Search

Lentigo maligna (LM) is a melanoma in situ with distinct clinical features and histology. It commonly affects men after the sixth decade of life. Incidence rates of LM have increased based on early 21st century data from different countries; however, data are suboptimal. Data from England show a plateauing crude incidence between 2013 and 2019. By comparison, invasive melanoma and other types of melanoma in situ commonly appears in younger age groups (median age 58 and 67 years old, respectively) and incidence is rising. The most important risk factors for LM include fair skin and cumulative ultraviolet solar radiation exposure. Although LM is limited to the epidermis and connected skin adnexa, it may progress to invasive LM melanoma. The reported rate of malignant progression varies, reflecting a challenge for LM epidemiology research as often lesions are removed on diagnosis. LM poses a challenge in diagnosis and management. Although it can be diagnosed clinically or dermoscopically, histopathological assessment of biopsied skin tissue remains the gold standard. Reflectance confocal microscopy allows for better appreciation of the complexity of LM at a cellular level, often progressing beyond clinical margins. Management of LM may involve Mohs micrographic surgery or excision, although recurrence may occur even with 5 mm clinical margins. Imiquimod cream may be effective, but incomplete treatment and recurrence has been reported. Conservative management with observation or radiotherapy may be used in selected patients' cases. Five-year net survival rates are excellent. This paper reviews the natural history, epidemiology, aetiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of LM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many coastal towns in England face a unique set of overlapping challenges: a longstanding socio-economic stagnation and environmental threats coming from the physical location. This paper examines coastal communities in the context of the left-behind debate. The consequences of de-industrialisation and failures in public policies recall other left-behind geographies. We look at a selection of case studies, apparently dealing with the decline of traditional coastal economic activities, but really affected by a decoupling of their socio-economic profile from their coastal specificity. More work is needed to nurture the existing coastal imaginaries, requiring regional coordination and a place-based approach to regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frailty represents an integrative prognostic marker of risk that associates with a myriad of age-related adverse outcomes in older adults. As a concept, frailty can help to target scarce resources and identify subgroups of vulnerable older adults that may benefit from interventions or changes in medical management, such as pursing less aggressive glycaemic targets for frail older adults with diabetes. In practice, however, there are several operational challenges to implementing frailty screening outside the confines of geriatric medicine. Electronic frailty indices (eFIs) based on the theory of deficit accumulation, derived from routine data housed in the electronic health record, have emerged as a rapid, feasible and valid approach to screen for frailty at scale. The goal of this paper is to describe the early experience of three diverse groups in developing, implementing and adopting eFIs (The English National Health Service, US Department of Veterans Affairs and Atrium Health—Wake Forest Baptist). These groups span different countries and organisational complexity, using eFIs for both research and clinical care, and represent different levels of progress with clinical implementation. Using an implementation science framework, we describe common elements of successful implementation in these settings and set an agenda for future research and expansion of eFI-informed initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of healthcare-based apprenticeships to become both a physician associate and a doctor has been approved for delivery in England. This will revolutionize medical training and it is hoped that medical training would be more accessible. This has generated a mixture of reactions, some enthusiastic and others concerned. This paper gauges interest among staff at Barking, Havering, and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust in pursuing training as a doctor and/or physician associate through the apprenticeship route. Applicants were interviewed to discover their motivations for interest, and the potential benefit to the Trust of these new opportunities was also assessed. This revealed that applicants were primarily driven through intrinsic motivations, such as a lifelong dream to be a doctor and a desire to fulfil a patient-facing role. Many expressed financial and social situations were a barrier to prior application, making the apprenticeship role more attractive. Healthcare professionals should accurately represent the population that they serve, which is currently not the case. The prospective applicants, with diverse backgrounds and existing healthcare experience, can help to improve patient care through their diverse perspective and understanding of multidisciplinary team working. This article highlights the potential of medical-based apprenticeships to help address longstanding challenges in medical education and workforce diversity. Furthermore, there could be significant financial and practical benefits to the trust of upskilling enthusiastic staff. However, there is currently a lack of clarity regarding selection processes and entry criteria, which must be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Record numbers of police officers are voluntarily resigning in England and Wales yet there is a lack of research which analyses why. Findings from an analysis of 62 interviews with police leavers who voluntarily resigned from the police service within England and Wales between January 2021 and June 2022 suggest that officers are leaving primarily due to perceptions of organizational injustice which focus upon: a lack of voice; concerns about promotion/progression; poor leadership; and a lack of organizational flexibility. This paper takes this latter reason—organizational flexibility—as its focus and through an inductive analysis of these leavers' voices, aims to both enrich the scarce qualitative academic literature on police workforce resignations and retention but also to offer significant evidence for future consideration of workforce optimization. The findings indicate that although sympathetic to operational policing complexities, participants were frustrated by organizational inflexibility. Three key areas were identified where the police service was perceived to be unsupportive or unreceptive—(a) dealing with additional needs, disabilities, or health issues of officers, (b) conflicts with non-work commitments, primarily those associated with childcare/parental responsibilities, and (c) supporting officers transitioning to part-time working. These structural barriers to effective workplace functioning were exacerbated by the cultural norms of overwork and 'fitting in' and were additionally particularly experienced by female resigners. The authors call for a challenge to the cultural barriers towards flexible working, the modelling of flexible working at all levels of the organization, and a focus on reciprocal flexibility between employer and employee. Until this issue can be tackled, it is argued that retention will continue to be an underestimated but significant site of inequality within policing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomolecular analysis of historical parchment legal documents is providing new insight into their production and use. Successful interpretation of this data is dependent on understanding if the location and date written on the document accurately reflect where the animal from which the parchment was produced was raised and when it died. Our analysis reveals that the location the deed concerns, or that of the stationer through whom it was sold, typically bears no relation to the animal's origin, but that the date the agreement was signed was probably only a few months after the animal's death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the Commonwealth Fund Conference in American History at University College London in England from February 12-14, 1998. A seminar titled "Film Studies: Past, Present and Future," was attended by some conference participants. During the conference, several papers addressed questions of who was in the movie theatre and what constituted evidence of their film reception.

