Artists' books at the Centre for Fine Print Research

An article on artists' books at the Centre for Fine Print Research

A Manifesto for the Book

What will be the canon for the artist’s book in the 21st Century? In an arena that now includes both digital and traditionally produced artists’ books, what will constitute the concepts of artists’ publishing in the future?This project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council from March 2008 - February 2010. This project investigated and discussed issues concerning the context and future of the artist’s book, in an attempt to extend and sustain critical debate of what constitutes an artist’s book in the 21st Century.One of the key points of this project was to try and include all the book related activity that artists engage with. To include work that was being produced on, and exclusively for, digital technologies within the book arts field, and not leave it floundering uncomfortably on the edge, or subjected to a different terminology altogether, if the artist considered what they were producing to be a book, then we felt it should be included. We also looked at the continued practice of traditional production processes for artists’ books such as letterpress, etching, lithography, screenprint and woodcut, and have interviewed a range of artists and publishers who work with these, as well as those producing livres d’artistes, fine press books, design bindings, multiples, installation and audio books.Bodman will give a conference paper on this book at the IMPACT 7 International Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking Conference at University of Melbourne 27-30 September 2011. Topic 14: Printmedia and the Artists' Book - paper title ‘A Manifesto for the Book - artist's book - artist's publication - book art?’. http://impact7.org.au/program_wednesday.htm

Developing an online knowledge sharing platform and community of practice for health professionals: Experiences from C-WorKS developed in North East England and Yorkshire during COVID-19

AbstractBackgroundAlthough knowledge sharing online has been recognised as an important strategy for health professionals to apply research findings to their practice, limited research exists on how to develop and implement these platforms to help facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing.ObjectivesThis study evaluated an online knowledge sharing platform and community of practice developed in the North East of England and Yorkshire during COVID-19 to support UK health and care professionals to reduce the impact of the wider consequences of COVID-19.MethodsSemi-structured interviews with stakeholders (n = 8) and users of C-WorKS (n = 13), followed by an online survey (n = 19) among a wider group of users to analyse knowledge use.ResultsInterview and survey findings highlighted several strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to support future development of online knowledge sharing platforms.DiscussionOnline knowledge sharing supports six ‘pillars’ of successful research and innovation partnerships. This requires distributed forms of leadership and linking of different knowledge sharing strategies, and careful combination of platforms with communities of practice.ConclusionOnline knowledge sharing provides pragmatic and timely strategies for health professionals in the UK to apply research evidence to their practice. Our study provides generalisable, practical insights in how to develop and implement a knowledge sharing platform

Un Manifesto para o Livro (A Manifesto for the Book)

A Manifesto for the Book was first published as a free online download as part of the findings from a two-year AHRC funded research project on the future of the artist’s book in the digital age(http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/canon.htm). The manifesto, co-authored by Bodman and Sowden was republished by invitation of the Editor in Chief José Bártolo, ESAD, Portugal, in PLI magazine, in English and Portuguese. PLI is a Portuguese, quarterly magazine devoted to design criticism and practice published by ESAD/Escola Superior de Artes e Design de Matosinhos (the Matosinhos Institute of Art and Design), (www.esad.pt). This particular double issue “Entusiasmo” is about publishing: self-publishing, DIY, big books, artists’ books, publishing as cultural and political production.Dedicated to the theme of Enthusiasm, in this issue of PLI, the desire to affirm the strength of art & design at a time of economic crisis is strongly visible. It is a double issue (no. 2/3) which features a wide range of national and international contributors, a total of 36 authors working in the areas of design, architecture, photography and contemporary thought. With more than 200 content-filled pages, this issue of PLI stands out in that its physical structure has turned it into a real piece of design, encompassing 5 different formats, various different types of paper and exploring differing graphic solutions that culminate in a magazine with a very strong visual presence.Contributors: António Quadros Ferreira, António Silveira Gomes, António Olaio, Atelier do Corvo, Brad Freeman, Caroline Niémant, Derek Birdsall, Emanuel Barbosa, Francisco Laranjo, Henrique Magalhães, Isabel Baraona, Isabel Lucena, Ken Garland, Kiluanji Kia Henda, José Albergaria, José Bártolo, José Brandão, Luís Miguel Castro, Margarida Azevedo, Maria João Baltazar, Mário Moura, Patrick Lasey, Paolo Deganello, Paulo T. Silva, Richard Kostelanetz, Roberto Vidal, Roger Sabin, Roger Willems, Sarah Brasseur, Sarah Bodman, Silvia Prudêncio, Steven McCarthy, Susana Carvalho, Susanna Edwards, Tom Sowden, Tony White, Vera Tavares

Reducing health inequalities through general practice: protocol for a realist review (EQUALISE).

