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The challenges of providing sensitive and structured care for children in foster care go well beyond normative experiences of parenting. The present paper describes a mixed-methods study of foster carers' perceived need for support and training, referenced to estimates of their burden of care. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 foster carers in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Carers' perceived need for support and training were identified through qualitative analysis of interviews using domain analysis method. Carers' burden of care was estimated from the Parenting Stress Index and from a measure of carers' encounters with children's emotional, behavioural and relationship difficulties that was designed for the present study (the Caregiver Behavioural Encounters Index). Foster carers reported substantive, unmet needs for support and training. Foster carers also reported high parenting stress and encounters with a wide range of children's mental health difficulties, including both uncommon and severe difficulties, which together represent an exceptional burden of care. Carers' highest priority need was for training and support on managing and responding to children's mental health difficulties, while their greatest existing support came from Caregiver Liaison Social Workers and other carers. The findings suggest a number of critical implications for practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have generally been portrayed as failures in relation to environmental sustainability due to their low take-up rates of sustainable business practices. This judgment arises when frameworks and standards that have been developed in, and for, large firms are applied to SMEs. Such assessment can provide a misleading impression of the uptake of sustainable business practices, as SMEs do not operate simply as miniature large firms. The performance of SMEs should be assessed using benchmarks that fit the circumstances of small firms. Based on interviews with 50 small-business owners in New Zealand, we explore how environmental responsibility is understood and translated into practice. This paper contributes to the emerging stream of research that aims to build a theory of environmental responsibility that is grounded in the experiences of SME owner-managers, and takes into account the heterogeneity and characteristics of the SME sector. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand dairy industry has responded to concerns about the impact of dairying on the environment by implementing a range of voluntary policy initiatives. One initiative emphasises that all dairy farmers have systems to manage nutrient inputs and outputs, with the completion of a nutrient budget as a measure of achievement. The research outlined in this paper was designed to explore the effort farmers put into responding to the policy in order to determine their involvement in nutrient budgets. Qualitative interviews with 20 dairy farmers were undertaken. The results suggest that involvement with the current policy is low. Further work is required to determine whether and how involvement could be increased to help industry and policy makers with the next stage of this initiative. This research demonstrates that understanding how involved farmers are in an issue is one way of highlighting possible policy adoption drivers and barriers during the implementation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare systems have a vested interest in employing work-ready graduates. The challenge for universities is to find ways to provide workplace learning that incorporates student education and high quality patient care. Inland areas of Australia, similar to other rural locations globally, experience additional challenges including a relatively high incidence of ill health, increasing demand for health services, chronic workforce shortages and ageing of the existing rural health workforce. In this paper, we conceptualise and describe the research findings related to context from a consultative enquiry into university clinics conducted in 2008. Interview participants were drawn from twenty university clinics in Australia and New Zealand. A consistent theme throughout the interviews was tensions that arose between the role of education and healthcare provision within university clinics. Many interview participants described ways they managed these tensions to meet the expectations of students, educators and the community. The patient supply is the most critical factor in the context of university clinic operations. It is vital to both the educator and the healthcare provider roles. In inland areas with sparse populations a number of strategies, such as outreach clinics, hospital or health centre- based clinics and multi-disciplinary sites, will have to be developed if university clinics are to operate effectively for students and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have identified the importance of uncœrstandirg language teacher dentity in order to understard more about language teacher education (Johnson, Pawar, & Mahan-Taylor, 2005; Varghese, Morgan, Johnston, & Johnson, 2005). This paper reports on themes from semistructured interviews conducted individually with six nservice teachers of additional languages (Years 7 and 8) in a New Zealand upper primary setting. The focus of these interviews was to explore these teachers' understaning of what it means to be anguage teacher in New Zealand primary settings, a relatively new context for addional language teaching whith has recently been enhanced by the addition of a Learning Languages learning area in the New Zealand curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007). Themes from these nterviews are discussed in terms of three areas: creating a context for student language learning, the content of language teaching, and language teacher education. Findings are discussed in light of existing literature from Ausralian, American, and European contexts, arid novel findings are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in the idea of elected members on health service governing boards as a means to induce public participation in planning and decision making, yet studies of elected boards are limited. Whether elected boards are an effective mechanism for public participation remains unclear. This article discusses the experiences of New Zealand where, since 2001, there have been three sets of elections for District Health Boards. Information on candidates and election results is presented along with data gathered via post-election voter surveys. The article also considers the broader regulatory context within which the elected boards