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1 – 10 of over 21000The purpose of this paper is to examine the economic cost and social benefits of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) set up some years back by the Federal Government of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the economic cost and social benefits of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) set up some years back by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper combined qualitative and quantitative information to substantiate the clarion calls by some scholars and concerned social commentators for a review of the NYSC. Based on the objective stated above, a sample size of 200 respondents was selected and administered copies of structured questionnaires in order to elicit information from a cross‐section of Nigerians. At the end, out of the 200 respondents, only 150 respondents returned their questionnaires on the basis of which recommendations and conclusions were based.
Findings
The main policy thrust of the scheme is to serve as a catalyst for sustainable development in Nigeria after the Nigerian civil war. However, on the strength of the survey, the authors found that the scheme has failed in many respects in accelerating the socio‐economic development of Nigeria, when the relevance of the scheme is measured by Eight‐Scale Perception Index developed by the authors.
Practical implications
The paper cautions that despite the setback of the NYSC, it would be absurd to advocate that the scheme be scrapped completely. What is rational is for the policymaker to initiate a process for the reform of NYSC scheme in order for it to meet the contemporary expectations and challenges.
Originality/value
The results of this paper support the structural‐agency framework in sociology. The relationship between structure and agency is seen as a dialectical one because society forms the individuals, who in turn create better society by forming a continuous loop. NYSC was laudable at inception, but humans made it crooked; it is therefore expedient that the scheme be revitalized by humans in order to meet contemporary challenges.
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Liza Hopkins, Glenda Pedwell, Katie Wilson and Prunella Howell-Jay
The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the barriers and enablers to the implementation of youth peer support in a clinical mental health service. The development…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the barriers and enablers to the implementation of youth peer support in a clinical mental health service. The development of a lived experience workforce in mental health is a key component of policy at both the state and the federal level in Australia. Implementing a peer workforce within existing clinical services, however, can be a challenging task. Furthermore, implementing peer support in a youth mental health setting involves a further degree of complexity, involving a degree of care for young people being invited to provide peer support when they may be still early in their own recovery journey.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reports on a formative evaluation of the beginning stages of implementation of a youth peer workforce within an existing clinical mental health service in Melbourne.
Findings
The project found that it was feasible and beneficial to implement youth peer support; however, significant challenges remain, including lack of appropriate training for young people, uncertainty amongst clinical staff about the boundaries of the peer role and the potential for “tokenism” in the face of slow cultural change across the whole service.
Originality/value
Very little evaluation has yet been undertaken into the effectiveness of implementing peer support in youth mental health services. This paper offers an opportunity to investigate where services may need to identify strengths and address difficulties when undertaking future implementation efforts.
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Nicole S. Webster, Jacklyn A. Bruce and Tracy S. Hoover
This qualitative study was conducted to answer two questions concerning service learning in youth populations: Do teens understand their roles in the process of service learning…
Abstract
This qualitative study was conducted to answer two questions concerning service learning in youth populations: Do teens understand their roles in the process of service learning? How do teens perceive service opportunities within their communities or organizations? The intent was to investigate these issues in order to provide depth to the research on youth voice and perceptions in service learning activities. Focus groups were conducted with teens involved in various organizations. Findings included that teens were able to articulate a strong definition of service learning as well as identify service activities. Most felt they had a voice in planning and implementation and saw adults as key to the evaluation of projects. Some teens felt, however, that adults often have too great a voice in the planning stages. Recommendations include professional development for adults on working with teens and evaluating current programs to make certain that youth voice is present.
Yael llan‐Clarke, Amanda Bunn, Jeffrey DeMarco, Antonia Bifulco, John Criddle and Gillian Holdsworth
Youth violence victimisation impacts on health, mental health and future risk trajectories. A London hospital emergency department (ED) outreach youth service provides a unique…
Abstract
Purpose
Youth violence victimisation impacts on health, mental health and future risk trajectories. A London hospital emergency department (ED) outreach youth service provides a unique intervention opportunity to support adolescents involved in violence. The purpose of this paper is to describe the set‐up of the service.
