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To evaluate the usability and acceptability of the Mental Capacity Assessment Support Toolkit (MCAST) in healthcare settings and whether its use was associated with increased legal compliance and assessor confidence. A mixed methods convergence triangulation model was used. Multidisciplinary professionals used the MCAST during mental capacity assessments for UK hospital patients with diagnoses of stroke or acute or chronic cognitive impairment. Changes in legal compliance were investigated by comparing scores on case note audits before and after implementation of the MCAST. Changes in assessor confidence and professionals' perceptions of the MCAST's usability and acceptability were explored using surveys. Patients' and family members' views on acceptability were determined using semi-structured interviews. Data were integrated using triangulation. Twenty-one professionals, 17 patients and two family members participated. Use of the MCAST was associated with significant increases in legal compliance and assessor confidence. Most professionals found the MCAST easy to use and beneficial to their practice and patients. Patients and family members found the MCAST materials acceptable. The MCAST is the first toolkit to support the needs of individuals with communication disabilities during mental capacity assessments. It enables assessors to deliver high quality, legally compliant and confident practice. Mental capacity assessment practice needs to be improved to maximise patient autonomy, safety and well-being. The MCAST is a paper-based toolkit designed to facilitate and improve mental capacity practice in England and Wales. This study suggests the MCAST would be easy and acceptable to use in healthcare settings and could lead to improvements in assessment quality and assessor confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the COVID-19 pandemic now affects the entire world, countries have had diverse responses. Some responded faster than others, with considerable variations in strategy. After securing border control, primary health care approaches (public health and primary care) attempt to mitigate spread through public education to reduce person-to-person contact (hygiene and physical distancing measures, lockdown procedures), triaging of cases by severity, COVID-19 testing, and contact-tracing. An international survey of primary care experts' perspectives about their country's national responseswas conducted April to early May 2020. This mixed method paper reports on whether they perceived that their country's decision-making and pandemic response was primarily driven by medical facts, economic models, or political ideals; initially intended to develop herd immunity or flatten the curve, and the level of decision-making authority (federal, state, regional). Correlations with country-level death rates and implications of political forces and processes in shaping a country's pandemic response are presented and discussed, informed by our data and by the literature. The intersection of political decision-making, public health/primary care policies and economic strategies is analysed to explore implications of COVID-19's impact on countries with different levels of social and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK census authorities have proposed guidance for the 2021 census indicating that the sex question may be answered according to subjective gender identity. This raises issues about the measurement of sex and gender identity which other data collection exercises are also contending with. This paper addresses the questions that have arisen regarding the census, before going on to explain how these questions have emerged more widely. Finally, I address the difficulties of discussing the collection of data on sex in a climate of policy capture and silencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is understood about social work students or social workers' perceptions of ageing in the UK. This paper presents a small-scale study of 20 master social work students' perceptions of ageing during the first year of their programme. A mixed method approach was employed over a two-staged research project, in both stages the social work students were asked to complete Kogan's attitudes towards older people scale (KATOPS) and draw a person aged 75. Results demonstrated that most students had neutral to positive attitudes towards older people at the beginning of the programme and these improved in stage two; all had positive attitudes. The drawings provided a visual narrative of their perceptions of older people; visual signifiers included physical signs of ageing. Fulfilment, emotion, family, individuality and appearance were emergent themes. Whilst the programme enhanced the students' perceptions more work is needed to dispel the myths and stereotypes about ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the second of two papers that together present an interim report on a study of visit numbers to UK regional and local museums. It identifies trends in museum visiting between 1891 and 2015 within the context of socio-economic change, and discusses the principle causes of annual variances (sometimes of substantial magnitude) at a local level. It suggests that changes in visit levels are generally within the control of a museum rather than the consequence of external influences, and questions how far the experience of the period since 2001 is comparable with what has gone before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the first part of a study on visit numbers to UK regional and local museums. It reviews the limited past research on the topic, examines the motivations for counting such visits and the means required to do so, and explores the methods used from the early nineteenth century to now. A concluding section discusses the theme within the context of modern public policy on museums. In relating historic context to current practice, it shows that, irrespective of the