must operate. The New Zealand experience illustrates that elected health boards may not be an effective mechanism for public participation. Voter turnout has declined since the inaugural elections of 2001, and non-voters form the majority. Reasons for not voting include failure to receive voting papers, a lack of interest, or no knowledge of elections. The elections have also failed to produce minority representation, while the capacity for elected members to represent their communities is subject to constraints. On the upside, elections have enabled public involvement in various dimensions of participation, including oversight and processes of governance. New Zealand's mixed performance suggests that elected boards may need to be complemented with other participatory channels, if increased public participation is the goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study which explored language at work in the sensemaking of educational professionals. We investigated the way education professionals from four schools in one geographic area in New Zealand made sense of newspaper articles that addressed responsibility and accountability in education. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to gather data on how teachers made sense of these articles and how this sense affected their professional practice. The analysis revealed that four interpretative repertoires were used when making sense of the print media examples. These repertoires were labelled defensive, empathetic, cynical and collaborative. We discuss what these repertoires reveal about the way print media impacts on the education professionals' thinking and subsequent behaviour and the implications of the study for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintenance of the ethnic mother tongue represents one of the major challenges faced by immigrant minority groups in their host country. This paper reports on a study which investigated patterns of language maintenance and shift among Arabic-speaking immigrants living in Auckland, New Zealand. The focus is on the participants' reported levels of language proficiency, patterns of language use in a range of contexts, and attitudes towards Arabic (L1) and English (L2). Data were collected from the participants (N = 63) by means of a self-report questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The findings show that although the participants rated their proficiency in Arabic and English highly, younger respondents (under 35) were less confident in their Arabic skills, particularly in the areas of reading and writing. Arabic is reported to enjoy a high frequency use in such private domains as the home and religion whereas English is more widely used in the public domain. With respect to language attitudes, the respondents reported high positive attitudes towards both Arabic and English. Based on the findings, a number of factors influencing Arabic maintenance in the context of Auckland are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common aim of health and human service programmes is to improve the health status of marginalized groups. One such group is new migrants. This paper summarizes the results of a three-year study of a health and empowerment initiative undertaken with a low-income migrant community in Aotearoa/New Zealand (A/NZ), with subsequent interviews with community workers engaged with such communities in A/NZ and Canada, a country known for its open migration policies and programmes aimed at assisting new migrant communities. Subtle dynamics of identity, culture and power are demonstrated to play key roles in shaping new women migrant's empowerment experiences. The paradoxical nature of these dynamics has implications for those workers and agencies engaged in programs seeking to improve the capacities of such groups to act in empowered ways on conditions that influence their health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth participation in local government has been a hot topic at both central and local government levels in New Zealand. This paper reports on the findings from interviews undertaken with planners and local government officers working in 11 local authorities where youth participation initiatives have been developed. In particular the research explored what motivated planners to become involved with children and young people, the structures and processes they used to develop more participatory approaches and the types of projects that the authorities developed. The findings indicate that while there is indeed tremendous enthusiasm among those we interviewed and a commitment to enhanced participation for young people, levels of participation were low and understandings of the broader context of participation limited. The initiatives were prompted by a desire on the part of local government to ‘do something’ and to respond to identifiable problems and needs, rather than any deeper desire to confront the marginalised position of young people in society and local government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For older people gardens may be paradoxical sites. Whilst gardening is associated in multiple ways with wellbeing and health, gardens may also become a source of frustration and worry as ageing bodies limit gardening activities. Yet determination remains. However, little of the well-established body of work on gardens and old age includes people in advanced age. In this paper, we draw on interviews with Māori and non-Māori 85-90-year olds in Aotearoa, New Zealand, focusing on how they talk about their wellbeing in relation to past, present, and future experiences of home gardening. Our research shows home gardens and gardening figure prominently and positively in the narratives of people in advanced age. Most of our participants described themselves as active gardeners; most also lived with multimorbidity, sometimes severe and complex. Applying positioning theory, we examine how our participants connect gardens and gardening to identity; connectedness; and adaptation and renegotiation of health and wellbeing in ageing bodies. Home gardens are 'more than therapeutic'; while they are protective of health and wellbeing, they are also enabling places for the expression and performance of agency in advanced age. These understandings have practical implications for supporting wellbeing amongst those in advanced age. • Gardening links to health & well-being, but may also cause frustration & worry. • We explore home gardening of people in advanced age including older indigenous people. • Most participants identified as active gardeners; most lived with multimorbidities. • They related gardening to identity, connectedness, & expressing agency in very old age. • Home gardens