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Article
Publication date: 9 October 2019

Robert J. Snowden, Jordan Holt, Nicola Simkiss, Aimee Smith, Daniel Webb and Nicola S. Gray

Wales Applied Risk Research Network (WARRN) is a formulation-based technique for the assessment and management of serious risk (e.g. violence to others, suicide, etc.) for users…

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Abstract

Purpose

Wales Applied Risk Research Network (WARRN) is a formulation-based technique for the assessment and management of serious risk (e.g. violence to others, suicide, etc.) for users of mental health services. It has been gradually adopted as the risk evaluation and safety-planning technique for all seven health boards in Wales. The purpose of this paper is to examine the opinions of WARRN as used within these health boards.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was disseminated to NHS clinicians in secondary mental health services to evaluate their perceptions of the use and effectiveness of WARRN. Data from 486 clinicians were analysed with both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Findings

Results indicated that the overall impact of WARRN on secondary mental health care was very positive, with clinicians reporting increased skills in the domains of clinical risk formulation, safety-planning and communication, as well as increased confidence in their skills and abilities in these areas. Clinicians also reported that the “common-language” created by having all NHS health boards in Wales using the same risk assessment process facilitated the communication of safety-planning. Crucially, NHS staff believed that the safety of service users and of the general public had increased due to the adoption of WARRN in their health board and many believed that lives had been saved as a result.

Originality/value

WARRN is perceived to have improved clinical skills in risk assessment and safety-planning across Wales and saved lives.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 14 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 October 2019

Nicola S. Gray, Jacqui Tiller and Robert J. Snowden

Wales Applied Risk Research Network (WARRN) is a formulation-based technique for the assessment and management of serious risk (e.g. violence to others, suicide, etc.) for users…

Abstract

Purpose

Wales Applied Risk Research Network (WARRN) is a formulation-based technique for the assessment and management of serious risk (e.g. violence to others, suicide, etc.) for users of mental health services which has been adopted across most Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) across Wales. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was disseminated to National Health Service clinicians in CAMHS to evaluate their perceptions of the use and effectiveness of WARRN. Data from 88 clinicians were analysed with both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Findings

Clinicians reported increased clinical skills, increased confidence in their assessment and management of risk and in safety planning, the increased safety of service users and the general public, and a belief that WARRN had saved lives. The qualitative data showed that clinicians thought a common risk evaluation instrument across Wales and different agencies had created a common language and understanding that improved communication.

Practical implications

WARRN appears well accepted in CAMHS services with the view that it is having a very positive effect on service user well-being and safety and could be implemented in other services.

Originality/value

This is the first report of a formulation-based approach to the management of serious problem behaviours in CAMHS services.

Details

Journal of Forensic Practice, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-8794

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 February 2020

Souâd Taïbi, Nicolas Antheaume and Delphine Gibassier

The purpose of this paper is to first empirically illustrate the construction of accounting for sustainable development tool (Bebbington and Gray, 2001) and, second, to discuss…

1313

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to first empirically illustrate the construction of accounting for sustainable development tool (Bebbington and Gray, 2001) and, second, to discuss the operationalization of accounting for sustainable development (Bebbington and Larrinaga, 2014).

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on a unique intervention-research approach, the main author having worked part-time for four years on the development of the tool for a business organization in the organic food sector.

Findings

This paper proposes an operationalization of sustainable development within an accounting tool and presents the results of the calculations. It also touches briefly upon the organization’s decision not to adopt the tool. The research concludes on the difficulty of operationalizing the economic, social and environmental capitals while proposing results that demonstrate “unsustainability”.

Practical implications

This research in operationalizing sustainable development paves the way for future potential use of the tool described, and future developments to address the model’s current shortcomings, notably in interconnecting social and economic capitals with natural capital.

Social implications

The non-adoption of the accounting tool raises questions about the acceptability among practitioners of visualizing the unsustainability of their own organization, in particular within “green” and “socially responsible” businesses. Moreover, it raises the question of growth and decoupling of the organization’s impact from its economic growth.

Originality/value

This paper makes three contributions to the current literature. First, it furthers the discussion on how to operationalize accounting for sustainable development, notably by trying to implement capital as a liability (a debt), placing its “maintenance” at the very heart of the design. Second, it offers an initial operationalization of “system thinking” within a tool to account for sustainable development. Finally, it contributes to the literature on “engagement research” through a four-year intervention-research project.

Details

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, vol. 11 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8021

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 May 2022

Nicola Roberts

Given their young age, students are at a heightened risk of violent victimisation. Yet few studies have considered students’ perceptions of safety and the impact of these, on a…

Abstract

Purpose

Given their young age, students are at a heightened risk of violent victimisation. Yet few studies have considered students’ perceptions of safety and the impact of these, on a British university campus. The purpose of this research was to close this gap.

Design/methodology/approach

From late 2019–2020, using an online university wide survey, data was gathered over a three-month period from 550 students studying at a university in the north of England on “city” campuses about their perceptions of safety and security on-campus.

Findings

Students, particularly women students, felt unsafe on the university campuses because of poor lighting, limited CCTV, security patrols and the presences of others. They felt unsafe in and around teaching buildings, moving around the campuses and in transport locations.

