Addressing the needs of the children’s integrated workforce: A method for developing collaborative practice through joint learning

The delivery of welfare, health and educational provision to the majority of children aged 0–18 in England is primarily led by local authorities via their children’s integrated service. In 2004 the children’s integrated service model was launched and it promised the benefits of an integrated and collaborative system of working, regarding flexibility and responsiveness to national policy, local development and capacity building (Robinson et al, 2008). However, the implementation and emergence of this model has been characterised by competing local and national agendas, practitioner misunderstanding and lack of trust, a lack of strong leadership and also financial restrictions. It can therefore be contended that conceptually children’s integrated services are not operating fully with a collaborative and integrated workforce. As a possible solution to the current situation, it is proposed that joint learning, along with a combined continual professional development (CPD) framework, be made available as a valuable starting point for such organisations. Learning and working together has benefits for children and practitioners, and especially, as this article will argue, for playwork practitioners

Modernized Myth, Beowulf, J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Lord of the Rings

This study views J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy against its Anglo-Saxon background, specifically in light of Tolkien's 1936 Beowulf essay, and contends that the author consciously attempted to recreate the mood of the heroic poem. Chapter I compares Tolkien's use of historical perspective in Lord of the Rings with that of the Beowulf poet. His recognition of the poet's artistic use of history is stated in the "Beowulf" essay. Chapter II makes comparisons between Good and Evil as they are revealed in Beowulf and in the trilogy. Once again, much of the evidence for this comparison is found in Tolkien's Beowulf criticism. Chapter III examines the comitatus relationship fundamental to the heroic poem and to Lord of the Rings. It is the major element in Tolkien's portrayal of Good. Chapter IV concludes the study by asserting that the trilogy must be viewed as an heroic elegy, in exactly the same way that Tolkien viewed Beowulf. Thus, the theme of the trilogy, like Beowulf, is the mutability of man

Variation in the Relationship of Wood Density With Growth In 40 Black Spruce (Picea Mariana) Families Grown in New Brunswick

This study examined variation in the relationship of wood density with growth traits (DBH, tree height, and bole volume) in 15-year-old half-sib families of black spruce (Picea mariana) grown on two different sites located in northern New Brunswick. Effect of genotype and environment on wood density was also briefly discussed. Although a moderately negative relationship between wood density and growth generally exists, the relationship, to some extent, varies with genotype and environment. A nonsignificant or even a weak positive relationship between wood density and growth can be found in some families. Moreover, the negative relationship between wood density and growth appears to be weaker in families growing in a more favorable environment. This study indicates that it is possible to select some families that not only grow fast, but also maintain high wood density

Developing a CPD Framework in a time of organizational cultural conflict

The need for continual organisational improvement is of critical importance for organisations like that of children’s integrated services where there is both a legal and moral authority to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children. However, the implementation of children’s integrated services since 2004 has produced a series of challenges in the forms of contextual barriers, changing political climates, organisational change and cultural issues (Robinson et al., 2008). A perennial challenge for children’s services has been the ability to meet the CPD needs of the various professions that constitute its workforce without seemingly destabilising the wider organisational norms and beliefs. This paper specifically focuses on the current development of a CPD framework for an entire children’s integrated workforce, and the impact the organisational culture, as well as the professional sub-cultures are having. Reference will be made to members of the workforce being cultural carriers and the role of leaders in relation to organisational change (Schein, 1993 and Lucas and Kline, 2008). In seeking to answer the real world problem of developing a CPD framework for multiple professions within a single organisation, the paper will identify the factors that need to be taken into account

Taking advantage of dissonance: a CPD framework

Purpose: To communicate the findings of an empirical research project based on a real world problem that involved the development of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework for a children’s integrated service workforce. In addition, to give attention to the notion that children’s integrated services have not necessarily been viewed from the perspective of conflict management and that this has meant ensuing conflicts that characterise such organisations are more often than not ignored. Design/Methodology/Approach: A case study approach involving a mixed methodology consisting of semi-structured interviews for senior managers and service leads; a quantitative survey for frontline practitioners and focus groups for service users, carers and children. Findings: Rather than the service being fully integrated, services were aligned, and this was reflected in the conflict between professional cultures, reinforcing an ‘us and them’ culture. This culture had seemingly permeated all aspects of the organisation including the senior management team. It was also noted that certain systems and processes, as well as bureaucracy, within the service were seen as hindering integrated working and was in effect a catalyst for conflict. Originality/Value: Through the application of conflict management theory it will be illustrated how conflict could be used to effectively steer children integrated services towards creativity and productivity through an organisational wide framework that not only embraces dissonance, but also promotes a learning environment that takes advantage of such dissonance to incorporate a hybrid of professional practice and expertise

Irritability in Huntington’s Disease:factor analysis of Snaith’s Irritability scale

