Study of staff who have been alleged perpetrators in adult protection cases

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-128
Author(s):  
Mel Walford ◽  
Andy Kaye ◽  
Mick Collins

Purpose – The protection of vulnerable adults from abuse is paramount for those working in adult protection. However, staff supporting vulnerable adults who are alleged to have abused them can feel very vulnerable and their needs must also be taken into account. The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact of adult protection investigations from the experiences of people who have been identified as alleged perpetrators in adult protection cases in order to identify improvements in practice. Design/methodology/approach – This limited study used qualitative semi-structured interviews to collect data that reflected views of the issues and experiences of participants. Findings – This study shows that expectations set out in the Wales Interim Policy and Procedures document under “support for alleged perpetrators” do not match with the experience of those who took part in this study. The experience of some alleged perpetrators is that the investigation process can be protracted, they may be left isolated with little or no information and feel very vulnerable. Research limitations/implications – A limitation of this study was the small number of participants who were interviewed and the selection and bias. Participation was on a voluntary basis and the participants were self-selecting. The participants were all paid staff. Vulnerable adults who had been identified as alleged abusers were excluded from the study on the premise that their experiences were likely to be quite different. Practical implications – It is vital that alleged perpetrators are not themselves abused by the process. The findings from this study should be used to develop recommendations to improve practice. Originality/value – The effects on staff who have been investigated as alleged abusers under adult protection policy and procedures has been under-researched. This study will make a contribution to addressing this.

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 380-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Ruck Keene ◽  
Kelly Stricklin-Coutinho ◽  
Henry Gilfillan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline how questions relating to capacity arise in the context of safeguarding, and when applications to the Court of Protection are required in relation to those who may lack capacity. It also seeks to provide guidance as to how applications to the Court of Protection should be made so as to ensure that they are determined effectively and in a proportionate fashion. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on the practical experience of practising barristers appearing before the Court of Protection, and on the experience of a social worker who is an MCA/DOLS lead at a London local authority. The paper proceeds by way of a review of the relevant statutory provisions, an overview of the Court of Protection and then to a practical analysis of when and how applications to the Court need to be made. Findings – When to go to the Court of Protection in the safeguarding context is poorly understood, and there has not been proper recognition of the fact that proceedings for “adult care orders” have a strong forensic analogy with applications for care orders in relation to children. It is only by recognising these forensic similarities that local authorities can properly make use of the Court of Protection in the discharge of their obligations to vulnerable adults in their area. Practical implications – The paper should lead to a recognition that there is a specialist “adult protection court” within the Court of Protection, and that applications for adult care orders to that court require specific and careful preparation and presentation. It will therefore lead to better use of the Court of Protection in the safeguarding context and – ultimately – a better balance between empowerment and protection of vulnerable adults who may lack capacity. Originality/value – The paper is original in combining both legal and social work expertise to reach practical conclusions as to why such poor use has been made of the Court of Protection in safeguarding context. Its value lies in the deployment of that expertise to suggest how better use can be made in the future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kock ◽  
Andre Strydom ◽  
Deirdre O’Brady ◽  
Digby Tantam

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the experience of intimate relationships of women who have been diagnosed with Autism in adulthood. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were used to interview eight participants. The data were transcribed and analysed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis method. Findings Four overall themes were identified. These included “Response to the diagnosis and receiving more information about Autism”, “Factors influencing dating behaviour”, “Sex and sexual experiences” and “Experience of intimate relationships as a person with Autism”. Research limitations/implications The results of this study have implications for both research and clinical practice as it highlights the areas in which women newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) could benefit from support. Practical implications The study hopes to add to the limited existing research on adult women with ASD. Originality/value To date no similar research has investigated the same phenomenon through a similar method.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 338-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair Hewison ◽  
Yvonne Sawbridge ◽  
Robert Cragg ◽  
Laura Rogers ◽  
Sarah Lehmann ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report an evaluation of a leading-with-compassion recognition scheme and to present a new framework for compassion derived from the data. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative semi-structured interviews, a focus group and thematic data analysis. Content analysis of 1,500 nominations of compassionate acts. Findings The scheme highlighted that compassion towards staff and patients was important. Links to the wider well-being strategies of some of the ten organisations involved were unclear. Awareness of the scheme varied and it was introduced in different ways. Tensions included the extent to which compassion should be expected as part of normal practice and whether recognition was required, association of the scheme with the term leadership, and the risk of portraying compassion as something separate, rather than an integral part of the culture. A novel model of compassion was developed from the analysis of 1,500 nominations. Research limitations/implications The number of respondents in the evaluation phase was relatively low. The model of compassion contributes to the developing knowledge base in this area. Practical implications The model of compassion can be used to demonstrate what compassion “looks like”, and what is expected of staff to work compassionately. Originality/value A unique model of compassion derived directly from descriptions of compassionate acts which identifies the impact of compassion on staff.


