PLUS (Platform Labour in Urban Spaces) Work Package 6 Framing Social Policies (restricted London data)

An archive of the restricted London data used for Work Package 6 (Framing Social Policies) for the Horizon 2020 PLUS (Platform Labour in Urban Spaces) projec

Fostering an environment for social entrepreneurship: a comparative analysis across economic development levels

Social entrepreneurship has been lauded for its positive contributions to global economic and social development goals. Yet, how and in what ways varying institutional environments and economic development levels have spurred social entrepreneurial ventures remains a highly debated concept. It remains unclear whether (or not) social ventures are most likely to emerge within developing nations with weak and ineffective institutional structures or from developed nations with more established and supportive institutional mechanisms. Therefore, this study responds to this debate and provides comparative evidence on how varying national economic development levels constrain or enable social entrepreneurship behavior. The study combines data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the World Development Indicators, the Index of Economic Freedom, and the World Governance Indicators to develop a multi-level mixed-effects model. It uses a sample of 124,642 individuals from 59 (9 factor-, 27 efficiency-, and 23 innovation-driven) countries. The results indicate a positive association with informal institutional mechanisms influencing global social venture formation. However, disparate observations on how some formal institutional factors influence social venture across economic development levels were observed, raising essential questions about formal institutional support mechanisms' influence

Improving Collaboration Between Primary and Secondary Mental Healthcare via Boundary Spanning: Evaluation of a New Joined‐Up Community Mental Healthcare Model in England

Objectives: Community mental healthcare requires the collaboration of multiple services to meet the needs of local populations. Accessing mental health care in England often involves the collaboration of primary and secondary healthcare services. This paper presents the findings from an evaluation of ‘boundary spanning’ processes and practitioner roles aiming to reduce service fragmentation and improve access to mental healthcare. Methods: Forty‐one qualitative interviews with professionals across local healthcare providers were conducted in Peterborough (East England) to assess the impact of boundary spanning processes and practitioner roles and were analysed thematically. Results: Structured boundary spanning processes and professional roles were found to facilitate communication and knowledge exchange between primary and secondary mental healthcare services, leading to optimisation of GPs' decisions about individuals' treatment pathways, and to improvements in service accessibility. Yet, effectiveness was reported as conditional on GPs' engagement, as well as the decentralised structure of primary care settings. Conclusion: Community mental healthcare organisations could utilise boundary spanning interventions to flex organisational barriers between primary and mental healthcare and optimise accessibility of service users to mental health services. Boundary spanning processes and professional roles can be used to inform national and local care integration strategies

From Pandemic to Policy: Leveraging COVID-19 Lessons to Strengthen Antimicrobial Stewardship

This is a great example demonstrating how research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic can inform global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) policy, support antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), and ultimately help save lives. This study assessed AMS practices before and during the pandemic using three integrated methods: a systematic review of 13 global studies, a retrospective analysis of antibiotic use in 640 NHS hospital patients, and a cross-sectional survey of 240 healthcare professionals. Despite bacterial co-infections being confirmed in less than 10% of patients, over 70% received antibiotics, highlighting urgent stewardship challenges. The research was complemented by a review of national and international policies, including guidance from WHO and the UK 5-Year AMR Action Plan. Key findings emphasised the importance of embedding AMS in emergency preparedness, improving diagnostics, and supporting interprofessional collaboration. These insights were translated into a policy brief by the South Centre, offering actionable recommendations for building resilient AMS systems and combating AMR globally

A Study of Letters Written to Glucose Monitors by Individuals Living with Type 1 Diabetes and with Experience of Disordered Eating.

In recent years, diabetes technologies have advanced significantly, as such, flash and continuous glucose monitors (FGM/CGM) are more widely accessible. To date, little research has explored the specific benefits or pitfalls that FGM/CGM use may come with for individuals with type 1 diabetes and disordered eating (T1DE). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationship that those living with type 1 diabetes and experience of disordered eating have with their FGM/CGM. This qualitative study asked participants to write letters addressed to their FGM/CGM. These letters were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) to explore individuals with T1DE relationship to the device. Four themes were constructed: ‘I Don’t Always Like or Want You...I NEED You... but I Wish I Didn't’, ‘Facing the Facts’, ‘You are Intertwined with Disordered Eating’, ‘You Communicate with Others’. Each theme comprises subthemes. The themes demonstrate how participants appeared to have a dichotomous and nuanced relationship to their FGM/CGM, identifying both positive and negative aspects of their relationship to the device. There appears to be an interplay between the FGM/CGM and disordered eating which may be specific to individuals with T1DE. Implications including recommendations for integrated diabetes and disordered eating care and development to psychological care are discussed

