A randomized controlled trial of training in Motivational Interviewing for child protection.

There has been interest in developing more evidence-based approaches to child and family social work in the UK in recent years. This study examines the impact of a skills development package of training and supervision in Motivational Interviewing (MI) on the skills of social workers and the engagement of parents through a randomized controlled trial. All workers in one local authority were randomly assigned to receive the package (n = 28) or control (n = 33). Families were then randomized to trained (n = 67) or untrained (n = 98) workers. Family meetings with the worker shortly after allocation were evaluated for MI skill. Research interviews gathered data including the WAI. Follow-up interviews 20 weeks later repeated the WAI, and other outcome measures including Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) and rating of family life. Between group analysis found statistically significant difference in MI skills, though these were not substantial (2.49 in control, 2.91 MI trained, p = .049). There was no statistically significant difference between groups in any other outcome measures. The package of training and supervision did not create sufficient increase in MI skills to influence engagement or outcomes. Implications for understanding the relationship between skills, engagement and organizational change are discussed

Final report. Together a chance: Evaluation of the social workers for Mother in Prison pilot project, 2021-2023

This study evaluates a three year pilot project of placing Social Worker in two women's prisons in England. The Social Workers work with mothers where they are in contact with children's services and their rights as mothers may not have been recognised

What is the relationship between worker skills and outcomes for families in child and family social work?

Communication skills are fundamental to social work, yet few studies have directly evaluated their impact. In this study, we explore the relationship between skills and outcomes in 127 families. An observation of practice was undertaken on the second or third meeting with a family. Practice quality was evaluated in relation to seven skills, which were grouped into three dimensions: relationship building, good authority and evocation of intrinsic motivation. Outcomes at approximately six months were parent-reported engagement (Working Alliance Inventory), Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), an eleven-point family life satisfaction rating, the Family Environment Scale and General Health Questionnaire and service outcomes from agency records including children entering care. Relationship-building skills predicted parent-reported engagement, although good authority and evocation had stronger relationships with outcome measures. Where workers visited families more often, relationships between skills and outcomes were stronger, in part because workers had more involvement and in part because these families were more likely to have significant problems. The relationship between skills and outcomes was complicated, although the findings provide encouraging evidence that key social work skills have an influence on outcomes for families

Children's social services and care rates in Wales: A survey of the sector

Wales has seen a rise in both the number and rate of children looked after. The rate is now higher than any time since the 1980s. In addition, Wales has consistently had more children looked after per 10,000 of the population than the rest of the UK. This trend is a cause for concern; particularly the impact on the outcomes of children who are taken into care in terms of educational attainment, health, unemployment, homelessness, and criminal justice. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to have worsened the situation. To understand better the factors influencing care rates, the Welsh Government commissioned the Wales Centre for Public Policy and the Centre for Children’s Social Care Research and Development (CASCADE) at Cardiff University to undertake a survey with the children’s social care (CSC) workforce.</jats:p

A Pilot Study Assessing the Impact of rs174537 on Circulating Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Inflammatory Response in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in persons under age 45. The hallmark secondary injury profile after TBI involves dynamic interactions between inflammatory and metabolic pathways including fatty acids. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been shown to provide neuroprotective benefits by minimizing neuroinflammation in rodents. These effects have been less conclusive in humans, however. We postulate genetic variants influencing PUFA metabolism in humans could contribute to these disparate findings. Therefore, we sought to (1) characterize the circulating PUFA response and (2) evaluate the impact of rs174537 on inflammation after TBI. A prospective, single-center, observational pilot study was conducted to collect blood samples from Level-1 trauma patients (N = 130) on admission and 24 h post-admission. Plasma was used to quantify PUFA levels and inflammatory cytokines. Deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted and genotyped at rs174537. Associations between PUFAs and inflammatory cytokines were analyzed for all trauma cases and stratified by race (Caucasians only), TBI (TBI: N = 47; non-TBI = 83) and rs174537 genotype (GG: N = 33, GT/TT: N = 44). Patients with TBI had higher plasma DHA levels compared with non-TBI at 24 h post-injury (p = 0.013). The SNP rs174537 was associated with both PUFA levels and inflammatory cytokines (p < 0.05). Specifically, TBI patients with GG genotype exhibited the highest plasma levels of DHA (1.33%) and interleukin-8 (121.5 ± 43.3 pg/mL), which were in turn associated with poorer outcomes. These data illustrate the impact of rs174537 on the post-TBI response. Further work is needed to ascertain how this genetic variant directly influences inflammation after trauma.12 month embargo; published online: 7 May 2020This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Allele-specific methylation in the FADS genomic region in DNA from human saliva, CD4+ cells, and total leukocytes

Abstract Background Genetic variants within the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster (human Chr11) are important regulators of long-chain (LC) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biosynthesis in the liver and consequently have been associated with circulating LC-PUFA levels. More recently, epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation, particularly within the FADS cluster, have been shown to affect LC-PUFA levels. Our lab previously demonstrated strong associations of allele-specific methylation (ASM) between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs174537 and CpG sites across the FADS region in human liver tissues. Given that epigenetic signatures are tissue-specific, we aimed to evaluate the methylation status and ASM associations between rs174537 and DNA methylation obtained from human saliva, CD4+ cells and total leukocytes derived from whole blood. The goals were to (1) determine if DNA methylation from these peripheral samples would display similar ASM trends as previously observed in human liver tissues and (2) evaluate the associations between DNA methylation and circulating LC-PUFAs. Results DNA methylation at six CpG sites spanning FADS1 and FADS2 promoter regions and a putative FADS enhancer region were determined in two Caucasian cohorts of healthy volunteers: leukocytes in cohort 1 (n = 89, median age = 43, 35% male) and saliva and CD4+ cells in cohort 2 (n = 32, median age = 41, 41% male). Significant ASM between rs174537 and DNA methylation at three CpG sites located in the FADS2 promoter region (i.e., chr11:61594865, chr11:61594876, chr11:61594907) and one CpG site in the putative enhancer region (chr11:61587979) were observed with leukocytes. In CD4+ cells, significant ASM was observed at CpG sites chr11:61594876 and chr11:61584894. Genotype at rs174537 was significantly associated with DNA methylation from leukocytes. Similar trends were observed with CD4+ cells, but not with saliva. DNA methylation from leukocytes and CD4+ cells also significantly correlated with circulating omega-6 LC-PUFAs. Conclusions We observed significant ASM between rs174537 and DNA methylation at key regulatory regions in the FADS region from leukocyte and CD4+ cells. DNA methylation from leukocytes also correlated with circulating omega-6 LC-PUFAs. These results support the use of peripheral whole blood samples, with leukocytes showing the most promise for future nutrigenomic studies evaluating epigenetic modifications affecting LC-PUFA biosynthesis in humans

Additional file 2: of Allele-specific methylation in the FADS genomic region in DNA from human saliva, CD4+ cells, and total leukocytes

Figure S1. Genotype at SNP rs174537 is associated with circulating n-6 LC-PUFAs. Serum (cohort 1) and plasma (cohort 2) n-6 LC-PUFA levels are illustrated as mean ± SEM. (A) %DGLA, (B) %ARA, and (C) ARA/DGLA ratio. Asterisks represent statistically significant differences between genotypes (p < 0.05). (TIFF 175 kb