In common with other OECD countries, there is a gender gap in educational achievement in England favouring girls. This carries through to tertiary education. On the other hand, boys are far more likely to engage in STEM in post-16 vocational education and at university. The underachievement of boys overall, but over-representation in STEM, presents significant challenges for policy. This paper documents changes in the gender gap over the last 20 years in England and discusses findings in the light of international evidence. It concludes that education policies, in academic and in vocational spheres, can be designed to reduce gender inequalities that exist in both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In April 2020, Covid-19 brought NHS elective procedures to a halt. The aim of this paper is to produce accurate forecasts on the building backlog, highlight the state of waiting lists currently and propose solutions required to prevent a public health crisis. Method Using data published by NHS digital and NHS England on previous years, we have analysed and used this to produce estimates of cancellations and missed cases. We also analyse government data on waiting lists and show compliance or lack of with these. Results We show that compliance with waiting list times pre pandemic was falling year on year (83.2% in 2020 down from 87% in 2019). Every month that passes we estimate that 400 000 cases are not being performed. This may include urgent cancer care work in some trusts. Conclusions Waiting lists have been governed by strict rules since 2004. Given falling compliance with 18-week intention to treat we believe the scale of the backlog combined with NHS capacity diminished due to Covid-19 precautions is a public health crisis waiting to occur. We identify difficulties in resuming elective work and suggest strategies that could be employed to avoid a public health crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Estimation of long‐term exposure to air pollution levels over a large spatial domain, such as the mainland UK, entails a challenging modelling task since exposure data are often only observed by a network of sparse monitoring sites with variable amounts of missing data. The paper develops and compares several flexible non‐stationary hierarchical Bayesian models for the four most harmful air pollutants, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, and PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter, in England and Wales during the 5‐year period 2007–2011. The models make use of observed data from the UK's automatic urban and rural network as well as output of an atmospheric air quality dispersion model developed recently especially for the UK. Land use information, incorporated as a predictor in the model, further enhances the accuracy of the model. Using daily data for all four pollutants over the 5‐year period we obtain empirically verified maps which are the most accurate among the competition. Monte Carlo integration methods for spatial aggregation are developed and these enable us to obtain predictions, and their uncertainties, at the level of a given administrative geography. These estimates for local authority areas can readily be used for many purposes such as modelling of aggregated health outcome data and are made publicly available alongside this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal communities have received little attention in the public health literature, perhaps because our mental maps tend to associate socio-economic deprivation and health inequalities with inner cities. Mapping a range of key health indicators at small area level, this paper reveals a distinct core-periphery pattern in disease prevalence, with coastal communities experiencing a high burden of ill health across almost all conditions included in the Quality and Outcomes Framework dataset. Other sources suggest poor outcomes for children and young people living in coastal areas. Low rates of participation in higher education contrast with high rates of hospitalisation for self-harm, alcohol and substance use. Reflecting a shift in the distribution of children living in poverty since the 1990s, this may be an early indicator of a future public health crisis in these communities. Exploring reasons for the health challenges facing the periphery, this perspective piece calls for more public health research that can accommodate the complex and interlinked problems facing coastal communities and a more concerted effort to align public health with economic, education, local government and transport policies at the national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the ethical challenges in deciding whether to vaccinate individuals lacking the decision-making capacity needed to provide informed consent during a public health emergency like COVID-19. The best interests standard ordinarily governs such decisions, which under the law in jurisdictions like England, Wales and Singapore takes into account the individual's past wishes and present preferences. However, in a public health emergency, the interests of third parties become more salient: those whom the unvaccinated individual might expose to infection have an interest in the individual's being vaccinated. While current mental capacity law has not been interpreted to take such public health considerations into account, we argue that such considerations are nevertheless ethically relevant, and can legitimately be weighed up alongside other considerations such as the preferences of the individual and impacts on their health. This is most relevant for individuals lacking decision-making capacity who have previously declined or presently resist vaccination. The public health impact of vaccination may in some instances be enough to outweigh preferences of the individual and justify providing vaccination against their past or present wishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a surge in stop and search operations following a high‐profile murder to look at their effect on recorded crime. Difference‐in‐difference estimates using detailed geocoded data at the street‐level suggest a doubling to trebling of the number of searches in streets close to the place of the murder. IV estimates on the effects of stops and