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1 – 10 of 93Sophie Wood, Annie Williams, Nell Warner, Helen Ruth Hodges, Aimee Cummings and Donald Forrester
Secure children’s homes (SCHs) restrict the liberty of young people considered to be a danger to themselves or others. However, not all young people referred to SCHs find a…
Abstract
Purpose
Secure children’s homes (SCHs) restrict the liberty of young people considered to be a danger to themselves or others. However, not all young people referred to SCHs find a placement, and little is known about the outcomes of the young person after an SCH or alternative placement. The purpose of this paper is to understand which characteristics most likely predict allocation to an SCH placement, and to explore the outcomes of the young people in the year after referral.
Design/methodology/approach
A retrospective electronic cohort study was conducted using linked social care data sets in England. The study population was all young people from England referred to SCHs for welfare reasons between 1st October 2016 to 31st March 2018 (n = 527). Logistic regression tested for differences in characteristics of SCH placement allocation and outcomes in the year after referral.
Findings
In total, 60% of young people referred to an SCH were allocated a place. Factors predicting successful or unsuccessful SCH allocation were previous placement in an SCH (OR = 2.12, p = 0.01); being female (OR = 2.26, p = 0.001); older age (OR = 0.75, p = 0.001); and a history of challenging behaviour (OR = 0.34, p = 0.01). In the year after referral, there were little differences in outcomes between young people placed in a SCH versus alternative accommodation.
Originality/value
The study raised concerns about the capacity of current services to recognise and meet the needs of this complex and vulnerable group of young people and highlights the necessity to explore and evaluate alternatives to SCHs.
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Philip Muir and Carolyn Dunford
Evidence-based practice is a professional standard for occupational therapists, but limited time, resources and knowledge challenge its implementation. This study aims to identify…
Abstract
Purpose
Evidence-based practice is a professional standard for occupational therapists, but limited time, resources and knowledge challenge its implementation. This study aims to identify what free evidence summary sources (FESS) can be found through a simple online search, related to child/youth interventions surrounding cerebral palsy (CP), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental coordination disorder (DCD), mental health or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (MH/ADHD). Evidence summaries share research in concise, time-efficient manners.
Design/methodology/approach
An internet-based scoping review was conducted between February 2022 and July 2022, using Google, and known evidence summary producers. Evidence summaries meeting the inclusion criteria were located and catalogued. Type of agency, target audiences, purpose and distribution of evidence summaries related to diagnosis were identified for each FESS.
Findings
Ten FESS were found, which produced 113 intervention-focused evidence summaries within the past 10 years. These FESS were aimed at a variety of target audiences: service providers, service users, parents/families, researchers and commissioners, and were produced primarily by non-profit/charity organisations (6 of 10) who were trying to fill a gap in evidence. Forty-eight evidence summaries were related to ASD, 34 to CP, 29 to MH/ADHD and two to DCD.
Originality/value
A catalogue of FESS that exist online was produced, to support evidence-based practice for paediatric occupational therapists with limited resources, and may support improved health promotion and informed decision-making for service users. No consistent framework for FESS evidence summaries exists at this time.
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As host to over one million Syrian refugees, Lebanon continues to experience challenges addressing the needs of refugee families. This research examined the experiences of Syrian…
Abstract
Purpose
As host to over one million Syrian refugees, Lebanon continues to experience challenges addressing the needs of refugee families. This research examined the experiences of Syrian families with the refugee support system in Lebanon. The purpose of this study was to better understand the strengths and gaps in existing mechanisms of support for these Syrian families, including informal support from family, neighbors and community and more formalized support provided through entities such as nongovernmental organizations and United Nations agencies.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 46 families displaced by the war and living in Lebanon (N = 351 individuals within 46 families). Collaborative family interviews were conducted with parents, children and often extended family.
