Factors affecting absenteeism at Arcelormittal South Africa

Abstract : ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) is the largest steel producer on the African continent and employs more than 9000 permanent employees. The company’s head office is in Vanderbijlpark and it has operations in Vereeniging, Saldanha, Newcastle, and Pretoria. The company is experiencing high levels of absenteeism; within the range of 4% annually. This costs millions of Rands due to hiring replacement labour and existing employees having to work overtime, among other costs and interventions that management implement as they try to maintain continuous productivity and avoid service disruption. The study, therefore, examined the factors that are affecting absenteeism at AMSA. The effect of demographic factors such as age, gender, qualifications, marital status and the number of dependents, organisational tenure and current job level was also assessed. Extensive literature on the subject of absenteeism was outlined and reviewed. The study adopted a cross-sectional study and a total of 321 permanent employees completed the structured questionnaires as part of the survey. The data collected was analysed and the findings revealed that personal issues and supervision factors were the main contributors to absenteeism within the organisation. There were significant differences between variables on aspects such as number of dependents and current job level, amongst others, in relation to absenteeism. Some of the key findings were that sick leave was the most utilised leave type in 2018. In order to try to reduce absenteeism, the study assisted with identifying absenteeism interventions that can be adopted, such as creating a more positive company culture, offering attendance incentives, improving the working conditions and implementing disciplinary actions. Managerial implications for the organisation also included providing flexible working arrangements for the employees, improving remuneration of employees and maintaining discipline through disciplinary actions against to transgressors. Another lesson from the study that companies and other stakeholders can learn from is that the soft approaches to absenteeism management are more preferred than the hard approaches to maintaining absenteeism discipline within the organisation. Overall, the study revealed the causes of absenteeism and also provided a basis for actions for AMSA to adopt in order to reduce absenteeism.M.Com. (Business Management

Stop and search: the way forward - conference report

This conference and research report was produced for the Lewisham Community Police Consultative Group. On Saturday, 25th March, 2006, a conference on 'Stop and Search: The Way Forward' took place in the Civic Suite at Lewisham Town Hall in London. The conference, organised by the Lewisham Community Police Consultative Group (LCPCG), was attended by 125 delegates, of whom 48 gave overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 77% rating the conference as either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Key issues emerging from the conference were that the importance and sensitivity of stop and search to local communities was reinforced. Unfair disproportionality in stop and search practices amongst Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities continues to exist. Action must be taken by all parties to reduce this. There is a need for ‘good’ and fair policing, since it is the ‘manner’ of the stop that matters, not the stop itself. The ‘quality’ of the stop and search encounter is vital and needs to rely on respect shown by all parties. Clear accountability of the police and communities in this is essential. Positive demonstration of respect in stop and search is a key issue for people of all ages. The community should encourage this and measure the success of such efforts

The TIP Project: End of Year Report 2021-2022

After a period of development and piloting in 2020 and 2021, Power the Fight (PTF) has now delivered the TIP Project across two schools and one alternative provision in south London over a 12 month period, funded by the London’s Violence Reduction Unit. The details of its delivery, impact and evaluation are summarised in this report, leading to further recommendations

Newham Pathfinder and Power the Fight Partnership: End of Pilot Project Report (April 2022 - March 2023)

Power the Fight were commissioned by London Borough of Newham (LBN) under the Pathfinder Project to pilot the Therapeutic Intervention for Peace (TIP) approach for 12 months across the borough. The Pathfinder Project in Newham aimed to reduce the overrepresentation of Black and Asian young people in the Youth Justice System, as either victims or perpetrators. The TIP model enables culturally sensitive, trauma informed and whole systems approaches to be coproduced and adapted, to support communities and young people. This 12 month partnership project aimed to deliver on three key outcomes: I. Consultation and engagement across sectors in the borough to ‘map’ existing work and needs. II. Development and dissemination of a visual whole systems map, as a tool for identifying existing services and building connections across the borough. III.Cultural Sensitivity training for stakeholders, professionals, and practitioners across the Borough, in particular for the education and third sectors. The report below has analysed extensive qualitative data from review interviews and consultations with a variety of stakeholders in the borough, as well as quantitative data collected before and after training sessions, as well as feedback surveys