Design/methodology/approach
Young people (YP) targeted were aged 12‐18, from two London boroughs and attended ED with injuries from a violent incident. They were referred to Oasis youth workers for a mentoring/youth work intervention. Lifestyle and symptom scales were used to assess risk profile. Hospital staff questionnaires determined service awareness in the first six months, and interviews/focus group identified potential barriers to service uptake.
Findings
By 12 months, the service was operating smoothly. Of the first 505 YP attending ED, a third were referred, a third ineligible and a third non‐contactable/refused. Detailed analysis of the first 30 attending found most were male (87 per cent), equal White or Black ethnicity (40 per cent) with 20 per cent “Other” ethnicities, with only a third living with both biological parents. This was similar to the full population attending. Nearly half (49 per cent) had been assaulted, 30 per cent had injuries self‐generated through poor anger management, the remainder injured in fighting. Over half (57 per cent) had disorder, mostly behavioural, correlated with lifestyle risk scores. Barriers to service use/implementation included YP mistrust and fear of reprisals, problems with service visibility in the busy hospital environment and ineffective staff communication with YP, all countered during the running of the service. Gauging outcome at follow‐up is the second evaluation stage.
Originality/value
The youth violence project is an important initiative for intervention in youth violence.
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Lucy Hunn, Tim Clarke, Amit Bhaduri, Sarah Maxwell and Jon Wilson
Young people can often “fall through the gaps” between Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS) and Adult Mental Health services (AMHS). This discursive viewpoint study…
Abstract
Purpose
Young people can often “fall through the gaps” between Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS) and Adult Mental Health services (AMHS). This discursive viewpoint study aims to reflect a conversation among the authors on how CAMHS and AMHS psychiatry came together to develop and embed a UK community “Youth Mental Health Service”.
Design/methodology/approach
This reflective viewpoint study explores the perspectives of three of the lead CAMHS and AMHS psychiatrists from the implementation phase of a community youth mental health service. It explores, in a discursive way, these individuals’ views on some of the key facilitators and barriers in the development of the service that aimed to “bridge the gap” for young people.
Findings
These clinicians’ reflections recognise the importance of strong clinical leadership in enabling a youth/young adult model of mental health to be implemented. They also recognise how culture internal and external to a service has a key role to play in the success and sustainment of implementing an innovative model. This study describes a merging of CAMHS and AMHS psychiatry to meet the needs of young people in the most developmentally appropriate way.
Originality/value
This reflective study highlights the need for services and systems to think creatively about how they can allow flexibility for CAMHS and AMHS psychiatrists to learn and plan together, as well as gain experiences across the age ranges, to facilitate collaborative working that is developmentally appropriate and meets the needs of young people in a way that is accessible to them.
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Aileen Shaw, Bernadine Brady and Patrick Dolan
This paper aims to explore the experience of one large Irish youth work organisation, Foróige, to measures introduced during the initial phase of COVID-19 in 2020. In the face of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the experience of one large Irish youth work organisation, Foróige, to measures introduced during the initial phase of COVID-19 in 2020. In the face of the unprecedented crisis including the closure of schools and curtailment of many youth services, this paper examines how the organisation responded and adapted its service offering.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 senior managers and youth officers in Foróige to explore their perspectives on the organisation’s response. Participants were purposively sampled from across the operational management functions and also from regional levels and youth workers engaging in work “on the ground”.
Findings
Shifting from a face-to -face, relationship-based to a distanced mode of engagement with young people, colleagues and volunteers required significant adaptation of Foróige’s service model. Innovation took place both in the delivery platform and fundamentally, in its service orientation. The accelerated move to online youth work brought about by the pandemic enabled the organisation to embrace and learn from the challenges and opportunities posed by digital technology. Responding to the immediate and tangible needs of young people in receipt of services, staff found themselves working with families at the more basic levels of intervention.
