Search results
1 – 10 of 12Wouter Stassen, Petra Habets, Astrid Mertens, Jan De laender and Inge Jeandarme
In Belgium approximately a quarter of forensic psychiatric patients reside within penitentiaries instead of treatment facilities. This situation has yielded the Belgian government…
Abstract
Purpose
In Belgium approximately a quarter of forensic psychiatric patients reside within penitentiaries instead of treatment facilities. This situation has yielded the Belgian government several convictions from the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg. In an attempt to facilitate admissions from penitentiary to psychiatric hospital, the Forensic Department of the psychiatric hospital in Rekem (OPZC Rekem), has piloted the InReach project. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The objective of this project is to engage a psychiatric nurse on the ward in pretherapeutic and motivational activities on a regular basis in the penitentiary for vulnerable groups of forensic psychiatric patients, forming a bridge between penitentiary and hospital. The InReach project even considers patients who have no desire to leave the penitentiary (e.g. due to their psychiatric profile). A motivational approach is used to support these patients in making the transition from penitentiary to hospital.
Findings
The current article describes the focus of the InReach project (procedures and InReach candidate profiles) together with the first impressions of the progress that has been made by the InReach project. In addition two case studies of InReach patients are presented. The InReach project is clearly needed in Belgium and because of its success it has been extended to another penitentiary. It is probable the two other medium-security wards will also be included in the project in the near future.
Originality/value
The Belgian government has received several convictions from the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg because a substantial number of forensic psychiatric patients reside within penitentiaries instead of treatment facilities. The InReach project presented in this paper is clearly needed in Belgium and was implemented to initiate and facilitate the transition from penitentiaries to treatment facilities. The need for this type of project is reflected in the number of forensic psychiatric patients that reside within a penitentiary and that are not able or willing to make the transition to a treatment facility because of their psychiatric profile.
Details
Keywords
In this piece, the author invokes Beck’s (1997) conception of “zombie categories” to discuss how the virus of neoliberalism has infected ideas and key actors within a highly…
Abstract
In this piece, the author invokes Beck’s (1997) conception of “zombie categories” to discuss how the virus of neoliberalism has infected ideas and key actors within a highly stratified teaching community in Malaysia. Drawing from the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the author employs a zombie metaphor as a heuristic to trace the stages of a neoliberal apocalypse. The author first considers how neoliberal ideologies have mutated into a new strain of virus that have infiltrated the teaching landscape by comparing teachers employed by the Ministry of Education against teachers who have been recruited by Teach For Malaysia in the public schooling system. The author then explores how sources of zombification have contaminated actors using governmentality (Foucault, 1991) through intensification, corporatization, marketization, metricization, and performativity. This is followed by an attempt to construct a survival response to the apocalypse by suggesting how specific neoliberal competencies are coveted and the implications behind it. Finally, the author outlines how the forces of neoliberalism engender a crisis in education that mirrors a zombie culture of breeding a contagion that could widen existing educational inequalities and inequities. The author concludes by offering a tentative containment plan that considers existing alongside this neoliberal virus that refuses to die.
Details
Keywords
Lynne Mitchell and Elizabeth Burton
This paper summarises research funded by the EPSRC EQUAL programme from 2000 to 2003 to examine how neighbourhoods could be made dementia‐friendly. Design for dementia generally…
Abstract
This paper summarises research funded by the EPSRC EQUAL programme from 2000 to 2003 to examine how neighbourhoods could be made dementia‐friendly. Design for dementia generally focuses on the internal environment of dementia care homes and facilities, but most people with dementia live at home. Unless they are able to use their local neighbourhoods safely, they are likely to become effectively housebound. There is also increasing awareness of the role the outdoor environment plays in the health, independence, well‐being and cognitive function of people with dementia. The research defined dementia‐friendly neighbourhoods as welcoming, safe, easy and enjoyable for people with dementia and others to access, visit, use and find their around. It identified six design principles: familiarity, legibility, distinctiveness, accessibility, comfort and safety. A number of recommendations for designing and adapting neighbourhoods to be dementia‐friendly arose from the research.