protect health & are enabling places; they are therapeutic and more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disabled young people have lower levels of participation in community life than nondisabled peers across a number of domains, including sporting activities, with profound implications for health, wellbeing and life course opportunities. Playing sport is a defining feature of identity for many young people in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Participation in sporting activities provides opportunities to develop competencies, to have fun and to compete, while also providing a sense of inclusion and peer group belonging. However, despite policies promoting inclusion of disabled young people in school and club sport, ableist attitudes and practices still function to exclude individuals who do not fit able-bodied norms. Drawing on recent 'assemblage thinking' in health and cultural geography, this paper explores the material, social and affective dimensions of 'enabling' and 'disabling' sporting assemblages, drawing on interviews with 35 disabled young people (12–25 years), parents and key informants. Many reported instances of demoralising exclusion in mainstream sporting activities. Some turned to adaptive sporting codes, designed for inclusion. In our exploration of participants' embodied experiences of enabling and disabling assemblages we employ assemblage theory to examine how social, affective and material forces and processes converge to either enable or constrain participation in local sporting activities. We close with a brief assessment of the implications of our analysis for ongoing efforts to promote inclusion for disabled youth in physical activity. • Disabled young people have lower sports participation levels than non-disabled peers. • Ableist attitudes and practices frequently exclude those who do not fit able-bodied norms. • Ableist attitudes produce social, cultural and physical barriers to participation. • Disability-specific sports can enable experiences of pleasure, freedom and inclusion. • Assemblage thinking has helped identify forces that enable/constrain participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To ensure New Zealand's health workforce was fit for purpose, Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ) funded Workforce Service Reviews (WSRs) to develop visions for service reconfiguration and workforce for 2020. This paper describes what makes the WSR processes work, for whom, and in what circumstances. Method. Semi-structured interviews informed by a realist evaluation approach were conducted to obtain perceptions and experiences of WSR participants from four WSRs: eye health, palliative care, anaesthesia and aged care. Results. The WSR process was a successful means of bringing together professionals from across the health disciplines and building sector capacity to develop new ways of thinking about service and workforce planning. WSRs were constrained by: mixed signals about process and outcomes; being challenged not milestone focussed; lacking clarity about ownership of visions; and variable clarity about next steps. WSRs were optimised by having: a lead clinician with policy know-how, ability to inspire, bring people together, distil ideas into coherent frameworks; and a project manager with project enablement skill sets and expertise in complex systems, implementation, change management. Conclusions. Evidence now exists at a point in time about what makes the WSR processes work. Implications for HWNZ are presented using a capacity-building framework to inform future decision making regarding WSRs. What is known about the topic? More appropriate workforce planning is required to meet the challenges facing the health workforce, from both the demand and the workforce side. To ensure New Zealand's healthcare workforce was fit for purpose, HWNZ initiated an iterative WSR process in topic specific areas. The WSRs process was designed to develop a vision of the relevant health service and workforce for 2020, and models of care that were patient-centred and team-based. What does this paper add? The paper provides evidence that the WSR process was a successful means for bringing together professionals from across the health disciplines and building sector capacity to develop new ways of thinking about service and workforce planning. The paper presents key enablers of, and barriers to, the WSR iterative process. What are the implications for practitioners? The evaluation revealed that a multitude of factors can influence the capacity of the WSR process at the individual (workforce skills and abilities), organisational (leadership and interactions) and systems (infrastructure) levels. Implications for HWNZ on ways to build the capacity of the WSRs according to three capacity-building dimensions are presented to inform future decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the adoption and impact of quality improvement measures in New Zealand hospitals. Method. Structured interviews with quality and safety managers of District Health Boards (DHBs). Correlation of use of measures with adjusted 30-day mortality data. Results. Eighteen of New Zealand's 21 DHBs participated in the survey. Structural or policy measures to improve patient safety, such as credentialing and event reporting procedures, had been introduced into all DHBs, whereas changes to general clinical processes such as medicine reconciliation, falls prevention interventions and disease-specific management guidelines were less consistently used. There was no meaningful correlation between risk-adjusted mortality rates for three common medical conditions and related quality measures. Conclusion. Widespread variation exists among New Zealand DHBs in their adoption of quality and safety practices, especially in relation to clinical processes of care. What is known about the topic? There are a significant number of adverse events which may affect hospital inpatients. Many of these are preventable. In response, quality and safety processes and measures are being adopted across the sector. What does this paper add? The paper provides a description of the frequency with which a range of processes and measures have been adopted and demonstrates that adoption of these by New Zealand hospitals is patchy and monitoring is uneven. It suggests that the measures implemented do not appear to have impacted common mortality outcomes, though the findings may reflect the limits of feasible measurement of a probabilistic system. What are the implications for practitioners? Managers should monitor the implementation of quality and safety measures and evaluate them in terms of their direct effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]