Empowering older volunteers: learning to research

This paper considers the implications for 'empowering' practice with older people within community care, exploring the restrictions placed on this by policy and practice, and how a postmodern perspective may encourage the participation of older people and ultimately empower them. Different theoretical approaches used to consider older people and the impact of ageism on the relationship between the self and society are explored. The impact of a postmodern approach to 'empowering'practice with older people is analysed, including discussion of the role of individual 'narrative', 'co-authorship' and 'expertise'as methods of empowering older people to have a 'voice'on both an individual and group level within community care systems

Lifting the Lid On Sexuality and Ageing

This report presents the findings of a three-year action research project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, which explored the needs, experiences and aspirations of older lesbians and gay men in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset between June 2003 and September 2006. This Participatory Action Research Project (PAR) was undertaken by a group of older volunteers, with the support of a project worker, employed by Help and Care, and by a senior lecturer at Bournemouth University. The project has established many links regionally and nationally with a wide range of agencies, organisations and individuals. The group of volunteers from the older lesbian and gay community, with the guidance of Help and Care and Bournemouth University, have raised awareness of the needs, issues and concerns that they face as non-heterosexuals. Members of the group have actively participated in both academic and social care conferences as well as attending meetings with various agencies. This has raised the profile of the group substantially and given a voice to older lesbians and gay men that was previously silent. The project's remit is broad, encompassing as it does both research and outreach work and it is to the credit of the Gay and Grey volunteers that they have stuck to the original remit. A total of 300 self-completion questionnaires were distributed using existing lesbian and gay male groups and networks. A response rate of 30% (90) was achieved with an age range of 50 – 90 years. 34% (31) of respondents were subsequently interviewed. The volunteers undertook the statistical analysis of the data from the questionnaires and the thematic analysis of open-ended questions. They also carried out the interviews and analysed the information gathered. The gender mix of respondents was almost equal; we were unsuccessful in reaching other than white ethnic cultures. 44% of respondents were professional; more than 50% had access to the Internet. (4.1 page 11; 4.2.1 page 40) Key themes Sexuality and coming out (4.1.2 page 14; 4.2.3 page 55): Each person’s experience of being gay is very different. Almost half those questioned felt really positive about being gay; they had been able to come out to family and friends who were supportive and accepting. Others have had devastating exposure to cruel and thoughtless discrimination. Relationships and social networks (4.1.3 page 21; 4.2.1 page 40): It appears that existing gay social groups and personal support structures are not fulfilling a need for the majority and that there is a need to look into other ways of developing social networks. The lack of social outlets where people can totally relax and be themselves without fear of censure or abuse creates a sense of loneliness and makes it difficult to develop friendships. Community and Housing (4.1.4 page 24): Transport for those in rural areas continues to be a problem and some respondents talked of needing social support services like advocacy, buddying schemes and practical support in their homes and gardens. Social care and health (4.1.5 page 27; 4.2.4 page 62): Most gay people want their sexuality to be taken into consideration by those providing services and they want to be treated with respect and equality. The majority thought that educational and awareness training for all staff was imperative. It is also felt that strong anti-discriminatory policies allowing for diversity and equality need to be enshrined in codes of conduct

Seen But Seldom Heard: Creative Participatory Methods in a Study of Youth and Risk

This paper presents a discussion of the methodologies used in a small scale ‘popular education’ project involving young people in creative activities. The goal of the project is to explore their experiences and feelings about risk and safety and their ‘connectedness’ to their local community. A number of different methods are discussed as ways of empowering marginalised young people, including the use of visual methods, and new media in the form of blogs and Twitter Scripts, within an overarching participatory methodology. Arts-based and multimedia activities are powerful tools to enable young people to collectively question the nature of their historical and social situation and have the potential to raise sensitive issues, therefore, encouraging wider debate, producing new understandings, and facilitating social change. Building on insights gained in earlier research, which suggested that young people felt that they were not listened to or had enough influence in their neighbourhoods, this paper discusses the use of multimedia and creative means to develop a more accessible and effective arena in which young people can learn new skills to enable them to tell their story. In keeping with Bourdieu’s General Theoretical Framework, consideration is given to the ways in which such participatory and arts-based approaches can demonstrate value for the social and cultural capital of young people. Keywords: youth, risk, empowerment, co-production, creative media, Bourdie

Realising potential? The challenges of widening participation for students, further education and higher education.

This thesis, and the focus of my research, has emerged from my own practice and some of the challenges I have faced as a practitioner involved in developing widening participation initiatives and Foundation Degrees. It consists of an exploration of the value of a Professional Doctorate in enabling researching professionals to develop research in the context of their everyday practice, and how this can encourage practitioners to unsettle their taken for granted notions of their practice world. It uses both a Practice Development Project, and a research project to achieve this aim. In particular the study sought to explore whether widening participation policy and practice does realise the potential of those groups it targets, or whether it sustains the status quo of educational inequality. The study uses theoretical concepts such as habitus and sense-making in developing an understanding of the identities of nontraditional mature learners. A Complementary Purposes Model was used to interview three different groups – higher education staff, further education staff and Foundation Degree students. A number of key themes emerged concerning the way in which Foundation Degrees are seen as being ‘not quite HE’ by students and staff alike. Alongside this FD students are seen as ‘other’ and different to traditional HE students. Principally my thesis concludes that widening participation policy can be challenged in a number of ways, including the way it has been linked to the needs of the ‘knowledge economy’, and the way that it tends to be focused on individual learner deficits rather than on challenging oppressive social structures that reinforce and maintain inequality. Activity is focused on realizing individual potential rather than on the potential for learning that remains untapped within particular social groups. Unless widening participation activity is embraced by all institutions with the same level of commitment and support, the status quo will remain, and the potential to learn within certain social groups will remain untapped

The “long tail” of research impact is engendered by innovative dissemination tools and meaningful community engagement

Research impact often tends not to happen in one emphatic, public moment but rather at more discrete points of the “long tail” of a research project. Achieving this depends largely on the tenacity of the research team but also on key allies such as the community members and service providers who have become energised by the work and inspired to continue it

What implications will Brexit have for integrated care provision?