2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre Anderson ◽  
Clare Kelliher

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to report findings from a major study into flexible working and to examine the link with employee engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted within seven case organizations using a mixed method of semi‐structured interviews and an electronic questionnaire.FindingsThe findings show that flexible working has an impact on employee engagement through a positive relationship with organizational commitment, job satisfaction and employee discretionary behavior.Practical implicationsAllowing employees a degree of choice over when, where and how much work they do has benefits for the organization. However, for these gains to be realized, support is needed for the implementation of a flexible working policy.Originality/valueThe study included both quantitative and qualitative data and examined the impact of flexible working from the point of view of managers and co‐workers of flexible workers, as well as those who worked flexibly themselves.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 15-17
Author(s):  
David Pollitt

Purpose – This paper aims to relate how “good” human resources (HR) practice is characterized in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and what the drivers are for adopting this good practice. This paper explores methods for measuring the impact of HR practices that are helpful and realistic in the context of an SME. Design/methodology/approach – This paper studies practices at a family-owned bakery. The study takes the form of an action-research project using semi-structured interviews, participant observation on the factory floor and analysis of company documentation in the diagnosis phase. It reflects action interventions that have informed the findings, together with post-project semi-structured interviews with key actors three years after the completion of the project. Findings – Discovers that the drivers of good HR practice are size, market position, external “coercive networks”, presenting issues, the ideology of the managing director and the energy of an HR champion. Practical implications – Demonstrates that the impact of “good” HR practice can be best evaluated in SMEs through one-shot cost-based metrics or more strategic qualitative measures. Originality/value – Develops an original model to show the relationship between the drivers, the HR practices adopted and measurable outcomes. Makes an important contribution to the debate about HRM in SMEs and has practical value for informing the development of good HR practice in SMEs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-328
Author(s):  
Ian Pepper ◽  
Ruth McGrath

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of an employability module, the College of Policing Certificate in Knowledge of Policing (CKP), on students’ career aspirations, their confidence and wish to join the police along with the appropriateness of the module. This will inform the implementation of employability as part of the College of Policing-managed Police Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF). Design/methodology/approach A three-year longitudinal research study used mixed methods across four points in time to evaluate the impact on students studying the employability module. Findings The research suggests that the employability-focussed CKP was useful as an introduction to policing, it developed interest in the police and enhanced the confidence of learners applying to join. Lessons learnt from the CKP should be considered during the implementation of the PEQF. Research limitations/implications The ability to generalise findings across different groups is limited as other influences may impact on a learner’s confidence and employability. However, the implications for the PEQF curriculum are worthy of consideration. Practical implications As the police service moves towards standardised higher educational provision and evolution of policing as a profession, lessons can be learnt from the CKP with regards to the future employability of graduates. Originality/value Enhancing the employability evidence base, focussing on policing, the research identified aspects which may impact on graduates completing a degree mapped to the PEQF. The research is therefore of value to higher education and the professional body for policing.


