94 research outputs found
Evaluation report of Society Inc.
Executive Summary
People and relationships are central
to what constitutes Society Inc. Their
model is founded on three broad aims,
social inclusion, empowerment and
support. This evaluation report
demonstrates how Society Inc. enables
local people to use and develop their
skills and knowledge to support others
within their community. Their model is
rooted in the belief that every person is
of value to their community.
Adopting a person-centred approach
is not uncommon. However, it is how
Society Inc. practice what they preach,
which ensures their clients, volunteers
and staff, reliably experience being
valued as a person. The charity’s
outcomes are embodied in the
experience of social inclusion and
belongingness. Accordingly, the
development of this evaluation has been
inductive, to allow that experience to
emerge.
The information shared in this report
is based on interviews with clients, their
family members, volunteers and staff. In
the process of conducting interviews, I
attended the charity’s base in Little
Hulton and observed interactions. I have
been privileged to hear personal
experiences and trusted to hold a
shared understanding of ‘knowing’ how
Society Inc. is experienced, and why
that is of value.
Society Inc. is a charitable
incorporated organisation that supports
volunteers to provide mentoring and
befriending services to people in their
communities. It is based in the Little
Hulton area of Salford and operates
across Greater Manchester. In the
relatively short time, Society Inc. has
been operating it has become a point of
referral for several organisations,
including Salford Royal Hospital and
Prescott House Mental Health Unit.
The charity often receives referrals to
assist individuals who are already in
receipt of a professional service.
Engagement with Society Inc. provides
the community-based support to actively
assist people in the process of
addressing their complex needs. Without
undermining their personal touch,
professionalism is at the heart of all
Society Inc. practices. Notably, to
support their staff and volunteers they
deliver an accredited training scheme
and facilitate reliable supervision and
safeguarding procedures.
All interviewees reflect a sense of
pride in their participation with, and
knowledge of Society Inc. An emergent
theme was about being local, but this
was not simply a matter of location. For
example, one client described other
services such as Sure Start as
procedural rather than helpful; there was
a sense of feeling ‘othered’, that created
anxiety. Closer analysis suggests that
engagement with Society Inc. is
experienced as the acceptance of a
person’s vulnerability, without
judgement. That concept is the
foundation of trust.
Additionally, the authentic discourses
from staff and volunteers embraced
language, which was often nonprofessionalised and indicative of their
approach to inclusion as one that
(Final) Evaluation of Society Inc.
5
engenders equality. That is of crucial
importance when reducing barriers to
inclusion experienced by those who live
in areas of multiple deprivations, such as
Little Hulton. It is within a landscape of
decades of economic, social, health and
education inequality, that Society Inc.
practices
The volunteers who provide
mentoring and befriending services are
the conduit between Society Inc. as an
organisation, and those who engage
with its services. Indeed, some who
approach the charity with a view of
receiving support might soon discover
the support they need could be in the
form of becoming a mentor or befriender
to someone else. Two people who
started as volunteers are now employed
by the charity, through its ability to
attract funding. Society Inc. runs on a
financial shoestring, yet it is able to
provide a service and nurture ambition
within the community that for many, is
worth its weight in gold.
Reducing social isolation is a
foundational Society Inc. activity.
Volunteers seek to encourage their
clients to safely experience the world
around them, as a means to disrupt
feelings of loneliness and to nurture a
greater sense of self-efficacy,
belongingness and enjoyment. This
active approach supports clients to go
beyond pre-contemplation to active
engagement with change.
The trusted relationships facilitated
by Society Inc. and experienced within
their social network of support was
implicit in all participant interviews.
Particularly striking, was the belief that
Society Inc. could be trusted to continue
to be available to meet the future needs
of people who require their services.
That sense of permanence indicates a
perception of strength in the social
network they have created, which
extends beyond the individuals who are
current volunteers.
Society Inc. has responded effectively
to the changing needs of its clients and
volunteers during the Covid19 pandemic
and associated social restrictions. They
quickly adapted to further develop their
networking activities with other local
organisations. This was important, as the
government imposed social distancing
measures can inhibit people from
seeking support.
