107159 research outputs found
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Well-being package for foster carers and teachers of looked-after children aged 8 to 11 years: the STrAWB feasibility RCT
No full textChildren in care are at elevated risk of mental health issues and poorer well-being, and social care and health services are under pressure to meet their needs. The Shared Training and Assessment for Well-Being programme is a recent approach to training and assessment designed to bring together foster carers and designated teachers to identify and meet the well-being needs of primary school-aged children in care, across the home and school contexts. This feasibility randomised controlled trial addressed key questions concerning the acceptability of the Shared Training and Assessment for Well-Being intervention (including training, assessments, clinical review and feedback) and the feasibility of the research design for a larger randomised controlled trial (including recruitment, randomisation and outcome measures). This was a two-arm randomised controlled trial (Shared Training and Assessment for Well-Being intervention vs. control group), with two points of data collection (baseline and 12-month follow-up) for our primary and secondary outcomes. The study focused on looked-after children from four local authorities in southern England. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the research and intervention activities were undertaken online with participants. Looked-after children aged 8-11 years were recruited from the participating local authorities, along with their foster/kinship carers and designated teachers. Carers for all children in the authorities meeting inclusion criteria were initially invited to participate. The original target sample size was 70 children, with 35 receiving the Shared Training and Assessment for Well-Being intervention and 35 in the control group. However, only 21 looked-after children were successfully recruited and randomised. Shared Training and Assessment for Well-Being is an integrated approach that combines training on mental health, well-being and resilience for foster carers and designated teachers; a multi-informant assessment package; review of assessments by mental health experts; and feedback to enable key adults to respond to identified needs and strengths. COVID-19 adaptations enabled all key elements to be delivered remotely. Two multi-informant primary outcome measures were included as possible candidates for a larger randomised controlled trial: the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Paediatric Quality of Life Scale. A further multi-informant secondary outcome measure was also included: the Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale. Feasibility was not demonstrated, as recruitment was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and further attrition occurred over the extended project duration. For the small number who completed the Shared Training and Assessment for Well-Being package, key elements of the intervention were acceptable to participants. In addition, beyond issues with recruitment and retention, key aspects of the randomised controlled trial design, including randomisation, were acceptable. It is impossible to distinguish precisely between impacts of COVID-19 and broader challenges with securing the capacity and stability needed to deliver and evaluate the Shared Training and Assessment for Well-Being intervention. Key elements of the Shared Training and Assessment for Well-Being intervention and randomised controlled trial process were acceptable, but the overall randomised controlled trial research design was not feasible in this study. The project was heavily compromised by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on foster carers, schools, local services and children. Potential strategies are suggested to address challenges with evaluating integrated training and assessment approaches aimed at key adults supporting looked-after children. This synopsis presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme as award number NIHR127799
Inequality as spectacle” – or why Mangione trumps Gini
No full textWhat do people talk about when they talk about inequality? To begin with, they probably don’t use the word “inequality” much at all, writes Michael Vaughan. More than elite-led debate about inequality, what captures the attention is the spectacle of inequality, as seen in the Luigi Mangione case, the billionaire space race and other examples
We need to talk more about class
No full textThe UK is a divided nation where feelings of class antagonism and injustice run deep. But whereas the left struggles to address these feelings, the populist right has no such difficulty. Ten years on from the publication of “Social Class in the 21st Century”, Mike Savage asks: do we need a new politics of class? If so, how do we need to rethink class to recognise 21st century inequalities
England's military heartland: preparing for war on Salisbury Plain
No full textWhat is it like to live next door to a British Army base? England's military heartland provides an eye-opening account of the sprawling military presence on Salisbury Plain, drawing on a wide range of voices from both sides of the divide. Targeted for expansion under government plans to reorganise the UK's global defence estate, the Salisbury 'super garrison' offers a unique opportunity to explore the impact of the military footprint in a particular place. But this is no ordinary environment: as well as being the world-famous site of Stonehenge, the grasslands of Salisbury Plain are home to rare plants and wildlife. How does the army take responsibility for conserving this unique landscape as it trains young men and women to use lethal weapons? Are its claims that its presence is a positive for the environment anything more than propaganda? This book investigates these questions against the backdrop of a historic landscape inscribed with the legacy of perpetual war
Assessing entrepreneurial ecosystems' influence on green technology innovation: a cross-country analysis
