'Join Us On Our Journey': developing a new model of care for children and young people with type 1 diabetes Final report for NHS Diabetes

The aims of this research were to develop a model of care that will deliver the aspirations of the policy document, ‘Making Every Young Person with Diabetes Matter’ and improve the care provision for children and young people with Type 1 diabetes in England. Children and young people with Type 1 diabetes, their families and professionals, in nine acute trusts throughout the Yorkshire and the Humber region, participated in talking group discussions and individual interviews to find out about their experiences of diabetes care provision. Findings show that there are certain aspects of the care pathway that need to be addressed. In particular, diabetes care, resources, education, psychological support, school/college and transition were found to be the main areas of concern. Recommendations have been made indicating how current practice needs to change if the care of children and young people with Type 1 diabetes is to improve

Gender issues in the university research environment

Recruiting and retaining females within science, engineering and technology continues to challenge many European Higher Education Institutions. This study looks at female self-perceptions relating to effective research work and career progression. Focus groups are used to examine the attitudes and experiences of females, and a questionnaire used to explore perceptions in four main skills areas: group work; communication; personal awareness; and project planning and management. The study indicates consistent female concerns on issues pertaining to effective female role models, negative work-role stereotypes and the work-life balance of an academic career. For all four skills areas, the average confidence scores of the female participants fell below that of males, but these differences were only statistically significant for perceptions on group work and communication skills, and prior to an intense skills development course. Based on these findings, a student workshop on gender issues has been developed, an outline of which is presented