The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Those Supported in the Community with Long-Term Mental Health Problems: A Qualitative Analysis of Power, Threat, Meaning and Survival

Research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on those already living with mental health problems, though there is also evidence of resilience. However, to date there has been limited in-depth qualitative investigation. We interviewed 15 people living with long-term mental health problems who, before the pandemic, were being supported by third sector organisations, to explore how they experienced lockdowns and accessing services remotely. Template analysis was informed by the Power Threat Meaning Framework and suggested that participants experienced significant threats to their mental wellbeing and recovery which were exacerbated by current or previous powerlessness and inequality. Although participants described positive coping strategies, several described a return of unhelpful behaviours that had contributed to the original difficulties. The findings illustrate the wider contributions of social and economic context to mental health problems and the importance of ensuring that people do not feel abandoned and are proactively supported.

Social care for the migrant population in Spain: needs and strengths of organisations during the COVID-19 pandemic and infodemic

Purpose In the past months, the authors have experienced an exceptional global situation that especially affects the most vulnerable population. This paper aims to analyse the needs, strengths and good practices of the organisations that have continued to study with the migrant population during the health crisis. The main objective was to determine how the health, social and communication crisis has affected the management of the organisation itself, the communications with its direct beneficiaries, the communications with the rest of society, as well as the perception that organisations specialised in migration have about how media has communicated the information of COVID-19 and migrant population. Design/methodology/approach The authors have circulated a questionnaire with open questions that covered the four dimensions previously mentioned. Findings The results show the analysis of the answers of 11 of the most important national and international organisations in the field of migration and refuge that operate in Spain. Originality/value Key issues have emerged related not only to the principal management concerns, internal digital communication, the adaptability of external communication and the major effort required to provide information about migration but also to innovative good practices. That other third sector organisations focussed on migration will be able to apply in the future and in other geographic areas.

SDG partnerships may perpetuate the global North–South divide

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development gives equal emphasis to developed (“Northern”) countries and developing (“Southern”) countries. Thus, implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) demands coherent collaboration to transform society across all countries. Yet, there has been little research published on SDG partnerships and this is the first study to explore the extent to which partners from Northern and Southern countries are involved in them and their focus. It identifies that involvement is unequally distributed and may perpetuate the North–South divide in countries’ resources, including access to data and scientific capacities. Most notably, partners from low-income countries are involved in far fewer partnerships than partners from countries in all other World Bank income categories, although the former are least able to develop sustainably. As such, all those promoting sustainable development from governmental, private and third-sector organisations need to address global inequalities in establishing and implementing SDG partnerships if, collectively, they are to facilitate delivery of Agenda 2030.

Defining Boundaries: Towards an Identity of The Malaysian Third Sector

Reviews of the literature suggest the Malaysian third sector lacks basic descriptive information. Research on what makes up the sector is scarce, indicating little effort was undertaken to define and identify its components from the Malaysian perspective. This paper proposes the scope of the Malaysian third sector by suggesting its boundaries and identifying the constituents. Inclusion was based on the structural-operational definition of third sector organisations developed by Salamon and Anheier (1992, 1996) and the primary basis for exclusion is distribution of profits to shareholders and promoters. It is proposed that social, voluntary, non-governmental and nonprofit organisations make up the Malaysian third sector, while state linked organisations and profit-distributing organisations such as cooperatives and social enterprises are excluded. Knowing the third sector’s boundaries and constituents would allow more focussed research to be undertaken; enabling actors, researchers, and policymakers to identify issues and develop policies and strategies to address them.

Country Experience with using the Country Assessment Tool (Lessons learned)

Difficulties in completing the CA concerned the availability of data and quality of data, also complicated by complex government structures. UK-level data are collected by various agencies and are often unavailable at Welsh level. Data on migrant health is not collected, apart from the Office of National Statistics scoping collection at UK level. There was no data available regarding refugees after they have been granted leave to remain, and the numbers in Wales not known. Research on migrant health is largely limited to people seeking sanctuary, and there is an ambitious cross-sector plan to make Wales the world's first Nation of Sanctuary. While there is limited visibility of migrants in health-related policies, rather references to ‘diverse communities' or ‘black and minority ethnic groups', Welsh policy in devolved areas e.g. Health are generally more inclusive of migrants than UK policy. Lessons learned: It is difficult to retro fit data systems and trying to gather from mainstream information will vastly underestimate the underserved population groups such as migrants. Especially when sanctions against individuals and mistrust of officialdom may mean an unwillingness to engage. For asylum seekers these stakes are very high eg deportation. Hence specific bespoke systems of data capture are needed. Often using trusted others eg third sector organisations that support health, legal advocacy and other service reports are important.

