Labour Force Participation of Women Over 45

This Productivity Commission staff working paper (by Geoff Gilfillan and Les Andrews) was released in January 2011. The contribution of mature aged women (aged 45 to 64 years) to total hours worked in the economy by people of working age has increased from 6 to 15 per cent over the past three decades. Over 40 per cent of this growth has resulted from an increase in the share of mature aged women in the working age population; the rest is due mainly to a steady increase in the labour force participation rate. Work intensity has hardly changed. The share in employment accounted for by mature aged women has increased across nearly all industries, including those where they have traditionally not been employed in large numbers. Younger women today have both higher levels of education and labour force participation than mature aged women had when they were younger. It is likely, therefore, that participation rates for mature aged women will continue to rise as these younger women enter older age groups. A woman's health status and caring responsibilities also influence her likelihood of participating in the labour force in later life. A mature aged woman is more likely to be in the labour force the longer her previous period of labour force engagement. Currently, proportionately fewer mature aged women participate in the labour force than either mature aged men in Australia or mature aged women in similar OECD countries. However, the gaps in participation have narrowed considerably over the past three decades. Over the next couple of decades, the contribution of mature aged women to total hours worked will continue to rise steadily. However, the potential for additional growth in participation and average hours worked for the current cohort of mature aged women appears limited. The views expressed in this paper are those of the staff involved and do not necessarily reflect those of the Productivity Commission.matured aged women; labour force; labour force participation; employment

Hospital staff experiences of their relationships with adults who self-harm: a meta-synthesis

Purpose This review aimed to synthesize qualitative literature exploring inpatient hospital staff experiences of their relationships with people who self-harm. Methods Nine studies were identified from a systematic search of five research databases. Papers included the experiences of physical health and mental health staff working in inpatient settings. The studies employed various qualitative research methods and were appraised using an adapted quality assessment tool (Tong, Sainsbury, & Craig, 2007). A meta-synthesis was conducted using traditional qualitative analysis methods including coding and categorizing data into themes. Results Three main themes derived from the data. ‘The impact of the system’ influenced the extent to which staff were ‘Fearing the harm from self-harm’, or were ‘Working alongside the whole person’. A fear-based relationship occurred across mental health and physical health settings despite differences in training; however, ‘Working alongside the whole person’ primarily emerged from mental health staff experiences. Systemic factors provided either an inhibitory or facilitative influence on the relational process. Conclusions Staff experiences of their relationship with people who self-harm were highlighted to have an important impact on the delivery and outcome of care. Increasing support for staff with a focus on distress tolerance, managing relational issues, and developing self-awareness within the relationship may lead to a more mutually beneficial experience of care. Equally, structure, clarity, and support within inpatient systems may empower staff to feel more confident in utilizing their existing skills. Practitioner points •Working with people who self-harm can be emotionally challenging and how staff cope with this can significantly impact on the engagement of staff and patients. •Increasing the skills of staff in managing relational issues and tolerating distress, as well as providing support and reflective practice groups may be useful in managing emotional responses to working with people who self-harm. •Refining the supportive, procedural, and environmental structures surrounding the caregiving relationship may help enable better integration of physical and mental health care

Final report of work-with-IT: the JISC study into evolution of working practices

Technology is increasingly being used to underpin business processes across teaching and learning, research, knowledge exchange and business support activities in both HE and FE. The introduction of technology has a significant impact on the working practices of staff, often requiring them to work in a radically different way. Change in any situation can be unsettling and problematic and, where not effectively managed, can lead to poor service or functionality and disenfranchised staff. These issues can have a direct impact on institutional effectiveness, reputation and the resulting student experience. The Work-with-IT project, based at the University of Strathclyde, sought to examine changes to working practices across HE and FE, the impact on staff roles and relationships and the new skills sets that are required to meet these changes

Positive practice positive outcomes: a handbook for professionals in the criminal justice system working with offenders with learning disabilities (2011 ed.)

