Adult-perpetrated Animal Abuse: Development of a Proclivity Scale

There is a clear discrepancy in the reporting of animal cruelty complaints, prosecutions and convictions suggesting that any prevalence figures of abuse are significant under-representations. Therefore, it can be inferred that there is a large number of animal abusers who are unapprehended. Currently there is no validated tool that assesses the proclivity or propensity to engage in animal abuse amongst members of the general public. Such a tool would enable researchers to study individuals who may think like animal abusers or may be unapprehended offenders themselves. This paper presents the newly developed Animal Abuse Proclivity Scale (AAPS) and some preliminary findings. The results from our two studies show that: (1) the psychometric properties of the AAPS indicate that the scale is a highly reliable measure; (2) the AAPS relates to measures assessing offence-supportive attitudes and reflects the gender differences seen in the literature; and (3) the AAPS demonstrates cross-national validity. These findings support that the AAPS, similar to other offending proclivity measures, is a tool that can be used to examine the factors most related to animal abuse propensity. We discuss how the AAPS can contribute to future developments in theory and practice in the field

What are the experiences of adults returning to work following recovery from Guillain-Barré syndrome? An interpretative phenomenological analysis

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2009 Informa UK Ltd.Purpose. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a transient inflammatory disorder affecting peripheral nerves, characterised by weakness and numbness in limbs, upper body and face. Residual problems affect a large minority, and complicate return to work. This qualitative study explored the experiences of people who returned to work following their diagnosis of GBS and recovery, to gain insight into factors that facilitated or inhibited this process. Method. Five people participated in in-depth interviews. Individual and common experiences were explored through interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings. Three recurring themes are presented: the perceived value of work; losing and recovering a familiar identity at work; and dilemmas around using support and adaptations at work. Certain individual issues also emerged but are beyond the scope of this article. Participants tended to measure their recovery in terms of returning to work yet continued to experience certain physical and psychosocial difficulties at work related to GBS, which required active coping strategies. Limited public awareness of GBS was perceived as a hindrance when returning to work. Conclusion. This study provides a rich account of the experiences that people encounter returning to work following GBS. Rehabilitation specialists may offer more effective preparation for this process, drawing upon the issues identified

Action research projects 2015-2016: Teachers’ reports - Royal Greenwich Teaching School Alliance

This year, with my colleague, Dr Ana Cabral from the University of Greenwich I have had the privilege of working with a group of talented teachers and a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) from schools within the Alliance who were all interested to study their own practice in order to enrich the learning of the children they teach. Ana and I wanted to introduce the group to action research. The classic work by Carr and Kemmis (1986) describe action research as being about: • the improvement of practice; • the improvement of the understanding of practice; • the improvement of the situation in which the practice takes place. It was important to us that the teachers and LSAs were as systematic as possible about the way they undertook their investigations. Teachers and LSAs are busy people and the degree to which they applied the methodology varied. The group consisted of those from a range of academic backgrounds and experiences. We discussed their aims – constructing research questions or identifying the problem they wished to solve. We introduced literature that was relevant to the focus of their study. We worked on the best ways of collecting data to inform their actions and we talked about the ethical issues of being an ‘insider-researcher’ and how to address them. We met with the group at least three times during a term and on a number of occasions we went to schools or had telephones conversations when teachers were too busy to attend. The meetings with the teachers and LSAs were fascinating. The combination of staff from secondary and primary led to exciting and fruitful professional conversations. Everyone recognised how pedagogy associated with each phase challenged and enriched the other. In some cases, the teachers invited each other into their classes and team teaching took place as a result, bringing forth further rich professional discussions. Research has informed us that the most effective forms of continuing professional development (CPD) (BERA/RSA 2014) involve: • the use of specialist advisors and external experts • collaborative enquiry and structured peer support • the opportunity to explore why things do and don’t ‘work’ • the exploration and challenging of teachers own beliefs and assumptions (p.25 – 27). ‘All the research indicates that enquiry-orientated learning is not a quick-fix, but needs to be a sustained over time to ensure that learning (for both teachers and pupils) actually takes place’. (BERA/RCA 2014: 26) The RGTSA wants to make this form of teacher-led inquiry part of the practice in their schools. We hope to continue with these powerful projects in the coming years. In this document we provide the reports from the group that describe their work. They document the processes with which they were engaged. In most cases they collected information from their own surveys or interviews and/or from reading literature in the area. They then describe the action they felt to be appropriate and conclude with a brief evaluation of the success of their projects. They all demonstrate their hard work and determination. We would like to extend our thanks to all the teachers and LSAs and the children involved and especially to Jon Curtis-Brignell who helped facilitate the projects. (Andrew Lambirth

