Schemes In England Research Articles

Pursuing systemic improvement through heterarchical school systems: A case of educational resources

AbstractEngland's schooling landscape is being remodelled and the move from hierarchical to heterarchical modes of governance has implications for systemic change strategies. Balancing local and networked autonomy with centralising policies complexifies choices for schools, creating tensions that this article explores through the context of curriculum resourcing policies. In particular, we consider the contemporary case of mathematics textbook schemes in England's heterarchical school system, comparing them with an earlier resource‐driven systemic change programme—the National Numeracy Strategy—which was implemented in a more hierarchical governance system. Drawing on key ideas from implementation science and data from a Wellcome‐funded study of primary teacher professional learning in mathematics in England, we exemplify the challenges of implementing centralised improvement policies in a nominally schools‐led, self‐improving, heterarchical education system. Each of the 19 participating schools had evolved a bespoke curriculum, and these hybridised ‘mashups’ of different resources were enacted with varying degrees of fidelity by teachers. We discuss the implications of this comparative case for systemic improvement, both in the use of educational resources and for policy implementation more generally.

Housebuilding, land, and structural power: the case of mortgage market support schemes in England

Abstract Housing is a critical part of every state’s infrastructure. However, in most advanced economies the state no longer builds very much of it, leaving it instead to private housebuilders. Because of their control over the supply of land, and the barriers to entry into the housebuilding industry, private housebuilders have potentially major structural power over the state. At the same time, private housebuilders are also tied to their land, and face other barriers to exit, thus limiting their ability to relocate capital elsewhere. Drawing on a range of secondary data sources, including earnings calls transcripts, annual reports and government policy documents, this paper demonstrates how the three largest volume housebuilders in England leveraged their structural power to shape the mortgage market support schemes that were introduced in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis. These schemes have since underpinned their exceptional levels of profitability. We conclude, though, that far from being an absolute resource, this structural power was only enabled by the prevailing neoliberal, home-owning Anglo-liberal ‘growth model’ in which these housebuilders were embedded.

Principles for delivering transformative co‐design methodologies with multiple stakeholders for achieving nature recovery in England

AbstractAchieving successful multi‐stakeholder collaboration for sustainable outcomes is complex. This paper provides key principles for future co‐design projects aimed at fostering an inclusive approach to research. These have been developed based on a novel methodology that co‐designed the essential components of a long‐term, collaborative agreement for a nature recovery scheme in England. Using an assortment of iterative, deliberative participatory methods, this research engaged a wide variety of stakeholders to produce a template agreement for an agri‐environmental policy. We demonstrate that a flexible, highly reflective approach resulted in positive engagement with previously marginalised stakeholders. The approach also successfully navigated the unequal power dynamics seen both within and between groups. Finally, multiple feedback loops allowed participants to continually build on previous interactions as they developed and reviewed the agreement. By drawing out the complexities of the co‐design process, this paper explains how co‐design efforts can produce potentially transformative outputs. We hope that the principles introduced here offer a useful starting point for those planning to undertake multi‐stakeholder co‐design.

‘This is counterproductive’: the design of local welfare assistance schemes in England

ABSTRACT Central government is transferring increasing discretionary powers for social security to local authorities (LAs) in England. The responsibility for the design, implementation, and oversight of a series of ad hoc, cash-limited, and discretionary schemes marks the latest evolution of LAs role in the welfare system. Yet there has been little empirical analysis of how LAs design one of the latest schemes in the localisation process – local welfare assistance. This article draws on a content analysis of 165 LA webpages and 10 interviews with LA and third sector members to explore the design of local welfare assistance schemes and the factors that play into these ‘design decisions’. It is argued that LAs play a significant role in shaping the social security environment. This level of governance represents a site of analysis that can tell us about the environment that street-level bureaucrats work in and the schemes that citizens will experience. However, because of exhaustive demand and ever reducing resources LAs are unable to design in a way that promotes administrative justice. Instead, practices that limit, ration or delegating demand and resources leave claimants with inaccessible, unavailable, and discriminating local welfare.