Author(s):  
Kevin Darques ◽  
Abdelmounaïm Tounzi ◽  
Yvonnick Le-menach ◽  
Karim Beddek

Purpose This paper aims to go deeper on the analysis of the shaft voltage of large turbogenerators. The main interest of this study is the investigation process developed. Design/methodology/approach The analysis of the shaft voltage because of several defects is based on a two-dimensional (2D) finite element modeling. This 2D finite element model is used to determine the shaft voltage because of eccentricities or rotor short-circuit. Findings Dynamic eccentricities and rotor short circuit do not have an inherent impact on the shaft voltage. Circulating currents in the stator winding because of defects impact the shaft voltage. Originality/value The original value of this paper is the investigation process developed. This study proposes to quantify the impact of a smooth stator and then to explore the contribution of the real stator winding on the shaft voltage.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 536-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Simons ◽  
Jos Benders ◽  
Jochen Bergs ◽  
Wim Marneffe ◽  
Dominique Vandijck

Purpose – Sustainable improvement is likely to be hampered by ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in care processes (the organization’s decision-making context). Lean management can improve implementation results because it decreases ambiguity and uncertainties. But does it succeed? Many quality improvement (QI) initiatives are appropriate improvement strategies in organizational contexts characterized by low ambiguity and uncertainty. However, most care settings do not fit this context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a Lean-inspired change program changed the organization’s decision-making context, making it more amenable for QI initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – In 2014, 12 professionals from a Dutch radiotherapy institute were interviewed regarding their perceptions of a Lean program in their organization and the perceived ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in their clinical processes. A survey (25 questions), addressing the same concepts, was conducted among the interviewees in 2011 and 2014. The structured interviews were analyzed using a deductive approach. Quantitative data were analyzed using appropriate statistics. Findings – Interviewees experienced improved shared visions and the number of uncertain cause-effect relations decreased. Overall, more positive (99) than negative Lean effects (18) were expressed. The surveys revealed enhanced process predictability and standardization, and improved shared visions. Practical implications – Lean implementation has shown to lead to greater transparency and increased shared visions. Originality/value – Lean management decreased ambiguous objectives and reduced uncertainties in clinical process cause-effect relations. Therefore, decision making benefitted from Lean increasing QI’s sustainability.


2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Galin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to obtain insight into court-referred mediation in the Israeli Labor Courts, by analyzing its processes and outcomes, as a function of tactics used by both the disputants and the mediator. Design/methodology/approach – Observation of 103 court-referred mediations, for each of which a detailed process and outcome were documented. Data on disputants' refusal to participate in the mediation was also collected. At the end of each mediation case, disputants were given a questionnaire in which they expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and their evaluation of the mediator's contribution. Findings – A low rate of refusal to participate in court-referred mediation was found. Also, the higher the ratio of soft tactics to pressure tactics employed (by all parties involved) during the process, the higher the rate of agreements. Mediators use significantly more soft tactics than disputants, and are more active in using tactics. The two significant variables that predict the mediation's agreement are the ratio between soft tactics to pressure tactics used by all parties, and mediator contribution to the process. Practical implications – The significant role of soft tactics in the process, outcome, and satisfaction of court-referred mediation may serve as a guideline for disputants and mediators. Originality/value – This unique research, which examines the impact of tactics on court-referred mediation, may provide added and significant theoretical insight into its process and outcome, as well as a better understanding of other “hybrid” (compulsory at the beginning, voluntary at the end) mediations.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna Montgomery ◽  
Janet Anand ◽  
Kathryn Mackay ◽  
Brian Taylor ◽  
Katherine C. Pearson ◽  
...  

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the similarities and differences of legal responses to older adults who may be at risk of harm or abuse in the UK, Ireland, Australia and the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw upon a review of elder abuse and adult protection undertaken on behalf of the commissioner for older people in Northern Ireland. This paper focusses on the desk top mapping of the different legal approaches and draws upon wider literature to frame the discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the different legal responses. Findings – Arguments exist both for and against each legal approach. Differences in defining the scope and powers of adult protection legislation in the UK and internationally are highlighted. Research limitations/implications – This review was undertaken in late 2013; while the authors have updated the mapping to take account of subsequent changes, some statutory guidance is not yet available. While the expertise of a group of experienced professionals in the field of adult safeguarding was utilized, it was not feasible to employ a formal survey or consensus model. Practical implications – Some countries have already introduced APL and others are considering doing so. The potential advantages and challenges of introducing APL are highlighted. Social implications – The introduction of legislation may give professionals increased powers to prevent and reduce abuse of adults, but this would also change the dynamic of relationships within families and between families and professionals. Originality/value – This paper provides an accessible discussion of APL across the UK and internationally which to date has been lacking from the literature.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document