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Healthcare professional and patient codesign and validation of a mechanism for service users to feedback patient safety experiences following a care transfer: a qualitative study
Get PDFObjective To develop and validate a mechanism for patients to provide feedback on safety experiences following a care transfer between organisations.
Design Qualitative study using participatory methods (codesign workshops) and cognitive interviews. Workshop data were analysed concurrently with participants, and cognitive interviews were thematically analysed using a deductive approach based on the developed feedback mechanism.
Participants Expert patients (n=5) and healthcare professionals (n=11) were recruited purposively to develop the feedback mechanism in 2 workshops. Workshop 1 explored principles underpinning safety feedback mechanisms, and workshop 2 included the practical development of the feedback mechanism. Final design and content of the feedback mechanism (a safety survey) were verified by workshop participants, and cognitive interviews (n=28) were conducted with patients.
Results Workshop participants identified that safety feedback mechanisms should be patient-centred, short and concise with clear signposting on how to complete, with an option to be anonymous and balanced between positive (safe) and negative (unsafe) experiences. The agreed feedback mechanism consisted of a survey split across 3 stages of the care transfer: departure, journey and arrival. Care across organisational boundaries was recognised as being complex, with healthcare professionals acknowledging the difficulty implementing changes that impact other organisations. Cognitive interview participants agreed the content of the survey was relevant but identified barriers to completion relating to the survey formatting and understanding of a care transfer.
Conclusions Participatory, codesign principles helped overcome differences in understandings of safety in the complex setting of care transfers when developing a safety survey. Practical barriers to the survey's usability and acceptability to patients were identified, resulting in a modified survey design. Further research is required to determine the usability and acceptability of the survey to patients and healthcare professionals, as well as identifying how governance structures should accommodate patient feedback when relating to multiple health or social care providers
Integrating a multidisciplinary approach to curricula delivery through a commercial work based learning environment
Get PDFCoastal Academies: Changing School Culture in Disadvantaged Coastal Regions in England
Get PDFThe increase in the number and type of academies, together with the development of academy chains, is arguably the most significant recent development in educational policy in England. The programme’s origins lie in the City Technology Colleges (CTCs), introduced from 1987 as a response to concerns that secondary education was failing in its task to provide a trained workforce. Unlike other state-maintained schools, CTCs were independent of local authority (LA) supervision, were owned by not-for-profit bodies which were expected to contribute substantial sums towards costs, and had a contractual agreement with the government to deliver education. This funding structure was:… a significant movement away from local authority control of schools,with more emphasis placed on autonomy, thus representing a key pointof departure from previous policies (West and Bailey, 2013, p.141).
The idea of CTCs proved difficult to implement, however, and few sponsors were attracted to the programme. But by 2000 the then Labour government had returned to the idea of CTCs in the form of city academies, this time to tackle persistent underperformance in the most challenging urban secondary school settings (Chapman, 2013). Autonomy from local authorities was seen in this case as providing the freedom to generate the kind of entrepreneurial leadership that was more usually associated with private sector business, and that this would lead to substantial improvement in educational standards in those areas (Woods et al, 2007).
Subsequently, the Coalition government has expanded the programme as a solution to raising educational standards in primary and secondary schools across the system, with the result that the Academies Commission describes four types of academy currently in existence:
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Free schools (Pearson/RSA, 2013).
Rising from a total of 203 academies in 2010, there are now 2,109 secondary academies, and 2,569 primary academies (DfE, 2015). Academies can operate as a stand-alone school (or single academy trust) or become part of an academy chain of under the control of a Strategic Management Executive (or multiple academy trust); in November 2012 there were 312 academy chains, and 39 per cent of academies belonged to a chain (Pearson/RSA, 2013, p.17).
Despite the increase in numbers, academies remain highly controversial. For those on the right of the political spectrum, academies are seen as a means to increase choice within the education system by promoting innovation and injecting new freedoms, energy and ideas (Chapman, 2013), while for those on the left, academies are regarded as a form of privatisation of the education service that will lead to greater social segregation (Machin and Vernoit, 2011). Other issues relate to potential conflicts of interest within academy trusts, trusts that are getting into financial difficulties (Greany and Scott, 2014) and the debate on Ofsted’s potential role in inspecting the management of academy chains in the same way as it inspects local authorities (e.g. BBC news, January 2015). In addition, and despite some ‘impressive results’ in turning round the examination performance of some academies in particularly challenging circumstances (Chapman, 2013, p.336), the overall impact of academies has been difficult to assess (e.g. DfE, 2012; Machin and Venoit, 2011), partly because of frequent changes to the programme during its existence.