The Primary PE and School Sport Premium

Central to London’s successful bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, was the Government’s commitment to improve competitive sport and the sporting habits of young people (Ofsted, 2014). On the 12th March 2013, the then Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced that Primary Schools in England would receive funding worth £150 million per year to create a sustainable infrastructure for long-lasting change and improve the provision of physical education (PE) and sport across all state maintained primary schools. Speaking at the time, he said: ‘We can create a culture in our schools that encourages all children to be active and enjoy sport.’ He added: ‘The Olympic and Paralympic Games marked an incredible year for this country and I will always be proud that we showed the world what Britain can do. I want to ensure the Games count for the future too and that means capitalising on the inspiration young people took from what they saw during those summer months.’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/21808982 Six years on, and with a total investment now of over £1.2 billion, the Primary PE and Sport Premium (here onwards referred to as the PESS Premium) has been a defining feature of the London 2012 legacy. Invariably funding streams at this level do not last forever or in the same format, which raises significant questions about what impact the funding has had on young people since 2013. We believe that a significant investment from Government merits debate and accountability at the highest possible level and that it should acknowledge where the opportunities and shortcomings of such a policy have left us. During the years of austerity, mounting concerns have arisen over the present and long term state of children’s health and the need for the debate to be heard is now imperative. To date there has been little critical appraisal of the PESS Premium funding. This report aims to begin a necessary process and in doing so, brings together evidence from across the sector to consider the future of the PESS Premium post 2018. During the course of the report, we outline and underpin the holistic value and importance of PE for every child. We examine the historic status and funding of PE and Sport and the nature and increasing diversity of the workforce. How has the PESS Premium funding impacted the way in which the subject is regarded and the ability of those tasked with delivering it to discharge their responsibilities? We have uncovered an abiding uncertainty about the nature of the PESS Premium itself; the ways in which it may be spent and its effect on an increasing divide between PE specialists, generalists and externally contracted coaches. Will its legacy be to have established a secure foundation for lifelong physical activity, sport and education – or is it, in effect, another temporarily seductive mirage, leaving PE precisely where it has become accustomed to be; regularly sidelined, delivered largely by those who are not qualified teachers and perpetuating the status quo for the children who already belong to groups that are perceived to be at a disadvantage? The PESS Premium funding is a significant sum and these questions deserve answers. This report is therefore our contribution to an essential debate, containing practical suggestions that we hope will be of use to policy makers. We invite all who care about the physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing of children to join the discussion

The Relationship Between Ward Social Climate, Ward Sense of Community, and Incidents of Disruptive Behavior: A Study of a High Secure Psychiatric Sample

Assaults and seclusions within the UK impede patient recovery, and carry a combined UK cost of £126 million a year. Research has identified low ward social climate as a factor that contributes to such institutionalised disruptive behaviour. A related concept, sense of community, has been associated with disruptive behaviour in non-clinical communities, but has not been studied in forensic or psychiatric settings – and thus its contribution to disruptive behaviour in secure psychiatric care is unknown. The current study investigates the relationship between self-reported sense of community and social climate scores with incidents of disruptive behaviour (i.e. assaults and seclusions) within a UK high secure psychiatric hospital. Findings reveal that both social climate and sense of community predict incidents of disruptive behaviour, with hierarchical modelling suggesting that sense of community is the better predictor of disruptive behaviour. This study argues that sense of community should be monitored in high secure hospitals

