Showing posts with label employment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label employment. Show all posts

Friday, 10 October 2014

WMHD II c/o LSE: Investing in crisis care for people with schizophrenia makes moral and economic sense

“When someone has a mental health crisis, it is distressing and frightening for them as well as the people around them. Urgent and compassionate care in a safe place is essential – a police cell should never need to be used because mental health services are not available. For me, crisis care is the most stark example of the lack of equality between mental and physical health.” 
(The Rt Hon Norman Lamb MP, Care and Support Minister)
There is a strong moral and economic case for investing in innovative approaches that support people with schizophrenia to live independently in the community. Crisis resolution and home treatment teams and crisis houses can help reduce the need for expensive hospital admissions with some studies suggesting that the costs of care can be reduced by up to 30% through these service models. There is a clear potential for Clinical Commissioning Groups to make better use of their resources by investing in home treatment teams and crisis houses as approaches to crisis resolution.
My source: The London School of Economics and Political Science, Health and Social Care blog email

Hodges' model in recovery ...
Jones P. (2014) Using a conceptual framework to explore the dimensions of recovery and their relationship to service user choice and self-determination. International Journal of Person Centered Medicine. Vol 3, No 4, (2013) pp.305-311.

Sunday, 28 September 2014

ERCIM News No. 99 Special theme: "Software Quality"

Dear ERCIM News Reader,

ERCIM News No. 99 has just been published at
http://ercim-news.ercim.eu/en99

http://ercim-news.ercim.eu/en99Special Theme: "Software Quality"
http://ercim-news.ercim.eu/en99/special/

And on the occasion of ERCIM’s 25th anniversary, we published a selection of articles on the future challenges of ICST:
http://ercim-news.ercim.eu/en99/challenges-for-icst

Keynote by Willem Jonker, CEO EIT ICT Labs: "The Future of ICT: Blended Life"
http://ercim-news.ercim.eu/en99/keynote/the-future-of-ict-blended-life



This issue is also available for download as:
pdf:  http://ercim-news.ercim.eu/images/stories/EN99/EN99-web.pdf
epub: http://ercim-news.ercim.eu/images/stories/EN99/EN99.epub

Next issue: No. 100, January 2015 - Special Theme: "Scientific Data Sharing"

Thank you for your interest in ERCIM News.
Feel free to forward this message to others who might be interested.

Best regards,
Peter Kunz
ERCIM News central editor

------------------------------------------------------------------------
ERCIM "Alain Bensoussan" Fellowship Programme
ERCIM offers fellowships for PhD holders from all over the world.
Next application deadline: 30 September 2014 http://fellowship.ercim.eu/
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ERCIM News
is published quarterly by ERCIM, the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics.
The printed edition will reach about 6000 readers.
This email alert reaches over 7300 subscribers.
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About ERCIM
ERCIM - the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics - aims to foster collaborative work within the European research community and to increase co-operation with European industry. Leading European research institutes are members of ERCIM. ERCIM is the European host of W3C.
http://www.ercim.eu/

Follow us on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/ercim_news
and join the open ERCIM LinkedIn Group http://www.linkedin.com/groups/ERCIM-81390

Tuesday, 3 June 2014

L-earning a Living with McLuhan

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL
group

In 1964, Marshall McLuhan predicted that the future of work would involve -


 "learning a living"... .


production


communities of practice
earning a living



Source:
Parchoma, G. (2006). A proposed e-learning policy field for the Academy. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 18(3), 230-40. (p.232).
Reading for module 2.

Never give up on someone ...

individual
INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
humanistic ------------------------------------------- mechanistic
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL
group

Never give up on someone with Mental Illness – 

when 'I' is replaced with -





'We' 
'illness' becomes 'Wellness'







Thanks to colleague Julie Draper - apparently this is doing the rounds on Facebook and elsewhere.