Research limitations/implications

The response rate of the survey was 6%. Consequently, the findings are not representative of the wider student population on the campuses.

Practical implications

Campus Security should consider enhancing surveillance on the campuses.

Social implications

Students, particularly women, limited the time they spent on-campus studying because they felt unsafe. Their choices about when and how to engage in their university education were therefore restricted.

Originality/value

This study addresses the gap in research on students’ perceptions of safety and the impact of these, on a British university campus. In doing so, it forefronts the responsibility of higher education institutions to enhance students’ safety, including their perceptions of safety, on-campus.

Details

Safer Communities, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-8043

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 September 2020

Nicola J. Gray, Didier Jourdan and Janet E. McDonagh

The reopening of schools during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is full of challenges for families, which are heightened for children and young people (CYP) who live with chronic…

Abstract

Purpose

The reopening of schools during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is full of challenges for families, which are heightened for children and young people (CYP) who live with chronic illnesses. This paper aims to offer a framework to support the successful return of CYP with chronic illnesses to school using appropriate intersectoral strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on research data on the impact of school closure on CYP with chronic illness and emerging findings of global research about their lives during the pandemic. It is also informed by the perspectives of practitioners in the field, who are working with these CYP and their families.

Findings

A framework based on three different strategies for a successful return is established. A small but significant group of CYP living with conditions such as cancer will not yet return and will need ongoing home education provision. CYP with well-controlled symptoms of chronic illness will benefit from school routines and socialization with peers. CYP with poorly controlled illness will need close supervision and individual plans. All groups will benefit from better intersectoral working across education and health and from recent rapid developments in hybrid learning models and telemedicine.

Originality/value

This viewpoint highlights the need for a strategic approach to the return to school of CYP with chronic illness that goes well beyond classifying them as vulnerable students. This group of CYP is already at risk of lower educational attainment, so widening inequalities must be halted. This paper provides a framework for anchoring local intersectoral approaches adapted to the different situations of CYP.

Details

Journal of Children's Services, vol. 15 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-6660

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 June 2021

Nicola J. Gray and Didier Jourdan

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, schools closed in haste and were expected to create virtual learning opportunities for their students while they waited to see when and how they…

Abstract

Purpose

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, schools closed in haste and were expected to create virtual learning opportunities for their students while they waited to see when and how they might re-open. National governments issued reopening guidance at varying speeds. The purpose of this study was to invite health and education professionals to share what was happening in their country about school reopening in terms of the features and implications of the guidance issued.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study. Initial interviews informed a semi-structured questionnaire distributed through the global community of UNESCO Chair ‘Global Health and Education’ and partner organisations. Its aim was to collect, analyse and share globally relevant knowledge and practices about school reopening.

Findings

There were 192 useable responses from 43 countries and territories and 1 multi-country region. 20 of these, mainly in the Global North, had received reopening guidance, 23 were still waiting and 1 had not closed its schools. Guidance prioritised public health measures like social distancing, with less emphasis on education impacts. Success came from partnerships between schools, families and local authorities, consistent guidance and enough time and resources for implementation. Fear of infection led to significant absenteeism among students and staff. Respondents waiting for guidance, mainly in the Global South, shared similar concerns and expectations.

Originality/value

Describing first-hand practices and perspectives of health and education professionals from diverse countries and territories about reopening schools.

Details

Health Education, vol. 122 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 September 2024

Manuel Fernández Chulián, Nicolas Garcia-Torea, Carlos Larrinaga and Jan Bebbington

The study investigates how sustainability reporting constructs a narrative about an organization that provides its members with a reality they can accept, with the consequence of…

Abstract

Purpose

The study investigates how sustainability reporting constructs a narrative about an organization that provides its members with a reality they can accept, with the consequence of producing organizational stability.

Design/methodology/approach

The article reports a research engagement concerning the “backstage” of sustainability reporting in one Spanish savings bank, which the researchers engaged with for more than three years.

Findings

The article describes how sustainability reporting operates as a boundary object occupying the space between the organization’s loosely coupled systems and facilitating the cooperation of members with different interpretations of the organization. Different translations of discourses and actions ensure that the sustainability report conveys a ductile narrative that can be tailored to specific interpretations. At the same time, the editing inherent in sustainability reporting ensures that any narrative that may challenge the organization’s dominant perspective is ignored and marginalized. In this way, sustainability reporting produces a discourse that inscribes a narrative of the organization and eventually ensures organizational inertia.

Research limitations/implications

The article highlights the relevance of investigating sustainability reports by exploring the backstage of their production rather than solely the final document.

