This article details a study undertaken by the Eastern Health and Social Services Board (Northern Ireland) which aimed to identify the number of people with intellectual disability within this area who were diagnosed with or were thought to have dementia. The objectives of the study were to collate demographic details and to profile the needs of this group. Key workers were asked to provide this information and were invited to comment on gaps in existing service provision and on future needs. A number of findings emerged: diagnostic services were patchy; people with dementia were living in a range of residential settings; carers wished to care for their clients for as long as practically possible, but they required extra resources and training to do so; and some individuals with an intellectual disability were excluded from elderly services. A report was compiled incorporating 12 recommendations.
Dual Sensory Loss and learning disability is a historically neglected area of social work practice. This paper presents one element of a research study conducted with a health and social care provider in Northern Ireland. It explored staff experiences of assessing adults and children with a dual sensory loss and learning disability. Two sensory disability team managers, eight social workers and two rehabilitation officers were interviewed across sensory disability, learning disability and children with disability teams. Current levels of engagement and ways in which more inclusive services and practices could be developed were explored. Staff views indicate that there is minimal engagement between staff and service users with unique, complex needs. Staff use a range of tools, resources and skills in an attempt to promote inclusion and engagement. The paper concludes that to promote engagement staff need to develop their practice, making effective use of tools and resources. Staff skills and knowledge can be enhanced through training which is targeted, relevant and specific. There needs to be commitment to sharing good practice and cascading learning throughout teams. This will enable service users to have input into their own assessments which will form the cornerstone of all ongoing interventions.
Introduction and Aim The aim of this seminar is to give researchers in sociology and political sciences practical knowledge of the application of basic quantitative techniques, which are commonly used in sociology and political sciences, while using one of the major statistical software packages STATA. The seminar centers on the linear regression model. A correct understanding of its proper functioning and limitations is an essential precondition for venturing into more advanced techniques. It also provides an introduction to the logistic regression model. In this seminar, therefore, you can expect to learn: How to estimate a multivariate linear regression model and interpret correctly its results How to estimate and correctly interpret interaction effects How to apply regression diagnostics tools How to estimate a logistic regression and interpret its results
Purpose “Co-production” is a process in health and social care wherein service users and practitioners work in partnership. Recovery colleges (RCs) are educational establishments offering mental health education; a cornerstone feature is that courses are designed and delivered in parity by both mental health practitioners and “peers” – people with lived experience of mental illness. This paper aims to consider, through the identification of key themes, whether co-production within RCs is operating successfully. Design/methodology/approach The paper is a systematic review of qualitative literature. Relevant concept groups were systematically searched using three bibliographic databases: Medline, Social Care Online and Scopus. Articles were quality appraised and then synthesised through inductive thematic analysis and emergent trends identified. Findings Synthesis identified three key themes relating to the impact of co-production in RCs: practitioner attitudes, power dynamics between practitioners and service users, and RCs’ relationships with their host organisations. As a result of RC engagement, traditional practitioner/patient hierarchies were found to be eroding. Practitioners felt they were more person-centred. RCs can model good co-productive practices to their host organisations. The review concluded, with some caveats, that RC co-production was of high fidelity. Originality/value RC research is growing, but the body of evidence remains relatively small. Most of what exists examine the impact of RCs on individuals’ overall recovery and mental health; there is a limited empirical investigation into whether their flagship feature of parity between peers and practitioners is genuine.
Introduction What is Knowledge and How Does it Inform Practice? Practice Questions and Research Types Identifying Relevant Research Appraising Surveys Appraising Qualitative Studies Appraising Studies of Effectiveness Synthesising Research Getting Research Knowledge into Practice within Organisations Conclusion
Purpose This paper explores the perceptions of a small cohort of participants in the “Involving People” programme. This 35-week course recruited staff from across statutory, voluntary and charity sectors who aimed to lead and develop change initiatives within their respective organisations. The study captured staff views on the extent to which their training in co-production enabled them to deliver sustainable service improvement within their organisations. Design/methodology/approach This was a small scale, qualitative study, using a purposive sampling approach. Of the 18 staff participants, 5 agreed to participate in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Through a process of free text analysis, several themes and sub-themes were identified. Findings Several barriers and opportunities were highlighted coupled with suggestions on changes to public service delivery based on equal and reciprocal relationships between professionals, service users and their families. Organisational structures and silo working still act as an inhibiter for real change. Research limitations/implications Additionally, it was demonstrated that training in the area of co-production can act as a catalyst for wider service improvements. It can enhance staff confidence to profile the importance of service user involvement, persuading their colleagues of its benefits and challenging practice where co-production is not happening. However, a collective leadership and a shared language on co-production are still needed to develop inclusive organisational cultures. Originality/value This was the first study of its kind in Northern Ireland which highlighted that there was a need for a collective leadership and a shared language on co-production to develop inclusive organisational cultures.
Introduction Reviewing the literature Selecting your research method Sampling techniques in quantitative and qualitative research Qualitative data gathering Qualitative data analysis Introduction to quantitative methods What does it all mean? Exploring quantitative data analysis Presenting results and findings Drawing out the discussion, conclusions and recommendations