The Healthy Start scheme in England “is a lifeline for families but many are missing out”: a rapid qualitative analysis

BackgroundHealthy Start (HS) is a government scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that offers a financial payment card and free vitamins to families experiencing low income. Pregnant women and families with children < 4 years can use the HS card to buy fruit, vegetables, cow’s milk, infant formula and pulses. HS was fully digitalised in March 2022. While digitalisation has improved the user experience for many families, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis and increasing dietary inequalities, it is important to understand why HS is not reaching more families. This study aimed to (i) assess the perceptions and experiences of HS from stakeholders across the system including those who promote, implement and are eligible for HS, and (ii) identify recommendations to improve the scheme’s effectiveness and uptake.MethodsThe study design was a post-implementation rapid qualitative evaluation using stakeholder interviews. Data were collected between January and June 2023 via semi‐structured interviews (50% online; 50% in person) with 112 stakeholders, including parents (n = 59), non‐government organisations (n = 13), retailers (n = 11) and health and community professionals (n = 29) at national and local levels. Findings were confirmed by a sub-sample of participants.ResultsSix core themes cut across stakeholders’ perceptions and experiences, and stakeholders collectively outlined seven recommendations they felt could be acted upon to maximise uptake and efficiency of HS, with actions at both national and local levels. A novel finding from this study is that raising awareness about HS alone is unlikely to result automatically or universally in higher uptake rate. Recommendations include: continuing to provide this scheme that is universally valued; the need for many families to be provided with a helping hand to successfully complete the application; reframing of the scheme as a child’s right to food and development to ensure inclusivity; improved leadership, coordination and accountability at both national and local levels.ConclusionsHS provides benefits for child development and family wellbeing. The study’s recommendations should be actioned by national and local governments to enable all families eligible for the scheme to benefit from this nutritional safety net.

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Warm Banks Scheme as a Response to the Cost‐of‐Living Crisis in North East England

Fuel poverty was a significant problem during the cost‐of‐living crisis that started in 2021 as energy prices increased. Local authorities launched warm bank schemes around the United Kingdom to address this problem by providing warm spaces for residents to visit who could not heat their homes. This paper reports on an evaluation of the warm bank scheme launched by South Tyneside Council in winter 2022, locally known as Welcoming Places. Over 70 locations were opened around the borough. The evaluation consisted of two stages. In stage 1, we conducted semistructured interviews (n = 16) with residents who attended Welcoming Places and two focus groups with people running them (n = 9). In stage 2, we discussed the initial findings from stage 1 in a focus group with residents (n = 8). Three major themes are presented: “help and support with the cost‐of‐living crisis,” “it’s worth its weight in gold,” and “capability and strength of Welcoming Places.” This is one of the first evaluations of a warm bank scheme in England. We illustrate how the Welcoming Places in South Tyneside were used and experienced by residents. The scheme was valued by residents, provided significant support during the cost‐of‐living crisis, and had a positive impact on self‐reported mental health among participants. Warm bank schemes offer a practical, rapid public health response to the cost‐of‐living crisis for local authorities as well as improving residents’ mental health and well‐being; however, holistic approaches must be taken to address the underlying causes of fuel poverty.

From criminalisation to harm reduction? The forms and functions of police drug diversion in England and Wales

ABSTRACT While drugs policing often involves enforcement interventions that seek to tackle drug offences and drug-related crime through criminal sanctions, it is becoming increasingly apparent that diversion now occupies a central position in police responses to people suspected of either simple possession or an offence related to their drug use. This article draws on findings from a qualitative study of police-led schemes in England and Wales to examine police perspectives on diversion, the rationales behind its various forms, and the problems it is designed to resolve. By giving a voice to the key police actors behind recent local initiatives, interview data reveals that the harmful impacts of criminal sanctions are a significant driver of schemes that divert people away from the criminal justice system and into support services. It is argued that the new wave of police drug diversion is a reaction against criminal justice interventions that emphasise punishment. Police drug diversion is conceptualised as a form of harm reduction policing that has the potential to reduce the adverse consequences of drug use, drug markets, and efforts to control them through the criminal justice system. A further important dimension of the present contribution concerns what diversion signifies about the police mission and broader trajectories in contemporary policing. Police drug diversion is situated within wider organisational shifts towards public health approaches to policing which aim to prevent crime and improve life chances by tackling unmet health, social and economic needs.

Axes to Axes: the Chronology, Distribution and Composition of Recent Bronze Age Hoards from Britain and Northern Ireland

This study explores the impact that recent Bronze Age hoard finds have had on our understanding of hoarding practices across Britain and Northern Ireland. Changes to the legislation of Treasure and the onset of the Portable Antiquities Scheme in England and Wales have produced a wealth of new information on Bronze Age hoards. Beyond a handful of studies which have focused on specific groups of hoards or the distinction between dryland/wetland deposition, however, many of these more recent finds have been overlooked. Our regional understanding of hoarding practices across Britain is also largely based on studies which are now significantly out of date. This paper aims to address this problem by providing a snapshot of hoards and hoarding practices, based on a substantial dataset of 385 hoards (containing 7210 objects) that were reported on between 1997 and 2021. Broad chronological and spatial trends in the distribution are highlighted, with precedence given to characterising these enigmatic deposits based on their size and the categories of objects within them. This investigation provides fresh insights into the selection of certain object groups – particularly axes – during certain periods and within specific regions, whilst also exploring ideas so that we might better understand the scale of metalwork deposition. This research not only demonstrates how recent hoard finds fit into traditional narratives but also how they have the potential to enhance our understanding of regional hoarding practices, offering new and exciting avenues for future research.

