Safeguarding teenagers in a sexual health service during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesThe first aim was to examine how the COVID-19 restrictions on movement impacted on teenagers’ access to a local sexual health service (SHS). The second aim was to audit whether safeguarding assessments were carried out for those accessing the service remotely.MethodsApril–September 2020 consultation numbers for teenagers aged 17 years and under were compared with the 2019 equivalent. Service safeguarding assessment standards were reviewed for teenagers receiving telephone consultations for the first 6 months of lockdown, April–September 2020.ResultsThere was a reduction in contact with the service of 100% for those aged 13 years and younger, 52% for those aged 14 and 15 years and 31% for those aged 16 and 17 years for the compared months. A safeguarding assessment was either carried out by the service or accounted for by a partner community practitioner for all contacts with the service by young people 15 years or younger. 96% of safeguarding assessments were carried out for those aged 16–17 years.ConclusionsThere was a reduction in consultations for all age groups examined in the 6 months following lockdown. This adds to the evidence that restrictions during lockdown are barriers to young people accessing SHSs. For those who did have a consultation, safeguarding assessments were consistently carried out. Nevertheless, due to reduced contact overall, it is likely that some safeguarding issues remain undisclosed. Multiagency safeguarding networks and telephone consultations with a low threshold for promoting an in-person consultation facilitated access to the SHS and a robust safeguarding pathway during the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manalagi Talanoa A Community-Centred Approach to Research on the Health and Wellbeing of Pacific Rainbow LGBTIQA+ MVPFAFF Communities in Aotearoa New Zealand

The talanoa reported in this paper explores the way the Manalagi Project – recently funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand – has been designed to empower the health and wellbeing of our Pacific Rainbow LGBTIQA+ MVPFAFF communities. Community-driven, co-designed and embedded, the Manalagi Project adopts a Pacific-centred holistic approach to wellbeing and research. Positioned at the beginning of its community consultation phase, this talanoa between the two lead researchers, one who is an academic and the other a community practitioner, documents the genealogy of the project embedded in lived experiences and relationality through talanoa. It speaks to the importance and timeliness of the project; the suitability of the research team; and intervenes in conversations around how we can activate Pacific research methodologies and praxis to empower our communities to achieve their health and wellbeing aspirations. The findings from this talanoa demonstrate the criticality in adopting intersectional approaches to understanding the differentiated and contextualised health and wellbeing needs of diverse Pacific communities.

Paulo Freirean Ideas at the Grassroots: From Problem Posing Education to Critical Consciousness

This article aims to reflectively analyse the personal and organisational trajectory of a grassroots activist—researcher in translating abstract praxis-related theoretical ideas to practise through a two-way process of learning. It critically discuses an evolving process of collective actions and associated reflections that progressively brought clarity on the theoretical aspects of the Freirean concepts. The process of the application and usefulness of the problem posing education, conscientisation and critical consciousness in transforming the lives of women and communities is reflectively narrated. The author argues that Freire’s transformative conceptualisations not only have the impact on the ‘oppressed’, but also on the ‘privileged’ who chose to work with them. Despite some limitations, the author, as a community practitioner/activist, finds Freire’s ideas as a gift in the political purpose and politics of her work. These reflections will be of use to community practitioners and members working in similar contexts.

Conquering the ‘Fear Fortress’ – Returning to a mathematics exam as a Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber

Building confidence is essential for qualified nurses undertaking numeracy assessments. This qualitative research study explores self-reported levels of confidence in nurses at various stages of the life-course, including when undertaking a numeracy test as part of the Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribing (CPNP) qualification. An hour-long, semi-structured focus group was conducted by the authors, and the resulting data was thematically analysed. The authors explored the experience of CPNP students returning to a learning and exam environment, and how this experience impacted on their confidence. Overall, a high level of confidence in the use of numeracy in clinical practice, but strong test anxiety, was identified in all participants. Participants reported an increase in confidence levels following the successful achievement of the numeracy test, with some going on to display advanced numeracy skills in clinical practice. Teaching staff have a responsibility to support returning learners to build confidence throughout this process and the authors conclude with some suggestions of how to support teaching and learning in this setting.

Safety huddle in a community nursing setting

A safety huddle is a meeting held among district nurses, allied health professionals, specialist nurses, administrative staff, community matrons and healthcare assistants, also known as the wider multidisciplinary team. This article aims to identify and discuss the importance of safety huddles within a community nursing team. The author, a Specialist Community Practitioner District Nurse (SCPDN), explores why safety huddles were introduced and the implications of staff and patient safety if a safety huddle is not performed. The article also discusses the role of the SCPDN, how patient harm is sustained when communication failures occur within a team, new technologies implemented into practice and the implementation of safety huddles electronically.

Hands and feet: A reflection on Polynesian navigation—a Niue Fakafifine community practitioner perspective in Aotearoa-New Zealand

As a community navigator, my practice draws from skills, knowledge and principles of Polynesian navigation such as wayfinding . In this essay, I will provide personal experiences that have influenced and nurtured me in my development as a community navigator. I will discuss four influences of Polynesian practices: dance, weaving, storytelling and navigation. These are concepts that I draw from to support people who experience hardship in life and are intrinsically connected and complementary of one another when applied in my practice.

Measuring the Built Environment for Aging in Place: A Review of Neighborhood Audit Tools

What audit tools are available to assess neighborhood suitability for aging in place? Drawing on theories from environmental gerontology, the article outlines physical and social environmental characteristics influencing aging. Eight research audit tools and three community/practitioner tools were identified using a Boolean search strategy. They emphasize walkability and the physical attributes of places. Areas for further development include addressing specific features related to aging, a wider range of environments, additional physical and social dimensions, and conducting audits using technologies and participatory processes to better incorporate aging experiences. For planners, these audit tools raise awareness of how environments can better support aging populations.

Hazards of Our Helping Profession: A Practical Self-Care Model for Community Practice

The social work profession is a helping profession; social workers provide services with the intent to improve life opportunities in pursuit of social justice for individuals, groups, communities, and society as a whole. Social workers are called to work on behalf of the most vulnerable people in our society, and as such, the hazards of our helping profession are abundant. Though the literature offers numerous frameworks that can be used by social workers in a variety of settings, many issues that are unique to community practice settings can lead to professional burnout and compassion fatigue for social workers. At present there are no comprehensive models for self-care that attend specifically to the unique needs of the community practitioner. This article presents the iM-PAACT model, a four-part conceptual framework that helps to fill this gap in the literature. This practical self-care model has been designed specifically for social workers engaged primarily in community practice settings, including the community activist, community organizer, and community-engaged scholar.