Not settled yet: questions the Home Office has yet to answer about EU citizens' status

EU citizens living in the UK will be able to apply for settled status post-Brexit. Anne-Laure Donskoy sets out some of the problems with this plan and the uncertainties that remain

“Starting From Scratch”:An Exploration of the Narratives of the Pathways Leading up to the First Episode of Self-Wounding

Self-wounding is part of the self-harm spectrum. As a practice, it is still difficult for most people, clinicians included, to understand and accept, often leading to negative attribution. While there is an abundance of studies investigating the nature and functions of self-harm, means of prevention and treatment options, links with specific diagnoses, association with suicide etc., there has been no research focusing specifically on the first episode. A first episode is by definition a unique event that cannot be reproduced, taking place in between a "before" and an "after" period; ignoring it and the pathway(s) to it, leads to crucial elements continuously being missed. Starting from Scratch, grounded in the user researcher's personal experience of self-wounding, is an attempt at addressing this issue. The study used a qualitative, mix-narrative approach, using first person accounts, with a sample of six men and five women recruited from the community and the local NHS Mental Health Trust. The research found that the first episode is indeed a unique learning event as participants were surprised by the effects of self-wounding (relief of tensions and release of emotions) to the extent that a strong memory was created and used at subsequent episodes. The research also found that narratives were important in furthering our understanding of self-wounding by producing a more accurate and experiential landscape of narrative journeys, where turning points (both positive and negative) could move the story in many directions. Implications for health practitioners include skilled training in self-wounding issues and severing the link with suicide ideation. Key words: self-wounding, first episode, unique event, learning, memory, relief, release, narratives, meaning, journeys. 1EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Practical guidance on undertaking a service evaluation

This article describes the basic principles of evaluation, focusing on the evaluation of healthcare services. It emphasises the importance of evaluation in the current healthcare environment and the requirement for nurses to understand the essential principles of evaluation. Evaluation is defined in contrast to audit and research, and the main theoretical approaches to evaluation are outlined, providing insights into the different types of evaluation that may be undertaken. The essential features of preparing for an evaluation are considered, and guidance provided on working ethically in the NHS. It is important to involve patients and the public in evaluation activity, offering essential guidance and principles of best practice. The authors discuss the main challenges of undertaking evaluations and offer recommendations to address these, drawing on their experience as evaluators

The legal, governance and ethical implications of involving service users and carers in research

PURPOSE: Service user and carer involvement in all aspects of the health and care research process, from co-applicant on funding applications to active engagement in a research study, is now a requirement for most research funders. However, as co-production increases and service users and carers take on more responsibilities, this involvement has legal, governance and ethical implications. The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the issues and consider potential solutions. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Experiences of engagement as co-applicants in research funding applications, of involvement as research study team members, and as co-researchers were gathered from a range of service user and carer experts. Consultation and a workshop gathered further evidence from a range of stakeholders across the research management community. FINDINGS: Service users and carers, who contribute to the research protocol and process, feel a strong sense of responsibility to ensure the high quality of a research study. However, they may be new to their roles, status and key responsibilities when acting as project team members, co-researchers or co-applicants engaging in funding applications. The responsibility of sponsors, grant holding organisations, funders and other members of the research community is to communicate with and support service users and carers in those roles. More needs to be done to understand the contractual, a legal and governance issues and responsibilities that are specific to service user and carer co-applicants, project team members and co-researchers, from both an organisational and individual service user and carer perspective. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The implications of the findings are to raise awareness of the practical, legal and ethical issues arising from this type of involvement and the potential risks arising from lack of cohesion or understanding. The review also highlights the concerns and barriers service users and carers may find in becoming involved. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The findings highlight a range of issues for research regulators, sponsors and investigators to consider to ensure service users and carers can fulfil their responsibilities and be supported in doing so

Developing and evaluating guidelines for patient and public involvement (PPI) in research

© Emerald Group Publishing Limited Purpose – A growing literature reports the benefits and challenges of patient and public involvement (PPI) in research; nevertheless, understanding PPI in research design remains under-developed. The purpose of this paper is to report learning experiences from involving service users as research partners in two projects that developed and evaluated guidelines for good practice in this regard. The main objective was to evaluate these guidelines. Design/methodology/approach – PPI research guidelines were developed through five workshops involving service users/patients, carers, health and social care professionals/managers and academics. Using a participatory qualitative approach, these guidelines were evaluated through mapping them against the two service user research partners’ experience within another project. Findings – The guidelines were found to be fit for purpose, as they allowed problems to be easily identified and reassurance that required standards were being met. Both academic and service user research partners learned and gained relevant skills. Two service user research partners also found their daily living skills unexpectedly enhanced by project participation. Originality/value – The PPI guidelines, the authors developed were produced by consensus involving several stakeholders. Service users involved as research partners in the project experienced unanticipated personal benefits