searches on crime suggest little effect on property crime, weapons offences and violent crime or drug offences. Some specifications find reductions in anti‐social behaviour, suggesting that any effects on crime are due to an increased police presence on the streets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prisons offer policymakers an opportunity to address the pre-existing high prevalence of physical and mental health issues among prisoners. This notion has been widely integrated into international and national prison health policies, including the Healthy Prisons Agenda, which calls for governments to address the health needs of prisoners and safeguard their health entitlement during imprisonment, and the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 concerning reducing inequality among disadvantaged populations. However, the implementation of the austerity policy in the United Kingdom since the re-emergence of the global financial crisis in 2008 has impeded this aspiration. This interdisciplinary paper critically evaluates the impact of austerity on prison health. The aforementioned policy has obstructed prisoners' access to healthcare, exacerbated the degradation of their living conditions, impeded their purposeful activities and subjected them to an increasing level of violence. This paper calls for alternatives to imprisonment, initiating a more informed economic recovery policy, and relying on transnational and national organizations to scrutinize prisoners' entitlement to health. These systemic solutions could act as a springboard for political and policy discussions at national and international forums with regard to improving prisoners' health and simultaneously meeting the aspirations of the Healthy Prisons Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy strategies for managing risk are now well-established in British social policy. These strategies are highly individualized, placing emphasis on the capacity of individuals to mitigate risk in their everyday lives. Further, the paper argues that the dominance of individualized risk governance agendas has serious implications for the design of equality initiatives. Through a case study of sexual and reproductive health policy in England, the paper demonstrates that risk governance has the potential to "shrink" the meaning of equality by institutionalizing a narrow, individualized definition of "equality" in policy, and "bend" equality initiatives to fit a broader neoliberal policy agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shares reflections on Police Now's experience working collaboratively with academic researchers to help embed evidence and support innovation in a police leadership development programme with police forces across England and Wales. To increase the likelihood of successful collaboration and the potential of research evidence achieving traction at all levels of policing, we focus on the importance of researchers and practitioners understanding the contextual pressures both groups are confronted with and the need to identify opportunities for two-way engagement and collaborative reflection, from research design through to the dissemination. Police Now's reflections and experience thus point to the value of participatory action research (PAR) approaches. The paper holds relevance for police and academics in how to foster successful research collaborations for the benefit of policing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction When local councils took on responsibility for public health in England in 2013, leaders from across the north of England met to consider the scale of the challenge. As a result, Public Health England commissioned the Due North Report which outlined new approaches in tackling health inequalities. This second paper outlines what has been learnt in five years as a case study. This includes influencing devolution deals and new elected city mayors, planning for economic growth in deprived areas and developing community asset-based approaches. The paper outlines a new framework for place-based planning to reduce health inequalities. Sources of data Data was gathered from annual reports from north of England directors of public health, Office for National Statistics, Public Health England's fingertips database and regional and national publications and strategies such as the Northern Powerhouse. Areas of agreement Devolution to English cities and councils as 'places' is a new opportunity to address local needs and inequalities. Due North has supported a new public health narrative which locates health action in the most fundamental determinants—how local economies are planned, jobs created and power is to be transferred to communities and connects reducing years of premature ill health to increased economic productivity. Community asset approaches to empower local leaders and entrepreneurs can be effective ways to achieve change. Areas of controversy The north–south divide in health is not closing and may be worsening. Different ways of working between local government, health and business sectors can inhibit in working together and with communities. Growing points Place-based working with devolved powers can help move away from top down and silo working, empower local government and support communities. Linking policies on health inequalities to economic planning can address upstream determinants such as poverty, homelessness and unsafe environments. Areas timely for developing research More research is needed on; (i) addressing inequalities at scale for interventions to influence community-led change and prosperity in deprived areas, and (ii) the impact of devolution policy on population health particularly for deprived areas and marginalised group. Discussion and conclusions Commissioning high profile reports like Due North is influential in supporting new approaches in reducing inequality of health through local government, elected mayors; and working with deprived communities. This second paper describes progress and lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic saw unprecedented resources and funds driven into research for the development, and subsequent rapid distribution, of vaccines, diagnostics and directly acting antivirals (DAAs). DAAs have undeniably prevented