Measuring the productivity of residential long-term care in England: methods for quality adjustment and regional comparison

Productivity trend information is valuable in developing policy and for understanding changes in the ‘value for money’ of the care system. In this paper, we consider approaches to measuring productivity of adult social care (ASC), and particularly care home services. Productivity growth in the public sector is traditionally measured by comparing change in total output to change in total inputs, but has not accounted for changes in service quality and need. In this study, we propose a method to estimate ‘quality adjusted’ output based on indicators of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT), using data collected in the annual adult social care survey (ASCS). When combined with expenditure and activity data for 2010 to 2012, we found that this approach was feasible to implement with current data and that it altered the productivity results compared with non-adjusted productivity metrics. Overall, quality-adjusted productivity grew in most regions between 2010 and 2011 and remained unchanged for most regions from 2011 to 2012

Further analysis of ASCS and PSS SACE data: Case studies of local authority (LA) practice

The Maximising the value of survey data in adult social care (MAX) project aims to develop toolkits, with local authority (LA) staff where possible, to encourage and support LAs to make more use of data drawn from the ASCS and PSS SACE1 to inform local policy and practice. The initial fact-finding phase (MAX Phase 1) activities aimed to:learn more about how LAs currently use ASCS and PSS SACE data, including identifying local practices and barriers; identify potential uses of the data to inform local decision-making; and inform the development of a toolkit to support LAs to make better local use of the data. Along with two analysis and interpretation consultation panel workshops conducted early in the second phase of the project, 139 staff from 95 LAs have so far taken part in MAX. In summary, the findings from these activities demonstrate that LAs generally seem to value the ASCS and PSS SACE and, to some extent, are using the views of service users and carers to inform local service planning and delivery. However, there were several challenges. One of these, identified by just over half of the LAs, concerned analysing the survey data and interpreting the findings to address local questions. A number of barriers seem to underlie this challenge, including difficulties with: identifying local information needs; managing and analysing ASCS and PSS SACE data; and being allocated sufficient time to conduct further analysis. While some LAs find analysing ASCS and PSS SACE data challenging, others are carrying out local statistical analysis, over and above those required for national (ASCOF) reporting. The case studies reported here describe how three local authorities have used and analysed the ASCS and PSS SACE data to support local decision-making. In turn, the case studies will be used to inform the development of ‘how to’ guides and tools to help LAs analyse and interpret survey data, as well as report and interpret analysis finding

Meeting local information needs with ASCS and PSS SACE data

Blog summarising the key findings from the case study of further analysis, conducted with three local authorities during the fact-finding phase of the MAX project, which identified three local practices that maximised the local relevance and value of survey data: adding questions to the surveys, conducting further analysis and drawing on supplementary sources of data

Synthesis and characterisation of Li11RE18M4O39−δ: RE = Nd or Sm; M = Al, Co or Fe

Four new phases of general formula, Li11RE18M4O39−δ: REM = NdAl, NdCo, SmCo, SmFe, have been synthesised and characterised. The NdAl phase, and probably the others, is isostructural with the NdFe analogue, but some cation disorder and partial site occupancies prevent full structural refinement of powder neutron diffraction data. The NdCo phase also forms a solid solution with variable Li content (and charge compensation by either oxygen vacancies or variable transition metal oxidation state). The NdAl phase is a modest conductor of Li+ ions whereas the other three phases are electronic conductors, attributed to mixed valence of the transition metal ions. Subsolidus phase diagrams for the systems Li2O–Nd2O3– Al2O3, ‘CoO’ have been determined and an additional new phase, LiCoNd4O8, which appears to have a K2NiF4-related superstructure, identified

But a walking shadow: designing, performing and learning on the virtual stage

Representing elements of reality within a medium, or taking aspects from one medium and placing them in another is an act of remediation. The process of this act, however, is largely taken for granted. Despite the fact that available information enables a qualitative assessment of the history of multimedia and their influences on different fields of knowledge, there are still some areas that require more focused research attention. For example, the relationship between media evolution and new developments in scenographic practice is currently under investigation. This article explores the issue of immediacy as a condition of modern theatre in the context of digital reality. It discusses the opportunities and challenges that recent technologies present to contemporary practitioners and theatre design educators, creating a lot of scope to break with conventions. Here, we present two case studies that look into technology-mediated learning about scenography through the employment of novel computer visualization techniques. The first case study is concerned with new ways of researching and learning about theatre through creative exploration of design artefacts. The second case study investigates the role of the Immersive Virtual World Second Life™ (SL) in effective teaching of scenography, and in creating and experiencing theatrical performances

How can MAX help local authorities to use social care data to inform local policy? Maximising the value of survey data in adult social care [MAX] project [Full report]

Executive summary of the MAX working paper - How can MAX help local authorities to use social care data to inform local policy? Maximising the value of survey data in adult social care [MAX] projec