scholarly journals A study into situated learning through community legal companionship

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Ben Waters ◽  
Jeanette Ashton
Keyword(s):  
Situated Learning ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Law Students ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Skills Acquisition ◽  
Welfare Benefits ◽  
System Clock ◽  
Christ Church ◽  
The Uk

Against the background of the current graduate skills agenda and its considered importance in relation to a UK law degree, this article considers the value of the CLOCK Community Legal Companion scheme, a collaborative social justice project involving law students, legal services providers, third sector advice agencies and law courts based in two areas of the country namely; Canterbury and Brighton. In recent years, the UK Government has significantly cut civil legal aid in areas such as housing, family and welfare benefits, with a view to easing the strain on the deficit. These cuts have been opposed by many, including lawyers, who have raised concerns that the most vulnerable within our communities could be left unrepresented in court and as a consequence an undue burden placed on our civil justice system. CLOCK therefore provides an opportunity for those within our communities who are caught in the so-called ‘justice gap’, to gain support and guidance from law students when they attend court unrepresented. The findings of a small-scale research project into the perceived benefits of Community Legal Companionship, conducted at two UK law schools; Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Brighton, indicate that the socio-legal experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate law students presented by such initiatives, are also valuable in terms of legal skills acquisition. The research shows that the scheme not only enables law students to use their legal knowledge for the benefit of their local community, but also through analysis of their own perceptions, demonstrates how such a community-based project can provide undergraduate law students with valuable employability skills. Experiences of setting up a Community Legal Companion scheme, together with an overview of how the scheme operates in the Canterbury and Brighton County Courts, as well as students’ reflections of participating as Community Legal Companions drawn from the empirical qualitative research, are evaluated in this article.

scholarly journals “Saying yes to everything”: Slung Low’s mission in a time of rapid change

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-218
Author(s):  
Rachel Perry
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Interpretive Study ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose This study explores what it means to be a mission-driven arts organisation (MDAO) in the UK. Drawing on literature relating to artistic risk and rupture, mission and vision, and arts participation, the purpose of this paper is to shed light on how Slung Low, a theatre organisation with a core staff of five, creates large and complex initiatives and seeks to make a difference to its local community. Design/methodology/approach Using a case study approach, this interpretive study makes use of qualitative data to offer context-specific knowledge about how MDAOs create new initiatives including: interviews with members of the Slung Low team; attendance at company meetings; analysis of internal organisational documents, company website and artistic director’s blog; and articles about Slung Low from the local, national and theatre industry press. Data was gathered through a research collaboration with Slung Low which is supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Findings The results offer fresh insight into how MDAOs take a positive approach to rupture and rapid change. The study finds that by embracing risk and committing to an ambitious and provocative mission, small-scale arts organisations can achieve artistic, cultural and social objectives which far exceed their size. Research limitations/implications This paper offers an organisational perspective on the research questions and so participants were not interviewed on this occasion. However, the participant view will be the subject of further research with Slung Low. Originality/value This research paper provides insight into one of the UK’s most innovative theatre companies during a period of monumental change, and advances knowledge on mission-driven organisations by offering reflections on what it means to be an arts organisation which places rupture, risk and usefulness at the heart of its mission.

scholarly journals ‘I Would Never Have Come If We’d Know It Might Be Like This’

Intersections ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Greenfields ◽  
Eglė Dagilytė
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Hostile Environment ◽  
European Union Law ◽  
Welfare Benefits ◽  
Enforcement Action ◽  
Genuine Use ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Uk ◽  
State Interventions

This paper presents the findings from a small-scale pilot study which explores the experiences of accessing welfare benefits by the migrant Roma European Union (EU) citizens in the UK. It compares administrative barriers and individuals’ knowledge of welfare entitlement both prior and after the implementation of changes to the welfare regime in 2014, when a tranche of ‘policy hardening’ legal enactments came into force. For the migrants who participated in this study, precarious, low paid post-migration work has brought several hazards, including a non-eligibility for certain social protections and an inability to demonstrate documentation which enable access to ‘passported’ welfare benefits. The combination of problems in accessing welfare benefits and the resulting state interventions, including expulsion from the UK in some cases, suggest that EU Roma citizens experience disproportionate negative impacts of welfare hardening, adding to the much vaunted ‘hostile environment’ to EU migrants in the wake of the Brexit vote. As such, we find the practice of ‘bordering’ migrant EU Roma citizens to the UK is taking place through covert state enforcement action against families and households, discouraging effective and genuine use of their free movement rights guaranteed under European Union law.