Benefits and challenges of living in extra care housing: perspectives of people living with dementia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the views of people living with dementia in extra care housing (ECH). This is a model of housing with care and support aiming to support older people, including those with dementia, to live independently. Previous research identifies benefits but is predominantly derived from third-party accounts, with the voices of those living with dementia in ECH significantly absent.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative approach conducting 100 interviews across 8 ECH schemes in England. Over half of the interviews were conducted with people living with dementia and their families with the remainder involving staff and commissioners.FindingsFindings suggest there are a range of benefits including owning your own home, having a safe, age friendly location with flexible support, social interaction and continuing to live as a couple. Challenges included availability of staff, flexible resourcing, loneliness and the advancing symptoms of dementia.Research limitations/implicationsDespite efforts to create an inclusive, diverse sample, the participants were all White British. Participants involved were identified by gatekeepers, which may present some bias in the selection.Practical implicationsWhilst ECH offers benefits to people living with dementia, addressing the challenges is essential for effective dementia care. Improving staff training, promoting person-centred care and fostering an inclusive community are critical for enhancing residents’ well-being and quality of life.Originality/valueThis paper explored the lived experiences of residents and family members, providing new insight into the advantages and disadvantages of ECH for people living with dementia.

O.2.1-3 Exercise Referral Schemes in the UK: mapping provision and aims

Abstract Purpose A common physical activity intervention in the UK is that of an Exercise Referral Scheme (ERS) where a health professional is able to signpost a service user towards local physical activity opportunities, often in a local sports centre (Bully et al., 2015). While there have been a number of reviews over recent decades, the provision of ERS’s across the UK is far from standardised (Oliver et al., 2021). The purpose of this study was to outline the provision of ERS across England and to examine how the schemes are framed and communicated in terms of their content, purpose, and approach. Methods A database was established and systematic searching online was conducted to collect the online details of exercise referral schemes from every region in the country. Each programme’s online information was then analysed using a Content Analysis approach as it offers a “systematic, objective, quantitative analysis of message characteristics” (Neuendorf, 2016, p. 1). This method has been commonly used to engage with publicly available data in a range of web-based materials as it can be an excellent way of examining patterns and trends in communication across multiple sources (Kim &amp; Kuljis, 2010). Results 625 unique sites were identified across 168 distinct geographical footprints. Stated delivery partners included the leisure provider (91%), at sometimes one other partner (24%). 57% were listed as being 12 weeks in duration with 10% longer and 27% not stating the duration. Many of the projects did not have a stated aim (37%) although many (36%) outlined the general benefits of being physically active. 18% identified mental health as a benefit and only 10% mentioned anything about socialising or meeting other people. Conclusions This study found that the information publicly available on ERS schemes in England is inconsistent and often lacking in detail. Implications are that schemes should consider and then publish specific aims and objectives, and more broadly consider how they communicate the details of their programmes to stakeholders and potential participants. Support/Funding Source No funding was received to undertake this project

The relationship between Quality and Outcomes Framework scores and socioeconomic deprivation: a longitudinal study.

The Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) is a pay incentive scheme in England designed to improve and standardise general practice. QOF attainment has been used as a proxy for primary care quality in previous research. To investigate whether there is a relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and QOF attainment in primary care in England. Retrospective longitudinal study of primary care providers in England. QOF scores were obtained for individual general practices in England from between 2007-2019 and linked to practice-level Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores derived from census data. Beta regression analyses were used to analyse the relationship with either percentage of total QOF attainment or of domain-specific attainment with multivariate analyses, adjusting for additional practice-level demographics. QOF attainment in the most affluent quintile was used as the reference group. General practices in less deprived areas have consistently outperformed those in more deprived areas in terms of QOF achievement. Initially, the gap between least and most deprived practices decreased, however since 2015 there has been relatively little change in comparative performance. The magnitude of inequality was reduced after adjusting for demographic factors. Of the independent variables analysed, the proportion of patients aged >65 years ('over 65s') had the strongest relationship with QOF attainment. There remains an inequality in primary care quality by socioeconomic deprivation in England, even after accounting for demographic differences.

