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Health inequalities in children and young people in Cumbria: policy and evidence review
Get PDFWorking in Cumbria, an area of exceptional natural beauty, one can be led to believe that children and young people are receiving an idyllic and healthy start to life. While this may be true for some, there are several geographical areas where this is far from the case. Children in these areas are significantly more likely to suffer from poorer health outcomes than those in other parts of Cumbria, and while this is well known anecdotally, this report aims to bring together the evidence required to support the assertions of those working with children in this area. Children living in deprivation often struggle to have their health needs met and this can have a significant impact on their day to day lives. For example, children who do not attend for regular dental care can not only suffer from the pain of dental decay, causing problems with concentration at school and so on, but their social interaction can also be affected due to issues of bad breath or visually poor dental hygiene. As practitioners working with children and young people, we see the impact of health inequalities on a day to day basis. All children deserve the opportunity to lead healthy and fulfilling lives and identifying health inequalities in the first step to achieving this.
The aim of this report is to explore data from multiple sources and provide an analytical discussion of those findings. It will focus on the health, wellbeing and inequalities of children and young people in Cumbria. Inequalities in social determinants of health are not inevitable, and are therefore considered avoidable and unjust (Marmot, 2010). Throughout the health system, inequalities exist from determinants to outcomes, and include inequalities in socio-economic and environmental factors, including: income, employment, housing, occupation and education, lifestyle and health behaviours. The most recent Joint Strategic Needs Analysis for Cumbria (Taylor, 2015) highlights the unique geographical challenges presented by Cumbria’s rurality and socio economic disparity. For example, Cumbria has 29 communities that are ranked amongst the most deprived in the country and life expectancy is 16.4 years lower for men and 14.6 years lower for women than those living in the most affluent communities in the county (Taylor, 2015). Statistics and findings for small, localised pockets of deprivation in rural areas are noted to often be lost in the average for the wider area (Curtis, 2004), therefore it is imperative that the needs of these smaller, more deprived areas are highlighted and acted upon
Topography of the Cuvette Centrale peat deposits
Get PDFThe Cuvette Centrale in the Congo Basin stores close to 29.0 petagrams of carbon, and preserving it requires knowledge of its topography – a domed structure is an indicator of rain-fed peat. The dense forest prevents most usual ground-based and remote sensing techniques, so a mixture of UAV-based LiDAR combined with ICESat-2 satellite LiDAR and classification techniques were used to estimate the peat shape
Born into the troublesome, living in the liminal: navigating boundaries to transform realities
Get PDFIn this inaugural lecture, Professor Amanda Taylor Beswick invites you to accompany her on a journey through the pivotal experiences that have supported her actualisation, those that have shaped the where, why’s and how’s of her work and approaches. Beginning with the context, which is reflected in the prologue of Amanda's doctoral thesis, where she outlines how “Spending the formative years of my life in the ‘Troubled Northern Ireland’ (Kapur and Campbell, 2005), a socialising experience peppered with conflict, left her with a less than normative view of difference. Difference, in that context, was used divisively, leading to a form of ‘othering’ (McManus, 2017, p.412) that posed a risk to anyone brave enough to present a challenge. Conformity prevailed over choice and choice came in two forms. It was Amanda's inability to choose, her refusal to conform and her search for coequality that eventually led to a career in social work.” Even though Amanda spent early life, with a friend from ‘across the divide’, conjuring up ways to stop ‘The Troubles’ her professional trajectory began with her ‘falling into’ or so she once thought, community mental health work, and thereafter progressing through roles as a social work practitioner, educator, academic, researcher, and now, as a Professor. Each transition has brought challenges, opportunities, and new curiosities, and has accumulated into her work today, where she examines various digital intersections. All of which has, and continues to enrich her thinking, in particular about the intricate interplay between context, individuals, rights, and opportunities. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and practical engagement, Amanda continues to bear witness to the potentialities and perils of the ‘new’ context, including the often uncritical implementation of technology into everyday life, education, and professional practices. Thus, amidst this digital evolution, Amanda remains steadfast in her commitment to fostering relational and transformative education and professional practices. Experiences that pay attention to the ‘intra’ and the ‘inter’ personal, and to the intended and unintended consequences of new technologies by the various ‘actors’ and potential ‘actants’ operating within this space. Amanda will also share insights gleaned from her research and empirical observations, illuminating the inescapable need to accept and embrace technology into our lives, education, and professional practices, while also acknowledging the inherent conflicts, and the threat they pose to hard won rights. It remains Amanda's view, that as our future, it is imperative that we equip students with the critical thinking skills necessary to thriving and surviving in this new iteration of our world, while also supporting them to maintain a deep sense of social responsibility, for the self, and for every single other. Because ‘inaction, as well as action is a choice. If we choose to do nothing, and we decided to default to our traditional ways and discard the promise of technological change for fear, say, of rocking the boat, then this is a decision for which the later generations can hold us responsible’ (Susskind and Susskind, 2015: 307). Amanda warmly welcomes your active engagement and spirited discourse, to reflect on and traverse the intersecting realms of social sciences, technology, and education, and our collective responsibilities going forward.