general use of visit numbers as a proxy for public interest and institutional importance, the practice of collecting museum visit numbers continues to be inconsistent and their publication erratic. It suggests that the lack of accepted good practice makes this an area for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Britain, during the 1990s, there was a sharp increase in recreational drug use, and by the end of the decade, it had reached unprecedented levels. The normalisation thesis offered an explanation for increasing drug trends. It argued that drug use was undergoing a process of normalisation whereby it was becoming more acceptable within mainstream society. Since the millennium, British government statistics have recorded a downward trend in overall drug use, perhaps an early sign that recreational drug use is becoming denormalised in Britain. This paper reconsiders the normalisation thesis drawing on British trend data collected since the millennium. It argues that evidence is contradictory and it is challenging to reach a conclusion about the extent of normalisation. At best, the situation fits with the idea of “differentiated normalisation”. The analysis presented raises questions about the utility of the concept in the twenty-first century and the paper concludes with a discussion of how it might be developed in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Britain, there has been an increased emphasis on the use of risk assessments in mental health services over the past 20 years. Mentally disordered offenders subject to Section 41 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (England and Wales) are defined as posing a serious risk of harm to others. They are thus dealt with by forensic mental health services, which are often seen as specialists in risk assessments. This paper is based on original research in three mental health trusts in the South of England which was carried out between March 2009 and September 2011. The paper examines mentally disordered offenders’ awareness and attitude to formal risk assessments in relation to theories of governmentality. Service users subject to Section 41 of the Mental Health Act 1983 were aware that their level of risk was being assessed by professionals caring for them but were commonly unaware of the content of these assessments. These risk assessments were viewed by participants as a means through which professionals measured and monitored behaviour. Although participants often referred to levels of risk, they did not view risk screening schedules as objective, but rather emphasised the need to persuade staff that their risk had reduced. Despite showing a limited awareness of the content of these risk assessments, participants generally identified more risks, in relation to their vulnerability, than did the professional assessments. However, participants generally identified fewer risks in relation to the dangers they posed to others than did professional staff. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recent research has shown the potential of Web queries as a source for syndromic surveillance, and existing studies show that these queries can be used as a basis for estimation and prediction of the development of a syndromic disease, such as influenza, using log linear (logit) statistical models. Two alternative models are applied to the relationship between cases and Web queries in this paper. We examine the applicability of using statistical methods to relate search engine queries with scarlet fever cases in the UK, taking advantage of tools to acquire the appropriate data from Google, and using an alternative statistical method based on gamma distributions. The results show that using logit models, the Pearson correlation factor between Web queries and the data obtained from the official agencies must be over 0.90, otherwise the prediction of the peak and the spread of the distributions gives significant deviations. In this paper, we describe the gamma distribution model and show that we can obtain better results in all cases using gamma transformations, and especially in those with a smaller correlation factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper originates from the National Audit Office's 2008 report into widening participation policy in the United Kingdom. The report found that while there appeared to be modest improvements in the proportion of students coming from lower socio-economic groups over the last ten years, reliable analysis was hampered by a high proportion of missing data. In the 2007/08 academic year, the proportion of entrants whose socio-economic status was defined as 'unknown' was 26%, up from just 10% a decade earlier. This paper uses a random sample of 1000 such students, aged 18 or 19 on entry, to investigate why they have been designated as 'unknown' and what other information can be gleaned from their university application form. It was found that 46% of the sample could in fact be coded to a specific socio-economic grouping from the parental information provided by the student and it was difficult to see why this had not happened. The social profile of these students was comparable to the national picture. A further 23% provided information which was too vague to be coded. The focus of the paper, however, was the 32% of students who either did not provide parental information or who stated that their parents were not working. These students were strongly and disproportionately drawn from areas of high deprivation and low participation in higher education; the precise target of widening participation initiatives, yet they are effectively not acknowledged. This finding causes difficulties for the reliability of official statistics on social class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American Planning Association recently endorsed a new forecasting method called reference class forecasting, which is based on theories of planning and decision-making that won the 2002 Nobel prize in economics. This paper details the method