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Remarkable Lives: Dave Morrison in conversation with Jerome Carson
No full textThe aim of this paper is to provide a profile of Dave Morrison.In this case study, Dave provides a short biography of his background and is then interviewed by Jerome.Dave has had two careers. The first as a scaffolder. The second as a nursing assistant in mental health services. He has ended up bruised and battered in both.Every case study tells a different story. The effects of stress can be cumulative.There are many accounts of how hospitalisation has traumatised service users. Yet, working in these services can also be traumatic for the care staff.Professor Tony Butterworth used to say ‘Happy nurse equals happy patient.’ If you look after staff needs, they will provide better care. Have we ever really looked after the needs of mental health care staff? Dave’s story is unique. As Nicola Adams says, ‘Fall down eight times, get up nine.’ Dave has fallen down many more times than this. Eventually it gets harder to get back up
Lawyers for the Poor: Legal Advice, Voluntary Action and Citizenship in England, 1890-1990 by Kate Bradley, Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2019, 196 pp., £80.00 (hardback), ISBN 9781526136053
No full textOral Candidal Load and Oral Health Status in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Patients: A Case-Cohort Study
No full textObjective. The objective of this study was to determine the candidal load of the patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and evaluate the oral health status of subjects with COPD. Material and Methods. N = 112 COPD subjects and N = 100 control subjects were included in the study. The selection of COPD cases was confirmed based on the set criteria from the American College of Physicians. The oral health status was assessed as per WHO criteria to determine the score of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), significant caries index (SiC), community periodontal index and treatment needs (CPITN), and oral hygiene index-simplified (OHI-S). Gram staining was performed to identify Candida using the whole saliva. Quantitative evaluation of the candidal load was carried out using Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA). Chrome agar was used to differentiate between the commensal carriages. A statistical analysis paired t-test and 95% confidence interval (CI) for proportions was carried out using STATA software. Results. Candidal growth was found in 21.42% (n = 24) of COPD cases and 1.1% (n = 11) of control cases (p < 0.05) (95% CI 0.45, 0.59). The DMFT score was 8.26 in COPD subjects and 4.6 in controls, the SiC score was 16.42 in COPD subjects and 10.25 in controls, and the CPITN score for both COPD and control cases was score 2. Conclusion. In conclusion, there was a higher candidal load among subjects suffering from COPD. Theophylline medication can be a risk factor for increased candidal load in COPD patients
Load Optimisation and its Influence on Automotive Supply Chain
No full textThe purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between load optimization and its influences on the automotive industry in Malaysia. The industry plays a huge role in economic growth of this country with multiple national and global car makers. This industry however faces operational and supply chain challenges that affects organizational performance. Using a qualitative method, this study adopts the method of semi-structured interview and questionnaire methods to relate the relationship between cost effectiveness, operational efficiency, carbon footprint, revenue, and gross profit towards the independent variable of load optimisation. The paper aims to address the findings and results of the research and will state the positive relationship between independent and dependent variables, within the context of automotive supply chains
Impact of Making Tax Digital on Small Businesses
No full textMaking Tax Digital (MTD), an initiative announced in 2015 by MP George Osborne in his autumn statement, brings with it the most impactful change to the UK tax administration for a generation. The Making Tax Digital vision aims to revolutionize the way businesses, landlords, individuals, and tax accountants interact with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Making Tax Digital is intended to aid the government's tax simplification agenda, which commits to making the UK tax system fully digitalised. The breakthroughs recorded in the information and communications technology have led to the introduction of an E-tax system. Making Tax Digital is an approach to make HMRC's tax system the most advanced digital tax system in the world. This is credited for an appreciable improvement of the level of tax compliance, while simultaneously lowering the cost of tax administration. 'Making Tax Digital' leverages on the gains of E-tax and E-filing systems. Though this is still a work-in-progress, with many of its features needing further fine-tuning, it is increasingly gaining traction. Given this background, this research aims to examine the impact of making tax digital. This research has used a combination of primary quantitative and qualitative data that is triangulated across taxpayers, accountants and interdisciplinary practitioners. Therefore, this research is primarily deemed to be explanatory in nature and thus adopts a deductive strategy. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect raw data from a sample of 202 taxpayers. The data was analysed statistically through descriptive statistics and inferential analysis using SPSS. In addition, to test the confidence levels of the respondents, a novel, valid and reliable tax instrument namely, Tax Marker Compliance Model was developed to measure the readiness of the UK public for making tax digital. A particular need identified is for support and clearer guidance on compliance for the 3.5 million sole trader businesses which generate £1.9 trillion of wealth for the United Kingdom. This has to be backed by a strong anti-avoidance business support system for sole proprietary businesses to enable then to adapt to new way of reporting and paying taxes. It is further recommended that HMRC develops a strong communication strategy that encourages and helps sole trader overcome challenges of Making Tax Digital
Pregnancy in a pandemic: generalised anxiety disorder and health anxiety prevalence