Impressively, Society Inc. was
proactive in developing communication
links with other charities and services to
streamline delivery and ensure they
were not duplicating their activities. They
adapted their usual community-based
support systems to telephone
communications. Recognising that some
people’s mental well-being required the
ability to see and talk to someone, they
conducted some social distancing visits
at the garden gate. In addition to these
strategies, the staff have been mobilised
to respond to those members of the
community in urgent need of food.
A constant throughout the evaluation
process was the importance of
highlighting the value of those who are
receiving and delivering Society Inc.
services. That foundational premise
remained consistent, especially during
this time of critical and acute nee
Moving towards self-actualization : a trauma-informed and needs-focused approach to the mental health needs of survivors of commercial child sexual exploitation
There is increasing evidence that children who are subject to commercial child sexual exploitation (CCSE) are likely to experience complex mental health needs. Failure to address the trauma experienced by victims of CCSE can lead to suicide attempts, self-harm, and long-term mental health needs (Powell, Asbill, Louis, & Stoklosa, 2018). A ‘trauma-informed’ approach (TIA) creates a responsive environment that improves the motivation of victims of CCSE to seek treatment and service providers to address unmet needs. Merging Maslow’s (1943) hierarchy of needs with a TIA approach provides a comprehensive framework to assess the service requirements necessary to meet CCSE survivors’ needs. Particularly, when Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model is coupled with contemporary extensions, which address our greater understanding of the neurological impact of abuse on physiological well-being greater resilience can be created. Additionally, a TIA instigates a shift from victims of CCSE being viewed as damaged, to an understanding of the impact abusive experiences have had on their development. That approach permits them and others to perceive their “survivorhood” and develop their capacity to achieve self-actualization. This paper critically examines what is constituted as best practice in trauma-informed mental health service delivery to not only meet needs but to support CCSE survivors’ attainment of self-actualization
Civil and forensic patients : comparing demographics, risk factors, and negative life events
OBJECTIVES: This investigation centres on how the mentally ill with a forensic admission compare to the mentally ill with a civil admission, and investigates who inpatients with a forensic and civil admission are, and how the risk factors and negative historical events they have experienced compare or differ. THEORETICAL BASE: Using a risk and resilience framework, risk factors that are deleterious to healthy development are used as variables.
METHODS: The records of all adult inpatients both forensic and civil, aged 18 to 89 at admission in two U.S. mountain region public psychiatric hospitals were included in the sample (n=1768). All patients are assessed using the Colorado Clinical Assessment Record (CCAR) which, measures a diverse set of variables including Current Issues, History of Issues, Demographics, and Disabilities.
OUTCOMES: Civil and forensic patients have more in common than differences. Both samples compare more closely to risk factors and negative historical events than they do to the general population. However, this begins to break down once the sample is separated by gender.
SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Social Workers who work in prison systems need to become more familiar with mental illness interventions. Additionally, social workers should both educate law enforcement about de-escalation tactics with the mentally ill and intervene on mental health related police calls. On the macro level, social workers should advocate for the mentally ill to be housed in psychiatric hospitals rather than be imprisoned where they will often not receive inpatient psychiatric care
Parents' points of view: an evaluation of the M'Lop Tapang special needs programme, Cambodia
M’Lop Tapang is a registered non-governmental organisation working in South West Cambodia and providing services to 5000 vulnerable children and 2500 families.
This evaluation was commissioned to review M’Lop Tapang’s special needs programme.
Interviews were conducted with 35 parents / carers of children who receive services from M’Lop Tapang’s special needs programme . Nearly all of these parents / carers reported that they had noticed improvements in their children’s behaviour or functional ability since attending the programme. Significantly, almost all also reported a dramatic reduction in stress as a result of their child attending the programmes.