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare organisations recognise the moral imperative to address inequalities in health outcomes but often lack an understanding of which types of interventions are likely to reduce them. This realist review will examine the existing evidence on the types of interventions or aspects of routine care in general practice that are likely to decrease or increase health inequalities (ie, inequality-generating interventions) across cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Our realist review will follow Pawson's five iterative stages. We will start by developing an initial programme theory based on existing theories and discussions with stakeholders. To navigate the large volume of literature, we will access the primary studies through the identification of published systematic reviews of interventions delivered in general practice across the four key conditions. We will examine the primary studies included within each systematic review to identify those reporting on inequalities across PROGRESS-Plus categories. We will collect data on a range of clinical outcomes including prevention, diagnosis, follow-up and treatment. The data will be synthesised using a realist logic of analysis. The findings will be a description and explanation of the general practice interventions which are likely to increase or decrease inequalities across the major conditions. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval is not required because this study does not include any primary research. The findings will be integrated into a series of guiding principles and a toolkit for healthcare organisations to reduce health inequalities. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and user-friendly summaries. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020217871

Reducing inequality in avoidable emergency admissions : Case studies of local health care systems in England using a realist approach

Objective: People in disadvantaged areas are more likely to have an avoidable emergency hospital admission. Socio-economic inequality in avoidable emergency hospital admissions is monitored in England. Our aim was to inform local health care purchasing and planning by identifying recent health care system changes (or other factors), as reported by local health system leaders, that might explain narrowing or widening trends. Methods: Case studies were undertaken in one pilot and at five geographically distinct local health care systems (Clinical Commissioning Groups, CCGs), identified as having consistently increasing or decreasing inequality. Local settings were explored through discussions with CCG officials and stakeholders to identify potential local determinants. Data were analysed using a realist evaluation approach to generate context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations. Results: Of the five geographically distinct CCGs, two had narrowing inequality, two widening, and one narrowing inequality, which widened during the project. None of the CCGs had designed a large-scale package of service changes with the explicit aim of reducing socio-economic inequality in avoidable emergency admissions, and local decision makers were unfamiliar with their own trends. Potential primary and community care determinants included: workforce, case finding and exclusion, proactive care co-ordination for patients with complex needs, and access and quality. Potential commissioning determinants included: data use and incentives, and targeting of services. Other potential determinants included changes in care home services, national A&E targets, and wider issues - such as public services financial constraints, residential gentrification, and health care expectations. Conclusions: We did not find any bespoke initiatives that explained the inequality trends. The trends were more likely due to an interplay of multiple health care and wider system factors. Local decision makers need greater awareness, understanding and support to interpret, use and act upon inequality indicators. They are unlikely to find simple, cheap interventions to reduce inequalities in avoidable emergency admissions. Rather, long-term multifaceted interventions are required that embed inequality considerations into mainstream decision making

COVID-19 and the role of Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprises in northern England in responding to the needs of marginalised communities: a qualitative focus group study

Background: The Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise sector has a crucial role in supporting the health and wellbeing of people who are marginalised or who have multiple complex needs. We aimed to understand perceptions of those working in the sector and examine the short-term, medium-term, and long-term effects of COVID-19 on Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise organisations in northern England as they respond to the needs of marginalised communities. This research formed one component of a regional multiagency Health Inequalities Impact Assessment. Methods: We conducted qualitative focus groups with staff and volunteers from five organisations between March and July, 2021, via a video conferencing platform. Eight of nine focus groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. One focus group was not recorded due to concerns raised over anonymity and safeguarding, but non-ascribed fieldnotes were taken. Focus group transcripts were analysed using framework analysis. Findings: One organisation supported children and young people; two organisations supported vulnerable women, young people, and families; one organisation supported refugees and asylum seekers, and one organisation supported disadvantaged individuals to improve their mental and physical health and wellbeing. Three central themes were identified: the exacerbation of pre-existing inequalities, adversity, and challenges for vulnerable and marginalised populations; the cost of being flexible, innovative, and agile for Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise staff and volunteers; and the voluntary sector as a lifeline (organisational pride and resilience). Interpretation: The considerable expertise, capacity, and resilience of Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise organisations and the crucial role they have in supporting marginalised communities has been clearly shown in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise sector therefore has an essential role in the post-COVID levelling-up agenda. The implications of these findings for service provision are that the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise sector must be recognised as an integral partner within any effectively functioning local health system and, as such, adequately resourced to safeguard sustainability and to ensure that attempts to involve the sector in addressing the social determinants of health are not jeopardised. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research (Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria (grant reference NIHR200173) and Public Health England. SSo is supported by a Health Education England and National Institute for Health and Care Research Integrated Clinical Academic Lecturer award (reference CA-CL-2018-04-ST2-010) and Research Capability Funding, National Health Service North of England Care System Support. VJM is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research School for Public Health Research (grant reference PD-SPH-2015)