progression and life-threatening conditions in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, there are concerns of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), antiviral resistance specifically, for DAAs. To preserve activity of DAAs for COVID-19 therapy, as well as detect possible mutations conferring resistance, antimicrobial stewardship and surveillance were rapidly implemented in England. This paper expands on the ubiquitous ongoing public health activities carried out in England, including epidemiologic, virologic and genomic surveillance, to support the stewardship of DAAs and assess the deployment, safety, effectiveness and resistance potential of these novel and repurposed therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the patriotism and national identity of English soldiers during the First World War. Using this conflict as a case-study, it draws together work on Great War mentalities and scholarship on Englishness. It argues that individuals' national identity focused on and formed around the 'implicit nation', which was primarily concerned with communities and parochial local (or regional) spaces. There was no 'essential' England: the homeland could be rural or urban, natural or human. English national identity embraced this plurality. Using published material, soldiers' newspapers and private letters, diaries and postcards, this article highlights the ways in which allegiance to an 'implicit nation' was nurtured by a military that championed local and regional identities. As subjects, not citizens, soldiers naturally centred their attention on the communities and landscapes of their homeland. The war did not diminish men's emotional connections to these homelands; in fact, it made them all the stronger. In concentrating on the subjective and emotional features of patriotism, this paper suggests that Englishness was inherently heterogeneous and drew its strength from this. Rather than a commitment to abstract structures such as the state, or theoretical political principles, it argues that English national identity embraced a composite, or patchwork, of mutually supporting patriotisms attached to particular homelands. It was a sense of these homelands that underlay men's identification with Britishness, the Empire and the monarchy. Importantly, soldiers' experience of the First World War gave this a new (or at least more vocal) articulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is a strong national drive within the UK government and National Health Service for social prescribing. Previous research studies have mainly focused on service user perspectives and evaluating their experiences. There is limited evidence on how the general public perceive and understand what social prescribing is and how these views could influence service planning and delivery. This paper seeks to understand perceptions of social prescribing within the wider community. Methods Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 37 members of the public in four areas in north-west England. We explored public awareness and understanding of social prescribing. Results Limited knowledge of the term social prescribing was found amongst participants as well as limited involvement in community discussions of the topic. Concerns were raised about the short-term nature of activities and the need for adequate resourcing to support continuity of service provision. The social prescribing link worker was considered to be important in supporting engagement with services and it was preferred this role was undertaken by people with local knowledge. Conclusions The findings provide evidence of public perspectives on social prescribing and highlight how wider community perceptions can supplement service user feedback to support social prescribing service planning, commissioning and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Policy responses to the Global Financial Crisis emphasized wide-ranging fiscal austerity measures, many of which have been found to negatively impact health outcomes. This paper investigates change in patterns of mortality at local authority level in England (2010–11 to 2017–18) and the relation with fiscal austerity measures. Methods Data from official local authority administrative records are used to quantify the gap between observed deaths and what was anticipated in the 2010-based subnational population projections. Regression analyses are used to explore the relation between excess deaths, austerity and wider process of population change at local authority level. Results We estimate 231 707 total excess deaths, the majority of which occurred since 2014–15 (89%) across the majority of local authorities (91%). Austerity is positively associated with excess deaths. For working age adults, there is a clear gradient to the impact of austerity, whereas for older adults, the impact is more uniform. Conclusions Fiscal austerity policies contributed to an excess of deaths for older people and widened social inequalities for younger populations. These results call for an end to all austerity measures and require further research into areas with the highest total excess deaths as a priority following the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the implications of being a social worker seconded to a Mental Health Trust based on narrative interviews with mental health social workers. As part of a wider study, thirteen mental health social workers from across England were interviewed individually about their experiences of being seconded to a Mental Health Trust. Building on the work of Andrew Pithouse, the findings reveal the (in)visibility of mental health social work. The social workers were isolated within Health Trusts with minimal links to their local authority employers. They struggled to articulate and define social work. Instead, social work was depicted as being indefinable, involving working in liminal spaces and as filling the gaps left by other professions. Furthermore, the social workers were unable to make social work visible, as social work is not 'seen' by the other members of the team. Finally, the social workers were unable to make social visible through supervision if they did not have a social work manager. The paper ends with an unexpected outcome of the