Minority Viewpoint: Capturing Ethnic Minority Voices in Renfrewshire

The research reported in this paper is an abridged version of a study exploring the views of ethnic minority communities in Renfrewshire. The study provided a voice to these communities in relation to their awareness of Renfrewshire Council's services and initiatives targeting ethnic minority groups. The study also surveyed the extent to which ethnic minorities engage with ethnic minority organisations designed to support their needs, the challenges they face and how they feel they are viewed by the indigenous ‘white’ community. Based on a series of focus groups, the findings reveal a lack of awareness among participants of Council services and initiatives aimed at ethnic minority communities. There is a varied level of engagement with ethnic minority voluntary and third sector organisations, a range of challenges including language barriers, perceived and actual racism, and some apprehension as to how ethnic minority groups are perceived by the indigenous white community. There are implications for key stakeholders such as the Council and others who should review their policies and practices to ensure that the needs and concerns of ethnically diverse communities in Renfrewshire are being addressed.

Synthesising evidence regarding hospital to home transitions supported by volunteers of third sector organisations: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionGiven the risks inherent in care transitions, it is imperative that patients discharged from hospital to home receive the integrated care services necessary to ensure a successful transition. Despite efforts by the healthcare sector to develop health system solutions to improve transitions, problems persist. Research on transitional support has predominantly focused on services delivered by healthcare professionals; the evidence for services provided by lay navigators or volunteers in this context has not been synthesised. This scoping review will map the available literature on the engagement of volunteers within third sector organisations supporting adults in the transition from hospital to home.Methods and analysisUsing the well-established scoping review methodology outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute, a five-stage review is outlined: (1) determining the research question, (2) search strategy, (3) inclusion criteria, (4) data extraction and (5) analysis and presentation of the results. The search strategy will be applied to 10 databases reflecting empirical and grey literature. A two-stage screening process will be used to determine eligibility of articles. To be included in the review, articles must describe a community-based programme delivered by a third sector organisation that engages volunteers in the provisions of services that support adults transitioning from hospital to home. All articles will be independently assessed for eligibility, and data from eligible articles will be extracted and charted using a standardised form. Extracted data will be analysed using narrative and descriptive analyses.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required for this scoping review. Members of an international special interest group focused on the voluntary sector will be consulted to provide insight and feedback on study findings, help with dissemination of the results and engage in the development of future research proposals. Dissemination activities will include peer-reviewed publications and academic presentations.

Co-producing smart cities: A Quadruple Helix approach to assessment

Cities are increasingly expected to bring urban stakeholders together to deploy smart solutions that address urban challenges and deliver long-term positive impacts. Yet, existing theory and practice struggle to explain how such impacts can be achieved, measured or evidenced. This paper makes two major contributions. Firstly, the paper shows how the Quadruple Helix (QH) innovation approach can be used as the basis for co-producing smart city projects in order to better capture their impacts. In doing so we present a synthesis of current smart city and QH literatures to argue that assessment criteria and indicators must be co-produced with the full set of smart city stakeholders to ensure relevance to context and needs. Secondly, we present an example of a co-produced monitoring and assessment framework and methodology, developed to capture and measure the impacts of smart and sustainable city solutions with the stakeholder teams involved in the European Union Triangulum smart city programme. The paper draws on experiences working with 27 smart city demonstration projects involving public, private and third-sector organisations and communities across Manchester (United Kingdom), Eindhoven (The Netherlands) and Stavanger (Norway). We show how involving QH stakeholders in co-producing impact assessment improves the ability of projects to deliver and measure impacts that matter to cities and citizens. We conclude with a series of lessons and recommendations intended to be of use to the range of organisations and communities currently involved in smart city initiatives across Europe and the world.

The Multiple Regulator Model: A Case of Too Many Cooks?

Regulation protects the third sector from mismanagement, provides data for policy development, and increases public trust and confidence in its organisations. Different agencies regulate Malaysian third sector organisations (TSO), based on their legal forms and varying activities or functions. Yet, can different regulations governing organisations with similar objectives effectively address issues affecting the sector as a whole? This study provides an overview of the Malaysian third sector regulatory landscape and examines the operational challenges caused by the multiple regulator environment. Third sector actors and regulators were interviewed to understand how they navigate legal and regulatory requirements. Findings show that regulation is hampered by discrepancies surrounding the interpretation and application of laws. This Malaysian study shows that regulatory inconsistencies affect the sector’s operational efficiency and diminish trust between the TSOs and regulators. Based on these findings, uniformity in regulation is crucial to build trust in the sector, as well as between actors and regulators.

Language and Social Integration in Times of Increasing Anti-Immigration Discourses

This article analyses the structural barriers affecting the processes of linguistic integration among adult migrants and refugees by focusing on both teachers’ and learners’ experiences in the context of an EU-funded project for good practice exchange. Reflections and assumptions of language teachers for migrants and refugees from four European countries (Spain, Germany, Italy and Poland) are set against the linguistic needs and expectations of their students through the case of a Pakistani migrant woman in Barcelona. Although language training for migrants’ labour integration and participation is widely emphasized by supranational, national and regional institutions, it is not a genuine priority in most of the countries of reception. Limited training focused on issues related to language and anti-immigration and/or nationalist discourses condition well-intended initiatives from third sector organisations. Moving away from purely pedagogical factors, this article aims to contribute to locating language learning as social integration under the lens of social justice.