The University of Cumbria's Professor Amanda Taylor-Beswick is a digital social scientist whose research interests and work spans a range of socio-technological intersections. Amanda is a qualified social worker by background, with extensive practice experience in psychiatric social work and social work with d/Deaf children and their families. Through these practice experiences, Amanda developed a curiosity about how advancements in technologies could and should be harnessed for social good. Progressing into academia, this became focused on the contemporisation and real-world relevancy of higher education, with a particular emphasis on professional disciplines and how relational curriculum design, content, delivery, and assessment supports graduate preparedness for an increasingly digitally saturated world. As a multi award-winning and internationally published academic recognised for leading critical and ethical discourse regarding social work and digitalisation, Amanda is a leader in the development of pedagogic approaches that support the progression of digital knowledge and literacies for academics, students, and practitioners
Eriskay - a photographic study
No full textRob Sara, senior lecturer in photography at the University of Cumbria, UK, exhibited his work on the island of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides. The aim of the study is to document photographically the traces of historical and abandoned dwellings, the legacy of crofting culture, increased contemporary development, economic change and the rich social identity that Eriskay has. This study aims to present an informed and engaging portrait of the Island, the people, their lives and the land to which they are bonded. It is an ongoing and continually developing project, mainly because the community on Eriskay have supported it and are inspired by it. Residents are instrumental in shaping its direction and content. The project is collaborative at its heart and socially engaged in its practice. Recent discussions have identified areas which are still to be explored and centre around what is missing. Initiatives are in the pipeline too, to engage with younger audiences through workshops and photography projects, using this study as a framework on how meaningful reflections on the environments and culture can be created. Rob is motivated by the fact that his father spent time on Eriskay as a 17-year-old in 1958 and made a social and geographical survey which was seminal in directing his life’s path, interests, career and that of Rob’s family too. Returning 64 years later Rob has made a photographic response to another a time of change, following the building of the causeway and as a new outward looking identity is being explored in the development of the old Eriskay school into a Heritage Centre
From education into hospitality: inspiring future talent in universities
No full textAngela Anthonisz, principal lecturer in Tourism at the University of Cumbria, UK, was invited to speak at the prestigious UK Hospitality Workforce and Skills event on 26 February in London. Her talk highlighted the crucial role of education in shaping the future of the hospitality industry. The conference is a full day that brings members of UK Hospitality together to share their experiences, learn from each other and receive updates on the workforce and skills landscape. Angela expressed her excitement about the event, stating, “I am very pleased and proud to be representing the university and to talk about how Cumbria is supporting the visitor economy to recruit, retain, and develop their staff in a rapidly changing and increasingly challenging business environment.” The University of Cumbria currently offers a level 6 degree that supports management skills and workforce development in Cumbria working with a wide range of industry partners for example Cumbria Tourism and the Lake District Hotels Association to promote Cumbria as a destination for careers in the Visitor Economy. The University's new BA (Hons) Tourism and Visitor Economy Management (to run from September 2026) will offer assessed placements for students in every year of the programme. This has been developed to align with the university's place-based strategy and designed in partnership with local industry to ensure that the skills needed to pursue a career in industry are included. The UNESCO SDG’s and digital capability have also been embedded into the programme content