Findings
The data identified both strengths and gaps in the refugee support system in Lebanon. Gaps in the refugee support system included inadequate housing, a lack of financial and economic support, challenges with a lack of psychosocial support for pregnant women and support for disabled youth. Despite these challenges, families and community workers reported informal community support as a strong mediator of the challenges in Lebanon. Furthermore, the data find that organizations working with Syrian families are utilizing informal community support through capacity building, to create more effective and sustainable support services.
Originality/value
This study provides an overview of strengths and gaps in supports identified by refugees themselves. The research will inform the development and improvement of better support systems in Lebanon and in other refugee–hosting contexts.
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Lilly Evans, Samantha Fitz-Symonds, Fiona Long, Louise Roberts, Clive Diaz and Shane Powell
Parental advocacy is an emerging area of research and policy interest in Wales and across the UK. Although there is little research in the UK context to date, international…
Abstract
Purpose
Parental advocacy is an emerging area of research and policy interest in Wales and across the UK. Although there is little research in the UK context to date, international research has indicated that parental advocacy can improve the relationship between parent and professional in the field of child protection social work. This paper aims to ascertain how the implementation of a parental advocacy programme supports parents to play a meaningful role in decision-making when children’s services are working with them and their families.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used interviews, surveys and focus groups to obtain qualitative data from 18 parents, seven parent advocates, two advocacy managers and four social workers, to explore the potential impact of parental advocacy on decision-making. The study identified challenges in implementing parental advocacy, particularly relating to awareness of the service. Participants also discussed experiences of the child protection system and how parents are supported by advocates.
Findings
Despite challenges surrounding implementation, initial findings were encouraging, and generated examples of how parental advocacy services have helped parents to understand children’s services and develop relationships of trust with social care professionals. In doing so, this study identified potential mechanisms that may be useful to support future service delivery.
Originality/value
This paper and research is novel as it explores parental advocacy within the Welsh context. Although there has been research conducted into parental advocacy, this has largely come from the USA. This research comes from the evaluation of an innovative and promising parental advocacy scheme in Wales.
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Research highlights that residential care experienced children and young people in Scotland have poorer educational outcomes than their peers within the wider population. Despite…
Abstract
Purpose
Research highlights that residential care experienced children and young people in Scotland have poorer educational outcomes than their peers within the wider population. Despite this, poor educational attainment is not inevitable, and further research is needed to increase the understanding of long-term trajectories. This paper aims to address a gap in contemporary literature that is of benefit to practitioners, academics and policymakers. Despite experiencing adversity, attachment, separation and loss, school attainment data on leaving care only reflects part of the educational journey.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a mixed methodology and social constructionist theoretical framework, a practitioner-led PhD study gathered data from questionnaires and qualitative information from 13 semi-structured interviews with young people who had experienced residential care in Scotland. Recruitment was through a gatekeeper within a national third-sector organisation. The educational trajectories for young people with experience of residential care in Scotland are complex. A lived experience perspective from a PhD study illustrates that statistical data only captures part of the journey and the author needs to reconsider how success is measured.
Findings
Of the 13 participants in the study, 12 achieved success educationally, although for the majority of those interviewed, attainment continued after leaving compulsory education. Barriers to greater success included placement uncertainty and movement, stigma, low expectations, pressure to not become a statistic, procedural obstacles and inconsistency or poor relationships.
Research limitations/implications
Supportive relationships and stable placements can create circumstances conducive to effective learning, but evidence reflects that support is necessary throughout the life course if children, young people and adults with care experience are to reach their full academic potential.
Originality/value
Research into the educational outcomes for those with experience of residential care in Scotland is limited. This paper, from a PhD, provides lived experience accounts from a practitioner-led study.
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This paper aims to illustrate, by means of a content analysis of 278 weekly School Meeting minutes, the ways in which student voice is actualized in one democratic free school in…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to illustrate, by means of a content analysis of 278 weekly School Meeting minutes, the ways in which student voice is actualized in one democratic free school in Germany.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a qualitative content analysis methodology of 278 weekly School Meetings minutes.