“I’ll meet you at our bench”: adaptation, innovation and resilience among VCSE organisations who supported marginalised and minoritised communities during the Covid-19 pandemic in Northern England – a qualitative focus group study

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities and increased adversity and challenges for vulnerable and marginalised communities worldwide. In the UK, the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector play a vital role in supporting the health and wellbeing of people who are marginalised or experiencing multiple complex needs. However, only a small number of studies have focused on the impact that Covid-19 had on the VCSE sector. Methods: As part of a Health Inequalities Impact Assessment (HIIA), we conducted qualitative focus groups with staff and volunteers from five organisations to examine short, medium and longer-term impacts of Covid-19 upon the VCSE sector in Northern England. Nine online focus groups were conducted between March and July 2021. Findings: Focus group transcripts were analysed using Framework Analysis and yielded three central themes: (1) exacerbation of pre-existing inequalities, adversity and challenges for vulnerable and marginalised populations; (2) the ‘price’ of being flexible, innovative and agile for VCSE staff and volunteers; and (3) the voluntary sector as a ‘lifeline’ - organisational pride and resilience. Conclusions: While the voluntary sector ‘adapted at pace’ to provide support during Covid-19 and in its continued aftermath, this resilience has potentially come at the cost of workforce and volunteer wellbeing, compounded by political obstacles and chronic shortage in funding and support. The VCSE sector has a vital role to play in the post-lockdown ‘levelling up’ agenda. The expertise, capacity and resilience of VCSE organisations, and their ability to respond to Covid-19, should be celebrated, recognised and supported adequately to maintain its resilience. To not do so threatens the sector’s sustainability and risks jeopardising attempts to involve the sector in addressing the social determinants of health

Adult specialist services for victim-survivors of sexual violence and abuse: a systematic map of evidence

