Improving further education provision for learners from minority ethnic groups: a review of the evidence

This paper summarises the findings from a review carried out by the National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy (NRDC) for the Quality Improvement Agency (QIA) between April and September 2007. The study sought to summarise what is known about the participation of those from minority ethnic groups in Further Education (FE) and to identify effective practice in helping them to achieve

Assessment Summary

This document provides context for the 2006 Texas Water Quality Inventory Waller Creek data sheetWaller Creek Working Grou

Improving Water Quality in Four Austin Area Streams

This Working paper provides brief information on a project to improve the water quality of four Austin creeks, including Waller Creek, by reducing the amount of bacteria in the water. The aim of this project is to protect contact recreation in the creeks.Waller Creek Working Grou

Executive Summary

This document provides context for the 2006 Texas Water Quality Inventory Waller Creek data sheetWaller Creek Working Grou

Best practice statement : use of ankle-foot orthoses following stroke

NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHSQIS) leads the use of knowledge to promote improvement in the quality of health care for the people of Scotland and performs three key functions. It provides advice and guidance on effective clinical practice, including setting standards; drives and supports implementation of improvements in quality, and assessing the performance of the NHS, reporting and publishing findings

User involvement in regulation: A qualitative study of service user involvement in Care Quality Commission inspections of health and social care providers in England

Background High profile failures of care in the NHS have raised concerns about regulatory systems for health‐care professionals and organizations. In response, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the regulator of health and social care in England overhauled its regulatory regime. It moved to inspections which made much greater use of expert knowledge, data and views from a range of stakeholders, including service users. Objective We explore the role of service users and citizens in health and social care regulation, including how CQC involved people in inspecting and rating health and social care providers. Design We analyse CQC reports and documents, and 61 interviews with CQC staff and representatives of groups of service users and citizens and voluntary sector organizations to explore the place of service user voice in regulatory processes. Results Care Quality Commission invited comments and facilitated the sharing of existing service user experiences and engaged with representatives of groups of service users and voluntary sector organizations. CQC involved service users in their inspections as “experts by experience.” Information from service users informed both the inspection regime and individual inspections, but CQC was less focused on giving feedback to service users who contributed to these activities. Discussion and conclusions Service users can make an important contribution to regulation by sharing their experiences and having their voices heard, but their involvement was somewhat transactional, and largely on terms set by CQC. There may be scope for CQC to build more enduring relationships with service user groups and to engage them more effectively in the regulatory regime

Best Practice Statement : Use of Ankle-Foot Orthoses Following Stroke

The development of this Best Practice Statement (BPS) was a collaboration between NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (NHS QIS), National Centre for Prosthetics and Orthotics, University of Strathclyde and a multidisciplinary group of relevant specialists. NHS QIS is a strategic health board which has a lead role in supporting the NHS in Scotland to improve the quality of healthcare. It does this by producing advice and evidence in a number of different formats, including BPS. These statements reflect the commitment of NHS QIS to sharing local excellence at a national level, and the current emphasis on delivering care that is patient-centred, cost-effective and fair. As part of a scoping exercise commissioned by NHS QIS in 2007, allied health professionals (AHPs) across Scotland identified the use of AFOs following stroke in adults as a clinical improvement priority. Orthotic intervention following stroke has been recognised as a treatment option for many years, but there is wide variation in current practice, and a lack of evidence-based research to determine the optimal rehabilitation programme for individuals following stroke. Stroke is the most frequent cause of severe adult disability in Scotland, with approximately 8,500 diagnoses of first-ever stroke each year, and more than 70,000 individuals affected by the condition. A recent Scottish Government strategy document confirms stroke as a national clinical priority for the Scottish NHS. In addition to developing a BPS and sharing this with healthcare professionals across Scotland, the initiative also sought to develop resource material to support the implementation of the BPS and to share the work internationally. In order to inform the development of the BPS a systematic literature review on AFO use following stroke was undertaken, including work of both a qualitative and quantitative nature. The full literature review, together with recommendations for future research, was included in the BPS. As it was felt that many medical professionals and AHPs may be unfamiliar with the principles underpinning orthotic practice, additional educational resources that would improve understanding of the reasons why the recommendations were being made were developed and included in the BPS. In addition to the full BPS, the key recommendations were summarised as a two-page 'quick reference guide' for ease of use in a clinical setting