Deepfake detection in generative AI: A legal framework proposal to protect human rights

Deepfakes, exploited for financial fraud, political misinformation, non-consensual imagery, and targeted harassment, represent a rapidly evolving threat to global information integrity, demanding immediate and coordinated intervention. This research undertakes technical and comparative legal analyses of deepfake detection methods. It examines key mitigation strategies—including AI-powered detection, provenance tracking, and watermarking—highlighting the pivotal role of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) in establishing media authentication standards. The study investigates deepfakes’ complex intersections with the admissibility of legal evidence, non-discrimination, data protection, freedom of expression, and copyright, questioning whether existing legal frameworks adequately balance advances in detection technologies with the protection of individual rights. As national strategies become increasingly vital amid geopolitical realities and fragmented global governance, the research advocates for a unified international approach grounded in UN Resolution 78/265 on safe, secure, and trustworthy AI. It calls for a collaborative framework that prioritizes interoperable technical standards and harmonized regulations. The paper critiques legal frameworks in the EU, US, UK, and China—jurisdictions selected for their global digital influence and divergent regulatory philosophies—and recommends developing robust, accessible, adaptable, and internationally interoperable tools to address evidentiary reliability, privacy, freedom of expression, copyright, and algorithmic bias. Specifically, it proposes enhanced technical standards; regulatory frameworks that support the adoption of explainable AI (XAI) and C2PA; and strengthened cross-sector collaboration to foster a trustworthy deepfake ecosystem

Principles in practice? A policy review of the IOC’s environmental sustainability agenda.

This paper is a policy review focused on the environmental sustainability (ES) agenda of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This incorporates exploration of IOC documents such as policies, strategies, guidelines, reports, codes, and conference outputs. The IOC's ES agenda is interpreted as both strategy around ES, as a plan of action to achieve desired outcomes, and policies around ES, as matters of practice and principle to be enacted. This review encompasses each of the IOC's three spheres of activity (as an organisation, as owner of the Olympic Games, and as leader of the Olympic Movement). The documentary analysis incorporates inductive thematic analysis and Critical Policy Discourse Analysis (CPDA). This allows for consideration of the role of the IOC as a driver of ES with the power and reach to influence pro-environmental behaviours on a global scale, as well as analysis of the extent to which documentary discourse demonstrates committed leadership in this sphere. Key themes arising from the data are networks and knowledge transfer, leadership and influence, governance and accountability, and opportunities and obstacles. Power relationships between stakeholders are important in terms of facilitating or inhibiting ES, and there are missed opportunities for the IOC both to better demonstrate positive ES outcomes from existing practices and to utilise its power in leveraging ES commitments from stakeholders across the Olympic Movement (OM). The application of CPDA highlights varying levels of commitment across these themes as well as a tendency toward ambiguity and contradiction that engenders the likelihood of unintended consequences including greenwashing. The IOC ES agenda needs to encompass clear and unambiguous policy and strategy with more explicit commitment and accountability across its three spheres of activity

Enforcing data privacy in Kenya and Nigeria : Towards an African Approach to Regulatory Practice

As digital transformation accelerates across Africa, the need for effective data protection frameworks is increasingly urgent. The African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy (2020–2030) calls for harmonised legal and institutional measures to protect personal data and privacy rights. Yet, in practice, enforcement remains inconsistent, hindered by limited capacity, fragmented regulation, and low public awareness. This article presents a comparative analysis of data privacy enforcement in Kenya and Nigeria, focusing on the Data Protection Act 2019 and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, respectively. It examines the roles of the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission, particularly their institutional strengths and challenges. Using a qualitative approach, the study evaluates legislation, enforcement practices, and organisational structures, supported by case examples and regulatory outcomes. The findings indicate that Kenya has achieved measurable progress in data protection enforcement whereas Nigeria is still grappling with foundational issues. Despite these contrasts, both countries show alignment with global data protection norms such as the GDPR, offering a foundation for growth. The paper recommends targeted strategies to reinforce enforcement, including increasing institutional autonomy, expanding public education efforts, and building stronger technical capacity