and describes the first instance of reference class forecasting in planning practice. First, the paper documents that inaccurate projections of costs, demand, and other impacts of plans are a major problem in planning. Second, the paper explains inaccuracy in terms of optimism bias and strategic misrepresentation. Third, the theoretical basis is presented for reference class forecasting, which achieves accuracy in projections by basing them on actual performance in a reference class of comparable actions and thereby bypassing both optimism bias and strategic misrepresentation. Fourth, the paper presents the first case of practical reference class forecasting, which concerns cost projections for planning of large transportation infrastructure investments in the UK, including the Edinburgh Tram and London's £15 billion Crossrail project. Finally, potentials for and barriers to reference class forecasting are assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current government agendas for investigating the “Gross National Happiness” have spurred private and commercial organizations to consider whether their work has the potential to influence peoples' happiness and sense of well-being. The role of archaeological projects has yet to be considered, despite the body of research pertaining to their wider social values.Methods:By combining quantitative methodological well-being measures offered by positive and negative affect schedule and modified visual analogue scale (MVAS), this research evaluates if it is possible to identify the role archaeological projects play in enhancing well-being.Results:The analysis of the quantitative data is used to assess whether it is possible to quantitatively identify and link changes in cultural values to involvements in heritage projects.Conclusions:This paper sets out a methodological framework for analysing heritage well-being, providing guidelines for future evaluations of the cultural value of heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A task carried out in error creates a latent condition that can result in a future undesirable outcome if the error is not detected later. The paper presents a study of the relatively under-researched phenomenon of post-task latent error detection. Focusing on UK naval aircraft maintenance, it was hypothesised that time, location and systems cues influence individual latent error detection amongst naval air engineers who experience the phenomenon. The systems view of human error is combined with a multi-process approach to post-task latent error research, for which findings suggest that distributed cognition across the entire socio-technical system may be influential in post-task latent error detection. Directions for future research will be of benefit to those interested in furthering safety resilience using a systems approach to minimise the consequences arising from latent error. Relevance to human factors/ergonomics theoryThe nature and extent of post-task latent error detection is explored using a systems approach, for which distributed cognition across the entire socio-technical system appears influential. The aim of current research is to develop interventions to further mitigate for latent errors and thus advance the systems application of ergonomics theory. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In a previous paper [12], an attempt was made to show how spectral techniques could be used to compare the effects of two seasonal adjustment procedures on the series to which they were applied. The two procedures compared were: (a) the technique currently used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for seasonally adjusting employment, unemployment, and labor force monthly statistics, and (b) the so-called "residual" method, proposed by Brittain [2], Samuelson [16], and others. Spectra of the original and the seasonally adjusted series and the cross spectrum of the two were used to aid in the assessment of whether either procedure removed more than could be considered seasonal, introduced spurious regularities, and/or distorted temporal relationships. It was concluded that both techniques removed more than seasonal effects from, and produced some temporal distortion in, the series to which they were applied. Neither method appeared to be superior to the other. It is the purpose of this paper to carry the previous analysis one step further and to compare the BLS procedure with a modified version of the regression method of seasonal adjustment suggested by Cowden [3] and Mendershausen [11], and recently revived by Harman [9, 10] in an exceptionally sophisticated form. In addition to Hannan's work along the lines suggested, Nettheim [13] and Rosenblatt [15] have made studies. Rosenblatt [15] has carried out analyses similar to those reported here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-car route guidance is automatic, requiring a minimum of time and thinking. This paper explores the use of personalised information when providing instructions for navigating a journey. We focus on older women with a lifetime of experience. Ten female participants were interviewed to elicit their comfort zone with respect to navigating in a car from their own home. Two routes were then devised for each participant, which extended beyond this comfort zone, and presented to them in two different formats. Participants then navigated the route of their least preferred format. Questionnaires and interviews were used to explore the effects of the formats on their confidence, cognitive effort and use of cognitive mapping facilities. The questionnaire data showed that the more detailed instructions supported cognitive mapping processes and the interviews suggested that this support was valued prior to executing the route. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports on a feasibility study and evaluation of a new type of cultural consultation service (CCS). This multi-component and systemic complex intervention was offered over 18 months to specialist mental health providers in one of the poorest regions of the UK. The service received 900 clinically related contacts and 99 in-depth consultations. Service users who were referred to the CCS had high levels of clinical needs with an average score of 15.9 on the Health of the Nation Outcomes Scale. Overall, Global Assessment of Function scores improved and there were trends for improvements in symptoms. The level of routine care (and by implication associated costs) significantly reduced after CCS intervention, due to a reduction in use of accident and emergency (A&E) services, psychiatrists and community psychiatric nurses (CPNs)/case managers. Cost analysis indicates that savings amounted to £497 per patient. The cost of intervention was no greater than usual care, and may reduce spend per patient over a 3-month follow-up and perhaps longer. More specifically, clinicians felt the cultural consultation service helped to improve the treatment plan (71%), engagement (50%), medication compliance (21%) and earlier discharge (7%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this exploratory study was to capture and identify changes in clinical thinking amongst foundation trainees after a four-month attachment in general practice, and to develop a means of analysing the data collected to inform understanding about how clinical thinking develops and changes for a trainee - the learner - in the context of clinical experience. We use the term ‘clinical thinking' consistently throughout our paper to refer to the trainees' general thinking about a case, and do so in the same way as other academics.1-4 Through the innovative use of Mind Maps, we have sought to demonstrate whether there was a significant change in the themes and key features contained in maps drawn by foundation year 2 trainees before and after an attachment in general practice, and to locate the nature of the change if present. Being able to identify such change is potentially valuable as it can assist in revealing a trainee’s learning needs and shape future learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research applying rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT) with athletes is sparse and findings are equivocal. REBT can be applied using education workshops, but previous studies in sport have not assessed changes in irrational beliefs following REBT. This paper reports the effects of a single REBT education workshop on irrational beliefs in elite soccer academy athletes from pretest to posttest. Statistical analyses indicate temporary reductions in irrational beliefs following the workshop. Results are discussed with reference to mechanisms of change, study limitations, workshop reflections, and recommendations for developing REBT workshops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines public perceptions of three sexual grooming types: computer-mediated sexual grooming (CMSG), familial sexual grooming (FSG) and localised sexual grooming (LSG). Using data from a national survey of 557 respondents from the United Kingdom, we tested models that predicted perceptions of the prevalence of CMSG, FSG and LSG and the perceived safety of internet, familial and localised grooming spaces. Media-related factors were the most significant in predicting higher levels of perceived prevalence of CMSG and disagreement in relation tosafetyof internet and public spaces. Knowledge of a grooming victim was most significant in predicting higher levels of perceived prevalence of FSG and LSG and higher levels disagreement in relation to the safety of the home. The findings suggest that the public express too little concern over familial sexual grooming and that initiatives should be introduced to make citizens more aware of the distinctions between types of sexual grooming behaviours, settings and offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing upon evidence from broader social psychology, and an illustrative study of frequency-estimation during a simple, sport-specific observe-and-recall task, this paper makes the case for the more thorough investigation of the availability heuristic (Tversky & Kahneman, 1973) on practical state-of-play reasoning in largely observational sporting activities. It is argued that this evidence particularly substantiates a need for a more robust body of research in two primary domains: (a) the gatekeeping tasks pertinent (and usually preliminary) to an individual's sporting performance such as talent scouting, team selection, and substitution decisions, and (b) the business of officiating in high-tempo environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and discusses the development and empirical properties of two new 24-item scales - one measuring attitude towards Buddhism and the other measuring attitude towards Sikhism. The scale is designed to facilitate inter-faith comparisons within the psychology of religion alongside the well-established Francis Scale of Attitude towards Christianity. Data were obtained from a multi-religious sample of 369 school pupils aged between 13 and 15 in London. Application of the two scales demonstrated that adolescents had a more positive attitude to Buddhism than Sikhism. The findings confirm the reliability of the scales and commend them for further use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to establish postural cues in kicking that may be of use to goalkeepers. Eight male soccer players (age 20.5 ± 1.1 yrs; height 1.78 ± 0.053 m; mass 75.18 ± 9.66 kg) performed three types of kick: a low side-foot kick to the left hand corner of the goal, a low side-foot kick straight ahead, and a low instep kick straight ahead. Kicks were recorded by an optoelectronic motion analysis system at 240 Hz. At kicking foot take-off (about 200 ms before ball contact) the variables which were significantly different and could act as cues were support foot progression angle, pelvis rotation, and kicking hip and ankle flexion. The support foot progression angle was considered to be the most valuable of these variables as