These controversies make research into the challenges that academies face and the way that their leaders respond particularly important; as a central plank of government policy, it is critical that we understand the leadership and management of these independent, autonomous schools. This is particularly the case for coastal academies, which have a range of issues similar to those of inner-city schools, but have been relatively neglected in terms of policy strategy and research. We define ‘coastal academies’ as first phase academies (state secondary schools converted to academy status due to poor student performance) located in seaside towns/cities (coastal regions) in England.
There are signs, however, that the Coalition government began to recognise the extent of poverty in coastal regions:
Many seaside towns and villages have suffered decades of economic decline. Many young people, for example, have moved away from coastal areas due to a lack of job opportunities. We need to invest in coastal towns to help their economies grow and reduce unemployment and deprivation (Department for Communities and Local Government, 2012).
Recently Ofsted (Ofsted, 2013; see also Weale, 2014) have also identified a link between student performance and ‘deprived coastal towns’, with a realisation that these areas have ‘felt little impact from national initiatives designed to drive up the standards for the poorest children’ (Ofsted, 2013). Our project aims to highlight the educational challenges faced by academies in socio-economically deprived coastal regions and thereby contribute to filling the research gap in this area
From death to dust – using insects to determine post mortem Intervals in Queensland, Australia.
No full textForensic entomology and necrophagous insect succession have been extensively studied in
southern Australia, however long-term data describing insect taxa associated with
decomposition are scarce in northern and sub-tropical Australia. A succession study of the
invertebrates associated with carrion in south-east Queensland was conducted over two years
to investigate seasonal and annual variation. Colonisation, successional patterns, species
diversity, relative abundance of sarcosaprophagous insects, and their potential as forensic
indicators were investigated. Data were collected from 64 pig carcases (Sus scrofa Linnaeus)
decomposing in open grassland and timbered peri-urban habitats at a field site on the western
Darling Downs.
Caloglyphus berlesei (Acari) outnumbered all other necrophagous invertebrates, however the
Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae (Diptera) are the most useful forensic indicators in terms of
specimens observed, collected and reared from the carcases. The primary colonisers of the
carcases varied seasonally, and seven calliphorid (blow fly) and four sarcophagid (flesh fly)
species were identified as forensically significant for the region. The most important
calliphorids and sarcophagids from a forensic viewpoint were Calliphora augur, Calliphora
stygia, Chrysomya megacephala, Sarcophaga impatiens, Sarcophaga aurifrons, Sarcophaga
froggatti and Sarcophaga praedatrix because they indicated clear seasonal preferences and
bred in the pig carrion. The suites of species occurring as primary and secondary invaders in
Queensland are quite different to those recorded in southern and Western Australia. The
implication is that succession data generated elsewhere in Australia could not be accurately
used for post mortem interval estimations in Queensland.
