Models of everywhere revisited: a technological perspective

The concept ‘models of everywhere’ was first introduced in the mid 2000s as a means of reasoning about the environmental science of a place, changing the nature of the underlying modelling process, from one in which general model structures are used to one in which modelling becomes a learning process about specific places, in particular capturing the idiosyncrasies of that place. At one level, this is a straightforward concept, but at another it is a rich multi-dimensional conceptual framework involving the following key dimensions: models of everywhere, models of everything and models at all times, being constantly re-evaluated against the most current evidence. This is a compelling approach with the potential to deal with epistemic uncertainties and nonlinearities. However, the approach has, as yet, not been fully utilised or explored. This paper examines the concept of models of everywhere in the light of recent advances in technology. The paper argues that, when first proposed, technology was a limiting factor but now, with advances in areas such as Internet of Things, cloud computing and data analytics, many of the barriers have been alleviated. Consequently, it is timely to look again at the concept of models of everywhere in practical conditions as part of a trans-disciplinary effort to tackle the remaining research questions. The paper concludes by identifying the key elements of a research agenda that should underpin such experimentation and deployment

It Is a Scandal: What Are the Results of Media Scandals on Nursing Home Policy?

The media helps bring the larger picture into personal concerns. It can then help to take these concerns to the public, which could create change to policy. Media focus on nursing care scandals helped people to question the current belief that the for-profit sectors will provide better, more effective, care services in nursing homes.Knowledge Mobilization at York York’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit provides services for faculty, graduate students, community and government seeking to maximize the impact of academic research and expertise on public policy, social programming, and professional practice. This summary has been supported by the Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation at York and project funding from SSHRC and CIHR. [email protected] www.researchimpact.c

Be proactive : delivering proactive care for older people with frailty

Proactive care plays a vital role in delaying the onset of frailty, maintaining older people’s independence, and reducing avoidable periods of ill health. Last year, the BGS highlighted the importance of proactive care in Joining the Dots: A blueprint for preventing and managing frailty in older people by highlighting it as one of seven key touchpoints to support older people to age well. We were pleased that the long-awaited NHS England Guidance on proactive care was published last year. Previously known as anticipatory care, proactive care is one of the three original streams of the Ageing Well programme, as detailed in the NHS Long Term Plan. While we remain disappointed that the initial promised funding for the programme was cut, the guidance provides a crucial framework. In October 2024, the BGS published Be proactive: Evidence supporting proactive care for older people with frailty. This first publication provides evidence to help colleagues build business cases for proactive care in their locality. Our second publication, Be proactive: Delivering care for older people with frailty, acts as a roadmap to support the delivery of proactive care services for older people with moderate to severe frailty. With the NHS England guidance as an overarching framework, we propose colleagues use both BGS documents to deliver evidence-based proactive care. To deliver proactive care, we recognise colleagues require both appropriate infrastructure and policy locally and nationally. As such, our second report provides eight recommendations requiring action from commissioners, policymakers, providers and healthcare professionals at local, regional and national levels. We urge anyone involved in commissioning proactive care services to seek the expertise and resources available from the BGS. We know that the provision of proactive care services varies greatly across the UK, creating unequal health outcomes for older people. However, we also know there are many exemplary proactive care services across the four nations, and we believe the same principles apply to the organisation and delivery of proactive care across the UK. As with all our work at the BGS, we have been pleased to work with our multidisciplinary members who provided invaluable insights and content to inform the report. I would like to thank all those involved. Now, it is crucial that proactive care is prioritised and embedded across all primary and community settings to ensure older people live well and stay independent for longer

Taking Clinical Legal Education Online: Songs of Innocence and Experience

In common with the wider higher education sector, clinical legal education practitioners are facing the challenge of how to adapt their teaching practices to accommodate the restrictions imposed by governmental responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Facilitating distance learning via online technologies has unsurprisingly become an area of increasing interest in the hope that it may offer a potential solution to the problem of how to continue teaching undergraduates in a socially distanced environment. This paper seeks to provide clinical legal education practitioners with evidence-based insights into the challenges and opportunities afforded by using digital technologies to deliver clinical legal education. It adopts a case study approach by reflecting on the Open Justice Centre’s four-year experience of experimenting with online technologies to provide meaningful and socially useful legal pro bono projects for students studying a credit bearing undergraduate law module. It will analyse how a number of different types of pro bono activity were translated into an online environment, identify common obstacles and posit possible solutions. In doing so, this paper aims to provide a timely contribution to the literature on clinical legal education and offer a means to support colleagues in law schools in the UK and internationally, who are grappling with the challenges presented by taking clinical legal education online

The contribution of volunteers in social care services for older people

Faced with unprecedented challenges, the adult social care sector in England has seen increasing attention given to the potential of volunteers to contribute to service provision. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study that explored the contribution made by volunteers to social care services for older people. The article draws attention to the difficulties associated with recruiting and training volunteers to work in the sector, particularly during a period of reduced public expenditure, which is putting the sector under strain. Given the challenges faced, the article considers whether it is appropriate to involve volunteers in care work

‘Extra hands’ or the ‘icing on the cake’?:The boundaries of the volunteer role in formal care settings in England

The adult social care sector in England has been encouraged to increase the role of volunteers in service delivery. To understand the volunteer role in care delivery and its impact upon paid care work, we undertook 94 qualitative interviews in seven care settings for older people in England. While the boundaries between care worker and volunteer were clearly established in some organisations, they were more indistinguishable in others. We discuss how both clear and murky boundary making, especially regarding ‘emotional’ and ‘bodily’ aspects of care, can contribute towards paid care work’s invisibility, lack of recognition and poor remuneration

Exploring the role of volunteers in social care for older adults

Purpose This paper aims to report the findings of a study that explores the contribution volunteers make to social care for older adults, identifying lessons for the social care sector and policymakers. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory multiple case study design was used to capture the perspectives and experiences of managers of services, volunteer co-ordinators, volunteers, paid care staff and older people. Seven diverse social care organisations took part in the study drawn from three locations in the South West of England. Findings This study identified three distinct models of volunteer contribution to social care services for older people. Although the contributions made by volunteers to services are valued, the study drew attention to some of the challenges related to their involvement. Research limitations/implications The organisations taking part in this small-scale study were all based in the South West of England, and the findings are therefore not generalisable but contribute to the growing evidence base related to this important field. Practical implications This study demonstrates the importance of the volunteer co-ordinator role and suggests that it is properly funded and resourced. It also confirms the importance of volunteers receiving appropriate training and support. Originality/value Given the increasing involvement of volunteers in the provision of social care, this paper provides lessons to ensure the role of volunteers in social care enhances rather than diminishes the quality of care provided