The Making of a Model: Teacher Education for Looked After Children

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Alix
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Virtual School ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Early Model ◽  
Trainee Teachers ◽  
Looked After Children ◽  
Continued Education ◽  
Stage Process ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Training Practice

<p>We report a three-stage process of developing a model of teacher education to encompass provision for Looked After Children in schools in the UK. First, a survey of 78 trainee teachers explored their perceptions and early practice concerning educating Looked After Children (LAC). There are currently 68,840 children of school age in the UK that have been ‘looked after’ for 12 months or more, and their education is of particular concern both within political and educational circles. Second, teacher education programmes were then reviewed to highlight omissions in relation to LAC, and to initiate an early model for improved training practice, not only for teachers in training but also for the continued professional development of those active in service. Third came the development of a model through consultation with major stakeholders in the field of education for Looked After Children. These were state and charitable organisations, and incorporated responses from Virtual School Headteachers (VSHs) who have oversight of the education for LAC, who are placed on a ‘virtual school’ roll even though physically spread across the schools within a local authority and beyond. The outcomes of the study are limited by the small scale of the research, but provide a validated template for the initial and continued education of teachers for LAC.</p>

scholarly journals Does CSR Activity Amount to Socially Responsible Management?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. John Foster
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Socially Responsible ◽  
Responsible Management ◽  
Exploratory Investigation ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Corporate Social

AbstractIn essence firms or companies are usually thought to exist to make products for or provide services of some sort to third parties, other companies or individuals. The philosophical question which naturally arises then is ‘to the benefit of whom should a firm’s activities be aimed?’ Possible answers include the owners of the firm, the firm’s employees or wider society, the firm’s local community or their host nation. It is because of firms’ location within a wider society that the issue of corporate social responsibility arises. The issue is do they contribute in a positive way to the fabric of society. In this paper we conduct an exploratory investigation whose research questions, broadly, are whether there is public evidence of corporate social responsibility activity by firms listed in the UK and to what extent, if any, such activities may amount to genuinely socially responsible management by the firms. We examined the most up to date annual reports of a split sample of 36 firms listed in the FTSE 350. The short answers to the two research questions above are: to some degree and no by some margin, based on data from the sample firms.

scholarly journals The potential dangers of not understanding COVID-19 public health restrictions in dementia: “It’s a groundhog day – every single day she does not understand why she can’t go out for a walk”

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarissa Giebel ◽  
Kerry Hanna ◽  
Manoj Rajagopal ◽  
Aravind Komuravelli ◽  
Jacqueline Cannon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Third Sector Organisations ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Second Wave

Abstract Background Sudden public health restrictions can be difficult to comprehend for people with cognitive deficits. However, these are even more important for them to adhere to due to their increased levels of vulnerability, particularly to COVID-19. With a lack of previous evidence, we explored the understanding and changes in adherence to COVID-19 public health restrictions over time in people living with dementia (PLWD). Methods Unpaid carers and PLWD were interviewed over the phone in April 2020, shortly after the nationwide UK lockdown, with a proportion followed up from 24th June to 10th July. Participants were recruited via social care and third sector organisations across the UK, and via social media. Findings A total of 70 interviews (50 baseline, 20 follow-up) were completed with unpaid carers and PLWD. Five themes emerged: Confusion and limited comprehension; Frustration and burden; Putting oneself in danger; Adherence to restrictions in wider society; (Un) changed perceptions. Most carers reported limited to no understanding of the public health measures in PLWD, causing distress and frustration for both the carer and the PLWD. Due to the lack of understanding, some PLWD put themselves in dangerous situations without adhering to the restrictions. PLWD with cognitive capacity who participated understood the measures and adhered to these. Discussion In light of the new second wave of the pandemic, public health measures need to be simpler for PLWD to avoid unwilful non-adherence. Society also needs to be more adaptive to the needs of people with cognitive disabilities more widely, as blanket rules cause distress to the lives of those affected by dementia.

scholarly journals Listening to student voice-understanding student and faculty experience at two UK graduate entry programmes