Comparative data were also collected on an opportunistic basis from road-kill, farmed
livestock carcases in the region, and from human remains in the Queensland Health Forensic
and Scientific Services mortuary in Brisbane. Results indicate similar succession patterns and
dominant species over a range of vertebrate remains in south-east Queensland
The university as a site for transformation around sustainability
Get PDFUniversities are increasingly being seen as key sites for transformation around sustainability. However, much of the literature in this area uses the terms transformation and transformative learning rather uncritically. Moreover, there is little extant research which has investigated the links between transformative learning theories and Education for Sustainability (EfS). This paper reports on a research project which explored academic and student perceptions of the opportunities for transformation around sustainability in two UK universities. The findings suggest that, despite shared understanding about the nature of pedagogic approaches that promote deep learning, academics are wary about promoting transformation beyond the professional sphere and students are more likely to have transformative experiences outside the formal curriculum. There are indications that although universities have significant potential as sites for transformation around sustainability, at present, this is not being achieved
Accelerators and Liminality: a rite of passage for aspirant entrepreneurs
No full textObjectives Accelerators have emerged as an increasingly popular means of supporting entrepreneurial activity with approximately 250 currently operating in both North America and Europe (Salidado, 2013) and there is evidence that survivorship is significantly enhanced when firms have been supported by an accelerator (Fox, 2014). Most accelerators follow a common business model in which there is competitive entry to a program providing support for a limited period (typically three months) to early-stage businesses during which time intensive mentoring and support is given and seed capital is invested in the young business. Using a theoretical framework based on liminality (Turner, 1969), participants in accelerator programs are depicted as under-going a rite of passage. Studies in liminality suggest that certain processes follow a particular ritualistic pattern in which participants divest themselves of former identities and new identities are formed. During liminal processes, guidance is normally provided to the person: in accelerators this role is taken by mentors who will assist in the formation of the new identity. Studies in liminality point to the importance of threshold concepts (Meyer & Land, 2005) which are types of knowledge that a participant is expected to acquire prior to completion. Using the lens of liminality, this paper examines identity formation by looking at the manner in which it changes during the accelerator support period. What changes occur and what induces changes of identity? The role of the mentor within accelerators is also considered: what is the nature of their relationship with participants and how do they assist in this rite of passage?
Prior Work Accelerators are a relatively recent phenomenon and it appears that they have not been examined in peer review journals.
Approach A qualitative design, employing secondary sources, will be employed to illuminate the underlying liminal processes existing within accelerators.
Results This is a work in progress
Implications Accelerators represent an under-researched phenomenon and by using the lens of liminality, the process of intense change can be better understood. Value Accelerators play a crucial role in developing entrepreneurial activity: this study provides value by explaining the effects of Accelerators on participants in terms of identity formation, the role of mentoring and the expectations about acquired knowledge
A collaborative assessment of students’ placement learning
Get PDFThe research informing this paper set out to investigate the qualitative experiences of students, supervisors and tutors involved in a summative collaborative assessment of placement learning on an undergraduate professional qualifying programme in the UK. Analysis of data gathered through semi-structured interviews provides valuable insights into its use. In particular, engagement in a collaborative assessment brings a degree of exposure for all concerned. Participants need to feel ‘able’ to participate, and ability to participate is linked to notions of agency and autonomy. Collaborative assessment design needs to acknowledge power relations and include strategies to reduce imbalances. The importance of recognising and working with the complexities of assessment should not be underestimated. Criterion referencing offers a guide to support consistency but can also falsely present assessment as mechanistic and instrumental. The research shows that it is in the ‘doing’ of assessment that a ‘shared language’ is developed. It demonstrates the value of active student engagement in assessment in relation to the construction and use of theory, developing reflective practice and assessment literacy. The collaborative assessment provides students with the opportunity to experience a ‘performance of understanding’ in a community of practice that, whilst pressured, reflects ‘real’ professional life
Observations on the Effect of Benzylpiperazine on the Larval Development Rate of Calliphora vomitoria and its Implications on the Estimation of Post Mortem Intervals
No full textLearning Development and Education for Sustainability: what are the links?
Get PDFLearning Development (LD) is an emerging discipline developing a unique disciplinary identity. In common with many other new fields, it considers its position and relevance to other disciplines and bodies of thought, and in particular, educational development, applied linguistics and the sociology and philosophy of education. This paper considers one such area of debate: the link between Learning Development and Education for
Sustainability (EfS). EfS is an area of pedagogic practice and a field of enquiry of considerable and growing importance in Higher Education (HE) and universities. Its underpinning systemic and epistemic philosophies suggest the need for integration across
all facets of university activity, including LD. In this paper, we argue that there are identifiable links between LD and EfS that extend these philosophies, practices and fields of enquiry, characterised by the following: 1) commonalities surrounding the foci of their
pedagogic practices, 2) shared methodologies for undertaking their practices, and 3) ways in which these methodologies are helping to situate both professions and disciplines within organisational contexts. The
commonalities and possible distinctions between LD and EfS form a starting point for discussion, and raise the possibility that explicit identification of the links may encourage increased collaboration between the respective communities of practice, and the development of new ideas and innovative practice