research: the notion of the research interview as surrogate supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper focuses on police responses to male rape in England, UK. The data come from police officers and voluntary agency practitioners who completed in-depth interviews and qualitative questionnaires (N= 70). Questions about handling male rape cases were asked. The present paper focuses specifically on issues relating to the ways in which the police handle male rape cases. Thus, the way the police investigate male rape is critically explored. The police data were analysed using thematic analysis. Key issues emerged in the findings: male rape victims often get a poor response from the police; the police culture shapes officers' practices and decisions regarding male rape cases; and some police officers often see male rape complainants as making false allegations. If male rape victims are seen as supposedly falsely reporting, the implication of this is that the 'dark' figure of crime may develop because 'false' reports are 'no crimed', giving a distorted view of the extent to which male rape occurs. I argue that the police's treatment of male rape victims is largely influenced and shaped by preconceived ideas about male rape and gender bias. This paper attempts to tackle negative police treatment, and it raises awareness of male rape. It is significant to examine how the police manage male rape cases, to make changes to encourage reporting so that better services can be provided to rape victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This discussion paper explores the state of contemporary child protection and the role of social work in England. Criticisms of the current approach to child protection social work are identified. It is argued here that there is an underlying debate between models of social work, which is reflected in contemporary child protection. An alternative approach to child protection (a public health model) is suggested which may provide a way forward beyond these debates. Child protection social work is contextualised within the wider context of social work in England. The key message of this paper is that contemporary child protection adopts a narrow approach to child welfare and the role of social work. A public health model of child protection provides a more comprehensive understanding of child welfare and links to a broader conception of the role of social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of the conference titled "Devian Imaging: Lesbian/Gay/Queer--Film," held on May 23, 1998 at the University of Warwick in England. It was organized by José Arroyo, Julianne Pidduck and Richard Dyer. The event featured a diverse selection of papers from a various European cinemas and television. Also discussed are concerns on differet manifestations, the extent of image appropriation by different groups across different sets of boundaries.

The identification of factors associated with mental and behavioural disorders in early childhood is critical both for psychopathology research and the support of primary health care practices. Motivated by the Millennium Cohort Study, in this paper we study the effect of a comprehensive set of covariates on children's emotional and behavioural trajectories in England. To this end, we develop a quantile mixed hidden Markov model for joint estimation of multiple quantiles in a linear regression setting for multivariate longitudinal data. The novelty of the proposed approach is based on the multivariate asymmetric Laplace distribution which allows to jointly estimate the quantiles of the univariate conditional distributions of a multivariate response, accounting for possible correlation between the outcomes. Sources of unobserved heterogeneity and serial dependency due to repeated measures are modelled through the introduction of individual‐specific, time‐constant random coefficients and time‐varying parameters evolving over time with a Markovian structure respectively. The inferential approach is carried out through the construction of a suitable expectation–maximization algorithm without parametric assumptions on the random effects distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The containment of infectious diseases is most successful when at-risk populations have a high level of relevant health literacy (HL). To achieve this both literacy needs and patterns of knowledge sharing must be understood within the context of the disease being studied. It is also important to understand these processes from both offline (HL) and online (eHL) perspectives and amongst demographics with access to different types of information and social capital, and who have different levels of vulnerability. This paper discusses the insights gained over a series of 30 interviews with the UK residents aged either 19 − 30 years of age or older than 70 years—focussing on how they seek, understand, evaluate and convey information about COVID-19 during the current pandemic. Using thematic analysis, we identified themes around motivations to seek information, the information journey, digital choice and engagement, dilemmas and challenges of managing and appraising information, and sharing information. There was little difference in the eHL between the two age groups who both had high levels of education and were sophisticated digital citizens. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights three dominant processes in managing complex and uncertain information: some individuals may suffer from information fatigue but there was no evidence of any impact on their behaviours; others seek and share information across many networks; and there were strikingly high levels of distrust leading to complex processes of meaning-making demanding critical health literacy skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I will begin by charting some of the conceptions of mental health in young people today, paying particular attention to recent mental health education policies in England. I will focus on the concept of 'resilience' as central to these policies, and how this represents an impoverished understanding of mental health, what it means to 'overcome' mental health issues, and what, in fact, might constitute an 'appropriate' response to the world we (now) live in. In order to explore an alternative conception of mental health in light of this, I turn to an example from existentialist literature—Dostoevsky's Notes from underground. On the surface, this novel appears to be an account of a man suffering from a mental breakdown. Ultimately, however, I argue that texts such as this enable us to explore more fully what it is to experience mental health issues, and that also point us to the fundamental vulnerabilities and uncertainties that are an intimate part of being human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates traineeships, a voluntary programme of work placement and preparation that aims to help young unemployed people in England compete for jobs and apprenticeships. Applying the method of local instrumental variables to administrative data, we estimate the marginal treatment effects on apprenticeship take‐up and employment. The heterogeneous impacts are then aggregated to form an estimate of the average impact of treatment for all participants. The results suggest that, among younger trainees, participation increases the probability of becoming an apprentice and that this holds across the distribution of unobserved heterogeneity. For older trainees, we find no significant effect on the probability of becoming an apprenticeship on average but some evidence of a negative effect among those more resistant to participating. We find no effects on employment for either age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, prisoners tend to come from marginalized and socially disadvantaged sections of the society and exhibit a high incidence of ill health, linked to social exclusion and multiple complex needs. Prisons therefore offer an important opportunity to tackle inequality and injustice, through promoting health, reducing reoffending and facilitating community reintegration.This paper reports on and critically discusses findings from an evaluative research study, which aimed to identify and explore impacts of prisoners' participation in an innovative social and therapeutic horticultural programme, 'Greener on the Outside for Prisons' (GOOP), delivered in prisons in North West England. Focus groups with 16 prisoners and semi-structured interviews with six prison staff were conducted at five sites. Presented under three overarching themes (health and well-being; skills development, employability, and work preparedness; and relationships), findings suggest that engagement with and participation in GOOP were important in improving positive mental well-being, increasing physical activity and knowledge about healthier eating; developing skills and work readiness; and building relationships and catalysing and strengthening prosocial behaviours, important for good citizenship and effective resettlement. The paper concludes that – in the context of the current UK prison reform agenda and concern about the high incidence of violence, substance misuse, self-harm and suicide – prison-based horticulture can offer multiple benefits and make a significant contribution to the creation of safe, secure, supportive and health-enhancing environments. Furthermore, it contends that by joining up health and justice agendas, programmes such as GOOP have the potential to serve as powerful catalysts for wider systemic change, thereby helping tackle inequalities and social exclusion within societies across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the origins of what has become one of the most radical and encompassing programmes of school reform seen in the recent past in advanced countries—the introduction of academy schools to English education. Academies are independent state funded schools that are allowed to run in an autonomous manner outside of local authority control. Almost all academies are conversions from already existent state schools and so are school takeovers that enable more autonomy in operation than was permitted in their predecessor state. Studying the first round of conversions that took place in the 2000s, where poorly performing schools were converted to academies, a focus is placed on legacy enrolled pupils who were already attending the school prior to conversion. The impact on end of secondary school pupil performance is shown to be positive and significant. Performance improvements are stronger for pupils in urban academies and for those converting from schools that gained relatively more autonomy as a result of conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers an original examination of the interrelationship between organisational arrangements, supervisory practices and outcomes from supervision in a study funded by the Social Care Institute for Excellence. The study aimed to capture examples of good supervision. Researchers used systems theory to develop a supervision model, which informed the research design and evaluation. Good supervision was identified by 136 online survey participants, and all emerging themes were examined in nineteen interviews, within four case study settings. Social workers within an 'integrated' case-study setting and health workers in a 'partnership' setting said that 'good' supervision was supported by organisational policies, supervisor training and devolved management and professional practice. In the care-home and social-enterprise settings, supervision was similarly supported, but its delivery was a management performance target. In all four case-study settings, good supervision could be negatively transformed by a supervisor's action (e.g. rigid responses to performance issues) or supervisor's inaction (e.g. cancelled supervision sessions). Service-user feedback on supervision is an underdeveloped area that needs further research. This paper concludes by considering the implications of the research findings for the study of supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a conference in commemoration of the 450th birthday of English lutenist-composer John Dowland held at Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge on May 4-5, 2013, hosted by the Fitzwilliam College Music Society. Topics include the annual meeting of the Lute Society, performances by early music players including Paul O'Dette and Elizabeth Kenny, and academic themes including compositional practice.

