An exploratory multi-case study of the health and wellbeing needs, relationships and experiences of health and social care service users and the people who support them at home in a regional area of Scotland.

The aim of this research was to explore the health and wellbeing needs, relationships, and experiences of Health and Social Care (HSC) Service Users and the people who support them at home, in a regional area of Scotland. Current United Kingdom legislation sets a precedence of person-centred HSC that meets the health and wellbeing needs of Service Users and their families through improved experiences. Despite this, current research in the field focuses on evaluation of services and models of integrated HSC, with fewer studies investigating person-centred experiences and needs of people who use HSC. This qualitative multi-case study was designed with HSC key stakeholders. Eighteen participants were recruited across three participant groups: Service User [n=6]; Informal Carer [n=5]; HSC staff [n=7]. Service Users identified an Informal carer and HSC staff member to take part with them, creating a 'case' [n=7]. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews (December 2019 – March 2020) and principles of interpretive thematic analysis were employed to synthesise data and findings. The study found that supportive relationships and interpersonal connections were instrumental in helping all participant groups to feel able to cope with their changing HSC needs and roles, promoting reassurance, information sharing and reduced anxiety. When these connections and relationships were lacking, it negatively impacted upon Service Users' experiences of HSC. Service Users and Informal Carers wanted to connect with their local communities for support. These connections appeared more cohesive and collaborative than those with statutory NHS and Local Authority services because of their personal connections with individual community members. Supportive relationships within a community were instrumental in meeting the HSC needs of their individual members. The support that statutory services provided did not always meet the needs of the people who were accessing or providing it, and they were not always aware of the support that communities provided. This study offers insight into indicators for improved HSC. Findings suggest a need to adopt Person-centred, Relationship-based HSC to encourage meaningful connections and improve experiences of accessing and providing HSC. Co-produced, community-driven services that meet the needs of the people who use them, as defined by those people themselves, should be encouraged

The use of elastic therapeutic tape in clinical practice : an exploration of current usage and the evidence base within healthcare professionals

Aim: The central aim of this study is to explore the current use of elastic therapeutic tape (ETT), the views of the evidence base within healthcare professionals and investigate the reasoning behind its use in clinical practise despite the lack of conclusive evidence.Method: Six participants piloted the online survey which then went live between 13th October 2014 and 13th December 2014 via Survey Monkey. Active clinicians were recruited via their professional bodies with a link to the survey. To gain further insight, following piloting, interviews took place with six ETT trained and six untrained active clinicians varying in clinical backgrounds.Results: One hundred and twenty two respondents attempted the survey via the Survey Monkey link, seventy six participants (62.3%) were disqualified from data analysis, fif-ty nine (77.6%) of these due to the individuals not completing the full twenty one questions. ETT was utilised more in conjunction with athletic taping (n = 29) than ETT alone (n = 17). Results showed the most common population group clinicians worked in was musculoskeletal (n = 23). The majority of clinicians predominate aim of the tape for their primary and secondary population group was injury rehabilitation (n = 15; n = 7), and for their tertiary population was pain reduction (n = 8). Interviews highlighted two main overarching themes, efficacy of ETT and ETT within clinical practice; with the overall conclusion supporting the findings from the online survey of clinicians utilising practice based evidence as opposed to evidence based practice (EBP).Conclusion: Despite the lack of conclusive evidence, ETT is utilised within clinical practice, although often in conjunction with athletic taping. Furthermore, it can be concluded that clinicians are often using practice based evidence rather than evidence based practice when it comes to defending their application of ETT

A social worker\u27s perspective: Self-care outside of the work environment

The main purpose of this study was to explore more in-depth how social workers care of themselves or more specifically, how they practice self-care, outside of the work environment. Previous research looks at work-related factors that lead to job burnout and how to manage this within the workplace. As an exploratory study, this research project examines possible contributory non-work related issues that are impacting the physical and psychological health of social workers. The variables were measured by looking at such things as exercise amounts; vitamin intake; use of alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine; amount of sleep; and annual medical and dental check-ups. Surveys were given to social workers at various social service agencies

Paramedic perceptions of their role, education, training and working relationships when attending cases of mental illness

Mentally ill patients comprise a growing proportion of the workload of paramedics. This descriptive and exploratory study identifies issues in relation to their perception of workload, education and training, organisational culture and their working relationships with other services. Further research is recommended to understand how these perceptions affect paramedic practice in this area

Ligand exchange reactions of [Re₂(μ-OR)₃(CO)₆]⁻(R = H, Me) with sulfur, selenium, phosphorus and nitrogen donor ligands, investigated by electrospray mass spectrometry