Findings
This paper uses Fielding’s (2012) patterns of partnership typology to illustrate what counts as student voice and participation in a democratic free school.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations included being reliant on translations of German texts, some missing minutes from the entire set, the lack of a single author for the minutes (and thus degree of detail differs) and the fact that the School Meeting minutes make reference to other meetings for various sub-committees for which no minutes exist, and thus, findings on the degree of student voice may be limited. And because this is a study of one school, generalizability may be difficult. Future research into these sub-committee meetings would prove helpful as well as content analyses of other democratic free schools’ meeting minutes.
Originality/value
This study can help people more deeply understand what goes on in democratic free schools and what student voice and participation can mean within this context.
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While prior research has established that traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for violent offending, there is little understanding of mechanisms that may underpin this…
Abstract
Purpose
While prior research has established that traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a risk factor for violent offending, there is little understanding of mechanisms that may underpin this relationship. This is problematic, as a better understanding of these mechanisms could facilitate more effective targeting of treatment. This study aims to address these gaps in the extant literature by examining TBI as a predictor of violent offending and test for mediation effects through cognitive constructs of dual systems imbalance and hostility among a sample of justice-involved youth (JIY).
Design/methodology/approach
The Pathways to Desistance data were analyzed. The first three waves of this data set comprising the responses of 1,354 JIY were analyzed. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to test for direct and indirect effects of interest. A bootstrap resampling process was used to compute unbiased standard errors for determining the statistical significance of mediation effects.
Findings
Lifetime experience of TBI was associated with increased violent offending frequency at follow-up. Hostility significantly mediated this relationship, but dual systems imbalance did not. This indicated that programming focused on reducing hostility among JIY who have experienced TBI could aid in reducing violent recidivism rates.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study was the first to identify significant mediation of the relationship between TBI and violent offending through hostility.
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Culture plays a significant role in shaping the decision of the youths to start the new venture, and Vietnam being one of the collectivist societies in Asia, it is critical to…
Abstract
Purpose
Culture plays a significant role in shaping the decision of the youths to start the new venture, and Vietnam being one of the collectivist societies in Asia, it is critical to know whether culture plays any role in the formation of entrepreneurial intentions (EI) of the Vietnamese youth. However, there are limited studies in Vietnam that investigate the effect of culture on the EI of students. Hence, this study aims to integrate the direct influence of culture and personality factors in view of mediating role theory of planned behaviour components to measure the EI of students.
Design/methodology/approach
The data for this study were collected from 393 undergraduate/post-graduate university students using an online survey. The data were analysed using structural equation modelling to test the designed hypotheses of the study.
Findings
The study results showed that attitude (PA) towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioural control (PBC) mediated the relationship between risk-propensity (RP) and EI, subjective norms (SN) and EI and also had a direct influence on EI. Risk-propensity was found to have a direct influence on students’ entrepreneurship intentions. Further, there was no direct influence of culture and SN on EI of students, but culture had a direct influence on SN, while SN indirectly influenced EI mediated by PA and PBC.
Originality/value
Only a few studies have been conducted to determine the role of culture affecting entrepreneurial intentions of the students in Vietnam, where strong emphasis is put on society and culture. The study demonstrates that culture plays a significant role indirectly, as the societal culture influences the close networks and family’s approval (SN) towards encouraging the youths to become entrepreneur and further this encouragement enhances the attitude and self-belief (PA and PBC) of an individual in their capabilities which affects their intentions (EI) to become an entrepreneur. Hence, this study adds this new important dimension of culture in existing academic literature in Vietnam’s context.
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Jorge Torres-Ortega, Javier Loyola-Campos, Davor Ibarra-Pérez and Valentina Hernández-Muñoz
This paper aims to determine the effect of a set of factors (attitude toward entrepreneurship, perceived behavioral control or entrepreneurial self-efficacy, previous experience…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to determine the effect of a set of factors (attitude toward entrepreneurship, perceived behavioral control or entrepreneurial self-efficacy, previous experience, internal locus of control and entrepreneurial alertness) on the entrepreneurial intentions of Chilean secondary vocational school students.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was sent to all secondary-level students from four Chilean vocational schools (3,052 students). A total of 1,644 valid questionnaires were received. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
The results show that attitude toward entrepreneurship and perceived behavioral control positively and significantly impact the students’ entrepreneurial intentions, but not the previous experience.