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background Around one in five women and one in twenty-five men are estimated to have experienced sexual violence or abuse since the age of 16. When combined with rates of child sexual abuse this figure is even higher. Sexual violence is detrimental to an individual’s physical health, emotional wellbeing and relationships, and incurs huge social and economic costs. Appropriate support and care for victim-survivors can help to protect against these negative consequences. Around 90% of sexual offences are committed by someone known to the victim and for a variety of reasons, cases often remain unreported to the police. Many victim-survivors mistrust statutory services to respond to their needs. While underreporting is still common, the number of police records of sexual violence crimes has increased considerably over the last few years. There has also been an increase in demand for specialist support services. In part, these patterns are thought to be linked to improved police recording procedures and a growing awareness of sexual violence and abuse through high-profile cases and related social media campaigns. This surge in demand, and especially the need for support for non-recent sexual abuse, coincides with severe budget cuts, and where commissioning of support services has been devolved to local commissioning bodies. Commissioners require evidence-based guidance on which services they should be commissioning in order to best serve victim-survivors. Overall aims To provide a systematic map of available evidence on any specialist adult services for victim-survivors of sexual violence and abuse. We included: • studies of people’s views about services in the UK • evaluations of interventions (using controlled and before-and-after designs, and cost-effectiveness studies) from OECD countries, • systematic reviews containing these kinds of studies The map will signal where there are gaps in the evidence base and where there is potential for an in-depth review of evidence to guide decisions about services for victim-survivors. Review question What is known about the effectiveness and appropriateness (availability, acceptability and accessibility) of specialist adult services for people who have experienced sexual violence and abuse? Method We conducted searches of electronic databases; website searches; reference list harvesting and contacted topic experts to identify potentially relevant items. We applied exclusion criteria to screen all items on title and abstract alone, and then retrieved reports and screened the full-text of all records included at title and abstract stage. All studies included at full-text screening were coded to describe their main characteristics – for example, the study’s purpose (people’s views of services, evaluation to improve services, or reviewing other studies), its geographic setting, who had provided data, and which type of sexual violence and/or service was being explored. We held a stakeholder event to consult on the initial findings from the map with victim-survivor advocates, service providers and practitioners and policy representatives. Suggestions from this event informed further analysis and the structure for presenting the narrative about the studies identified. In addition to the narrative contained in this report, EPPI-Mapper software was used to produce online interactive maps to visually display the findings and allow users to see the detail of included studies. Stakeholder influence on the map The stakeholders’ feedback informed the later iterations of the coding tool – for example, the age categories and additional population and service characteristics that we captured. Discussions at the stakeholder event also helped us to distinguish between population subgroups when categorising the studies, and influenced the descriptive terms that we used to describe these sets. Stakeholders also highlighted forthcoming and recently published studies. Four were added to the review to be screened on full text, one of which was included in our map. Summary of findings Studies included in the map In total we included 163 studies in our systematic map: 36 views studies, 106 evaluation studies, and 21 systematic reviews. Studies of people’s views about services in the UK (n=36) Of the 36 UK views studies, 26 focused on targeted services for victim-survivors of sexual violence and 10 focused on adaptations that general services, such as maternity or health services, could make to meet victim-survivors’ needs. The studies which focused on targeted services (n=26) were further categorised into four groups: targeted services for a specific population subgroup (n=9); services for victim-survivors who have additional forms of disadvantage (n=8); services for any type of victim-survivor of sexual violence (n=5); and how victim-survivors needs are met by services across a broad range of provision (n=4). Specific victim-survivor population subgroup Studies in this group (n=9) focussed on services for: people who had experienced so-called ‘honour’ based violence (n=1); child sexual exploitation (n=1); childhood sexual abuse (n=1); ritual abuse (n=1); forced marriage (n=1); male rape (n=1); and female black and minority ethnic (BME) victim-survivors (n=3). Victim-survivors with additional disadvantage Eight studies (n=8) focused on populations with co-existing vulnerabilities or disadvantage, including: mental health and substance misuse problems; learning or physical disabilities; and women seeking asylum. Any victim-survivor Five studies (n=5) concentrated on specific types of services or roles that support all victim-survivors of sexual violence. These were mostly located in the statutory sector. Two addressed specialist provision in the criminal justice sector, and three addressed Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC), of which one was a comparison between SARCs and voluntary sector services. Victim-survivor needs in relation to broad provision of services Four studies (n=4) explored views on how any needs were met (or otherwise) by broader provision of services. Two of these were needs assessments across regional areas, one looked at ways to best deliver group work, and one explored the potential of co-production in Violence Against Women services in Wales. Adaptations (n=10) The remaining studies (n=10) addressed how general services, such as maternity, general healthcare, mental healthcare and the police could meet the needs of victim-survivors of sexual violence by way of adaptations. Evaluations of interventions to support victim-survivors of sexual violence (n=106) Evaluation studies were mainly US-based (n=62). Across all OECD countries, most evaluations aimed to assess a therapy for improving mental health outcomes (n=84). Other interventions included education for professionals (n=8) or victim-survivors (n=4), services such advocacy or police services (n=9) and secondary prevention of HIV among victim-survivors (n=1). Most evaluations reported quantitative findings about outcomes or impact (n=86), eight studies were qualitative evaluations of processes only, and 12 studies were evaluations of both outcomes and processes. All UK outcomes evaluations assessed types of therapies (n=4). We found eight UK-based process evaluations of: a national advocacy service in Scotland (two evaluations); a Rape Crisis Centre in Tyneside; training for mental health practitioners to improve practice around abuse histories; a pilot project to support victim-survivors of historic child sex exploitation in Leeds; a specialist sexual assault police investigation unit; and specialist services for female victim-survivors of childhood sexual abuse (two evaluations). Systematic reviews (n=21) The systematic reviews focused on four distinct population types of victim-survivors of sexual violence including those who had experienced: female genital mutilation (FGM) (n=8), sexual violence including rape and sexual assault (n=6), sexual abuse as a child (n=5) and human trafficking (n=2). Most reviews (n=16) examined the effectiveness of interventions. The types of interventions reviewed were predominantly mental health and psychological interventions to reduce post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and improve psychosocial wellbeing (n=11). The other five intervention reviews addressed early intervention; non-surgical responses to FGM; the role of the forensic examiner; educational interventions to increase awareness of sex trafficking among healthcare professionals; and interventions to reduce HIV and sexually transmitted infections. Three reviews explored views and experiences of service-users and two explored the views of professionals about skills and attitudes. Included studies were conducted in different countries with the majority in the US, while only 15 out of 309 studies were conducted in the UK. Gaps in the evidence We identified no effectiveness or cost-effectiveness studies of UK specialist services for victim-survivors of sexual violence. UK views studies focussing on a range of perspectives and populations were included in the map. However, only one study looked at male victim-survivors. This study sought professionals’ views only, so we did not locate any studies which addressed male victim-survivors’ views. Stakeholder group Stakeholders described research conducted in the US as being of limited relevance to their own practice. Information on cost-effectiveness and cost-saving was highly sought after by stakeholders, although it was understood to be scarce. Service providers wanted to know the best way to spend their money, and indicated they would value a review examining which therapies, counselling or service referrals are most effective, in which contexts, and also the benefits of specialist service provision in the voluntary sector over those provided by a generic health provider. Stakeholders expressed their interest in evidence relating to pathways and referral, relationships between commissioners and providers, the effects of cuts to services, access to services, access to mental health services, suicide risk, and service waiting lists and “turn-away” rates. Outcome measurements relating to empowerment and feeling in control, relationships, and ability to work and study were all seen as important ways of assessing victim-survivors’ recovery. Implications and conclusion We identified a lack of evidence on the effectiveness (and cost-effectiveness) of UK statutory and voluntary specialist services for victim-survivors of sexual violence. However, a lack of evidence should not be interpreted to mean that these services are not effective. We identified eight process evaluations and a range of UK views studies which give insight into the views and experiences of victim-survivors and the professionals that support them. Some studies focus on services that serve all types of victim-survivor of sexual violence, whereas others focus on different subgroups of victim-survivor populations (BME women, people subjected to sex trafficking ‘honour’-based violence and forced marriage) and victim-survivors who have additional vulnerabilities or disadvantage (women with mental health or substance misuse problems, women who are disabled, women seeking asylum). These sets of UK studies warrant quality appraisal and in-depth synthesis or syntheses which could provide a nuanced understanding of UK victim-survivors’ service needs across a range and population subgroups and types of sexual violence