‘Staying Close’: Enabling social interdependence for young people leaving residential care in England

AbstractApplying social interdependence theory as a framework for document analysis, this paper considers eight evaluations of an extended care scheme in England known as ‘Staying Close’. Findings suggest that for extended care projects like ‘Staying Close’ to work, any service offer designed to support the transition from residential care to independent living must be seen by the young person, the carer, and the wider social network, as a continuation of earlier efforts to build and nurture a genuinely committed relationship. A new interrelations model for extended care is introduced and implications are discussed for strategic responses that enable young people, their carers and wider social network to promote opportunities for social interdependence.

What shapes student intentions? The interplay between policy, social and personal factors in postgraduate education

ABSTRACT The Master’s Loan Scheme in England was initially designed to support widening access to postgraduate education. However, the general increase in the average fees has posed a risk of reducing these schemes’ effectiveness in promoting social mobility, especially for debt adverse students. We use a multidisciplinary framework to build a model of postgraduate intentions to review the Fast Forward (FF) Master Scheme at the University of Greenwich in the UK. This framework underpinned the development of an online survey for this observational study. The results suggest that the FF allowed some graduates who, without the FF intervention, would have disregarded undertaking postgraduate taught studies (PGT) to consider studying for a PGT degree. Many of these graduates are from previously under-represented communities in the sector. We found that financial concerns could deter some students, but the intervention design allowed students to consider PGT study when they had a positive undergraduate experience. Alleviating the credit constraint may not be enough to widen access at the PGT level. Better information about PGT courses, more flexible delivery of PGT, and employment support, such as mentorship and work experience, and social and personal factors considerations could help widen access to PGT studies.

Agency and the Limits of Responsibility: Co-Management of Technology-Enabled Care in Supported Housing

Since at least 2012, UK housing providers (and policy makers) have introduced policies aimed at developing autonomy and independence among service users, through an agenda sometimes referred to as ‘responsibilisation’. This paper considers the role that technologies play in this agenda, through an analysis of how wellbeing and independence are facilitated amongst older social housing tenants. Based on case studies of four supported housing schemes in England, the research considers the capacity to exercise agency amongst older persons, through their willingness and ability to accept technological interventions, and the role of support networks to facilitate independent living. Using the concept of modalities of agency, the research examines the impact of implementing ‘low-level’ assistive technologies in the home, based on the perspectives of residents and staff. The interventions studied were designed to improve social relationships, promote self-sufficiency and support self-managed care (based on the principle that the most effective projects facilitate individual agency). The research findings identified that residents responded differentially to technology, based on their levels of capability, motivation, reluctance and resistance. Whilst the study demonstrated that small technological innovations could have disproportionately positive impacts in improving wellbeing, the research demonstrates the complex nature of agency and limits of responsibility. The paper argues that responsibilisation is part of a wider neoliberal project, where choice and agency are manufactured to create an idealised notion of the autonomous actor (in this case through technology-enabled care). The article argues that a collaborative approach to service provision in which responsibility is shared, via co-managed care, is a more effective means of enhancing agency, than one which advocates a withdrawal of support (in the guise of autonomy).

Academics warn prime minister of 'extremely serious' AMR consequences of Pharmacy First scheme in England

Academics warn prime minister of 'extremely serious' AMR consequences of Pharmacy First scheme in England

Uncovering familialism: cash-for-care schemes in England and Finland

This article compares cash-for-care schemes supporting older people with health-related social care needs, as well as their informal carers, in England and Finland. The meso-level policy analysis drills down into the governance arrangements underpinning cash-for-care schemes, including their eligibility criteria, generosity and territorial variations. It explores their implicit and explicit intentions, function and effects in defamilialising, familialising or refamilialising families’ caring responsibilities. This reveals inconsistencies in the familialising and defamilialising effects of schemes according to individuals’ characteristics, choices and policy restrictions. It also exposes an overarching tendency to familialise or refamilialise the activity of caring for older people, which is exacerbated by austerity-related politics.

Demand Responsive Transport: A Review of Schemes in England and Wales

Local-authority-administered Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) schemes are increasingly prevalent in England and Wales, partly as a result of the growth in the availability of government funding. However, insufficient research has been undertaken into the nature of these schemes and their performance, making it difficult to predict their future role. In this respect, a survey was undertaken to collect data on the background, operation, and performance of DRT schemes in England and Wales. It found that DRT schemes are often designed in an attempt to tackle social problems caused by poor accessibility and that they took time to become established, to achieve their objectives, and to reach an acceptable performance in terms of subsidy level. The paper concludes that local-authority-led DRT schemes have a role to play, but that lessons learned from schemes currently in operation must be heeded by those contemplating new scheme development.

