Social Inclusion Research Unit

Independent domestic violence advocates: perceptions of service users

Iolo Madoc-Jones et al. — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:41:56 PST

This paper draws on the findings of a qualitative evaluation that examines user perceptions of the services provided by an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) to victims of domestic violence in one rural local authority area in the UK. Service users described being reluctant to report experiences of domestic violence but, having done

so, finding the involvement of the IDVA invaluable in being able to provide them with the independent advice, information and emotional support that they would not otherwise have received. Although in general they were positive about IDVAs, users could also identify problems due to the telephone-based nature of the advocacy that was offered and the duplication of services that sometimes occurred. This paper argues that an IDVA provides an important service to victims of domestic violence, which is likely to be particularly valuable in rural locations. However, the terms of reference for the role need be reviewed in order to maximise the contribution that IDVAs can make.

Addressing drug and alcohol use in the workplace

Brian Heath et al. — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:52:15 PST

This chapter written by Madoc-Jones, I., and Heath, B. in 2009, titled Addressing drug and alcohol use in the workplace. Was published in Neil Thompson (ed) Promoting Workplace Wellbeing (pp.27-42) by Palgrave: Basingstoke.

The chapter explores the issues surrounding the use of drugs and alcohol by employees and the impact on the workplace and the wellbeing of staff.

An Evaluation of the All-Wales Dietetic Capacity Grant Scheme: Final Report

R Carnwell et al. — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:41:21 PST

No Abstract available

The Evaluation of the Welsh Assembly Government Food and Fitness Grant Scheme: Final Report

R Carnwell et al. — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 03:58:09 PDT

There is no abstract for this item.

From Kama Sutra to dot.com- The History, Myths and Management of Premature Ejaculation

Edna M. Astbury-Ward — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:06:31 PDT

As long as man has breathed, his quest for the perfect sexual experience seems to have eluded him. Often the experience has been brought to an abrupt end by the misery of premature ejaculation. This paper will look at the history of premature ejaculation, charting the importance of this event throughout the years and across cultures. It will look at all modern day therapies and will discuss the implications of introducing pharmocotherapy to a problem that has been traditionally treated by sex therapy.

Menopause, sexuality and culture: Is there a universal experience?

Edna M. Astbury-Ward — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 06:26:02 PDT

Menopause is a universal phenomenon, but do all women experience a universal event? The aim of this article is to identify common trends or patterns occurring exclusively within certain different cultures, and whether these have an effect on how menopause is experienced or perceived by those women. This paper will first consider the physiological changes that occur during menopause and will then look at psychosocial influences that may affect women’s perception and experience of menopause.

Voices of Older People in Wales: a qualitative study of health and wellbeing among over 50's

Odette Parry et al. — Tue, 10 May 2011 07:57:26 PDT

This report does not have an abstract

Women’s Safety Service within the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme: Perceptions of Service Users

Iolo Madoc-Jones et al. — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 05:35:13 PST

This paper draws on the findings of a qualitative evaluation that examines women's perceptions of the services provided to them whilst their abusers attended an Integrated Domestic Violence Programme (IDAP) in one probation area in the UK. Research focusing on domestic violence programmes has mostly concentrated on the experiences of male perpetrators. As a result, less is known about how women feel about such programmes and the parallel safety services they are supposed to receive. This research seeks to address that weakness by exploring the perceptions of 13 women whose abusers are attending one perpetrator programme. The findings of our study suggest that women are generally negative about perpetrator programmes and require more comprehensive and coordinated services than are routinely made available to them. The paper suggests that women value and need direct and assertive support as well as safety services, and this need is especially pronounced in rural contexts where women can be isolated from mainstream services. The implications of the research to practice with victims of domestic violence are discussed to inform further development of IDAP and similar programmes in the UK and beyond.