Saturday, 31 May 2014

At a glance 65: Better Life for older people with high support needs: the role of social care

I am referencing the following as I struggle to complete a piece of work for the TEL course. These key messages resonate with Hodges' model (back to work....):

Published: May 2014

Key messages

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has identified seven key challenges to be addressed for older people with high support needs to achieve a better quality of life. Social care has a key role to play in meeting these challenges.
  1. Old age is not about 'them': it is about all of us
  2. Older people are individuals and they are, as a group, becoming more diverse
  3. Relationships matter to us whatever our age; we have a fundamental human need to connect with others meaningfully
  4. Older people with high support needs have many assets, strengths and resources that they can also bring to the development and provision of services
  5. Whatever our age or support needs, we should all be treated as citizens: equal stakeholders with both rights and responsibilities
  6. The individual and collective voices of older people with high support needs should be heard and given power
  7. We need both to innovate and improve existing models
SCIE's role is to share knowledge about what works and use this to produce practical resources. Many of these resources will support people working in all aspects of social care to address these challenges.

http://www.scie.org.uk/index.aspx

Thursday, 22 May 2014

New: Journal of Critical Anti-Oppressive Social Inquiry (CAOS)

CAOS 
is an interdisciplinary peer reviewed journal that publishes original articles/art work/poetry that foreground critical forms of social inquiry, research and practice.  

http://caos.library.ryerson.ca/index.php/caos

Thursday, 10 October 2013

Recent Advances in Research on Housing Transitions and the Life Course - a one-day symposium

Meeting of the Royal Statistical Society Social Statistics section.
DATE: Tuesday 10 December 2013
TIME: 10am-5pm (followed by a drinks reception)
LOCATION: Royal Statistical Society, 12 Errol Street, London EC1Y 8LX

We are pleased to announce a one-day symposium on recent developments in research on housing transitions through the life course.  The event will feature presentations from leading international demographers, geographers and economists on different aspects of housing careers. Topics include:

  • the interrelationship between housing and fertility: childbearing patterns by housing conditions and housing changes after the birth of a child
  • wage, employment and house-price effects on migration
  • intergenerational transmission of home ownership and neighbourhood poverty
  • residential mobility, neighbourhood poverty dynamics and neighbourhood choice among families
The symposium is sponsored by the ESRC-funded project “Interrelationships between housing transitions and fertility” (see http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cmm/research/housing for further details). 

SPEAKERS:
William A.V. Clark (University of California, Los Angeles) Clara Mulder (University of Groningen), Heather Joshi (Institute of Education) Hill Kulu (University of Liverpool) David Manley (University of Bristol) Birgitta Rabe (University of Essex) Elizabeth Washbrook (University of Bristol)

A programme and abstracts are at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/cmm/research/housing/symposium/index.html

REGISTRATION AND QUERIES: All are welcome and attendance is free.  Refreshments will be provided, including lunch and a drinks reception.  However, advance registration is essential.  Please complete the online registration form at http://www.cmm.bris.ac.uk/clients/booking/91/ to reserve your place.


[ I mentioned to the organisers about the ongoing transitions I have posted about before; that of older adults moving house (home) often in response to a bereavement to be nearer other family members. This is not the symposium's focus, but remains a question in terms of the potential impact on the individuals concerned and health and social services. pj ]

Saturday, 24 August 2013

50 years "I have a dream..."

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES
SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

individual
"I have a dream!"Do things and science and technology have to dictate humanity's dreams?
We have a dream...A man had a dream...
group - population

Thursday, 25 July 2013

Training Needs of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses: Study

Dear all,

We're currently collecting data for a study regarding the training needs of psychiatric mental health nurses in collaboration with Horatio - European psychiatric nurses. Anyone interested in receiving an online (editable pdf) self administered questionnaire or a printed version is more than welcome to contact me on / off list (stephendemicoli@yahoo.com).

Thanks in advance and kind regards to all,

Steve Demicoli
E-mail: 
stephendemicoli@yahoo.com


Source: Psychiatric Nursing list
The questionnaire is not long, I will be taking part.