No full textThis study explores the impacts of 11 diverse entrepreneurship indicators on green technology innovation (GTI) to determine the optimal environmental regulatory framework that fosters green entrepreneurship. Additionally, the study investigates the impacts of environmental regulations on GTI by utilizing nonlinear panel smooth threshold regression (PSTR) models on data collected from 18 countries from 2002 to 2020. By identifying a critical regulatory threshold of 1.89, the research reveals how varying levels of environmental regulations significantly influence GTI dynamics. The estimation results emphasize that GDP per capita and financial development are critical in fostering GTI. However, stringent environmental regulations can counteract these positive effects. Urbanization and trade openness also positively influence GTI, with environmental regulations complementing their impacts. The transition to a service-oriented industrial structure positively affects GTI. The results underscore the negative impact of entrepreneurship indicators, potentially diverting resources away from GTI. Nonetheless, environmental regulations with stringent enforcement mechanisms can counterbalance the negative impacts of specific entrepreneurship metrics. Among the entrepreneurship indicators analyzed, financing for entrepreneurs, governmental support and policies, and governmental programs exhibit an inverted U-shaped impact pattern, peaking at specific levels of environmental regulation
Rejoinder: Item response theory—a statistical framework for educational and psychological measurement
No full textRhythms of an uprising: indexing the 2021 Unity Intifada through an analysis of Palestinian rap music
No full textThe 2021 Unity Intifada marked a turning point in Palestinian resistance, repoliticizing Palestinian youth in ways unseen since the second intifada. This article traces the evolution of conceptions of resistance among young Palestinian men between 2018 and 2021 through an analysis of Palestinian rap music. Examining the development of two masculine identities among the Palestinian youth of Jerusalem—the dod (a transgressive and lumpen-like countercultural figure) and the gada‘ (a brave man who fearlessly confronts the occupier)—through the lyrics of prominent Palestinian rappers, this article argues that these two modes of identification contribute to the creation of new representational politics and spaces of belonging among disaffected Palestinian youth. These developments in turn structure how resistance is understood and practiced by a generation of Palestinians consuming a new wave of Palestinian rap that challenges the neoliberal pacification of Palestinian society
Expanding state private insurance partnership programs can help reduce public spending on long term care
No full textAmericans are getting older, and the cost of caring for this aging population is continuing to rise. While health insurance in the US is common, even after five decades of development, the market for long-term care (LTC) insurance has failed to expand significantly. One major barrier is that individuals often rely on self-insurance or Medicaid, which requires people to spend down their assets to qualify. Joan Costa-Font and Nilesh Raut examine the effects of LTC partnership contracts which have been introduced by some US states. They find that the rollout of the partnership program have increased LTC insurance uptake by 14 to 17 percent and reduced Medicaid spending
Book review | Erased: a history of international thought without men
No full textErased: A History of International Thought Without Men by Patricia Owens reveals how men diminished women’s role in shaping International Relations as an academic discipline in Britain. Drawing on meticulous research, this compelling book highlights how this erasure took place and restores the scholarship of these overlooked women to its rightful place in the story of IR’s history, writes Shireen Manocha. Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men. Patricia Owens. Princeton University Press. 2025
End-of-life dementia care: a qualitative study of the experiences and perceptions of minority ethnic and economically disadvantaged groups
No full textBackground: Dementia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality amongst ageing populations. However, palliative care is often poor or non-existent. People from minority ethnic and economically disadvantaged communities are especially likely to miss out. Research exploring how inclusive end-of-life (EOL) care should be provided for people living with dementia (PLWD) is limited and commonly fails to include sufficient representation of people from minority ethnic groups and those living in poverty. Aims: Our aim was to understand the experiences and perceptions of EOL dementia care amongst underserved groups and investigate how ethnicity and socioeconomic status influence experiences and perceptions of EOL dementia care. Methods: Ten workshops were held with a total of 29 Experts-by-Experience (EbE). All had professional and/or personal experience of care for people from disadvantaged groups living with dementia in England. The groups explored (i) current evidence gaps, (ii) barriers and facilitators to EOL care for PLWD across different ethnic and socioeconomic groups and (iii) recommendations for care and future research. The discussions were recorded, transcribed and the qualitative data analysed thematically. Results: Data point to cultural, socioeconomic and systemic barriers to accessing quality EOL care for PLWD. EbE described how there is fear and stigma of talking about dementia and EOL care, and a mistrust of health and care services. Financial concerns were pervasive throughout the data and were described by EbE as significant drivers of inequalities in access to quality care. Conclusion: EbE from minority ethnic and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups report poor experiences of EOL dementia care. Our data suggests there is a need to improve multiple aspects of care, including access and coordination. Future research should work with underserved communities to co-produce culturally sensitive interventions to address inequalities in dementia EOL care