Background Elevated levels of irritability are reported to occur in a number of neurological conditions, including Huntington's disease (HD), a genetic neurodegenerative disorder. Snaith's Irritability Scale (SIS) is used within HD research, but no psychometric evaluation of this instrument has previously been undertaken. Therefore, the current study aimed to analyze the factor structure of this scale among an HD population. Methods Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to examine the structural properties of SIS using responses from 1,264 HD gene expansion carriers, across 15 European countries, who were engaged in the REGISTRY 3 study. Results An exploratory factor analysis of a subsample of the data suggested a two-factor interpretation of the data comprising “temper” and “self-harm.” Eight possible models were tested for goodness of fit using confirmatory factor analysis. Two bifactor models, testing general and group factors in the structure of the scale, provided an equivocal “good” fit to the data. The first comprised a general irritability factor and two group factors (as originally proposed using SIS): outward irritability and inward irritability. The second comprised a general irritability factor and two group factors (as proposed by the exploratory factor analysis): temper and self-harm. The findings from both models suggested that the loadings of items were higher on the general factor. Conclusions Bifactor models are proposed to best consider the structure of the SIS, with findings suggesting that an overall score should be used to measure irritability within HD populations

Cloud disruption via ionized feedback: tracing pillar dynamics in Vulpecula

This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. © 2014 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.The major physical processes responsible for shaping and sculpting pillars in the clouds surrounding massive stars (i.e. the ‘Pillars of Creation’) are now being robustly incorporated into models quantifying the ionizing radiation from massive stars. The detailed gas dynamics within these pillars can now be compared with observations. Our goal is to quantify the gas dynamics in a pillar being sculpted by a nearby massive star. To do this, we use the CO, 13CO and C18O J = 1–0 emission towards a pillar in the Vulpecula Rift. These data are a combination of Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy and Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory observations providing high-resolution (∼5) imaging of large-scale pillar structures (>100 arcsec). We find that this cold (∼18 K), low-density (8 × 103 cm−3) material is fragmenting on Jeans scales, has very low velocity dispersions (∼0.5 km s−1), and appears to be moving away from the ionizing source. We are able to draw direct comparisons with three models from the literature, and find that those with lower velocity dispersions best fit our data, although the dynamics of any one model do not completely agree with our observations. We do, however, find that our observed pillar exhibits many of the characteristics expected from simulations.Peer reviewe

Evidence for a correlation between the sizes of quiescent galaxies and local environment to z ~ 2

We present evidence for a strong relationship between galaxy size and environment for the quiescent population in the redshift range 1 < z < 2. Environments were measured using projected galaxy overdensities on a scale of 400 kpc, as determined from ~ 96,000 K-band selected galaxies from the UKIDSS Ultra Deep Survey (UDS). Sizes were determined from ground-based K-band imaging, calibrated using space-based CANDELS HST observations in the centre of the UDS field, with photometric redshifts and stellar masses derived from 11-band photometric fitting. From the resulting size-mass relation, we confirm that quiescent galaxies at a given stellar mass were typically ~ 50 % smaller at z ~ 1.4 compared to the present day. At a given epoch, however, we find that passive galaxies in denser environments are on average significantly larger at a given stellar mass. The most massive quiescent galaxies (M_stellar > 2 x 10^11 M_sun) at z > 1 are typically 50 % larger in the highest density environments compared to those in the lowest density environments. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we reject the null hypothesis that the size-mass relation is independent of environment at a significance > 4.8 sigma for the redshift range 1 < z < 2. In contrast, the evidence for a relationship between size and environment is much weaker for star-forming galaxies.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 16 pages, 11 figures, 6 table

Quantification of bedform dynamics and bedload sediment flux in sandy braided rivers from airborne and satellite imagery

 This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record Images from specially‐commissioned aeroplane sorties (manned aerial vehicle, MAV), repeat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) surveys, and Planet CubeSat satellites are used to quantify dune and bar dynamics in the sandy braided South Saskatchewan River, Canada. Structure‐from‐Motion (SfM) techniques and application of a depth‐brightness model are used to produce a series of Digital Surface Models (DSMs) at low and near‐bankfull flows. A number of technical and image processing challenges are described that arise from the application of SfM in dry and submerged environments. A model for best practice is outlined and analysis suggests a depth‐brightness model approach can represent the different scales of bedforms present in sandy braided rivers with low‐turbidity and shallow (< 2 m deep) water. The aerial imagery is used to quantify the spatial distribution of unit bar and dune migration rate in an 18 km reach and three ~1 km long reaches respectively. Dune and unit bar migration rates are highly variable in response to local variations in planform morphology. Sediment transport rates for dunes and unit bars, obtained by integrating migration rates (from UAV) with the volume of sediment moved (from DSMs using MAV imagery) show near‐equivalence in sediment flux. Hence, reach‐based sediment transport rate estimates can be derived from unit bar data alone. Moreover, it is shown that reasonable estimates of sediment transport rate can be made using just unit bar migration rates as measured from 2D imagery, including from satellite images, so long as informed assumptions are made regarding average bar shape and height. With recent availability of frequent, repeat satellite imagery, and the ease of undertaking repeat MAV and UAV surveys, for the first time, it may be possible to provide global estimates of bedload sediment flux for large or inaccessible low‐turbidity rivers that currently have sparse information on bedload sediment transport rates.Natural Environment Research Council (NERC