Identifying inequitable healthcare in older people: systematic review of current research practice

$\textbf{Background:}$ There is growing consensus on the importance of identifying age-related inequities in the receipt of public health and healthcare interventions, but concerns regarding conceptual and methodological rigour in this area of research. Establishing age inequity in receipt requires evidence of a difference that is not an artefact of poor measurement of need or receipt; is not warranted on the grounds of patient preference or clinical safety; and is judged to be unfair. $\textbf{Method:}$ A systematic, thematic literature review was undertaken with the objective of characterising recent research approaches. Studies were eligible if the population was in a country within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and analyses included an explicit focus on age-related patterns of healthcare receipt including those 60 years or older. A structured extraction template was applied. Extracted material was synthesised in thematic memos. A set of categorical codes were then defined and applied to produce summary counts across key dimensions. This process was iterative to allow reconciliation of discrepancies and ensure reliability. $\textbf{Results:}$ Forty nine studies met the eligibility criteria. A wide variety of concepts, terms and methodologies were used across these studies. Thirty five studies employed multivariable techniques to produce adjusted receipt-need ratios, though few clearly articulated their rationale, indicating the need for great conceptual clarity. Eighteen studies made reference to patient preference as a relevant consideration, but just one incorporated any kind of adjustment for this factor. Twenty five studies discussed effectiveness among older adults, with fourteen raising the possibility of differential effectiveness, and one differential cost-effectiveness, by age. Just three studies made explicit reference to the ethical nature of healthcare resource allocation by age. While many authors presented suitably cautious conclusions, some appeared to over-stretch their findings concluding that observed differences were ‘inequitable’. Limitations include possible biases in the retrieved material due to inconsistent database indexing and a focus on OECD country populations and studies with English titles. $\textbf{Conclusions:}$ Caution is needed among clinicians and other evidence-users in accepting claims of healthcare ‘ageism’ in some published papers. Principles for improved research practice are proposed.This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research’s School for Public Health Research