TIP Annual Impact Report (Sep 2022 - Aug 2023)

The Therapeutic Intervention for Peace (TIP) Project is a codeveloped and culturally sensitive conduit model of partnership work which aims to reduce interpersonal violence affecting young people through preventative, holistic and whole systems change. Cultural sensitivity/ humility is “a lifelong process of self-reflection, self-critique, and commitment to understand and respect different points of view, and engaging humbly, authentically, and from a place of learning”1. The model was first devised in response to the recommendations of the 2020 TIP Research Report, which documented the experiences and realities of young people, families and practitioners, impacted by interpersonal violence between young people. This evaluation report on activities delivered on the TIP programme from September 2022 to August 2023, combines quantitative and qualitative methods to review impact and present recommendations. Grounded in this evidence and learning, the report presents Power the Fight’s Theory of Change; communicating the process through which the project achieves its aims

The Therapeutic Intervention for Peace (TIP) Pilot Project: Cultural responses to trauma and serious youth violence using the TIP approach (January - March 2021)

Based on the recommendations published in the report, Power The Fight delivered a 10-week pilot project funded by the Youth Justice Board with specific reference to Recommendation 31 of the 2017 Lammy Review into the treatment of, and outcomes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals in the criminal justice system. Recommendation 31 emphasised the importance of working with voluntary and community organisations led by and for BAME communities. The project was delivered at three locations in south east London. Two were secondary schools (one in Lewisham and one in Greenwich) and one was an alternative provision centre in Lewisham. The three schools were selected on the basis of their existing working relationships with Power The Fight and potential to implement the project within a very short timeframe, especially considering the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. Through a range of digital and face-to-face activities over ten weeks, and in line with Recommendation 31 of the Lammy Review, the partnership with these three educational settings aimed to implement the TIP report’s recommendations and evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally competent, co-designed therapeutic service model in practice, with particular focus on the mental health of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic children (including working with children at increased risk of school exclusion). This was the first phase of gathering evidence and improving the TIP service model for nation-wide reform

Midwifery continuity of care versus standard maternity care for women at increased risk of preterm birth : a hybrid implementation–effectiveness, randomised controlled pilot trial in the UK

Background: Midwifery continuity of care is the only health system intervention shown to reduce preterm birth (PTB) and improve perinatal survival, but no trial evidence exists for women with identified risk factors for PTB. We aimed to assess feasibility, fidelity, and clinical outcomes of a model of midwifery continuity of care linked with a specialist obstetric clinic for women considered at increased risk for PTB. Methods and findings: We conducted a hybrid implementation–effectiveness, randomised, controlled, unblinded, parallel-group pilot trial at an inner-city maternity service in London (UK), in which pregnant women identified at increased risk of PTB were randomly assigned (1:1) to either midwifery continuity of antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care (Pilot study Of midwifery Practice in Preterm birth Including women’s Experiences [POPPIE] group) or standard care group (maternity care by different midwives working in designated clinical areas). Pregnant women attending for antenatal care at less than 24 weeks' gestation were eligible if they fulfilled one or more of the following criteria: previous cervical surgery, cerclage, premature rupture of membranes, PTB, or late miscarriage; previous short cervix or short cervix this pregnancy; or uterine abnormality and/or current smoker of tobacco. Feasibility outcomes included eligibility, recruitment and attrition rates, and fidelity of the model. The primary outcome was a composite of appropriate and timely interventions for the prevention and/or management of preterm labour and birth. We analysed by intention to treat. Between 9 May 2017 and 30 September 2018, 334 women were recruited; 169 women were allocated to the POPPIE group and 165 to the standard group. Mean maternal age was 31 years; 32% of the women were from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority groups; 70% were in employment; and 46% had a university degree. Nearly 70% of women lived in areas of social deprivation. More than a quarter of women had at least one pre-existing medical condition and multiple risk factors for PTB. More than 75% of antenatal and postnatal visits were provided by a named/partner midwife, and a midwife from the POPPIE team was present at 80% of births. The incidence of the primary composite outcome showed no statistically significant difference between groups (POPPIE group 83.3% versus standard group 84.7%; risk ratio 0.98 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90 to 1.08]; p = 0.742). Infants in the POPPIE group were significantly more likely to have skin-to-skin contact after birth, to have it for a longer time, and to breastfeed immediately after birth and at hospital discharge. There were no differences in other secondary outcomes. The number of serious adverse events was similar in both groups and unrelated to the intervention (POPPIE group 6 versus standard group 5). Limitations of this study included the limited power and the nonmasking of group allocation; however, study assignment was masked to the statistician and researchers who analysed the data. Conclusions: In this study, we found that it is feasible to set up and achieve fidelity of a model of midwifery continuity of care linked with specialist obstetric care for women at increased risk of PTB in an inner-city maternity service in London (UK), but there is no impact on most outcomes for this population group. Larger appropriately powered trials are needed, including in other settings, to evaluate the impact of relational continuity and hypothesised mechanisms of effect based on increased trust and engagement, improved care coordination, and earlier referral on disadvantaged communities, including women with complex social factors and social vulnerability. Trial registration: We prospectively registered the pilot trial on the UK Clinical Research Network Portfolio Database (ID number: 31951, 24 April 2017). We registered the trial on the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) (Number: 37733900, 21 August 2017) and before trial recruitment was completed (30 September 2018) when informed that prospective registration for a pilot trial was also required in a primary clinical trial registry recognised by WHO and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). The protocol as registered and published has remained unchanged, and the analysis conforms to the original plan

