identify articles published between January 2000 and August 2016 that identified factors influencing in vitro hemolysis rates. The 40 studies included in this review provide excellent evidence that hemolysis rates are higher in Emergency Departments (EDs), for non-antecubital draws, for specimens drawn using an intravenous catheter compared to venipuncture and for samples transported by pneumatic tube compared to by hand. There is also good evidence that hemolysis rates are higher when specimens are not collected by professional phlebotomists, larger volume specimen tubes are used, specimen tubes are filled less than halfway and tourniquet time is greater than one minute. The results of this review suggest that hospitals and clinical laboratories should consider deploying phlebotomists in EDs, drawing all blood through a venipuncture, using the antecubital region as the optimum blood collection site and transporting specimens by laboratory assistant/other personnel, or if this in not practical, ensuring that pneumatic transport systems are validated, maintained and monitored. Studies also recommend making hemolysis a hospital-wide issue and ensuring high-quality staff training and adherence to standard operating procedures to reduce hemolysis rates. Awareness of the factors that influence hemolysis rates, and adoption of strategies to mitigate these risk factors, is an important step towards creating quality practices to reduce hemolysis rates and improve the quality of patient care.

In a Christian context, the eternal change of identity from death to life through Jesus Christ becomes all-encompassing. Yet, other ephemeral identities also shape individuals. Using a range of theoretical ideas evident within disability studies and sports discourse, this essay attempts to contextualize and reflect upon the life of a disabled person who became a “born again” Christian in the aftermath (and amidst the tensions) of physical impairment. Reflections are provided on the interactions between the following identities: ex-solider (including Special Forces); ex-lorry driver; ex-nondisabled person; ex-Paralympic athlete (1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain); ex-sports development officer (for disabled people); disability activist; Christian; and academic. It is argued that the constructs of disability studies and disability sport need to be considered in terms of their relationship to the Christian faith. This area requires further research because within disability studies Christianity is largely ig...

This article reports on a learning set designed to support educators teaching law to social work students to build their capacity, first, for engaging with e-learning resources and, second, for evaluating the outcomes of their use in teaching. A mixed methods approach was used to track the process of capacity building, including recording and transcription of the content of seven learning set meetings over 2½ years, repeat measures questionnaires to capture changes in attitudes and orientation to the use of e-learning, reflective diaries, and individual interviews with each of the learning set members. The findings demonstrate increased self-perceived capacity, both in blending e-learning into teaching and in researching the outcomes. Participation was experienced as a constructive and empowering experience. The learning set enabled social work law teaching to evolve over the 2 years, e-learning becoming more embedded in the curriculum. There were positive changes in attitudes, motivators and barriers to the use of e-learning, and in orientation to the use of IT in education, resulting in improved confidence. Similarly, understanding of, and the ability to apply, evaluation techniques that could track changes in student learning improved throughout the project, confirming the collaborative capacity building value of the learning set approach.

Causes of football hooliganism are still widely disputed by academics, and narrative accounts from reflective ex‐hooligans in the public domain are often sensationalized. The aims of this essay are to critically assess some of the main academic theories behind the causes of football hooliganism; and, to consider the value of gathering less sensationalistic in‐depth narrative accounts from reflective ex‐hooligans in order to further understanding. This has been achieved through presenting findings from a case study comprising interviews and a life testimony from an ex‐ football hooligan who has become an active member of a Christian church. The methodological value of narrative accounts from reflective ex‐hooligans is also discussed in relation to its validity, representation and its general appropriateness towards the study of football hooliganism. A case is made for sociologists to consider using in‐depth oral accounts from reflective ex‐hooligans in order to ensure theory reflects empirical evidence.

Significant developments have taken place over recent years in the legal and policy framework for childrens participation in decision-making and the role of advocacy within this context. Whilst there is much here to be welcomed, there are also emerging concerns about the nature and direction of advocacy for children and young people in public care. This paper draws on evidence from an empirical study of childrens participation in statutory reviewsone of the key arenas for decision-making relating to looked after childrenin order to consider critical themes identifiable within the developing field of child advocacy.

Volatile substance abuse (the deliberate inhalation of substances such as gas fuels, glues, aerosols or other solvent-based products) by young people does not attract high level attention within the broader arena of drugs education and prevention programmes. Given the prevalence of volatile substances in the lives of vulnerable groups of young people, however, and the risks associated with their misuse, social work education and training might justifiably give a higher profile to the associated needs of young people in need and/or in public care. This paper reports on the findings from a study in England of the training needs of social workers, residential and foster carers in relation to volatile substance abuse by young people, and identifies the implications for further development of training materials and resources.