its angle coincided with the direction of ball projection. The other variables were less clear in their interpretation and so less valuable for a goalkeeper to use for decision making. Cues appearing after support foot contact were thought unlikely to be of value to a goalkeeper in their decision making. These include kicking leg knee flexion angle, and support leg shank and thigh angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary objective: Operant conditioning interventions are effective in the management of post-acute ABI challenging behaviour. However, when this serves an avoidance or escape function, reinforcement approaches may be ineffective. In this paper the utility of a range of operant-derived ABI interventions is considered specifically with regard to behaviour whose prime function is avoidance or escape from rehabilitation activities. Methods and procedures: Efficacy of three operant interventions was determined by describing a single case study whose aggressive behaviour served an avoidance-escape function. Two interventions comprised variants of differential reinforcement: differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviour (DRI) and differential reinforcement of low rates of responding (DRL). The third intervention comprised situational time out (STO) and sustained verbal prompting. Main outcome: Despite reports of the efficacy of DRI and DRL, neither was beneficial in this case. However, STO and sustained verbal prompting proved highly effective in reducing aggression. Conclusions: Results are discussed in relation to two levels of explanation: function and cognition. Special emphasis is laid upon the extent to which interventions actively involve the patient and the degree of intrusiveness necessary for staff to implement therapeutic procedures. The case demonstrates how a scientifically-derived formulation regarding behaviour disorder can support multiple treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quantitative findings are presented from a mixed methods study of four one-day-a-week therapeutic communities for people with personality disorder (qualitative findings from the same study are reported in a separate paper). The evaluation assessed both the clinical efficacy of the model and its acceptability to service users, service employees and those who refer clients to the services. Aims: The study aimed to clarify whether one-day therapeutic communities can be effective for people with personality disorder. Method: Changes in the functioning of service users who attended the day services were assessed every 12 weeks for up to 1 year. Results: We found significant improvements in both the mental health and social functioning of service users. Changes in patterns of self-harm and service use were suggestive of possible underlying improvements but failed to reach significance levels. We also found evidence of the possible offset of costs within 16 months of an individual leaving one of the services. Conclusions: This study suggests one-day therapeutic communities may be both clinically- and cost-effective for people with personality disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I examine the properties of the handicapping system in the UK. Using a generalized ordered logistic regression model of hole by hole scores of individuals, simulation was employed to calculate the probability of winning for an individual in stroke play and match play head to heads and also in tournament competitions with multiple entrants. The results suggest that the current handicapping system does not produce equal probabilities of players with different handicaps winning. Specifically, lower handicappers have a higher probability of winning in both stroke play and match play games. Having investigated the possibility of employing scaling factors in order to level these probabilities, I pose the question of the extent to which equal probabilities is in fact a desirable property of a handicapping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the authors view on the use of statistical data in proposing public funding reforms of judicial review litigation in Great Britain. They assert that statistics stated by the Ministry of Justice in its consultation paper do not provide a reliable basis for assuming that developed powers have been abused. They assess that the proposal could have adverse consequences for the availability of specialized representation in public law. Furthermore, they stress that it affect upon the ability of claimants to achieve appropriate legal representation.

This paper comments on findings from a European survey of graduate employment and shows the difficulty of trying to make international comparisons of higher education's contribution to graduate employability. In the process it is suggested that comparison within the United Kingdom is also problematic and evidence is provided of the impact on employability of factors outside higher education institutions' control. The conclusion is that employability figures are not trustworthy indicators of higher education quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Games have been used in healthcare education to encourage active learning. Aim: To investigate whether an educational board game which had been developed in the speciality of neonatology could influence the learning experience of medical students during their neonatal attachment. Method: A randomised controlled trial of using the game was conducted amongst 67 student participants. Results: The average final assessment score was 4.15 points higher in the group of students that played the game compared to the control group (95% CI-0.88-9.17; p = 0.09). The game was well received by the students. Conclusion: Although we cannot conclude firmly that the game produces an effect on learning, this study suggests that educational games should be investigated further in the delivery of undergraduate learning in specialities where exposure is brief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]