Details
Keywords
Elmond Bandauko and Godwin Arku
Doing qualitative research with vulnerable urban populations such as street traders present significant methodological challenges, which many researchers may not be prepared to…
Abstract
Purpose
Doing qualitative research with vulnerable urban populations such as street traders present significant methodological challenges, which many researchers may not be prepared to handle. This paper aims to provide a reflective account of the authors' fieldwork experiences while conducting a study with street traders in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws data from a qualitative case study conducted with street traders in Harare's Central Business District (CBD). In this study, mixed qualitative methods were used including focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews and photovoice.
Findings
The study’s findings suggest that researching street traders is a complex process that requires flexibility, adaptability and creativity of researchers across the following aspects: gaining access in unfamiliar research contexts, building rapport and trust with participants, managing ethical dilemmas and addressing power imbalances between researchers and participants.
Originality/value
While there is a growing body of empirical research on street trading in the global south, there are limited studies that discusses the practical fieldwork experiences associated with conducting primary research with such vulnerable and dynamic urban populations. The authors highlight strategies and practical steps that can be taken to address these challenges. This paper emphasizes the need for flexibility and adaptability in researching street traders, as it is akin to exploring uncharted territories where conventional methodological templates may not be effective.
Details
Keywords
Lynne Mitchell and Elizabeth Burton
Design for dementia has, to date, focused on the internal, generally institutional environment of care homes and dementia care facilities. Yet the majority of older people with…
Abstract
Design for dementia has, to date, focused on the internal, generally institutional environment of care homes and dementia care facilities. Yet the majority of older people with dementia live at home, around one third of these on their own. Unless outdoor environments are designed to help older people with dementia continue to use their local neighbourhoods they will become effectively housebound. This paper presents the findings of a three‐year research project conducted by the WISE (Wellbeing in Sustainable Environments) research unit of the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development at Oxford Brookes University. The researchers were funded by the EPSRC EQUAL initiative to examine how the outside environment could be made dementia friendly. This unprecedented research investigated the perceptions, experiences and use of the outdoor environment by older people with dementia and identified design factors that influence their ability to successfully use and negotiate their local neighbourhoods. The research found that dementia‐friendly outdoor environments are places that are familiar, legible, distinctive, accessible, comfortable and safe. The findings have enabled the researchers to provide some preliminary recommendations for designers, at all scales from urban design to the design of street furniture, on the criteria to consider in developing dementia‐friendly urban areas.
Details
Keywords
Edoé Djimitri Agbodjan, Mawuli Couchoro and Germain Lankoande
Abstract
Details
Keywords
David Bamford and Benjamin Dehe
The purpose of this paper is to report on aspects of service quality at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, from a rather unusual perspective, the athletes. To date there has been…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on aspects of service quality at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, from a rather unusual perspective, the athletes. To date there has been little evidence captured about athlete’s satisfaction at sporting events, and specifically about their perceptions of the service quality provided.
Design/methodology/approach
Unique “full” access to the London 2012 Paralympics allowed to the collection of data directly from the athletes. The study reports the questionnaire findings from a sample of 250 respondents.
Findings
From this study an operational assessment and performance framework has been generated composed of ten criteria and 73 items or sub-criteria, which can be used as a benchmarking tool to plane, design and compare future sport mega-event. Moreover, the study evidence based the high quality of the 2012 Paralympics Games, as he athletes rated, on a five point Likert scale, 64 items in the “very satisfied” category, a very positive set of feedback for the Games organisers.
Research limitations/implications
The methodology applied was appropriate, generating data to facilitate discussion and draw specific conclusions from. A perceived limitation is the single case approach; however, this can be enough to add to the body of knowledge where very little evidence has been captured so far and where the objectives were to explore the Paralympics games service quality and performance.
Practical implications
This research provides a tangible evidence base to support future sport event decision makers, planners and designers in this highly complex “arena”. In any system there are always areas for improvement, these are highlighted within the paper for further investigation.
Originality/value
This is the first paper to identify and synthesize aspects of sport mega event service quality from the athletes viewpoint and informs how well designed, organised and managed the London 2012 Games were from a primary user perspective. The paper makes a defined contribution by developing evidence based recommendations for this important yet under researched area.
Details
Keywords
Paul J. Kitchin, Juan Luis Paramio-Salcines, Simon Darcy and Geoff Walters
The aim of this paper is to synthesise existing literature on sports stadia, spectators with disabilities (SwD) and accessibility to identify themes and to highlight the gaps in…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to synthesise existing literature on sports stadia, spectators with disabilities (SwD) and accessibility to identify themes and to highlight the gaps in the literature. This review subsequently develops two propositions that will enable research in this emerging area to further develop.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was guided by two research questions: First, what does the peer reviewed evidence tell us about SwD and the accessibility of sporting stadia?; Second, how can this information be used to develop a Stadium Accessibility Scale (SAS)? The authors conducted a rapid review of the literature across three databases that identified 34 papers for synthesis.