In 2006 the English Department of Health launched a programme with £450m for the funding of around 10 biomedical research centres over a five-year period, to be within leading clinical and university partnerships, able to demonstrate international excellence and reflect a range of clinical areas. The bespoke process to procure the biomedical research centres resulted in relatively low transaction costs, compared to more traditional routes into funding research centres, and is an example of the use of metrics that could inform the on-going debate in the UK regarding future research assessment exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds upon major ongoing work into the experiences of new migrants seeking to construct new lives in the UK (Aldridge and Waddington 2002; Goodson and Phillimore 2005; Goodson et al. 2005; Phillimore et a!. 2003; 2004; Phillimore and Goodson 2002; Robinson et a!. 2003; Zetter et a!. 2003) and focuses upon the experiences of refugees who have arrived in Birmingham since the early 1990s. The paper outlines the indicators of integration proposed by Ager and Strang (2004) for the United Kingdom's Home Office. It then uses data from household surveys, in-depth interviews and focus groups conducted in the West Midlands to explore how useful indicators might be in evaluating progress towards integration within new migrant communities. The paper specifically examines the efficacy of functional indicators, which in Ager and Strang's (2004) framework are represented as 'means and markers' and include employment, housing, education and health. It aims to consider the usefulness of these functional indicators as a measure of integration and the ways in which the indicators might be shaped to help policy makers work towards promoting integration in a multi-cultural global city such as Birmingham. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against a background of the various definitions of drawing and design offered in the Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers (1754), the author argues that 'design', as applied to the manufacture of wallpapers at the end of the eighteenth century, is not so much a thing, either representation or pattern, as a means of communication between parties. The direct and indirect pressure exerted by the market is examined, and the role of the entrepreneur is considered, as is the importance of the ready availability of design in foundation across manufactured goods and competitive emulation between them. Finally, and with particular reference to arabesque wallpapers, the specific role of the designer is considered. The structure of the paper reverses traditional expectations and priorities, which have generally focused on the designer rather than on clients or manufacturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collection of a subset of CFS/ME patient data as part of the.national CFS/ME collaborative was confirmed to be service evaluation by the North Somerset & Bristol Research Ethics Committee under REC reference 07/Q2006/48, and in a letter dated 29 January 2007 the Chair of the Research Ethics Committee had previously confirmed (a) that it would not be necessary to apply for ethical permission to use the data being collected as part of service evaluation for the national CFS/ME collaborative and (b) that if in future this data were to be used as part of a research project, this would be agreeable. The "Ethical Approval" section of this paper has been updated to read The data used in this study was originally collected and collated in the National Outcomes Database for the purposes of evaluation of CFS/ME services. [Extracted from the article]

This paper describes how toxicological considerations are an essential component of acute chemical incident response, and how the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), as Category 1 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004), provide that expert, authoritative, and timely advice to protect people from exposure to harmful substances. Background information about the general response to emergencies is provided, which gives context to how scientific advice has a positive impact. The importance of chemical identification and speciation, local, and systemic effects, and exposure characteristics are described. The public health risk assessment is considered in conjunction with mixtures, mass casualties, recovery, and psychological impacts. A brief summary of the type of incidents that the UKHSA are notified about is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the schedule of several conferences related to French literature to be held in England in 2004 and 2005. Annual conference of the Association for the Study of Modern & Contemporary France in Surrey; Second annual conference of the Society for Francophone Postcolonial Studies in London; Conference of the UK Society for Sartrean Studies in London; Fourth International Bande Dessinee Society conference in Manchester.

Adult social care in England emphasises the service and support preferences of disabled and older people. Personal budgets play a central role in this development. Carers in England have also secured rights to assessment and support in their care-giving roles. However, these policies have developed largely separately, with little consideration of the interdependencies between disabled and older people and their carers. There is limited evidence detailing current practice. This paper explores current practice, particularly how far social care practitioners recognise and balance the needs and interests of service users and carers, especially those with cognitive and/or communication impairments. The paper reports findings from nine qualitative focus groups (forty-seven participants) conducted in 2012 with practitioners involved in service user personalisation and carer assessments from older people and learning disability teams across three English authorities. Findings indicate inconsistencies in practice. Although practitioners felt they sought to involve carers, practices varied between authorities, teams and colleagues in the same team. Clear and timely links between processes for service users and carers were absent. Practice was discussed most frequently around service user assessments; other stages of personalisation appeared ad hoc. Areas of confusion and tension are identified. Future policy and practice developments and challenges are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on the first national qualitative study to examine diversity and progression within social work programmes in England, focusing on the experiences of disabled, black and ethnic minority and lesbian, gay and bisexual students. Data collected from ninety-five students and twenty-three social work education providers across eight higher education institutions (HEIs) suggested an institutional effect on rates of progression, linked to the degree of orientation towards systemic change. The study found that social work educators tended to place more emphasis on 'equality of access' than 'equality of outcomes', resulting in a lack of focus on other aspects of the student life cycle such as inter-group dynamics and rates of progression through the programme and into employment. This paper highlights the importance of a 'transformational' organisational change approach to creating an institutional culture where students from minority groups feel welcome and can thrive. Leadership, monitoring and an institution-wide sense of collective responsibility for diversity and equality policy implementation emerged as key to creating a more inclusive environment, alongside equipping staff to take a pro-active role in facilitating high-quality, respectful interaction between different members of the HEI community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of trust in relation to social work, child protection and work on domestic abuse. Trust is a complex notion. Borrowing from the arguments of Behnia that trust is the outcome of a process, the paper uses the talk of women who have experienced social work in the context of domestic abuse and child protection to consider the barriers to trust building. The evidence is gathered from three focus groups which formed part of an evaluation of a 'Freedom Programme'. The findings highlight issues with trust building that start with the context of living with abuse and work outwards to considerations of professional power, social work systems and wider inequality, suggesting an ecological approach to the trust-building process. The key argument is that social workers will struggle to gain trust within a system that sees domestic abuse as a hurdle that mothers must overcome, rather than a trauma through which they should be supported. The experiences of the women in this research, however, do show that trust and respect for voluntary service are achievable and that practice which builds alliances with the voluntary sector and service users could develop more trusting relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of the third biennial International Television Studies Conference held at the University of London's Institute of Education in England. Raymond Williams, who had been co-president with Hilde Himmelweit until his death in 1988, was replaced as keynote speaker by Stuart Hall, who discussed contradictions between deregulation and centralisation. The plenary session on the final day was chaired by outgoing BFI director Anthony Smith, and featured Himmelweit, who talked about media research.