The War on Drugs – A War on Drug Users

Julian Buchanan et al. — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 01:54:16 PDT

The authors argue that since the 1980s UK drug policy has largely been ill considered, reactive and counter- productive. Rather than reducing drug taking and drug related crime, such policies have exacerbated the problem and contributed towards an environment in which drug use and illegal drug activities are likely to flourish. One of the consequences of this 'war on drugs' is that it manifests itself as a 'war on drug users' with an emphasis not upon the development of appropriate rehabilitative models, but upon prevention, prohibition and punishment. Drawing on the authors' qualitative research on Merseyside, England involving 200 problem drug users, it will be argued that the war on drug users has subjected these people to a process of stigmatization, marginalization and social exclusion, and prevented many of them from recovery by hindering their re-integation into the wider social and economic community. Instead, growing numbers of problematic drug users remain locked into a cycle of chronic drug relapse.

Drug policy under New Labour 1997-2010: Prolonging the war on drugs

Julian Buchanan — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 01:17:16 PDT

In 1997 New Labour came to power with a landslide victory. This period also marked a watershed for illicit drug use which had become so widespread across the UK that it was regarded as a mainstream adolescent experience. However, broadly speaking there were two groups of drug users: one group of young people who selectively used drugs on a recreational and largely non-problematic basis; while another group (usually unemployed and socially excluded), who used whatever drugs they could find in a chaotic and problematic manner. Drug taking had become a normalized activity and criminalization of these drugs seemed unenforceable, out of touch and inappropriate. Inheriting an unworkable 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act 1997 seemed an opportune time for the New Labour government to deliver on its ‘promise of change’ and introduce drug legislation fit for the new millennium. This article reflects upon some of the key policy and legal changes introduced by the New Labour government (1997—2010) to manage drug use and misuse.

Understanding and misunderstanding problem drug use: working together

Julian Buchanan — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 01:00:14 PDT

There is no abstract for this work

Welsh Language, Identity & Probation Practice: The Context For Change

Iolo Madoc-Jones et al. — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 08:23:44 PDT

This article draws upon the historical context of the oppression of the Welsh language within the UK, makes links with recent incidents in the public domain, and research on the experiences of Welsh speaking probation staff. The authors argue that linguistically sensitive practice is necessary, not just on the basis of equal opportunities, but also to effectively engage with offenders and protect the public. They then set out the reasons why the National Probation Service (and indeed the wider criminal justice system) must develop a fully bilingual service in Wales. Nine key principles are proposed to bring about a change in policy and practice.

“Something We Don’t Normally Do”: A Qualitative Study of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in the Secure Estate

Sarah Dubberley et al. — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 06:37:10 PDT

The paper is based on findings from a qualitative study of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) in the secure estate, drawing on focus groups with young people in young offenders institutions in England and Wales (pre and post implementation of the DoE programme) and qualitative interviews with staff delivering the Award within the establishments. In exploring participant perceptions of the DofE, the paper focuses on the way in which programme participation provided young people with new experiences, arguing that it offers them some insight into alternative ways of existence, other than crime. At the same time the programme was perceived by young people as instrumental to accessing this ‘existence’ and hence a possible route to realise their ambitions. Young people were acutely aware of having discredited identities as a function of their offending and the Award, by dint of attributes it was perceived to confer upon recipients, was understood as a way of repairing this damage and easing entry into, and acceptance by, mainstream society. Moreover, the skills and experiences imparted by the DofE were perceived as appropriate and useful for acquisition of social skills necessary to make this transition. The authors conclude that DoE programme may usefully form part of a broader offending prevention programme because, based on the findings of this study of young people in custody, it may appeal to young disadvantaged young people, disillusioned by main stream education and who may be on the cusp of offending.

Understanding Problematic Drug Use: A Medical Matter or a Social Issue?

Julian Buchanan — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:34:53 PDT

This paper questions the notion that problem drug use is essentially a physiological medical problem that requires coercive treatment, from which success are measured by way of drug testing to determine the abstinence from the drug. The article argues that the causes and solutions to problem drug use are much more to do with socio-economic factors than physiological or psychological factors. In particular it explores the connections between the emergence and sudden rise in problematic drug use that occurred across the UK in the mid 1980s, with deindustrialisation and the decline of opportunities for unskilled non academic young people. Further the paper critically examines the notion of the ‘problem drug user’, in particular how those identified and labelled, are perceived and treated by wider society, and how this adversely impacts upon drug rehabilitation and social integration.