No missed opportunity: expanding sexual healthcare provision beyond current service delivery models

Background: Despite a wide range of contraceptive options available in the United Kingdom, the unplanned pregnancy rate remains high. Contraceptive services are currently delivered by general practitioners, sexual health clinics and pharmacies, but there may be scope to expand the places that these are offered, and increase the options available within each service. Doing so could increase the uptake of contraceptive methods, particularly the most effective methods, and therefore reduce the unplanned pregnancy rate. Aim and objectives: Research in this thesis aimed to investigate novel delivery models of contraception. The research had two main areas of focus. Firstly the capacity of the pharmacy to deliver regular contraception was examined, in the context of existing literature, and then through a pilot study. After that the expansion of contraception care to maternity services was investigated, first in the literature and then using an observational study. Methods: In undertaking this thesis I used a variety of methods. Two patient surveys were employed to investigate patients’ perspectives on proposed novel methods of contraceptive delivery. A pilot study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of delivery of the contraceptive injection at the pharmacy. Quantitative results about the numbers of injections given were collected, as were patient questionnaires. Qualitative one-to-one interviews were conducted with participating pharmacists, these were recorded, transcribed and analysed. An observational study was also undertaken to assess routine delivery of insertion of intra-uterine contraception at the time of caesarean section. Patients were seen at six weeks following insertion, and contacted by telephone at three, six and 12 months about satisfaction and continuation of the method. Results: 220 women completed a questionnaire about attending the community pharmacy to receive a contraception injection. 33% of current non-users indicated that they would consider using this method if it was available at the pharmacy. 50 established users of the contraceptive injection participated in a pilot project receiving up to three injections from the community pharmacy. Only 48 injections of a possible 150 were delivered at the community pharmacy. Only 7 participants received all three injections at the pharmacy, and participants reported mixed experiences accessing the pharmacy. The practical obstacles around pharmacy engagement and the challenges of retaining participants were significant, and more research is necessary before proceeding with a randomised controlled trial. 250 women on a postnatal ward completed questionnaires about their pregnancy intentions. 96.7% were not planning a baby in the next year, but only 23.6% were planning on using the most effective methods of contraception. One in three respondents described themselves as likely to use either an implant or intra-uterine contraception if it could be inserted before they left the hospital. In an observational study, 120/877 women opted to have intra-uterine contraception inserted at the time of caesarean section. Continuation rates at 12 months were 84.8% of those contacted, and 92.6% were either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ happy with their contraception. Conclusion: Although patients are receptive to contraception being delivered using novel service models, alternatives to current practice need careful investigation. Contraceptive injections at the community pharmacy are not necessarily more convenient for patients, and therefore may not increase uptake of this method. However, offering intrauterine contraception to patients at the time of caesarean section is highly acceptable to patients, and results in a substantial majority continuing this highly effective method. Robust and careful research using a range of methods can help to identify which innovative approaches to contraceptive delivery offer the most promise