The article presents a report on the weekend school on March 25-27, 1977 in London about the study of Hollywood melodrama and its place within ideology. According to the report, Hollywood melodrama can be read as an instance of revealed conflicting statements within bourgeois ideology. The introduction of the report also reveals that the terms and actions utilized during the weekend school reflected political and cultural preoccupations. On the other hand, the article also includes one of the papers prepared for the weekend and a note regarding the Freudian concept of family romance.

England and Wales is the only European jurisdiction to have experimented with electronic monitoring of offenders, or ‘tagging’. Three experimental schemes, ostensibly targeted on remand prisoners, were established late in 1989, intended to run for six months. On the available evidence they have not been a success. Yet the recent government White Paper Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public (Home Office 1990b) continues to promote the idea of ‘tagging’, suggesting that this work be undertaken by a private agency rather than the probation service which—unlike its equivalent in the USA—has dissociated itself from this new development. This paper aims only to map the contours of debate on electronic monitoring in England and Wales, in the context of moves to develop more coercive non-custodial measures generally, and to raise some examples of the moral and political issues to which tagging gives rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights the Joint Meeting of the Dowling Club and the Skin Microbiology Club in Middlesex, England. Participants; Sponsors of the meeting; Venue.

This article focuses on a study designed to determine effects of television on the reading of newspapers and magazines in London, England. According to the author, the methodological problem involved in this and similar studies of the effects of mass communication is that there was no available alternative to an ex post facto "experimental" design in which respondents themselves selected whether they were to be viewers or non-viewers. Moreover, since respondents could not be randomly assigned to the two conditions by the investigator, differences between the two groups on the dependent variable, frequency of newspaper reading, could be attributed either to the effects of television or to initial differences between the two groups. With regard to all these observations, it can be concluded that television may have had the effect of increasing the reading and buying of papers of popular press with their lighter, shorter material and of decreasing the reading and buying of the more serious papers.

This article presents the author's reply to Edwin B. Parker on his observations regarding the study conducted by the author towards the effects of television on magazine and newspaper reading in London, England. According to the author, while the process of matching in terms of the correlates of both dependent and independent variables has been used before, Parker has suggested, under the term "covariance procedure," a more formal and systematic use of the technique, a distinct contribution, practical development of which is more than likely. In addition to this, Parker is quite right in reminding a basic weakness in the use of matching as a means of isolating effects. One can and must build checks into the matching process but in the end some degree of doubt must remain about the efficiency of the matching achieved. If Parker had argued from this position in presenting his covariance method as a means of reducing uncertainty, there would have been no point of difference between him and the author.

The article presents information on the musicology conference held at Peterhouse in the University of Cambridge, England on September 8-10, 2010 dedicated to the analysis of the Peterhouse partbooks. Subjects addressed include the role of the 17th-century architect John Cosin on the collection, the codicology of the books, and an overview of its digitization.

This paper is an exploration of a dilemma that is central to the place of day centres in tackling single homelessness and raises issues for social work more generally. On the one hand, day centres provide vital services to a vulnerable group in a safe, non-threatening and non-judgemental setting; on the other hand, in doing so, they are believed to impede opportunities for personal change. The paper draws on findings from a research study which compared and contrasted the priorities of single homeless people with multiple support needs with the priorities of support services, exploring the role of encounters between service users and agencies in either overcoming or reinforcing multiple exclusion homelessness. This paper focuses on evidence about the use of day centres. It seeks to draw on theological insights to explore day centres as ‘places of sanctuary’ whose largely unconditional accessibility enables them to serve as both a last refuge for the victims of multiple rejection and a safe place to confront the past. This paper will take the debate about conditionality in welfare provision beyond the field of homelessness to address one of the oldest dilemmas of social work: how to facilitate change while respecting people's free agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]