A move towards integrated health and social care provision has been a key policy driver in the UK since 2010, underpinned by a belief that this is essential to provide holistic, person-centred care while transforming service provision. Progress towards achieving integrated care has been slow, and now Brexit poses a further challenge, as attention is focused on preparations for a ‘no-deal’ scenario. Ensuring that the NHS and social care systems are able to continue to function after March 2019 is now a key concern for those leading and managing frontline services, and measures are being put in place to deal with potential disruptions caused by a no-deal Brexit. This includes dealing with issues related to the recruitment and retention of European economic area (EEA) staff into the NHS, disruptions in the supply of medicines across European Union (EU) borders, challenges to the recognition of professional qualifications and patient safety, and health protection and health security within the UK post-Brexit. The imperative to prepare for a worse-case scenario diverts attention away from other key policy drivers, such as integrated care provision. It may also serve to reinforce a view of integration as a cost-cutting exercise, rather than as an approach to promote better care for patients. A move towards the transformation of care through integrated provision offers real potential for improved patient outcomes in the future, and a revitalised health service. However, Brexit has the potential to disrupt the integration agenda as financial resources and staff time become focused on dealing with the fall-out from Brexit, rather than on frontline patient care. Community and practice-based nurses and staff are in the frontline of integrated service provision, and in the next few months may be some of the first staff to witness the negative impact of Brexit preparations on the provision of integrated care

Collecting Older Lesbians' and Gay Men's Stories of Rural Life in South West England and Wales: "We Were Obviously Gay Girls ... (So) He Removed His Cow From Our Field"

The emerging recollections, perceptions and storied biographies of older lesbians and gay men and their experiences in rural Britain are presented in the article, alongside consideration of the multiple qualitative methodologies used in a unique multi-method participatory action research project. The project aimed to empower older lesbians and gay men in rural areas through a collaborative design and meaningful participation in the research process itself. Methods included the core Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method (BNIM) (JONES, 2001, 2004; WENGRAF, 2001) with its interpretation of data by panels of citizens. In addition, visual ethnographic site visits, a focus group and two days of theatrical improvisation of interview data to explore action within the texts were used. The project embraced the principles of a performative social science (GERGEN & JONES, 2008; JONES, 2006, 2012a, 2012b) in its dissemination plan. Four of the collected stories are elaborated on here. These and other stories, reports and observations contributed to the creation of the main output of the project—a short professionally made film (Rufus Stone). The film is used to encourage community dialogue and inform service providers, opening up new possibilities of connectivity, communication and common ground at both macro and micro levels

Understanding homelessness through poetic inquiry: Looking into the shadows

Homeless people often have multiple and complex needs resulting in deep social exclusion. Homelessness research represents a contested arena and one in which it is important to place the human experience of homelessness at the heart of the process. This paper reports on the Seldom Heard Voices project which used poetic inquiry as a qualitative research tool to examine the experience of homelessness. A performance poet, a group of homeless people attending a homeless hostel, and academics from social science backgrounds worked together to explore the lived experience of homelessness creating insights into wellbeing, identity, and belonging. This paper presents an overview of the project and considers how ‘poetic’ writing can engage seldom heard voices, providing a context for understanding the lived experience of homelessness through the words of participants, alongside the reflective narrative of the poet working with them. The project methodology is considered and the themes arising from two poems and the poet’s narrative is discussed

Meaningful dissemination produces the “long tail” that engenders community impact.

Lack of understanding of the needs of older LGBT individuals is a global issue and their needs are often ignored by health and social care providers who adopt sexuality-blind approaches within their provision. As a result public services can find it difficult to push the LGBT equalities agenda forward due resistance to change and underlying discrimination. This paper considers how a body of research concerning the needs and experiences of older LGBT people was used to create innovatory tools to engage communities in learning about the needs and experiences of older LGBT citizens. The paper will consider how research outputs have been used to develop creative learning tools, including film and a method deck of cards, offering opportunities to learn and critically reflect upon practice built upon a research informed knowledge base. The workshops developed as part of our social impact dissemination strategy demonstrate the importance of having a champion within an organisation to take forward the LGBT agenda

Sexual well-being and physical disability

The meaning of sexual well-being for physically disabled people is a little researched area of social work practice. The traditionally hidden nature of sexuality and sexual well-being in disability research means that practitioners have little evidence based guidance to help offer inclusive person-centred care. Because sexual well-being is a sensitive topic, and one which professionals can feel uncomfortable discussing, the absence of guidance reinforces the barriers to its inclusion in practice. So, although sexual well-being is potentially one of the most meaningful aspects of human life, it has rarely been addressed in health and social care practice (Taylor, 2011). As a result disabled people can experience discrimination regarding their sexual well-being, with the notion of asexuality or deviance remaining prevalent in their personal accounts. Sexuality and sexual relationships are often the source of disabled people's deepest oppression and therefore should be the focus for disability action (Shakespeare, 2000). This paper will explore the importance of sexual well-being to personal identity, self-esteem and mental and physical well-being. This is particularly relevant to the context of social work with adults in England which is underpinned by the Care Act (2014) with its focus on promoting well-being. Issues for practitioners and future research will be identified