This paper considers pedagogical questions surrounding the teaching of law to non‐lawyers. It draws on research into the teaching, learning and assessment of law in social work education. The research comprised a systematic review of international literature, a practice survey, focus groups with students and practice teachers, and two stakeholder conferences. The evidence suggests that law teaching in social work education is of particular interest in highlighting key dimensions of education practice that affect students’ learning. The paper provides some signposts towards research‐informed organisation of teaching, learning and assessment, and highlights important areas for further study.

This paper presents the findings from a systemic review of knowledge relating to current practice in the teaching, learning and assessment of law in social work education. The research comprised an internationally conducted systematic review of the literature, together with a survey of current education practice in the four countries of the UK. Two consultation events sought the views of a range of stakeholders, including the perspectives of service users and carers. Set in the context of debates about the relationship between law and social work practice, this paper identifies the common themes emerging from the review and offers an analysis of key findings, together with priorities for future directions in education practice.

This paper, written jointly by tutors and students, discusses an enquiry-based approach to learning and assessing law as part of social work qualifying training in England. It is argued that social work law is an area of learning particularly suited to an approach in which enquiry and analysis skills are promoted through practical problem solving. The paper considers the theoretical rationale for this approach and identifies how this conceptual frame informs the learning and assessment structure. It identifies how students present evidence for assessment of their skill and knowledge development, through both written and verbal submission, and considers the learning outcomes achieved. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the approach as an example of knowledge and skill development through problem solving and reflection.

As this issue is published, we will be very close to two important European social work conferences—the first, taking place in Ljubljana in April, being the Fifth European Conference for Social Wor...

The relationship between law and social work practice is complex and confusing. Attempts to define it have identified stereotypical assumptions and divergent purposes. Recent community care legislation, however, in speaking the language of partnership and empowerment, has resonated with the current concerns of professional social work and thus has opened the way for further exploration. This article takes as a starting point two of the major challenges facing professionals working with adults vulnerable through age, disability, or illness, and demonstrates how the relevant social welfare law helps or hinders professional endeavour. The first challenge lies in determining who controls the provision and quality of services–the needs of people, their rights or resource availability. The second challenge lies in determining who makes which decisions about people's lives–the individual or the state–and by reference to what values. This analysis provides a framework for clarifying the relationship betw...

Empowerment (the process of service users taking control of their own lives) and partnership (the process of working with people on an equal footing in the pursuit of agreed goals) have become accepted principles in social work practice and have received legislative endorsement as the foundation stones of quality relationships between users and providers of community care services. However, these key principles have been interpreted differently by the stakeholders in these services, such that practising empowerment and partnership is neither simple nor straightforward. This article suggests that, for their potential to be realised, the principles of partnership and empowerment must be located within a conceptual framework which integrates the following elements: firstly, an understanding of power, inequality and oppression, and why these concepts are relevant to professional practice; secondly, personal and organisational commitments to challenging and changing oppressive practices which maintain...

This article explores some of the key components of training for partnership practice in social work. It presents an analysis of the forces working for and against partnership, and offers some ways forward from rhetoric to reality. The focus on practitioners' knowledge and skill development is assisted by exercises at key points in the text. The implications of training for organisations are also considered. Finally, partnership principles are seen to influence the training itself.

Written agreements between service providers and service users are a central feature of new social welfare legislation. This article locates them within the ideology of partnership, examines the problematic expectations of their usefulness, and offers key principles for their appropriate location in the relationship between the state and its citizens.

This article suggests that recognition of mental health issues in social work is a generic requirement. It considers the parameters of a mental health perspective in social work, examines the obstacles to its integration into practice, and outlines the contribution that social work training can make to the competence of individual workers. It recognises, however, the tension between individual and structural solutions, and locates mental health awareness within its organisational context.

This paper argues that social workers, to be competent in practice, must possess both knowledge of the law and skills in identifying its relevance to, and implementing it in, practice situations. Consequently, academic and practice teachers must evaluate what is practice relevant knowledge of the law for social workers, what makes such knowledge stick, and what assessment procedures address practice competence. This paper outlines one approach to these three fundamental questions, in order to contribute to the debate on the development of teaching and assessment of legal practice competence for social workers.