26729 research outputs found
Sort by
Mentorship in practice: what to expect and how to build a successful mentoring relationship [Editorial]
No full textFollowing the first editorial in the August issue of JVSGBI,1 which outlined the value of structured mentorship in vascular surgery, this second editorial highlights what participants can expect from a mentorship programme and the core principles of starting an effective mentoring relationship, using the VSGBI mentorship programme as an example
Examining 10 reasons to stay in the European Convention on Human Rights: informing public debate in the UK
No full text2025 marks two significant anniversaries: the 75th year of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and 25 years since the Human Rights Act (HRA) gave legal effect to the Convention in the UK. This year has also seen proposals made by Reform UK and the Conservative Party to take the UK out of the ECHR, a step no democracy has ever taken. The pro-withdrawal narrative has been amplified in media reporting which, analysis reveals, is overwhelmingly negative about the ECHR and HRA and dominated by often inaccurate or misleading reporting of the purported impact of the ECHR on immigration control. This report identifies and examines 10 reasons why the UK should stay in the ECHR, and addresses the counterarguments, based on a comprehensive review of evidence derived from a wide range of sources. These include the everyday practice of public authorities, UK law and constitutional arrangements, case law of UK courts and the European Court of Human Rights, UK and Council of Europe institutional arrangements, UK domestic and foreign policy, international treaties including the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement as well as post-Brexit agreements, and academic and other expert literature
An exploration of registered mental health nurses (RMNs) perceptions of restrictive practices in forensic men’s medium secure services
No full textPurpose: Many aspects of men’s forensic medium secure hospitals involve containment and control of the patients, who are considered a risk to themselves and others. This entails the use of a range of restrictive measures. However, use of restrictive practices is a prevalent concern impacting not only the recovery of individuals admitted in Men’s Forensic Medium Secure Services but also the wellbeing of the staff members. The purpose of this study was to research the perceptions of Registered Mental Health Nurses (RMN), with regards to restrictive practices in men’s medium secure services. The aim was to situate the RMN staff, as the primary source of knowledge to gain an understanding of concerns regarding the implementation of restrictive practice derived from experience.
Methods: Thirteen semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group comprising of six participants were conducted with individuals who were identified as RMNs, permanently employed within a men’s medium secure hospital, and who had worked for at least six months in this position. The study excluded all RMNs who were directly managed by the researcher, to avoid bias. A descriptive phenomenological approach was used because not much was known about RMNs’ perceptions on restrictive practices. Data was analysed using qualitative thematic analysis to gain insight into the issues. The focus group discussion was used to validate (and expand on) the data from interview transcripts.
Main Findings: Five superordinate themes emerged from the RMN’s narratives and the focus group discussion; RMNs’ understandings of restrictive practices, the significance of care and control and the tension between those aspects of the work, negotiable and non-negotiable restrictive practices, the importance of RMNs’ experience, and unwanted and unexpected effects. These themes reflect the RMNs perceptions and experience of restrictive practice in forensic men’s medium secure services and highlight some of the tensions and contradictory demands on how they implemented restrictive measures.
Conclusions: The findings reflected RMNs’ reports of the benefits and hindrances of restrictive practices in forensic men’s medium secure services, and the impact of restrictive practice on delivering quality patient care. They also highlight the inconsistent nature of restrictive practices in different wards. The study supports current recommendations that the services should encourage restrictive practices to be used as a last resort; but findings indicate also the need to review and revise current policy and practice to take account of the realities of ward cultures and the impact of staff capacity and resources on the aim of reducing the use of restrictive approaches. The findings also highlighted the need for further development of supportive frameworks and training to enable RMNs to manage restrictive practices more effectively. Future research directions are also discussed
The everyday advocacy work of the baby room leader
Get PDFThere is a growing body of literature on leadership and leadership development across the early years (EY) sector. EY leadership research so far has tended to focus on positional leadership demonstrated by setting managers or preschool room leaders. There is a notable gap in our understanding of the role of the Baby Room Leader (BRL), leading practice for birth to two year olds, and how leadership can be developed in this specific context. Drawing on a design workshop with BRLs and nursery managers, as well as five follow-up semi-structured interviews with BRLs, this article offers an insight into the role of the BRL with a particular focus on everyday advocacy. The article presents four advocacy themes in baby room leadership. These are 1) highlighting and understanding the impact of baby room practice, 2) sharing passion for working with babies, 3) advocating professional development specific to the baby room and 4) challenging discourses and stereotypes surrounding those who work in the baby room. These themes represent both current realities in baby room leadership and opportunities for future development and mobilisation
Asymmetry during landing impacts following jumps with aerial rotation in collegiate men’s basketball players