Findings
The synthesis revealed three research themes: a focus on legislative compliance, the need to enhance resources (both physical and human) and research that focusses on moving beyond the stadium experience. The latter can be subdivided into two streams – studies that look at accessibility as a social legacy of major events and studies that seek to understand the whole journey that SwD's must make to attend sport events.
Research limitations/implications
The study makes two key recommendations. The first is to encourage further research aligned to the HOPES framework (Paramio-Salcines et al., 2016) that explicitly recognises the importance of understanding the broader approach to the customer experience. The second is the need for the development and validation of a reliable SAS.
Originality/value
Greater accessibility provides a foundation for inclusive environments in sport. The findings are relevant for all stakeholders in sport as universal accessibility benefits more than people with disabilities.
Details
Keywords
Liam MacGabhann, Simon Dunne, Paddy McGowan and Michaela Amering
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the usefulness of the first Trialogue Meetings throughout Ireland for individuals from mental health communities by using a participatory…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the usefulness of the first Trialogue Meetings throughout Ireland for individuals from mental health communities by using a participatory action research (PAR) framework.
Design/methodology/approach
Seven communities participated in monthly Trialogue Meetings as a community-based PAR project. A mixed-methods PAR evaluation was performed on data from 48 participants (service users, service providers, family members/friends and interested community members) who participated in the final Trialogue Meetings.
Findings
Participants identified that Trialogue increased knowledge/awareness of mental health, irrespective of gender, mental health role, age or employment status. Trialogue Meetings provided a supportive environment for many, where men may be comfortable talking and where service providers may benefit from exposure to broader perspectives on mental health. Participants also perceived that Trialogue Meetings deconstructed pre-existing mental health power structures, allowed them to understand mental health from different perspectives and express themselves better.
Research limitations/implications
The study identifies barriers to Trialogue efficacy such as low service provider engagement and political dynamics extraneous to the meetings themselves.
Practical implications
Where desirable conditions are present, Trialogue Meetings appear to be sustainable community development initiatives where pre-existing mental health power dynamics may be levelled and knowledge/communication surrounding mental health may be enhanced.
Originality/value
This is the first large-scale evaluation of the innovative Trialogue method among mental health stakeholders using a PAR approach.
Details
Keywords
Knut Tore Sælør, Ottar Ness, Marit Borg and Stian Biong
Hope is regarded central to recovery in a broad range of health conditions including mental health and substance use problems. Still the phenomenon, along with its implications to…
Abstract
Purpose
Hope is regarded central to recovery in a broad range of health conditions including mental health and substance use problems. Still the phenomenon, along with its implications to research and practice, has gained limited attention. The purpose of this paper is to explore first-person accounts of how practitioners nurture and inspire hope.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study is part of a larger action research project. Data were collected using in-depth interviews with eight participants. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed applying thematic analysis.
Findings
Hope was perceived as a central phenomenon to practitioners within mental health and substance use services. The following overarching themes were identified through thematic analysis: “Believing in oneself and others,” “Seeing and acknowledging opportunities” and “maneuvering towards hope.”
Research limitations/implications
It seems that there is a need for extending knowledge in how practitioners may inspire hope. In addition there seems to be a need for developing more knowledge on how practitioners’ own hope may be nurtured within a system that is constantly undergoing change and new demands.
Practical implications
Participants considered their own hope as a prerequisite in being able to hope on behalf of others and strategies for inspiring hope were presented on both an individual and system level. Working conditions and challenges within the service system in itself entailed challenges, which at times made nurturing hope difficult. Systems need to embrace flexibility and openness, allowing efforts aimed at inspiring hope to be made. In addition, practitioner’s own hope and the importance of nurturing it, needs to be acknowledged within services. Hope needs to be viewed as a joint venture, in context and in relation to others.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the knowledge base on hope inspiring practices within a field sometimes associated with challenges and despair. It points out some important preconditions in relation to the challenges practitioners might encounter, both on an individual level and in relation to the service system per se.
Details