Volunteers, Families and Children in Need: An Evaluation of Family Friends

L Parrot et al. — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:50:00 PDT

This paper explores the findings from a small-scale research project that analysed the impact of Family Friends â€“ a voluntary agency that provides support to families under stress who have children aged between 5 and 11 years. The study, funded by Family Friends, evaluated service users' perceptions of the support they received, specifically in relation to the significance and impact of the volunteer befrienders. The research identified that there are a proportion of families in need who fail to attract services from mainstream statutory agencies. It also identified that the Family Friends voluntary agency makes a particular contribution to service provision by offering a friendly, non-stigmatizing, caring and responsive service.

A Qualitative Study of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Young Offenders in the Secure Estate

Sarah Dubberley — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:28:02 PDT

The thesis describes a qualitative study of the Duke of Edinburgh‟s Award (DofE) and young offenders in the secure estate. The overall aim of the thesis is to examine young offenders‟ engagement with the DofE, and implications for their experiences while in the secure estate, and subsequently following their release into the community. The research draws on focus groups with young people in young offenders institutions, secure training centres and secure children‟s homes in England and Wales (pre and post implementation of the DoE programme), and interviews with secure estate staff delivering the programme. Interviews were also carried out with DofE management and a sample of Youth Offending Team (YOT) staff. In addition, an online questionnaire was distributed to all YOT managers across England and Wales. The findings of the study indicate that the DofE was popular with participants (both young people and staff) for several reasons. These included the opportunity for young people to engage in activities which were new to them, the hands –on approach to programme delivery, the transference of a range of both technical and more „indeterminate‟ social/individual skills, the perceived status of the qualification, and, related to this, perceived potential to facilitate access to more opportunities for young people, post release. Barriers to implementation were mainly a function of institutional constraints, particularly in relation to risk. Moreover, constraints on the programme delivery, posed by the secure estate, appeared to challenge the Award‟s claim to inclusiveness (that its accessibility to all). A particular challenge for the DofE was maintaining the reputation of the Award (associated with the positive attributes it is claimed to confer upon recipients) while widening access by implementation to young offenders in the secure estate.

Models of Intervention

Iolo Madoc-Jones — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:55:50 PDT

This chapter explores models of intervention that can be used to address offending behaviour.

If I don't like it then I can choose what I want’: Welsh school children's accounts of preference for and control over food choice

Emily Warren et al. — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:25:16 PDT

The paper draws on qualitative data collected in focus groups with primary school pupils in years three and five (ages 7–11 years), carried out as part of a wider study evaluating the Primary School Free Breakfast Initiative in Wales. A total of 16 focus groups were carried out across eight schools to examine pupil's perceptions of food and food related behaviour. A key finding was the way in which control over choice of food and access to healthy/unhealthy food options differed between younger and older pupils across home, school and eating out settings. While older participants experienced and valued high levels of control over food choice in all three settings, this was not the case for younger participants. Pupils in year three had little choice, particularly at home and school, with other factors (such as security, structure and mealtime companionship) being more important to them than ability to choose what they ate. All participants in the study expressed a general preference for unhealthy as opposed to healthy food items, even when acknowledging health consequences and engaging in some compensatory strategies. The authors suggest that interventions should aim to educate and encourage food providers, such as parents/carers, schools, and food outlets, to produce a range of healthy options, and encourage informed food choice among children at a younger age.

When heroin hit the streets of Bootle

Julian Buchanan — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:06:23 PDT

A personal reflection of working as a probation officer in Bootle, Merseyside in 1983 when the area was one of the first in the UK to be hit with a new wave of drug misuse and every day young people could be seen buying and selling heroin on the streets of Bootle.

Enabling dependent drug users: A cognitive behavioural assessment

Julian Buchanan — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:25:38 PDT

Based upon six years social work practice with dependent drug users in Mersey side, the author introduces the broad principles of a cognitive behavioural approach, and then integrates this theoretical understanding to a highly specific area of practice, - assessing dependent drug users. Assessment is discussed in detail and using examples the article provides a much needed model of good practice. The approach is based upon a risk reduction philosophy and is underpinned by cognitive behavioural principles. The article offers a comprehensive outline from which a practitioner could follow and conduct an assessment. Importantly, the process seeks to empower clients, redressing the balance by returning to them responsibility for their future, thus enabling them to set their own targets and plans without coercion from the worker.