While the study revealed many positive aspects of M'Lop Tapang’s special needs programme it also highlighted areas for improvement, particularly in areas of parental learning and education
Needs analysis report following the sexual exploitation of children in Rotherham
It has been an immense honour to listen to
the experiences of the people of
Rotherham. The project team received a
warm welcome and felt humbled at the
extraordinary courage of victims, survivors
and their families. We wish to express our
heartfelt thanks to everyone who took part
in the study. The knowledge and opinions
shared by our participants are the
foundation of this report.
No-one wants to think about what child
sexual abuse and exploitation really
means. Recognising that children have
been humiliated, raped and tortured is
extremely distressing. As such, it is no
surprise that many felt anger and rage
when they understood that those with
authority failed to protect vulnerable
children and young people.
There is a need to face the awful reality that
child sexual abuse has always happened.
However, in the age of the internet, the
number of children at risk of sexual abuse
has increased. Those who sexually abuse
children are mostly, but not always, men.
Not discounting the vast number of boys
who have suffered abuse, most of the
known victims of sexual abuse are girls.
Both victims and perpetrators come from
every walk of life. The threat is such that we
all have a responsibility to consider what
we can do to protect every child in our
family and communities.
The public criticism of Rotherham
Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) and
South Yorkshire Police, following Professor
Jay’s report was right and inevitable.
Positively, there have been several
examples of how RMBC and South
Yorkshire Police have responded to
criticism and improved the way they
respond to victims and survivors. However,
there have also been negative
consequences of public scrutiny, with many
people in the study reporting that they want
to regain pride in their hometown.
Those who took part in this study did not
shy away from exploring the difficulties they
face. Naturally, participants continue to talk
about issues of trust, as past mistakes
created a sense of vulnerability. However,
there is also evidence that healing is taking
place. Many participants made suggestions
of how they and RMBC could and should
collaborate to strengthen, individuals,
families and their communities
Indeed, there is a determination to meet
current and future needs with a sense of
collective rigour. Some of these tasks
involve developing internal structures, such
as communication and the provision of
appropriate resources. Rotherham, like
many other towns and cities in Britain, is
also faced with external threats which can
exacerbate internal challenges. An
example of this is how recognition of the
involvement of some men of Asian
Pakistani heritage, in the abuse of children
in Rotherham, led some political groups to
capitalise on fears. However, it is clear that
children are best protected in resilient
families and communities. Thankfully,
Rotherham and its people continue to
demonstrate resilience.
In addition, there is also a strong sense of
realism, no-one in Rotherham expects
perfection, but they do expect to do
everything possible to protect children and
young people. One woman made the
distinction between surviving and thriving:
“…I don’t want to survive,
I want to thrive…”
We hope this report contributes to that aim
and welcome your views on the findings
from data collected between April and
June 2015. We recognise that the data is
reflective of views expressed at that time
and that RMBC and the people of
Rotherham, have continued to respond to
needs throughout the course of this
analysis process
Outcomes from the Children and Young People’s Advocacy House Consultation Event – MediaCityUK
Smoking during Pregnancy Affects Speech-Processing Ability in Newborn Infants
BACKGROUND: Tobacco smoking during pregnancy is known to adversely affect development of the central nervous system in babies of smoking mothers by restricting utero–placental blood flow and the amount of oxygen available to the fetus. Behavioral data associate maternal smoking with lower verbal scores and poorer performance on specific language/auditory tests. OBJECTIVES: In the current study we examined the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy on newborns’ speech processing ability as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). METHOD: High-density ERPs were recorded within 48 hr of birth in healthy newborn infants of smoking (n = 8) and nonsmoking (n = 8) mothers. Participating infants were matched on sex, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, mother’s education, and family income. Smoking during pregnancy was determined by parental self-report and medical records. ERPs were recorded in response to six consonant–vowel syllables presented in random order with equal probability. RESULTS: Brainwaves of babies of nonsmoking mothers were characterized by typical hemisphere asymmetries, with larger amplitudes over the left hemisphere, especially over temporal regions. Further, infants of nonsmokers discriminated among a greater number of syllables whereas the newborns of smokers began the discrimination process at least 150 msec later and differentiated among fewer stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke in otherwise healthy babies is linked with significant changes in brain physiology associated with basic perceptual skills that could place the infant at risk for later developmental problems