Monday, 22 April 2013

A sentence in a word - precarity - and a bad spell of 'whether'

In the past couple of months I've acquired three books to review. One of them is:

Philosophical And Theoretical Perspectives For Advanced Nursing Practic, Cody.

I'm pleased to say that over half the book now has extra notes (in pencil). Within the text and my reflections there are a great many potential posts. In chapter 18 though Doane and Varcoe write:
Subsequently, there has been little discussion about what is required to develop and enact that sensitivity and/or the knowledge, capacities, and skills required for ethical and responsive nursing relationships within the complexities of current health-care milieus. For example, as social inequalities deepen and neoliberal ideologies hold individuals responsible for their own health and well-being regardless of how poverty, disability, remote geographical locations, or other inequalities determine health, notions of obligation, responsibility, accountability, and efficiency are as vital to nursing relationships as are notions of compassion, responsiveness, trust and respect. Thus, nurses require a broader understanding of relationships and their significance to ethical nursing practice. p.204.
The sentence in (my) italics can be summed up in one word - a recently discovered concept for me - that of: precarity.

Here the definition on Wikipedia (c/o the above link):
Precarity is a condition of existence without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare. Specifically, it is applied to the condition of intermittent or underemployment and the resultant precarious existence. The social class defined by this condition has been termed the precariat.
Nursing is bound to be affected by the socio-economic environment. Caution is needed as the weather impacts, puts pressure on nursing's values.

Doane, G.H., Varcoa, C. (2013). Relational Practice and Nursing Obligations. In Philosophical and Theoretical Perspectives for Advanced Nursing Practice (5th ed.), by W. K. Cody (Ed.). (Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Sunday, 7 April 2013

"The Deprofessionals" BBC radio4: nursing, teaching and social work

Driving to Milton Keynes late afternoon for DTMD2013 Mon-Weds, I listened to a BBC radio 4 programme about the political assault on several public professions - The Deprofessionals
What does it mean to be a professional today, at a time when the public services are in a state of turmoil?
Time was when a professional was easily recognised for what he or she did by virtue of their qualifications and experience, when their competence could be measured against ...
It should be available for the next week.

When I think about community mental health nursing since 1985 I can identify with many of the points raised. How the role has changed, the former therapeutic skills focus, the change in skill mix, the advent of Agenda for Change and the existence of staff who may miss being clinically 'banded' altogether.

Thursday, 29 November 2012

(Extreme) sensitivity to initial conditions: Employment - Sickness

There was an item today on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours on the government's Fit for Work tests.

The new fitness for work assessments have been under review. The discussion featured Professor Malcolm Harrington and his final report on the Work Capability Assessment Review and highlighted the humanistic and mechanistic dimensions of this very complex issue (see also the back-to-work programme?). Points raised include:
  • the impact of certain medications and treatments on an individual's ability to partake in an interview;
  • the meaningfulness of an appeals process that once won, then sees subsequent recalls;
  • 4/10 appeals are won;
  • the need to balance decision making and the computer based process, with the former utilising documentary evidence;
  • people with mental health and cognitive problems may be less able to advocate for themselves.
What troubled me is (the admittedly) single example were a client attending a review was advised not to bring documentary evidence. What this does is to effectively switch OFF three of four care domains: SOCIAL, INTERPERSONAL and (remarkably) the SCIENTIFIC.

What are the purposes to which clinical assessments, tests, reviews can be put? Why do clinicians and the social care team create records?

Relying primarily upon, or being driven by a computer based algorithm makes this a POLITICAL 'exercise'.

As such it will be seen SPIRITUALLY as cold and uncaring.
POLITICAL neglect reinforcing similar neglect and disinterest in the CITIZENRY.

Friday, 15 June 2012

RCN survey on NMC fee increase: what do you think?

FROM the RCN:
BREAKING: The RCN has today launched a new survey to find out what YOU think about the proposal by the NMC to increase your annual registration fee from £76 to £120.

