An evaluation of a family health programme for newly arrived asylum seekers living in an initial accommodation centre in Northern England

noAsylum seekers in the UK often have complex health needs but face barriers when accessing health services. A family health programme was established in an initial accommodation centre (IAC) in northern England, by trained volunteers who are refugees and therefore peers. The main focus of the programme is peers educating asylum seekers about health services in the United Kingdom (UK), including maternity services, and evaluation research was undertaken to explore the effectiveness of this. Two sessions were observed and participants provided a short verbal evaluation. Data were thematically analysed. Around 30 people from 17 countries attended the sessions which were evaluated positively. Three themes emerged related to asylum seekers' perceptions of their learning: access to health care, living as a family, and the UK as a caring country. The findings suggest that peers educating asylum seekers within an IAC appears helpful in overcoming barriers to accessing health care in the UK and could facilitate pregnant women to attend for maternity care

Problem-Based Learning within Health Professional Education, What is the Role of the Lecturer? A review of the literature

yesThe profile of an effective facilitator has been likened to that of a saint, unfazed by ambiguity, undaunted by student irritation or personal frustration (Katz 1995, p 52). With the increasing popularity of using problem-based learning (PBL) within health professional curricula, it could be argued that the health lecturer’s role in education is changing. As a lecturer, I have only recently become involved in using PBL. With increasing exposure to the process and through reviewing the literature, I have come to realise that the role of the lecturer is fraught with difficulty. The literature is often conflicting with PBL meaning different things to different people (Barrows 1986). It provides no consistent guidelines as to how the lecturer should adapt to undertake this new role. This article explores the issues around the role of the lecturer within PBL and through reviewing the literature, investigates the level of intervention the lecturer should provide when students are undertaking the PBL process. Suggestions will be made to ‘facilitate’ the lecturer into facilitating an effective teaching strategy

An exploration of tutors’ experiences of facilitating problem-based learning. Part 1: An educational research methodology combining innovation and philosophical tradition

yesThe use of problem-based learning (PBL) in Health Professional curricula is becoming more wide spread. Although the way in which the tutor facilitates PBL can have a major impact on students’ learning (Andrews and Jones 1996), the literature provides little consistency as to how the tutor can effectively facilitate PBL ( Haith-Cooper 2000 ). It is therefore important to examine the facilitation role to promote effective learning through the use of PBL. This article is the first of two parts exploring a study that was undertaken to investigate tutors’ experiences of facilitating PBL. This part focuses on the methodology and the combining of innovative processes with traditional philosophical traditions to develop a systematic educational research methodology. The study was undertaken respecting the philosophy of hermeneutic phenomenology but utilised alternative data collection and analysis technique. Video conferencing and e-mail were used in conjunction with more traditional processes to access a worldwide sample. This paper explores some of the issues that arose when undertaking such a study. The second article then focuses on exploring the findings of the study and their implications for the facilitation of PBL

Meeting the health and social needs of pregnant asylum seekers; midwifery students’ perspectives. Part 3; The pregnant woman within the global context; an inclusive model for midwifery education to address the needs of recently arrived migrant women in the UK

yesAim to describe the conceptualisation and development of an inclusive educational model. The model is designed to facilitate pre-registration midwifery students' learning around the health and social care needs of pregnant women seeking asylum in the United Kingdom. Background current literature has identified a concern about the standard of maternity care experienced by asylum seeking women accessing maternity services in the United Kingdom. In response to this, a doctorate study was undertaken which focused on examining the way in which a group of midwifery students approached the provision of care for asylum seekers. This study revealed difficulties that these students had both in identifying these women's needs and also in the wider care issues in practice. Consequently, one of the recommendations was to ameliorate these difficulties through midwifery education. Methods the key findings from this study were used together with relevant supporting literature to construct “the pregnant woman within the global context” model for midwifery education. Results The model is designed to facilitate a holistic assessment of need rather than focusing on the physical assessment at the expense of other aspects of care. It incorporates wider factors, on a global level, which could impact on the health and social care needs of a pregnant woman seeking asylum. It also prompts students to consider the influence of dominant discourses on perceptions of asylum seek;ing and is designed to encourage students' to question these discourses. Recommendations this model can be used in midwifery education to prepare students in caring for pregnant women seeking asylum. It may be especially helpful when students have close contact with pregnant women seeking asylum, for example through caseloading. Further research is recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of this model in enhancing the care of asylum seeking women in the United Kingdom

Meeting the health and social needs of pregnant asylum seekers; midwifery students perspectives. Part 1; Dominant discourses and midwifery students

noCurrent literature has indicated a concern about standards of maternity care experienced by pregnant women who are seeking asylum. As the next generation of midwives, it is important that students are educated in a way that prepares them to effectively care for these women. To understand how this can be achieved, it is important to explore what asylum seeking means to midwifery students. This article is the first of three parts and reports on one objective from a wider doctorate study. It identifies dominant discourses that influenced the perceptions of a group of midwifery students' about the pregnant asylum seeking woman. The study was designed from a social constructivist perspective, with contextual knowledge being constructed by groups of people, influenced by underpinning dominant discourses, depending on their social, cultural and historical positions in the world. In a United Kingdom University setting, during year two of a pre-registration midwifery programme, eleven midwifery students participated in the study. Two focus group interviews using a problem based learning scenario as a trigger for discussion were conducted. In addition, three students were individually interviewed to explore issues in more depth and two students' written reflections on practice were used to generate data. Following a critical discourse analysis, dominant discourses were identified which appeared to influence the way in which asylum seekers were perceived. The findings suggested an underpinning ideology around the asylum seeker being different and of a criminal persuasion. Although the pregnant woman seeking asylum was considered as deserving of care, the same discourses appeared to influence the way in which she was constructed. However, as the study progressed, through reading alternative sources of literature, some students appeared to question these discourses. These findings have implications for midwifery education in encouraging students to challenge negative discourses and construct positive perceptions of asylum seeking