Evaluating UK Pharmacy Workers' Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour towards Antimicrobial Stewardship and Assessing the Impact of Training in Community Pharmacy.

The Antibiotic Guardian (AG) campaign, developed in 2014 is an online ‘pledge’ approach to engage health workers and the public about antimicrobial resistance. It is underpinned by models of science communication and behaviour change. Since its launch until the end of 2021, more than 140,000 individuals pledged. A service evaluation was conducted to determine the impact of the campaign upon UK pharmacy workers, in response to national training introduced in 2020. Pledged pharmacy workers were sent an online questionnaire collating demographics, self-reported behaviour and opportunity to support prudent antibiotic use. It also investigated respondents’ daily practice and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) efforts, and motivations for pledging. Capability was measured with a set of knowledge questions. Awareness of changes to the Community Pharmacy Quality Scheme in England to include incentivized training on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was explored. Of the 5344 pharmacy workers invited to participate, 783 (14.6%) responded to the survey. There was a statistically significant difference between job roles and capability score. Pharmacists, including Academic and Hospital Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians reported higher confidence and capability scores than Dispensers and Pharmacy Assistants (F = 13.776, p = 0.0002). Respondents reported strong knowledge on antimicrobial resistance and high confidence in fulfilling their AG stewardship pledge within daily practices (92.7% of all respondents answered all capability questions, as measured by knowledge, correctly). Two thirds of respondents (61.6% (423/693)) agreed or strongly agreed that they had access to and were able to utilise local antibiotic prescribing guidance and a similar proportion of responding community pharmacists (60%) were aware of the content of their workplace AMS plans. No statistically significant relationships were found between motivations for pledging and subsequent behaviour; pledging due to mandatory requirements of work-place training was the most common answer in both 2019 (42%) and 2020 (54%) cohorts. This evaluation supports the value of the AG pledge-based approach to engage and educate pharmacy workers. Reflections show its impact on increasing evidence-based stewardship for pharmacy workers and their response to mandatory training requirement by employers highlights the effectiveness of the AG campaign to promote AMS within pharmacy teams.

Co‐designing the environmental land management scheme in England: The why, who and how of engaging ‘harder to reach’ stakeholders

Abstract Agriculture around the world needs to become more environmentally sustainable to limit further environmental degradation and impacts of climate change. Many governments try to achieve this through enrolling farmers in agri‐environment schemes (AES) that encourage them to undertake conservation activities. Studies show that AES can suffer from low uptake, meaning their environmental objectives remain unattained. To succeed for people and nature, policy‐makers are increasingly adopting multi‐actor approaches in the ‘co‐design’ of AES to make them more attractive and inclusive of a full range of stakeholders, including ‘harder to reach’ farmers. To address why some land managers (principally farmers) may be harder to reach in the context of co‐designing England's new Environmental Land Management (ELM) approach, we undertook a quick scoping review of the literature, conducted 23 first‐round and 24 s‐round interviews with key informants, and held a workshop with 11 practitioners. We outline why farming stakeholders may be harder to reach and how policy‐makers can adjust the engagement process to make co‐design more inclusive. Based on the results, we make recommendations that could help policy‐makers to design better, more inclusive AES that would attract greater uptake and increase their chances of success. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Learning from the experience and effectiveness of retirement village and extra care housing responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose This paper aims to describe the RE-COV study and to summarise its findings. It focuses particularly on the implications of lessons learned for national, operational and building design policy and practice. Design/methodology/approach Invitations to take part in a RE-COV study survey were emailed to the operators of 270 retirement villages and older people’s extra care housing schemes in England which were known to the Elderly Accommodation Counsel. Completed questionnaires were returned from 38 operators, online or electronically, between December 2020 and February 2021. Findings Survey findings evidenced the breadth and depth of the operators’ responses, the effects these had on residents’ lives and worthwhile changes which could be made. Outcomes demonstrated included higher levels of protection for residents from the COVID-19 virus compared to older people living in the general community, and high levels of residents feeling safe, supported and reassured. Practical implications The findings are used to offer evidence-based recommendations for housing operators, building designers and policymakers which could enhance resident, staff and operators’ health and well-being, both going forward and during possible future pandemics. Social implications There is evidence that retirement villages and extra care housing provided safe, resilient and supportive environments during the first year of the pandemic which were highly valued by residents. Originality/value This study addressed a knowledge gap regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted housing-with-care stakeholders, evidencing specifically how operators had responded, and what their response achieved.