Point-of-care testing and treatment of sexually transmitted and genital infections during pregnancy in Papua New Guinea (WANTAIM trial): protocol for an economic evaluation alongside a cluster-randomised trial
INTRODUCTION: Left untreated, sexually transmitted and genital infections (henceforth STIs) in pregnancy can lead to serious adverse outcomes for mother and child. Papua New Guinea (PNG) has among the highest prevalence of curable STIs including syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis, and high neonatal mortality rates. Diagnosis and treatment of these STIs in PNG rely on syndromic management. Advances in STI diagnostics through point-of-care (PoC) testing using GeneXpert technology hold promise for resource-constrained countries such as PNG. This paper describes the planned economic evaluation of a cluster-randomised cross-over trial comparing antenatal PoC testing and immediate treatment of curable STIs with standard antenatal care in two provinces in PNG. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Cost-effectiveness of the PoC intervention compared with standard antenatal care will be assessed prospectively over the trial period (2017-2021) from societal and provider perspectives. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios will be calculated for the primary health outcome, a composite measure of the proportion of either preterm birth and/or low birth weight; for life years saved; for disability-adjusted life years averted; and for non-health benefits (financial risk protection and improved health equity). Scenario analyses will be conducted to identify scale-up options, and budget impact analysis will be undertaken to understand short-term financial impacts of intervention adoption on the national budget. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis will be conducted to account for uncertainty in key model inputs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board of the PNG Institute of Medical Research; the Medical Research Advisory Committee of the PNG National Department of Health; the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New South Wales; and the Research Ethics Committee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Findings will be disseminated through national stakeholder meetings, conferences, peer-reviewed publications and policy briefs. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN37134032
Biomechanical comparison of screw-based zoning of PHILOS and Fx proximal humerus plates
Background Treatment of proximal humerus fractures with locking plates is associated with complications. We aimed to compare the biomechanical effects of removing screws and blade of a fixed angle locking plate and hybrid blade plate, on a two-part fracture model. Methods Forty-five synthetic humeri were divided into nine groups where four were implanted with a hybrid blade plate and the remaining with locking plate, to treat a two-part surgical neck fracture. Plates’ head screws and blades were divided into zones based on their distance from fracture site. Two groups acted as a control for each plate and the remaining seven had either a vacant zone or blade swapped with screws. For elastic cantilever bending, humeral head was fixed and the shaft was displaced 5 mm in extension, flexion, valgus and varus direction. Specimens were further loaded in varus direction to investigate their plastic behaviour. Results In both plates, removal of inferomedial screws or blade led to a significantly larger drop in varus construct stiffness than other zones. In blade plate, insertion of screws in place of blade significantly increased the mean extension, flexion valgus and varus bending stiffness (24.458%/16.623%/19.493%/14.137%). In locking plate, removal of screw zones proximal to the inferomedial screws reduced extension and flexion bending stiffness by 26–33%. Conclusions Although medial support improved varus stability, two inferomedial screws were more effective than blade. Proximal screws are important for extension and flexion. Mechanical consequences of screw removal should be considered when deciding the number and choice of screws and blade in clinic
Structure-based mutagenesis reveals the albumin-binding site of the neonatal Fc receptor
Albumin is the most abundant protein in blood where it has a pivotal role as a transporter of fatty acids and drugs. Like IgG, albumin has long serum half-life, protected from degradation by pH-dependent recycling mediated by interaction with the neonatal Fc receptor, FcRn. Although the FcRn interaction with IgG is well characterized at the atomic level, its interaction with albumin is not. Here we present structure-based modelling of the FcRn–albumin complex, supported by binding analysis of site-specific mutants, providing mechanistic evidence for the presence of pH-sensitive ionic networks at the interaction interface. These networks involve conserved histidines in both FcRn and albumin domain III. Histidines also contribute to intramolecular interactions that stabilize the otherwise flexible loops at both the interacting surfaces. Molecular details of the FcRn–albumin complex may guide the development of novel albumin variants with altered serum half-life as carriers of drugs
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