From sanctuary in health to university of sanctuary

yesThe shocking pictures of a drowned Syrian boy in September 2015 spurred European governments and organisations into taking action to address the growing refugee crisis. The University of Bradford was no different and the senior management team began to look at ways of responding. Consultation was carried out with local organisations at a Bradford City of Sanctuary event and with other UK universities. This suggested that the university should: Recognise how the concept of sanctuary fits with its traditional values and the strategic plan (which includes inclusivity, diversity, internationalisation and sustainability); See this as a long-term issue. ‘Responses need to be long-term. The refugee crisis will be here for years to come.’; Recognise this as an issue that is wider than Syrian refugees. There are substantial numbers of asylum seekers and refugees escaping conflict in other countries such as Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iraq; Align with the civic and community response. The city of Bradford has a proud history of welcoming and including newcomers from all corners of the world and has responded positively to the current crisis. The City of Sanctuary initiative plays a major role in this response. The university response would follow three main principles: To build on and scale up the excellent work previously carried out at faculty level in being awarded Sanctuary in Health to then apply for a University of Sanctuary award; To develop a holistic response across the university, involving faculties, professional services and students. This should be inclusive to generate commitment, ownership and awareness across the whole university; To take a broad, inclusive definition of sanctuary, embracing academics at risk as well as student refugees and asylum seekers

Meeting the health and social needs of pregnant asylum seekers - midwifery students' perspectives. A critical discourse analysis of language use by midwifery students in their social constructions of the health and social needs of asylum seekers accessing maternity services.

Current literature has indicated a concern about standards of maternity care experienced by pregnant asylum seeking women. As the next generation of midwives, it would appear essential that students are educated in a way that prepares them to effectively care for pregnant asylum seekers. Consequently, this study examined the way in which midwifery students constructed a pregnant asylum seeker's health and social needs, the discourses that influenced their constructions and the implications of these findings for midwifery education. For the duration of year two of a pre-registration midwifery programme, eleven midwifery students participated in the study. Two focus group interviews using a problem based learning (PBL) scenario were conducted. In addition, three students were individually interviewed and two students' written reflections on practice were used to construct data. Following a critical discourse analysis, dominant discourses were identified which appeared to influence the way that pregnant asylum seekers were perceived. The findings suggested an underpinning discourse around the asylum seeker as different and of a criminal persuasion. In addition, managerial and medico-scientific discourses were identified, which appeared to influence how midwifery students approach their care of women in general, at the expense of a woman centred, midwifery perspective. The findings from this study were used to develop 'the pregnant woman within the global context' model for midwifery education and it is recommended that this be used in midwifery education, to facilitate the holistic assessment of pregnant asylum seekers' and other newly arrived migrants' health and social needs.Became: Haith-Cooper, Melanie. Please search under Haith-Cooper for later articles

Engaging asylum seeking and refugee (AS&R) women in midwifery education.

ye

Building excellence in maternity care; 'The Maternity Stream of the City of Sanctuary'.

ye

The co-development and feasibility-testing of an innovative digital animation intervention (DAISI) to reduce the risk of maternal sepsis in the postnatal period

YesIntroduction: Sepsis is one of the most common causes of mortality in postnatal women globally and many other women who develop sepsis are left with severe morbidity. Women’s knowledge of postnatal sepsis and how it can be prevented by simple changes to behaviour is lacking. Methods: This paper describes the co-development and feasibility testing of a digital animation intervention called DAISI (digital animation in service improvement). This DAISI is designed to enhance postnatal women’s awareness of sepsis and how to reduce their risk of developing the condition. We co-designed the digital animation over a six-month period underpinned by theory, best evidence and key stakeholders, translated it into Urdu then assessed its use, firstly in a focus group with women from different Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups and secondly with 15 clinical midwives and 15 women (including BAME women). Following exposure to the intervention, midwives completed a questionnaire developed from the COM-B behaviour change model and women participated in individual and focus group interviews using similar questions. Results: The animation was considered acceptable, culturally sensitive and simple to implement and follow. Discussion: DAISI appears to be an innovative solution for use in maternity care to address difficulties with the postnatal hospital discharge process. We could find no evidence of digital animation being used in this context and recommend a study to test it in practice prior to adopting its use more widely. If effective, the DAISI principle could be used in other maternity contexts and other areas of the NHS to communicate health promotion information.This study was funded by Translate Medtech, Leeds City Region. DAISI was developed by HMA Digital, Barnsley, UK