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Abdulhadi Alagha ◽  
Linda Jones
Keyword(s):  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Field Analysis ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Graduate Entry ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Point Of Entry ◽  
Shortage Of Physicians ◽  
Elite Interviews ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Context Shortage of physicians in the UK has been a long-standing issue. Graduate entry medicine (GEM) may offer a second point of entry for potential doctors. However, the challenges of developing and implementing these programmes are still unrecognised. This small-scale study aimed to briefly explore the opportunities and challenges facing students at two UK GEM programmes. Methods Two case studies were conducted at Imperial College and Scotland’s GEM (ScotGEM) and used a triangulated qualitative approach via semi-structured and elite interviews. Data analysis, informed by grounded theory, applied thematic and force-field analysis in an empirical approach to generate evidence and instrumental interpretations for Higher Education Institutions. Results Although GEM forms an opportunity for graduates to enter medicine, the different drivers of each programme were key in determining entry requirements and challenges experienced by postgraduates. Three key dilemmas seem to influence the experiences of learners in GEM programmes: (a) postgraduate identity and the everchanging sense-of-self; (b)self-directed and self-regulated learning skills, and (c) servicescape, management and marketing concepts. Conclusions Graduate entry programmes may support policy makers and faculty to fill the workforce gap of healthcare professionals. However, their successful implementation requires careful considerations to the needs of graduates to harness their creativity, resilience and professional development as future healthcare workers.

scholarly journals A Mixed-Methods Investigation into Barriers for Sharing Geospatial and Resilience Flood Data in the UK

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1235
Author(s):  
Luke Waterman ◽  
Mónica Rivas Casado ◽  
Emma Bergin ◽  
Gary McInally
Keyword(s):  
Data Sharing ◽  
Local Politics ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Third Sector Organisations ◽  
Data Points ◽  
The Uk

With increases in average temperature and rainfall predicted, more households are expected to be at risk of flooding in the UK by 2050. Data and technologies are increasingly playing a critical role across public-, private- and third-sector organisations. However, barriers and constraints exist across organisations and industries that limit the sharing of data. We examine the international context for data sharing and variations between data-rich and data-sparse countries. We find that local politics and organisational structures influence data sharing. We focus on the case study of the UK, and on geospatial and flood resilience data in particular. We use a series of semi-structured interviews to evaluate data sharing limitations, with particular reference to geospatial and flood resilience data. We identify barriers and constraints when sharing data between organisations. We find technological, security, privacy, cultural and commercial barriers across different use cases and data points. Finally, we provide three long-term recommendations to improve the overall accessibility to flood data and enhance outcomes for organisations and communities.

scholarly journals Charting the Rough Journey to ‘Home’: The Contribution of Qualitative Longitudinal Research to Understandings of Homelessness in Austerity

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Emma Davidson ◽  
Briege Nugent ◽  
Sarah Johnsen
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Deep Insight ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Analytical Potential ◽  
Longitudinal Approach ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

This article reflects on the contribution of qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) to understandings of homeless peoples’ experiences of support service interventions in an era of austerity in the UK. It brings into ‘analytic conversation’ data from qualitative longitudinal evaluations of homeless support projects operated by voluntary sector organisations in Scotland. With fieldwork spanning 2014-2019, the analysis expands the analytical potential of pooling small-scale studies through an interrogation of individuals’ ‘journeys’ through homelessness services and their rough path to ‘home’. By reflecting on our substantive findings, the article explores the added value and challenges of a longitudinal approach. It concludes that while QLR can deliver deep insight into lives lived by vulnerable populations and potentially reduce the distance between policy makers and those affected, its benefits must be balanced against pragmatism and the ethical responsibilities associated with the method.

scholarly journals Older Carers and Carers of People with Dementia: Improving and Developing Effective Support

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Mary Larkin ◽  
Melanie Henwood ◽  
Alisoun Milne
Keyword(s):  
Third Sector ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Carer Support ◽  
Tailored Approach ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Similar Stage

The policy drive to support carers is a longstanding national and international priority. Research about the design and delivery of support for carers is critical to the underpinning evidence base. Through a timely exploration of a third sector perspective, the UK-based study discussed in this article provides insights into approaches to, and the commissioning of, support for older carers and carers of people with dementia. The study highlights the importance of: embedding carers’ perspectives in service developments; the provision of both generic and targeted support which adopts a nuanced and tailored approach; titrating the delivery of information and advice at a pace to match carers’ needs; capturing quantitative and qualitative dimensions in service evaluation; and increased quantity and longevity of funding. Such insights not only complement existing research but are also generalisable to other countries at a similar stage in the development of carer support.

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