No full textThis project explored whether a) landing performances and b) impact force asymmetries were different during countermovement jump (CMJ) landings with leftward versus rightward aerial rotation in 19 collegiate men’s basketball players. Replicated single-subject analyses were performed to identify differences that were both statistically significant and important for each individual. CMJ landing performance and loading, attenuation, and control phase durations were compared, while interlimb vertical ground reaction forces (GRF) were compared during each phase of CMJ landings with leftward and rightward rotations, respectively, using the model statistic and coefficient of variation techniques. The model statistic provided random chance probability (α = 0.05). The coefficient of variation provided whether differences exceeded the largest amount of variation from each limb or rotation direction. The bilateral asymmetry index (BAI; difference between dominant and non-dominant limbs divided by sum of the two limbs) was also calculated. Statistically significant (model statistic results) and important (coefficient of variation results) differences in landing performance were detected between rotation conditions in four participants. Most participants did not display significant and important asymmetries for the changes of vertical GRF during any phase of CMJ landings with leftward nor rightward rotations. Large amounts of intra-individual variation seem to be an influential factor for these results, as basketball players seem to have unrefined landing strategies that could require targeted training. Because the BAI values reached as high as ± 531% without coinciding with significant and important asymmetry, researchers and practitioners may need to reevaluate the way in which asymmetry indices are interpreted
Beyond novelty and growth: a virtue ethics enquiry into fashion entrepreneurs’ responsible and harmonising practices towards sustainability
Get PDFA growing number of small fashion entrepreneurs seek to offer an alternative to the mainstream fashion industry, which, in
its obsession with novelty and growth, often ignores the costs to society and the environment. There is a need to develop a deeper understanding of how these fashion entrepreneurs may be agents for change in their industry. Using rich data from an in-depth study of 27 UK-based entrepreneurs, we offer such analysis, drawing on a novel framework that combines MacIntyre’s virtue ethics scheme and Jonas’s responsibility imperative. We identify key virtues—passionate commitment, authenticity, humility, sharing and empowering, and temperance—which shape the entrepreneurs’ practices in line with their accepted and perceived responsibility for sustainability. These virtues shape the entrepreneurial processes that seek an active negotiation and harmonisation of sustainability and the demands of business. In particular, we pay attention to the different ways in which fashion entrepreneurs take responsibility for sustainability which ranges from a ‘growth for impact’
strategy to staying small and seeking impact through influence and replication. Conclusions are drawn on conceptualising the varieties of ‘postgrowth entrepreneurship’ that aligns the virtues of a deep-rooted sense of responsibility with business goals. This shows what can be possible and prefigures an alternative fashion industry
What makes a legislator promote or thwart trade liberalization in developing democracies?
No full textThis paper investigates how ideological polarization and constituency factors influence legislators' voting behaviour on Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). We explore the Chilean case, where trade policy has recently become highly politicized, to test three key relationships. First, right-wing legislators are more likely to champion FTAs when trade becomes a highly politicized issue. Conversely, when trade is less politically
salient, right-wing legislators are less likely to vote favourably for FTAs. Second, legislators representing regions with a high concentration of workers in tradable sectors are less likely to support trade liberalization, as it can put jobs at risk in their districts
Predicting London’s precipitation: a spatio-temporal neural network approach
No full textThis study presents a data-driven approach to forecasting total precipitation in London using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) within a spatio-temporal framework. Leveraging ERA5 data from 2010 to 2025, the methodology includes automated NetCDF extraction, feature engineering with lagged precipitation and cyclic time encodings, and dimensionality reduction via a trained Autoencoder. The ANN, designed in a GenCast-style architecture, was trained using the Adam optimiser over 50 epochs and achieved strong performance. SHAP analysis highlighted the importance of lag features and seasonal time variables, enhancing interpretability and supporting the model’s application in urban flood risk management and climate resilience
Longitudinal exploration of the role of external finance in helping SMEs achieve growth, higher productivity and potential in relation to their transition to net zero
No full textThis report investigates the determinants of SME growth and productivity in the UK, drawing on data from the Longitudinal Small Business Survey (LSBS) from 2020 to 2023. The analysis identifies three interrelated domains that significantly influence SME performance: business capacity and strategic orientation, innovation access to external finance, and environmental engagement.
Firm size, age, sector, and planning practices are strongly associated with growth ambition and productivity. Firms with employees, formal business plans, and separate premises are more likely to pursue expansion and achieve higher output per employee. Sectoral differences are also evident, with production and construction firms outperforming service-oriented businesses.
Access to external finance plays a stabilising role in SME performance. Firms that secured finance were more resilient during economic downturns and more likely to maintain employment and turnover levels. However, finance was more often used to sustain operations than to drive growth, suggesting that financial support mechanisms must be better aligned with expansion objectives.
Environmental engagement is positively correlated with both growth ambition and productivity. Firms offering solutions to environmental challenges and prioritising sustainability goals tend to perform better. Nonetheless, the adoption of energy efficiency measures remains limited, and motivations are primarily economic rather than environmental. Awareness of energy-saving schemes is uneven, particularly among lower-productivity firms.
These findings underscore the need for integrated policy approaches that support SME growth, improve access to finance, and promote sustainability. Tailored interventions should address structural barriers, enhance strategic planning, and ensure that financial and environmental support mechanisms are accessible and impactful across the SME landscape
Retour sur les éléments clés de la rédaction de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme
No full textThe importance of the peoples of the Global South in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has not received sufficient attention. Countries like Haiti and India, and African-American activists, made a significant contribution in the early years of human rights activity within the United Nations