Gender and the labour market in South East England. Volume 2: employers’ policies and practices

This research on gender and the labour market in South East England was funded by the South East of England Development Agency/European Social Fund. In volume 1 we set out the context: theoretical explanations for gender equality, the legal framework and organisational factors. Moreover, using a range of published data, we answered the first of our research questions: how does the labour market position of women in the government region of the South East of England compare with that of both men in the South East and that of women in Great Britain/United Kingdom? In this volume we turn our attention to our other research questions: • What policies and practices do employers in South East England adopt in respect of gender equality? • What barriers do employers and women employees in South East England identify in respect of gender and employment

Interview With Englishwoman Celia Green, Author of the 1968 Classic, "Lucid Dreams"

I first became aware of lucid dreams when I was writing my Oxford post‑graduate thesis on unusual states of consciousness with Professor H.H. Price as my supervisor. I was aware of them from the start as something that was closely related to OBEs and they were just one among a very wide range of special states which I included in my thesis. I knew one or two people who had had quite a number, but they were not talked about much in those days

Policy gaps in addressing social determinants of health for Australians with a disability

Compared to non-disabled people, Australians with a disability have poorer health and experience greater levels of socio-economic disadvantage e.g. unemployment, housing insecurity, and social exclusion. Reducing these inequities could significantly improve the health of Australians with a disability. However, in Australia there is a lack of knowledge on how to target health and social policies which address the social determinants of health for people with a disability in order to reduce social and economic disadvantage

Market Stewardship in the National Disability Insurance Scheme: The role of non-government actors

As market-based responses to social care have grown in popularity across the world, the need for good market stewardship of social care quasi-markets is increasingly becoming a concern for governments. Across the world, the use of ‘quasi-markets’, where services are provided by competitive providers but purchasers of services are funded by the state, have gained in popularity as way to deliver social care. This has presented considerable challenges regarding governance of these markets, and how to ensure they meet their policy goals. In a marketised care system the market must be stewarded to meet the underlying social and health needs that it is set up to facilitate, as opposed to allowing markets to operate freely and unregulated. To date, both scholarship and practice on quasi-market stewardship has focused almost exclusively on the role of government, with a lack of attention on the stewardship role of other non-government actors in the system. This thesis helps fill this research gap by examining the market stewardship role of non-government actors in a large social care quasi-market - the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Findings show a wide range of non-government actors are conducting both direct and indirect stewardship actions that are actively shaping the NDIS market. These include activities focused on both the participant (or consumer) side of the market such as advocacy and information provision and on the provider (or supply) side such as connecting consumers with services, assisting providers with regulatory and administrative requirements and marketing for providers. This thesis argues that while there remains important stewardship roles for central government, findings suggest stewardship in the NDIS is a distributed activity across a range of both government and non-government actors. This type of ‘distributed stewardship’ is not necessarily problematic as long as it is recognised, planned for, and supported. However, distributed stewardship requires ‘joined-up’ working between government and non-government actors. Based on theories and models from the joined-up government literature this thesis proposes development of a preliminary framework or supportive architecture for distributed stewardship in the NDIS, to enable more effective market stewardship

Women’s experiences of accessing individualized disability supports: gender inequality and Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme

Background Care services in industrialized nations are increasingly moving towards individualized funding models, which aim to increase individuals’ flexibility, choice and control over their services and supports. Recent research suggests that such schemes have the potential to exacerbate inequalities, however none has explored gendered dimensions of inequality. The Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a major individualized funding reform, and has a female participation rate of only 37%, despite women and girls making up half of the disability population. Methods The objective of the study is to explore possible gendered barriers to applying for and receiving adequate support through the NDIS, and to suggest directions for future research. We report on semi-structured interviews with 30 women with disability and explore their experiences with the NDIS and their perspectives on challenges associated with being a woman seeking disability support in Australia. We analyse the results using thematic analysis. Results Most women in our sample reported differences between the experiences of men and women seeking disability support in Australia. Commonly reported gendered barriers to women being able to access the right supports for their disability involve a) confidence, negotiation and self-advocacy, b) gendered discrimination in diagnosis and the medical system, which has implications for disability support access, and c) support for and recognition of caring roles. Conclusions These results suggest that women are not receiving equitable treatment with regard to the NDIS, and that further research and policy reform are needed to ensure that women with disability are not further disadvantaged as a result of the move toward individualized funding models

Environmental exposures during windows of susceptibility for breast cancer: a framework for prevention research.

BackgroundThe long time from exposure to potentially harmful chemicals until breast cancer occurrence poses challenges for designing etiologic studies and for implementing successful prevention programs. Growing evidence from animal and human studies indicates that distinct time periods of heightened susceptibility to endocrine disruptors exist throughout the life course. The influence of environmental chemicals on breast cancer risk may be greater during several windows of susceptibility (WOS) in a woman's life, including prenatal development, puberty, pregnancy, and the menopausal transition. These time windows are considered as specific periods of susceptibility for breast cancer because significant structural and functional changes occur in the mammary gland, as well as alterations in the mammary micro-environment and hormone signaling that may influence risk. Breast cancer research focused on these breast cancer WOS will accelerate understanding of disease etiology and prevention.Main textDespite the plausible heightened mechanistic influences of environmental chemicals on breast cancer risk during time periods of change in the mammary gland's structure and function, most human studies of environmental chemicals are not focused on specific WOS. This article reviews studies conducted over the past few decades that have specifically addressed the effect of environmental chemicals and metals on breast cancer risk during at least one of these WOS. In addition to summarizing the broader evidence-base specific to WOS, we include discussion of the NIH-funded Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program (BCERP) which included population-based and basic science research focused on specific WOS to evaluate associations between breast cancer risk and particular classes of endocrine-disrupting chemicals-including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, perfluorinated compounds, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and phenols-and metals. We outline ways in which ongoing transdisciplinary BCERP projects incorporate animal research and human epidemiologic studies in close partnership with community organizations and communication scientists to identify research priorities and effectively translate evidence-based findings to the public and policy makers.ConclusionsAn integrative model of breast cancer research is needed to determine the impact and mechanisms of action of endocrine disruptors at different WOS. By focusing on environmental chemical exposure during specific WOS, scientists and their community partners may identify when prevention efforts are likely to be most effective

Beyond synthesis: Augmenting systematic review procedures with practical principles to optimise impact and uptake in educational policy and practice

Whilst systematic reviews, meta-analyses and other forms of synthesis are often constructed as sitting proudly atop the hierarchy of research evidence, their limited impact on educational policy and practice has been criticised. In this article, we analyse why systematic reviews do not benefit users of evidence more consistently and suggest how review teams can optimise the impact of their work. We introduce the Beyond Synthesis Impact Chain (BSIC), an integrated framework of practical strategies for enhancing the impact of systematic reviews. Focusing upon examples from health professions education, we propose that review teams can optimise the impact of their work by employing strategies that 1) focus on practical problems and mindful planning in collaboration with users; 2) ensure reviews are relevant and syntheses reflexively account for users’ needs; and 3) couch reports in terms that resonate with users’ needs and increase access through targeted and strategic dissemination. We argue that combining practical principles with robust and transparent procedures can purposefully account for impact, and foster the uptake of review evidence in educational policy and practice. For systematic review teams, this paper offers strategies for enhancing the practical utility and potential impact of systematic reviews and other forms of synthesis