Understanding barriers for research involvement among paediatric trainees: a mixed methods study

Background: Child Health research is reported to be at worryingly low level by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Recent survey showed that 54.5% of paediatric consultants in the United Kingdom do not do any research at all. We conducted a mixed methods study to understand barriers and facilitators for research involvement among paediatric trainees who are going to fill these consultant posts in the future. Methods: A questionnaire based on a validated index for research and development was completed by 136 paediatric trainees within a region in the North of England (Yorkshire and Humber). Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with stratified purposive sampling. Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square test for independence were used for quantitative analysis. Thematic content analysis was done for interviews based on analysis method framework. Results: 136 out of 396 trainees responded to the survey. There was a significant relationship between confidence in using research in practice and ability to understand research terminology. This was not related to research experience or training. Males were significantly more likely to have presented a research paper, know how research influences practice and have more confidence in using research in practice than females. There was no significant relationship between gender and research training or highest qualification. Time constraints and lack of academic culture were the most frequently mentioned barriers in the survey. Over-arching themes identified from the interviews were related to lack of academic culture, opportunities provided in current training scheme and constraints related to time availability along with workforce management. Conclusion: Paediatric research requires a supportive academic culture with more flexibility in training scheme and immediate attention to a pressing staffing crisis

Wellbeing and Nurture: Physical and Emotional Security in Childhood

While there is increasing concern about developing and reinforcing children’s physical and emotional security, researchers have been busy working out the actual mechanics, even at the cellular level, of how this can be achieved. This report will provide a concise update on what is known about optimising children’s wellbeing and security in childhood and far beyond. In examining the ways in which children grow and develop, we can learn from that because their physical and emotional wellbeing and therefore that of our future society will depend on it. This report represents what we have learned and we hope that it will contribute in a small way to the making of the brave new ‘post-Covid’ world

Folate Augmentation of Treatment – Evaluation for Depression (FolATED): protocol of a randomised controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Clinical depression is common, debilitating and treatable; one in four people experience it during their lives. The majority of sufferers are treated in primary care and only half respond well to active treatment. Evidence suggests that folate may be a useful adjunct to antidepressant treatment: 1) patients with depression often have a functional folate deficiency; 2) the severity of such deficiency, indicated by elevated homocysteine, correlates with depression severity, 3) low folate is associated with poor antidepressant response, and 4) folate is required for the synthesis of neurotransmitters implicated in the pathogenesis and treatment of depression.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The primary objective of this trial is to estimate the effect of folate augmentation in new or continuing treatment of depressive disorder in primary and secondary care. Secondary objectives are to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of folate augmentation of antidepressant treatment, investigate how the response to antidepressant treatment depends on genetic polymorphisms relevant to folate metabolism and antidepressant response, and explore whether baseline folate status can predict response to antidepressant treatment.</p> <p>Seven hundred and thirty patients will be recruited from North East Wales, North West Wales and Swansea. Patients with moderate to severe depression will be referred to the trial by their GP or Psychiatrist. If patients consent they will be assessed for eligibility and baseline measures will be undertaken.</p> <p>Blood samples will be taken to exclude patients with folate and B12 deficiency. Some of the blood taken will be used to measure homocysteine levels and for genetic analysis (with additional consent). Eligible participants will be randomised to receive 5 mg of folic acid or placebo. Patients with B12 deficiency or folate deficiency will be given appropriate treatment and will be monitored in the 'comprehensive cohort study'. Assessments will be at screening, randomisation and 3 subsequent follow-ups.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>If folic acid is shown to improve the efficacy of antidepressants, then it will provide a safe, simple and cheap way of improving the treatment of depression in primary and secondary care.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current controlled trials ISRCTN37558856</p

Fair Play For Girls

This report highlights the urgent need for equitable opportunities for girls in football. The report endorsed by leading figures in the football community and backed by the UK Government, underscores the importance of addressing gender disparities in sports provision and support