PSD in a small island community — presenting the Maltese democratic model

PSD (Personal and Social Development) in Malta has evolved in a unique way. It developed through a bottom-up approach, where an experience in two church schools in 1986, eventually led to the subject being taken up in state and other schools as from 1988–1989. Another unique characteristic of PSD in Malta is that its methodology and approach are based on a psycho-social rather than the academic/theoretical approach. This paper intends to present the ‘teacher’-training model used in our university.peer-reviewe

Dog-assisted interventions in care homes : a qualitative exploration of the nature, meaning and impact of interactions for older people

Dog-assisted interventions (DAI) have been shown to have a wide-range of potential benefits for older adults living in care homes. Yet, there is a lack of published qualitative research which explores the experiences of care home residents, staff and dog-owner volunteers involved in DAI to fully understand its meaning, impact and value. This study aimed to explore the impact of a DAI on the social and emotional wellbeing of older residents living in care homes. The research employed a qualitative study design comprising overt, naturalistic researcher observation of weekly DAI sessions with 54 older adult residents across four participating care homes in the South East region of England over 3 months in 2018. Data were also collected through focus groups with 12 care home staff and 7 dog-owner volunteers. The data from the observations and focus groups was individually coded followed by thematic analysis across the three data sources. Findings demonstrated there were clear benefits for older people who engaged with DAI, as well as for dog-owners and to some extent for care home staff members. Benefits included sensory, emotional stimulation and opportunities for social interaction, reminiscence on early life experiences and these were supported by the development of some new social relationships. While there were some environmental challenges to implementing DAI, the findings confirm its value for care home residents, with minimal drawbacks from an organizational standpoint. As a low cost intervention, adoption of DAI in care home settings appeared to strengthen relationships between residents and staff and enable wider relationships with an external community resource

'He just gave up': an exploratory study into the perspectives of paid carers on supporting older people living in care homes with depression, self-harm, and suicide ideation and behaviours

This study explored the concept of ‘giving up’ from the perspective of care staff working in care homes, and their everyday communication and hidden knowledge concerning what they think about this taboo topic and the context it reflects. Moving to a care home is a major transition where cumulative losses can pose risks to mental health in later life. If not recognised, this vulnerability can lead to depression which extends to suicide ideation and behaviours in the form of self-harm and self-neglect. Care homes are a significant place of care until death, yet a discourse of silence means that self-harm and suicide is under-reported or not attended to with specialist expertise. The layperson’s concept of an older person ‘giving up’ on life is hardly discussed in the literature. This co-produced qualitative study used an inductive approach to explore this phenomenon through focus groups with 33 care staff across four care homes in South-East England. Findings paint a complex picture, highlighting tensions in providing the right support and creating spaces to respond to such challenging situations. ‘Giving up’ requires skilled detailed assessment to respond to risks alongside improved training and support for paid carers, to achieve a more holistic strategy which capitalises on significant relationships within a wider context

Science Outside the Classroom - Science Strand

The data are findings from a participatory study that investigated if, and how, an international outdoor science pedagogic programme co-produced by teachers and science teacher-educators supported primary and early years students (n=711) to develop scientific skills in five schools and settings across four European countries

Assessing the Impact of the Mayhew "TheraPaws" Dog-Assisted Therapy Programme on Older People in Care Homes

Mayhew is an animal welfare organization operating predominantly in London. In addition to rescuing and rehoming animals in need, Mayhew also delivers a broad range of community-based animal care, education, and welfare programs that aim to benefit animals, their owners, and the broader community. One aspect of Mayhew’s work is the TheraPaws dog-assisted therapy programme which involves volunteers and their dogs visiting older adults in care homes. The programme promotes the potential and perceived benefits of taking animals into care settings to encourage social interaction and improve emotional and physical wellbeing among older people. The TheraPaws programme relies on volunteers, and their dogs making regular weekly or fortnightly visits usually lasting between 60 – 90 minutes (depending on the energy of the dog). Mayhew currently undertakes its own evaluation of the TheraPaws programme through the use of data routinely collected by volunteers, administrators, the Project Manager and other contributors. The organisation’s self-reported benefits of the TheraPaws programme include: social interaction and companionship; emotional and physical well-being through stress reduction and affection; unlocking memories and emotions for those living with dementia and building relationships between volunteers and care home residents (https://themayhew.org/therapaws/). This report was commissioned to provide an evaluation to establish whether there was more independent and reliable evidence base for their activities to confirm these benefits