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Background: Self-harm is a prevalent behaviour that has a major detrimental impact on a person's life. Psychological therapies have the potential to help, but evidence of effective interventions remains limited. Access and acceptability of interventions can also be a significant challenge, with individuals either being unable to access help or having to endure long waiting lists. Cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) is a time-limited and relationally-focused psychotherapy that may provide a valuable treatment option for people who self-harm. This protocol outlines the methodology for the first feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) of CAT for adults that self-harm. The trial will aim to determine the feasibility, acceptability and safety of undertaking larger-scale evaluations of CAT for self-harm within an RCT context. Method: An RCT design with 1:1 allocation to CAT plus treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU alone. Participants will be adult outpatients with three or more instances of self-harm in the past year (target sample of n = 60). CAT will be 8 one-to-one weekly 60-min sessions plus a follow-up session up to 8 weeks after the last session. Assessments will occur at baseline, 12 weeks and 18 weeks after randomisation. Qualitative interviews with participants will gain insights into the feasibility and acceptability of CAT. Feasibility outcomes will be judged against progression criteria. Discussion: CAT may be an effective and accessible treatment option for people who self-harm, providing a more relationally orientated alternative to more behavioural therapies. The proposed feasibility RCT is an important first step in evaluating CAT as a treatment for self-harm. Trial registration: The trial was pre-registered (21/10/22) on ISR CTN (ISRCTN code: ISRCTN75661422). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social housing in Australia is an extremely scarce resource in high demand. This scarcity makes how applicants are prioritised for this resource a crucially important process with significant consequences. We examine the assessment process in three Australian states, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania. In all three, the processes in place are premised on the assumption that they allow for the fair assessment and allocation of social housing to those most in need. Drawing on interviews with 40 informants with expert knowledge of the application process, we examine the three different approaches. We use Weber's concept of ideal type bureaucracy to assist and frame the analysis. A central premise of Weber's analysis is that to avoid corruption, discretion in the making of decisions should not be a feature of a bureaucracy. We conclude that although the assessment processes in place are rule-bound, in many instances discretion is essential and beneficial for the applicant. Further, we demonstrate (in line with Weber's analysis), that the expertise of assessment workers is key. However, there is limited transparency and appealing a decision is possible but can be a challenging task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing legislative responses to the impacts of the pandemic have prompted many countries to evaluate whether their bankruptcy systems remain fit for purpose. Moreover, the current climate highlights the importance of data‐driven policy, which the literature identifies as a deficiency of bankruptcy regimes. In Australia, the 2015 reform proposals to reduce the default discharge period from 3 years to 1 year are currently being revised amidst stakeholder concern about potential abuse and repeat bankrupts. Although an extensive body of literature exists on 'repeat filers' in the USA, there has been no equivalent study in Australia. Using our data of 153,526 bankruptcies between 2007 and 2021, we conducted a novel application of survival analysis to predict the probability of a repeat bankruptcy comparing business and non‐business groups. The results show that this probability peaked in both male and females with non‐business‐related administrations irrespective of client's age, employment and relationship status. These findings are important as they identify the prospects that certain bankrupt groups have higher rates of repeat bankruptcy, which can inform strategies to improve their survival rate. A significance of our study is the development of a high‐quality longitudinal dataset that facilitates the extension of the data models and allows easy updates about targeted questions involving bankruptcy‐related policy shifts and impacts on sub‐populations. This methodological approach will enable regulators and insolvency experts to address concerns of repeat bankruptcy to guide policy, evaluate reform and extend the evidence base in other jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the lens of implementing team-based learning (TBL), this paper unpacks elements of 'excellence' and investigates the influence of individual belief systems, the learning environment and institutional context in influencing perceptions of 'excellence'. We analyse the adoption of a student-centred approach to teaching and explore the implications for innovative approaches to teaching in a TEF environment. An outline of our findings in relation to TBL is discussed, and a conceptual framework of perceptions of excellence is presented. In recognition of the dichotomy between novice and expert learners, approaches to enhancing teaching excellence are discussed. We conclude with a mechanism by which metric-driven evaluation methods are likely to hinder pedagogical innovations and moves to enhance teaching excellence.

Prior to the COVID pandemic, staffing levels, staff turnover and vacancies in adult social care and social work within the UK were a major concern, with staff experiencing high workloads, burnout, stress and poor morale. The paucity of published evidence in a rapidly evolving contemporary situation indicated the suitability of a scoping review. Systematic searching produced evidence published between 1 December 2019 and 9 May 2023. Out of ninety-seven articles retrieved, the final analysis included thirty nine articles. To report the review findings clearly and accessibly, the analysis used the Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Evidence for practice and Research recommendations framework. Abundant evidence emerged on psychological distress and the impact of COVID-19 on the working environment for social care and social workers, but a paucity of psychosocial resilience, supporting social care managers, Personal Assistants and moral injury. Social care needs and the statutory duties of social work are likely to become even more intense. The COVID pandemic magnified a chronic lack of funding, staffing, support and regard for adult social care, with no future planning compared to the NHS. This legacy and backlogs of social care assessment and service delivery are of concern despite the proposed actions of the Adult Social Care Reform Act in England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]