Research limitations/implications
Since this research was carried out in a specific reality, the results may lack generalizability. Also, the proposed model requires further development through the incorporation of other factors. It is then suggested to replicate this study in other countries as well as to incorporate new variables and test new relationships.
Practical implications
Entrepreneurship education programs at the secondary level should emphasize changing/stimulating adolescents’ attitudes toward entrepreneurship as well as improving their confidence in their entrepreneurial abilities.
Originality/value
This is one of the few studies that provide empirical evidence about the determinants of entrepreneurial intentions in adolescents, particularly in Latin America, and with a large sample.
Propósito
El propósito de este estudio es determinar el efecto de un conjunto de factores (actitud hacia el emprendimiento, control conductual percibido o autoeficacia emprendedora, experiencia previa, locus de control interno y alerta emprendedora) sobre las intenciones emprendedoras de estudiantes secundarios técnico-profesionales chilenos.
Diseño/metodología/aproximación
Una encuesta online fue enviada a todos los estudiantes de nivel secundario de cuatro escuelas técnico-profesionales chilenas (3,052 estudiantes). Se recibieron un total de 1,644 cuestionarios válidos. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados a través de una técnica de modelización de ecuaciones estructurales (PLS-SEM).
Resultados
Los resultados muestran que la actitud y el control conductual percibido impactan positiva y significativamente sobre las intenciones emprendedoras de los estudiantes, no así la experiencia previa.
Limitaciones/implicancias de la investigación
Dado que esta investigación se llevó a cabo en una realidad específica, se debe ser cauteloso a la hora de generalizar sus resultados. Asimismo, el modelo propuesto requiere un mayor desarrollo a través de la incorporación de otras variables. Se sugiere entonces replicar este estudio en otros países, así como incorporar nuevas variables y someter a prueba nuevas relaciones.
Implicancias prácticas
Los programas de educación emprendedora en el nivel secundario debiesen poner énfasis en cambiar/estimular las actitudes hacia el emprendimiento de los adolescentes, así como en mejorar su confianza en sus propias habilidades emprendedoras.
Originalidad/valor
Este es uno de los pocos estudios que aporta evidencia empírica acerca de los determinantes de las intenciones de emprender en adolescentes, particularmente en América Latina y con una muestra amplia.
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The purpose of this study aims to investigate the estimated symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTSD) among the residents of the violent line of control (LoC) of Azad Kashmir.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study aims to investigate the estimated symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTSD) among the residents of the violent line of control (LoC) of Azad Kashmir.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is a quantitative, exploratory study. The sample comprised 235 males and 225 females, aged 18–35years (N = 460). The traumatic appraisal questionnaire (TAQ) was applied to the determined sample and their responses were statistically analyzed.
Findings
It was identified through quantitative research that people living near the LoC had higher PTSD symptoms as compared to those living farther away. Moreover, females exhibited higher PTSD than males. Religious beliefs were identified as the most common coping mechanism used by residents of LoC.
Practical implications
Awareness sessions and seminars will be conducted with the help of mental health professionals in those areas with high estimated PTSD symptoms. This research will also help mental health professionals in Azad Kashmir to understand PTSD issues of LoC people.
Originality/value
This study focuses on estimating PTSD symptoms among residents living near the LoC in Azad Kashmir, an area characterized by violence and conflict. This research offers practical implications for mental health interventions, such as conducting awareness sessions and seminars with the help of mental health professionals. Furthermore, the study can enhance the understanding of PTSD among LoC residents, aiding mental health professionals in providing more effective support and care.
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