Originality/value
This paper provides new insights into the nature of non-profit service innovation during a time of unprecedented crisis management. It highlights characteristics of organisational agility that can assist organisations in managing crises, while also pointing the way towards a more flexible operating model for youth work service delivery.
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The purpose of this article is to determine the types of collaborative activities public youth services and school librarians in rural locations engage in and to ascertain whether…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to determine the types of collaborative activities public youth services and school librarians in rural locations engage in and to ascertain whether there are methods that youth service librarians believe can be employed to improve collaborative activities with public school librarians.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed method design was implemented with an online self-administered survey. The survey contained open and closed-ended questions.
Findings
The findings indicate that many public librarians serving youth in rural locations find it important to collaborate with school librarians. Yet, they struggle to build strong collaborative relationships. Factors such as time, a lack of school librarian administrative support, and a lack of understanding about the roles of school librarians and public librarians, are collaborative barriers.
Research limitations/implications
The study was limited to a purposive sample of 80 public librarians serving youth in rural areas in the United States.
Practical implications
Librarianship training programs can help school librarians and youth services librarians learn how to form collaborative partnerships through mentorship programs, requiring pre-service school and youth services librarians to collaborate on projects, and educating them about the similarities in their goals. School and public librarians can also benefit from training to teach them how to build community partnerships.
Originality/value
The results provide evidence that public librarians serving youth in rural areas favor building stronger collaborative relationships with school librarians. Building these relationships can improve the quality of education for youth in these locations. This article also includes proposed strategies for improving these relationships.
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Tasseda Boukherroub, Lysane Ouellet, Guillaume Lemay, Nathalie Bibeau, Diane Thiffault and Nicole McNeil
This study aims to improve accessibility to frontline psychological services for youths in difficulty. In the province of Quebec, Canada, the first significant intervention must…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to improve accessibility to frontline psychological services for youths in difficulty. In the province of Quebec, Canada, the first significant intervention must take place within 30 days for at least 75% of the clients. Achieving this target is challenging. This was observed in the Youth Programme of a health-care network in Montreal (Centre Intégré (Universitaire) de la Santé et des Services Sociaux Centre-Sud-de-l’île-de-Montréal).
Design/methodology/approach
Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach within the Action Research methodology was used. Define, Measure, Analyse, Innovate, Implement and Control structure combined with Lean techniques and a Kaizen event were implemented.
Findings
In total 69% of the clients have now had their first intervention within 30 days and 91% within 60 days. Improving accessibility to frontline services led to improving accessibility to second-line services. Communicating performance objectives to employees led to increasing their awareness about the importance of performance assessment and their willingness to contribute to improvement. The Kaizen event was a driving force that enabled more collaboration and trust. The participation of a partner-client in the Kaizen helped finding client-centred solutions. The large number of participants in the Kaizen added complexity.
Research limitations/implications
It was difficult to sort and rank a large number of solutions during the Kaizen. The impact of hiring additional employees has not been investigated. Despite the significant improvements, the targets were not achieved. More research is required to identify more accurately critical factors that have a major impact on the success of LSS projects involving complex processes.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the body of knowledge in Lean health care. It describes Lean tools/techniques used, solution implementation and improvements achieved in a real context. 10 success factors and 4 challenges were identified. The study provides a model for other organizations for developing their own roadmap to improve accessibility to their services, notably in large and complex processes.
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Lauren Munro, Robb Travers, Alex St. John, Kate Klein, Heather Hunter, David Brennan and Chavisa Brett
This study sought to gain a better understanding of the general life experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) newcomer youth, situated within the broader…
Abstract
Purpose
This study sought to gain a better understanding of the general life experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) newcomer youth, situated within the broader context of their lives post-migration. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of various forms of oppression experienced by LGBT newcomers and offers recommendations for transforming services to better serve the complex needs of this marginalized population.