No full textAnxieties can be typical to pregnancy. At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, pregnant women were classified as at risk and advised to shield. This may have caused increased generalised anxiety disorder and health anxiety across the demographic. This study aimed to explore current, actual and perceived levels of generalised anxiety disorder and health anxiety in pregnant women during the COVID-19 outbreak. A sample of 674 participants completed an online questionnaire consisting of demographic and pregnancy related questions, the GAD-7 and HAI. The COVID-19 outbreak has increased self-reported levels of general anxiety and health anxiety in pregnant women. Of the sample, 633 (94%) agreed that the outbreak had increased their general anxiety; 607 (90.1%) also reported increased health anxiety. Due to the negative effects that anxieties may cause during pregnancy, it is recommended that reintroducing normality to pre- and postnatal healthcare, where safe to do so, will be beneficial
Critical success factors for adopting building information modelling (BIM) and lean construction practices on construction mega-projects: a Delphi survey
No full textPurpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate critical success factors (CSFs) that enhance integration between building information modelling (BIM) and lean construction (LC) practices on construction mega-projects. BIM and LC have gained momentum in the past decade. Design/methodology/approach The Delphi survey technique was used to gauge opinions of a panel of 16 experts through a two-round Delphi questionnaire survey. Panel responses were scrutinised using inferential and descriptive statistical techniques. Findings In total, 30 CSFs were identified in the literature. The top ranked factor out of 30 that supports LeanBIM synergy was "collaboration in design, construction works and engineering management". Other top rated CSFs were centric on people, data and technology elements. The research findings are important for project stakeholders, organisations, contractors, engineers and local authorities who implement LC and BIM synergies in construction mega-projects. Originality/value The research findings are important for project stakeholders, organisations, contractors, engineers and local authorities who implement LC and BIM synergies in construction mega-projects. The research recommends further hands-on training to increase the integration of BIM and LC practices in the architecture, engineering and construction industry and to enrich the extant body of knowledge in construction of mega-projects
"I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again" - A Qualitative Exploration of Posttraumatic Growth After Multiple Traumas
No full textTheories of positive change following traumatic events, known as posttraumatic growth, posit that growth occurs in predetermined domains. However, the domains in which growth occurs have largely been suggested from the results of studies that have looked at isolated traumatic events. The current article has 2 aims: first, to explore whether looking for growth only in predetermined domains limits opportunities to identify other changes that may occur and, second, to describe growth processes and outcomes in survivors of multiple, rather than single, traumatic events. A total of 26 semistructured interviews analyzed with thematic analysis revealed 2 themes (outcomes of trauma and processing trauma) and 7 subthemes (managing subsequent stressors, identity changes, coexisting positive and negative changes, trauma-related thoughts, control perceptions, spiritual challenges, and social support and disclosure). Of these themes, the ability to handle subsequent stressors, identity changes, and control perceptions have not been previously reported in qualitative studies. More flexible conceptualizations of growth are needed to understand the nuances of positive change among survivors who have experienced multiple types of trauma
Syd Barrett took a left turn and never came back, Andrew Voyce took a left turn and did. Why?
No full textThe aim of this paper is to compare the stories of Syd Barrett musician, with Andrew Voyce, and their respective recovery journeys.The authors use collaborative autoethnography to share their own perspectives on Syd Barrett and to contrast his story with that of Andrew, a co-author.Both Syd and Andrew experienced serious mental distress. While Syd had only limited contact with mental health services, Andrew’s contact was extensive, with a 20-year history of admissions and discharges. In the end, when the psychiatric services listened to Andrew’s concerns and acted on them, he was able to enter into the journey of recovery.The authors are restricted in the amount of available information on Syd Barrett, especially that related to mental health problems. The story of Andrew shows how recovery is possible even after years of serious mental illness.Andrew’s story shows why professionals should never give up on people, with even the most seemingly severe and intractable problems. Could services have done more for Syd? Mental illness still attracts huge stigma. Today there is a much more open culture. Would Syd have come out about his own struggles with mental health had society been more open? Bringing together two stories of mental distress enables the authors to explore the concept of recovery
Heuristic assessment of psychological interventions in schools (HAPI Schools)
No full textChildren spend more time in school than in any other formal setting and, with mental illness in children on the rise, there is more pressure on schools to intervene in student mental health than ever before. In the current study, two phases of semistructured interviews were conducted with school leaders and special educational needs coordinators (Phase 1, N = 23; Phase 2, N = 11), to investigate first-hand experiences in dealing with student mental illness. Thematic analysis, drawing on Grounded Theory, was used to identify themes. The results identified deprivation as one of the main causes of mental ill-health in students, with insufficient budgets, inappropriate mental health services, and overly long waiting times as barriers to intervention. Difficulties in identifying appropriate mental health interventions to use in school were also reported. The authors propose a simple four-point heuristic, for assessing the quality of school-based mental health interventions to be used by school staff, so that educators can more readily identify appropriate mental health support for their students