Updated version of the handbook by the same name published by CSIP in 2007. "This handbook is intended as an introduction to working with offenders with learning disabilities. This group includes police suspects and defendants in court. It covers the essential information to help staff identify and understand this group of people. It also covers relevant legislation that outlines the duties and obligations of criminal justice staff, and also health and social care staff, with regards to offenders with learning disabilities." - page 4

The Impact of Training and Staff Attributions on Staff Practice in Learning Disability Services: A Pilot Study

The present study examines the impact of a training course which has previously been found to significantly increase the knowledge of staff working in learning disability services on staff attributions and practice. No significant changes were found in staff (n = 39) attributional dimensions following training. However, a decrease in the use of the attributional category ‘communication deficit’ was found 8 weeks after training. Staff rated their knowledge levels as higher both immediately following training and 8 weeks later. The subgroup (n = 14) of staff who were examined in relation to staff practice were found to change their practice significantly from baseline to follow-ups 4 and 5 months later. Methodological limitations and implications of the study are discussed

Enablingstaff@OU – Supporting Integration In The Workplace

EnablingStaff@OU is a new staff network at the Open University (OU) which was launched in July 2014. The remit of the new network is to improve integration of disabled staff within the institution. This will be achieved by working with all staff to improve knowledge and understanding of disability and reasonable adjustment, alongside promoting recognition of the value of every individual within the workplace. This article aims to guide you through why and how we set up the network, and to help you consider if it is something you might do within your own institution or organisation

Diffusion theory and multi-disciplinary working in children’s services

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how innovation in children’s services is adopted and developed by staff within new multi-disciplinary children’s safeguarding teams. It draws on diffusion of innovations (DOI) theory to help us better understand the mechanisms by which the successful implementation of multi-disciplinary working can be best achieved. Design/methodology/approach It is based on interviews with 61 frontline safeguarding staff, including social workers, substance misuse workers, mental health workers and domestic abuse workers. Thematic analysis identified the enablers and barriers to implementation. Findings DOI defines five innovation attributes as essential for rapid diffusion: relative advantage over current practice; compatibility with existing values and practices; complexity or simplicity of implementation; trialability or piloting of new ideas; and observability or seeing results swiftly. Staff identified multi-disciplinary team working and group supervision as advantageous, in line with social work values and improved their service to children and families. Motivational interviewing and new ways of case recordings were less readily accepted because of the complexity of practicing confidently and concerns about the risks of moving away from exhaustive case recording which workers felt provided professional accountability. Practical implications DOI is a useful reflective tool for senior managers to plan and review change programmes, and to identify any emerging barriers to successful implementation. Originality/value The paper provides insights into what children’s services staff value about multi-disciplinary working and why some aspects of innovation are adopted more readily than others, depending on the perception of diffusion attributes.

How can we develop an increased awareness of equality & diversity issues amongst our staff

This paper charts a service development initiative, which consisted of a valuing diversity pathway including awareness training days for NHS staff in one Mental Health and Learning Disability Trust. The purpose of the training days was to give staff and service users the opportunity to explore each other’s perspectives, beliefs, values, knowledge and behaviours to better prepare them to tackle inequalities and improve access to services. The main aim of a valuing diversity awareness pathway as stated in this paper is to give staff and service users the opportunity to ensure that staff working in all care services are better prepared to tackle inequalities and to improve access to services for vulnerable groups of people such as those with a learning disability and others with mental health issues requiring treatment. It is recognised that to meet diverse needs both staff and service users need to recognise the value of their differences. The South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SWYPFT) and the University of Huddersfield worked together to produce the pathway. Both of these organisations are committed to valuing diversity and they have a strong history of partnership working. The following paper provides background information, an overview of the innovative approach taken to develop the pathway and a more detailed account of the design, delivery and evaluation of the training days

Guidance on minimising the use of physical restraint in Scotland’s residential child care establishments

This guidance has been developed by a working group drawn from a comprehensive group of stakeholders representing all sectors, including the regulatory and inspection agencies and advocacy services. The main task of the group was to, building on the guidance in Holding Safely, clarify procedures for staff, service users and regulators, and help staff to understand when it is safe and appropriate to restrain a child