Negative-ion electrospray mass spectrometry has been used to investigate the reactions of the dinuclear rhenium aggregates [Re₂(μ-OH)₃(CO)₆]⁻ 1 and [Re₂(μ-OMe)₃(CO)₆]⁻ 2 with a range of thiols, benzeneselenol, and some other sulfur-, phosphorus- and nitrogen-based ligands. Typically up to three of the hydroxo ligands are replaced by simple thiolates, giving the series of species [Re₂(OH)₂(SR)(CO)₆]⁻, [Re₂(OH)(SR)₂(CO)₆]⁻, and [Re₂(SR)₃(CO)₆]⁻. Similarly, reaction of 1 with H₂S gives the species [Re₂(μ-SH)₃(CO)₆]⁻, which undergoes an analogous fragmentation process to [Re₂(μ-OH)₃(CO)₆]⁻, at high cone voltages, by loss of H₂S and formation of [Re₂(S)(SH)(CO)₆]⁻. With ligands which are good chelating agents (such as dithiocarbamates R₂NCS₂⁻, and thiosalicylic acid, HSC₆H₄CO₂H) initial substitution of one or two OH groups readily occurs, but on standing the dimer is cleaved giving [Re(S₂CNR₂)₂(CO)₃]⁻ and [Re(SC₆H₄CO₂)(CO)₃]⁻. The different reactivities of the dithiol reagents benzene-1,2- and benzene-1,4-dimethanethiol towards 1 are also described. Complex 1 also reacts with aniline, and with primary (but not secondary) amides RC(O)NH₂, giving monosubstituted species [Re₂(OH)₂(NHPh)(CO)₆]⁻ and [Re₂(OH)₂{NHC(O)R}(CO)₆]⁻ respectively. The reactions with adenine and thymine, and with the inorganic anions thiocyanate and thiosulfate, are also described

Perceptual bias, more than age, impacts on eye movements during face processing

Consistent with the right hemispheric dominance for face processing, a left perceptual bias (LPB) is typically demonstrated by younger adults viewing faces and a left eye movement bias has also been revealed. Hemispheric asymmetry is predicted to reduce with age and older adults have demonstrated a weaker LPB, particularly when viewing time is restricted. What is currently unclear is whether age also weakens the left eye movement bias. Additionally, a right perceptual bias (RPB) for facial judgments has less frequently been demonstrated, but whether this is accompanied by a right eye movement bias has not been investigated. To address these issues older and younger adults’ eye movements and gender judgments of chimeric faces were recorded in two time conditions. Age did not significantly weaken the LPB or eye movement bias; both groups looked initially to the left side of the face and made more fixations when the gender judgment was based on the left side. A positive association was found between LPB and initial saccades in the freeview condition and with all eye movements (initial saccades, number and duration of fixations) when time was restricted. The accompanying eye movement bias revealed by LPB participants contrasted with RPB participants who demonstrated no eye movement bias in either time condition. Consequently, increased age is not clearly associated with weakened perceptual and eye movement biases. Instead an eye movement bias accompanies an LPB (particularly under restricted viewing time conditions) but not an RPB

Papers from the Education Doctoral Research Conference Saturday 26 November 2016. School of Education

Various abstracts and paper

Geography, Travel and Publishing in Mid-Victorian Britain

This thesis examines geographical publishing in mid-Victorian Britain. Focusing specifically on literatures of travel and exploration, it considers the role of publishers and the publishing industry more widely in shaping the geographical understandings of a range of mid-Victorian readers. Through a detailed examination of the production, circulation and reception of four publishing projects, this thesis provides insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with different forms of publishing whilst also drawing attention to the broader print culture which was implicated in bringing knowledge of these works (and the geographies within them) to various reading publics. The first chapter offers a critical overview of recent work by historical geographers and historians of science concerning print culture, publishing and scientific knowledge. It also outlines the theoretical framework adopted within this thesis which emphasises the importance of considering production, circulation and reception simultaneously. The second chapter develops this discussion further by providing a rationale for a study of travel and exploration publishing specifically. It also explores the methodological implications of deploying an approach which simultaneously considers how particular works of geography were produced, replicated and consumed in the mid-Victorian period. Chapters 3-6 offer detailed case studies of particular publishing projects. Chapter 3 examines David Livingstone's Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa (John Murray, 1857). Chapter 4 explores Francis Galton's The Art of Travel or, Shifts and Contrivances Available in Wild Countries (John Murray, 1855). Chapters 5 and 6 focus on multi-authored works. Chapter five considers the series Vacation Tourists and Notes of Travel (Macmillan and Co., 1861-1864). Chapter 6 investigates the periodical Geographical Magazine (Trtibner, 1874-1878). Through these case studies, as the concluding chapter 7 highlights, this thesis offers new insights into the way that print figured in shaping particular geographical imaginations during the nineteenth century.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Integrated health and social care; exploring of the needs and experiences of service users and their families.

Protocol for a review, aiming to address the following questions: 1) What are the perceptions of service users and their families in relation to their health and wellbeing needs? 2) What are the experiences of service users and their families who access integrated health and social care to meet their health and wellbeing needs? 3) What is the relationship between the service users (and their families) experiences of integrated health and social care, and their perceived health and wellbeing needs