Recruiting participants for psychological research is a well-known and frequently reported challenge associated with the research process. This is especially challenging when recruiting younger populations, often leading researchers to rely on educational settings for recruitment and data collection. This commentary explores the challenges of conducting research in schools, the potential drawbacks of this reliance, and proposes an alternative approach to address these challenges. We propose an alternative recruitment method utilising public engagement sessions with established groups, such as Scouting and Girlguiding communities, to facilitate data collection. This recruitment model has the potential to transform recruitment dynamics, overcome many of the barriers associated with school-based testing and offer researchers an alternative pathway to optimise data collection in psychological research with young people.

Scotland has a proud footballing legacy marked by famous European successes and world-class players, yet recent decades have witnessed a sustained period of underperformance both domestically and internationally. Back-to-back European Championship qualifications, coupled with Scotland's qualification for the 2026 World Cup, suggest a revitalised development pipeline, but it remains unclear whether these outcomes reflect systemic progress or isolated performances. This study provides a 24-season longitudinal analysis (2000–2024) of elite player development in Scotland's top-tier, with the aim of identifying the key success factors that enable Scottish players to break through, survive, and thrive at the elite level. Drawing on a large sample (n = 2671) of players, a stepwise analytical approach was employed that centred on multinomial logistic regression to test predictors of elite player progression. Results showed that debut age, debut-season involvement, and U21 representation were the strongest predictors of becoming an established professional at the elite level. In contrast, debut club type, academy pathway, and U16–20 caps were not significant. Typology modelling distinguished four distinct player progression pathways, from short-lived “early flickers” to enduring “thriving pros.” Follow-up analyses confirmed that greater debut-season minutes and earlier debuts were consistently associated with established elite playing careers and progression through the national pathway to senior international representation. These findings suggest that ‘early trust’ – operationalised as meaningful debut-season involvement – is a core success factor underpinning elite player development at both club and international levels. Practical implications are offered for coaches, clubs, and governing bodies to strengthen academy player pathways and bolster Scotland's national player development pipeline.

This study explores the implementation and impact of a focused clinical daily safety huddle (FCDSH) as a non-technical intervention aimed at enhancing patient safety, reducing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers (HAPUs), and improving interprofessional collaboration. The project employed Kotter's eight-step change model to guide the implementation process and used Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles for iterative development. Stakeholder engagement, coaching leadership methodology, and a robust data collection process, including run charts, supported the intervention. The results demonstrated a significant increase in the number of days between reported pressure ulcers, with the ward achieving 142 days without an incident post intervention compared with a baseline average of 18.2 days. The findings highlight the effectiveness of FCDSHs in improving communication, fostering teamwork, and reducing preventable patient harm. This service evaluation contributes to the growing evidence base for human factors approaches and non-technical skills in clinical practice.

ABSTRACT In this paper, we have developed an original framework to interrogate policy concerning the outdoor sector, giving thought to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 5 (gender equality) and 8 (decent work), emphasising a shift from precarious to decent work in our investigation. Employing qualitative content analysis, we found the discourse of policy to be masculinised and heteronormative, focussed on growth, with limited reflection on gender matters in employment, its precarity, or its commitment to decent work for all. Across all documents, sex-disaggregated data were absent, and inconsistent nomenclature disguised the true extent of precarious work. How to implement change and promote social sustainability, decent work and inclusivity remained unclear. Our framework suggests a way forward to critically examine policy to address these issues and to focus on positive change.