We oppose the move strongly, but we need to know what you think too. You answers will help shape our official response to their consultation so it's vital that you have your say.
Complete the survey now, it takes two minutes. (Alex)
http://frontlinefirst.rcn.org.uk/page/s/NMCsurvey

My comment:
No doubt like a huge majority of the population I have personal reasons for total disbelief, disrespect in the banking - finance sector. This is in addition to the bailouts that we are ALL still paying for and it isn't over yet of course.

This NMC fee increase makes me very angry too. If you're a UK nurse you should be incensed.

As the public sector cuts continue with worse to follow apparently the pressures on nurses will increase. As a result resources will be further pinched, with short-cuts in care mistakes will inevitably follow. So the increase in costs incurred in managing disciplinary matters are bound to rise as a consequence. This is a trend that must be stopped and properly addressed now.

Now you want me to contribute to an NMC bailout?

This is no way to manage professionalism, accountability and governance. ...

I appreciate that as an organisation the NMC's hands are tied - it must seek funds to maintain its work, fulfill its role. But, please don't hold me and the UK nursing workforce hostage at the same time.

Additional link:
http://www.rcm.org.uk/midwives/news/unions-rally-against-proposed-nmc-hike/

Saturday, 7 April 2012

Slides: Social Work Action Network SWAN Conference 31 March 2012

Here are the slides from the Social Work in Action - SWAN conference HOPE University in Liverpool 30-31 March 2012. The session was an introduction to the model. I've used the same template and some of the slides from Colombia last year adding a few new ones for this audience and to reflect the SWAN conference themes. The organizers have a copy of my slides which should appear on their site. The keynote session by Professor Danny Dorling from the University of Sheffield and the main speakers were also videoed and will be made available on the SWAN site.

It is a very difficult time for public services, the NHS and social care. This was a fascinating opportunity to witness the POLITICAL care domain as a 'living entity' not as some remote, abstract thing that other people engage in and appears on the news. This year and following ... the stakes are even higher in terms of possible cuts to follow.

Any questions, other opportunities to present Hodges' model please get in touch.

Thursday, 2 February 2012

h2cm at 7th Annual Social Work Action Network Conference (SWAN)

The final programme is still to be confirmed, but I'll be presenting Hodges' model as a workshop next month at the 7th Annual Social Work Action Network Conference (SWAN). This will be hosted by Liverpool Hope University on 30 and 31 March 2012. This is a 40 minute train journey for me - a nice change.

As the website states: There will be two sessions of the conference made available to people to present their own research or conduct workshops. We are keen to facilitate alternative styles of presentation and would encourage people to consider group presentations, dramas, art-based workshops, social pedagogical based presentations as well, of course, as more traditional research presentations.

For several decades I have worked with many Social Workers: sitting across the desk at a community mental health project; as team members; doing joint home and residential care visits; being chased for assessment reports for 'Panel'. It will be very interesting to take in the activistic fervour at the conference. The other aspect of social work I am aware of is the relentless re-organisation they face - in common with health.

I also relish the opportunity to see how Hodges' model is received. A presentation and workshop will be prepared. Is h2cm the generic, multidisciplinary and universally applicable conceptual framework that I believe it to be?

Tuesday, 31 January 2012

"You're a nurse? That's cool. How much do you make?"

Somebody asked:

"You're a nurse? That's cool, I wanted to do that when I was a kid. How much do you make?"

The nurse replied: "HOW MUCH DO I MAKE?" ...

I can make holding your hand seem like the most important thing in the world when you're scared. ...
I can make your child breathe when they stop. ...
I can help your father survive a heart attack. ...
I can make myself get up at 5 a.m. to make sure your mother has the medicine she needs to live. ...
I work all day to save the lives of strangers. ...
I make my family wait for dinner until I know your family member is taken care of. ...
I make myself skip lunch so that I can make sure that everything I did for your wife today is charted. ...
I make myself work weekends and holidays because people don't just get sick Monday thru Friday. ...
Today, I might save your life. ...

How much do I make? All I know is, I make a difference.

Re-post not only if you are a nurse or you love a nurse, but most importantly, re-post this if you respect their work.


My source: Stu Young, Royal College of Nursing Students