Originality/value

In contrast to prior research that has been concerned with exploring the extent to which sustainability reporting is associated with organizational change, this study applies different lenses to show how and why sustainability reporting is implicated in the construction of the organization and the maintenance of its stability and inertia.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2020

José Francisco Villarreal Valderrama, Luis Takano, Eduardo Liceaga-Castro, Diana Hernandez-Alcantara, Patricia Del Carmen Zambrano-Robledo and Luis Amezquita-Brooks

Aircraft pitch control is fundamental for the performance of micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). The purpose of this paper is to establish a simple experimental procedure to calibrate…

Abstract

Purpose

Aircraft pitch control is fundamental for the performance of micro aerial vehicles (MAVs). The purpose of this paper is to establish a simple experimental procedure to calibrate pitch instrumentation and classical control algorithms. This includes developing an efficient pitch angle observer with optimal estimation and evaluating controllers under uncertainty and external disturbances.

Design/methodology/approach

A wind tunnel test bench is designed to simulate fixed-wing aircraft dynamics. Key elements of the instrumentation commonly found in MAVs are characterized in a gyroscopic test bench. A data fusion algorithm is calibrated to match the gyroscopic test bench measurements and is then integrated into the autopilot platform. The elevator-angle to pitch-angle dynamic model is obtained experimentally. Two different control algorithms, based on model-free and model-based approaches, are designed. These controllers are analyzed in terms of parametric uncertainties due to wind speed variations and external perturbation because of sudden weight distribution changes. A series of experimental tests is performed in wind-tunnel facilities to highlight the main features of each control approach.

Findings

With regard to the instrumentation algorithms, a simple experimental methodology for the design of optimal pitch angle observer is presented and validated experimentally. In the context of the platform design and identification, the similitude among the theoretical and experimental responses shows that the platform is suitable for typical pitch control assessment. The wind tunnel experiments show that a fixed linear controller, designed using classical frequency domain concepts, is able to provide adequate responses in scenarios that approximate the operation of MAVs.

Research limitations/implications

The aircraft orientation observer can be used for both pitch and roll angles. However, for simultaneousyaw angle estimation the proposed design method requires further research. The model analysis considers a wind speed range of 6-18 m/s, with a nominal operation of 12 m/s. The maximum experimentally tested reference for the pitch angle controller was 20°. Further operating conditions may require more complex control approaches (e.g. scheduling, non-linear, etc.). However, this operating range is enough for typical MAV missions.

Originality/value

The study shows the design of an effective pitch angle observer, based on a simple experimental approach, which achieved locally optimum estimates at the test conditions. Additionally, the instrumentation and design of a test bench for typical pitch control assessment in wind tunnel facilities is presented. Finally, the study presents the development of a simple controller that provides adequate responses in scenarios that approximate the operation of MAVs, including perturbations that resemble package delivery and parametric uncertainty due to wind speed variations.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 92 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 March 2022

Nicola Evans, Deborah Edwards and Phill Chick

The purpose of this mixed methods rapid study was to identify the barriers and facilitators to implement relational and environmental risk management approaches to manage…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this mixed methods rapid study was to identify the barriers and facilitators to implement relational and environmental risk management approaches to manage suicidality in inpatient services.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this within a short timeframe, a rapid review approach was chosen. Both research (qualitative and quantitative studies) and non-research material (policies, guidance and reports) were retrieved. The review was conducted across five databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMCARE, PsycINFO and CINAHL for English language citations within the last ten years (2009 –2019).

Findings

A total of 17 primary research papers and a further 73 reviews and grey literature were included. There was evidence that the removal of anti-ligature equipment, by which regular checks of the environment to identify and remove ligature points and increased levels of observation are carried out well, reduces suicide in hospital.

Research limitations/implications

There is a gap in research investigating “engagement activities” eliciting exactly what they are and determining how they might be effective. There is a need for new innovative ways for managing risk of suicide in hospitals that bring together meaningful engagement and maintaining safety.

Originality/value

Keeping people safe during an inpatient stay in a mental health service is a core function of mental health practitioners. This paper brings together what is already known about risk management and highlights areas for further investigation.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 17 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 January 2018

Nicolas Boyard, Olivier Christmann, Mickaël Rivette, Olivier Kerbrat and Simon Richir

This paper aims to present a new methodology to optimize the support generation within the fused deposition modeling process.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a new methodology to optimize the support generation within the fused deposition modeling process.

Design/methodology/approach

Different methods of support generation exist, but they are limited with regards to complex parts. This paper proposes a method dedicated to support generation, integrated into CAD software. The objective is to minimize the volume of support and its impact on a part’s surface finish. Two case studies illustrate the methodology. The support generation is based on an octree’s discretization of the part.

Findings

The method represents a first solid step in the support optimization for a reasonable calculation time. It has the advantage of being virtually automatic. The only tasks to be performed by the designer are to place the part to be studied with respect to the CAD reference and to give the ratio between the desired support volume and the maximum volume of support.

Research limitations/implications

In the case studies, a low gain in manufacturing time was observed. This is explained by the honeycomb structure of the support generated by a common slicing software, whereas the proposed method uses a “full” structure. It would be interesting to study the feasibility of an optimized support, with a honeycomb structure but with a preservation of the surface which is in contact with the part.

Originality/value

This solution best fits the needs of the designer and manufacturer already taking advantage of existing solutions. It is adaptable to any part if the withdrawal of support is taken into account. It also allows the designer to validate the generation of support throughout the CAD without breaking the digital chain.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

Keywords

1 – 10 of 588