Design/methodology/approach
The Teens Resisting Urban Trans/Homophobia (TRUTH) project was comprised of ten focus groups with 70 youth (aged 14-29) living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Another three focus groups were conducted with 13 GTA service providers and teachers working with LGBT youth, in addition to one key informant interview. For this paper, the authors drew from a subset of the data including four newcomer-specific focus groups in which there were 39 youth who identified as refugees or immigrants, as well as key informant interviews with four youth (three of whom also participated in focus groups) and one service provider. Participants were asked about “what homophobia and transphobia meant to them”, “where they experienced it”, “in what forms”, and “how it impacted their daily lives”.
Findings
The experiences of LGBT newcomer youth in this study involved a complex negotiation of multiple systems of oppression. Youth described experiences of homophobia and racism within interpersonal relationships, in the LGBT community, in their respective diasporic communities, in social service encounters and during the immigration/refugee process. Barriers for LGBT refugee youth included difficulties finding work and accessing health care, as well as the additional burden of proving their sexual orientation during refugee claimant hearings.
Research limitations/implications
While the combination of focus groups and key informant interviews is a strength in this study, it also presents challenges for analysis. In focus groups, it is not always clear who is speaking; because of this, the authors were sometimes unable to differentiate between refugee and immigrant youth (or those without status) in our focus groups, making it often unclear which perspective or experience youth were speaking to. Another limitation was the dominance of the “cisgender gay male voice” in our conclusions. Lesbian and bisexual women were present in fewer numbers and the sample only included three trans youth.
Practical implications
The findings reveal systemic discrimination on the basis of race and sexual orientation that illuminate injustices within Canadian society and systems that can enhance the efforts of those working in policy and service environments. Focused anti-homophobia and anti-racism training, and the implementation of policies designed to enhance accessibility, could improve service provision for newcomer LGBT youth. Furthermore, in order to facilitate a more just settlement process, a broader understanding of sexual identity, gender identity, and gender expression is required of the refugee claimant system.
Originality/value
This study examines the experiences of youth in a large and complex, multicultural, and gay-friendly urban centre, thus providing timely and current data about the well-being of newcomer LGBT youth. As such, it is one of the first studies to offer some insights into the life issues and challenges post-migration of Canadian LGBT newcomer youth.
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Marsha de Vries and Ronald Wolbink
Since January 2015, the Dutch youth care system has been under construction. Its focus has shifted from the problematic to the normal development of children. Emphasis on the…
Abstract
Purpose
Since January 2015, the Dutch youth care system has been under construction. Its focus has shifted from the problematic to the normal development of children. Emphasis on the capacities of both youths and parents, on customized care and on better cooperation between professionals should decrease the use of specialized services. This reconstruction of the youth care system not only appeals to the competencies and skills of professionals, but also requires innovations in terms of leadership. The purpose of this paper is to describe the struggle managers face when working to transform the youth care system, and to provide some suggestions for how managers can be supported.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on the results of two empirical, qualitative studies that were recently conducted by the Research Institute Youth, which is part of the Health Care and Social Work Research Centre of Windesheim University of Applied Sciences in Zwolle, the Netherlands. Over the course of a preliminary study, executive managers of five youth care organizations were interviewed on the ongoing transformations of their organizations and the changing roles and needs of managers within these transformations. Subsequently, 13 middle- and first-line managers of 3 youth care organizations were interviewed about their experiences and the ways in which they have handled the new roles they have taken on in transforming their organizations.
Findings
The management of youth care organizations is responsible for facilitating professionals in taking on and shaping their new roles, thus affecting not only the structure but also the culture and practices of youth care organizations and of management itself. This research shows that managers are struggling with these changes in their own ways. While youth care managers are struggling with their new roles and responsibilities, the intended transformation of the youth care system lags behind. Appropriate support of managers is essential, but is currently lacking. This paper provides some suggestions for how managers can be supported.
Originality/value
This paper identifies and explains the challenges that top-, middle- and lower-level managers face in current transformation processes in social service organizations, and provides some suggestions for how managers can be supported in these processes.
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