Scottish Context Research Articles

Lost lives and opportunities for the legacy of harm reduction in Scotland, UK

Lost lives and opportunities for the legacy of harm reduction in Scotland, UK

STEPS, LEAPS and bounds: Is there a recipe for success?

The development of a student identity as it relates to the transition of commencing students to higher education has long been identified in the literature as essential to success. As importantly, the existence of a sense of belonging has been considered key to transition and success and the formation of a student identity. Less prominent in the literature, the newly articulated notion of mattering has evolved from and is currently challenging the concept of student belonging. Mattering offers a broader understanding of what it means to have students in transition believe they are important, that they matter to the institution of study. The notion of mattering resonates strongly with the authors as transition educators. This paper draws on the work of Lizzio (2006) and MacFarlane (2018) to consider the essential ingredients any preparatory course should include to successfully transition underrepresented groups of students to study at the award level. A comparison of the STEPS course in the Australian context to LEAPS in the Scottish context provided avenue to propose a five-tenet framework as a possible recipe for success to best support the transition of an increasingly diverse group of students aspiring to university study. The paper explores the ways in which the courses effectively assist preparatory students develop a foundational student identity which is crucial to successful study in higher education, particularly in the initial stages of engagement. In doing so, it positions the philosophical underpinnings and the pedagogical practices currently adopted by both the STEPS and LEAPS courses as successfully embracing the tenets proposed within the framework.

‘Don't call it a workforce, call it a profession!’: Perceptions of Scottish early years professionals on their roles from past to future

ABSTRACT Studies indicate Early Years Professionals continue to feel undervalued within their role, despite a significant shift in their perceptions from being a carer to being a professional. To improve the understanding of the role of Early Years Professionals, it is important to identify their own understanding of their roles and attributes towards the profession. We invited 21 professionals working in the Scottish context with bachelor’s degree qualifications in Childhood Practice to take part in the study. The main idea was to explore how attributes and perceptions of professionals in early years provision have been evolving from past to present and their aspirations for the future. Participants were generally positive about their perceptions regarding their professional role, yet some negative attributes were evident. The data highlighted changes and improvements in the profession, however, participants reported that their role is often not recognised or valued as part of a professional workforce.

Exploring the implementation and evaluation of a distributed leadership model within a Scottish, integrated health and care context

BackgroundHealth and care systems are facing unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by wicked issues that have no single solution and are complex to solve. It has recently been suggested that how such...

Fertile and Fruitful Frisson: Raising the School Starting Age in Scotland

Since devolution, the Scottish Government has had powers for education and child family policy (The Scotland Act, 1998) which sit apart from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is the Scottish Government's great strength. This article begins by exposing the Scottish early learning and childcare context across the spectrum of policy, curriculum developments, national improvements and the tensions that can exist when using a parochial lens to understand children's learning. It goes on to share a longstanding concern with the school starting age. In Scotland the school starting age remains the same today as it did in the 19th century. With a single annual intake in August, children in Scotland can begin primary school at anywhere between 4.5 years and 5.5 years. Drawing from my doctoral dissertation Rules, rules, rules and we're not allowed to skip: listening to children's voices about the transition to Primary One (McNair, 2016), I share data from interviews with parents about the age their child started school. This article ends by drawing from the Scottish Government's vision to raise the school starting age to six years old, rendering the earlier age, of 4.5 years, redundant.

Ethics governance in Scottish universities: how can we do better? A qualitative study

While ethical norms for conducting academic research in the United Kingdom are relatively clear, there is little empirical understanding of how university research ethics committees (RECs) themselves operate and whether they are seen to operate well. In this article, we offer insights from a project focused on the Scottish university context. We deployed a three-sided qualitative approach: (i) document analysis; (ii) interviews with REC members, administrators, and managers; and (iii) direct observation of REC meetings. We found that RECs have diverse operation and vary in terms of what members understand to be the remit of their REC and what should constitute the content of ethics review. Overall, though, most participants perceive university RECs as operating well. When asked what they consider to be areas for further improvement, most commented on: implementation of an online system; more experience with how to evaluate various kinds of research projects; best practice exchange and training opportunities; more accurate reflection of the REC role as part of the university’s workload allocation model; and greater recognition of the importance of research ethics governance in the university’s research environment, and, for the members themselves, their career advancement. Based on our findings and subsequent discussions during an end-of-project roundtable with stakeholders, we propose a model of collaboration that can address some of the identified areas that could benefit from further improvement. This model would facilitate a heightened awareness of the importance of supporting REC members in their own effort in assisting students and staff alike in undertaking as ethically robust research as possible.

Nationwide equity assessment of the 20-min neighbourhood in the scottish context: A socio-spatial proximity analysis of residential locations

The 20-min neighbourhood (20 MN) is a method of designing neighbourhoods in such a way that individuals can meet the majority of their daily needs within a 10-min walk (therefore a 20-min return trip) of their home. The Scottish Government have committed to apply the 20 MN concept nationwide, focusing on disadvantaged communities.The aims of this study were to: (1) create 20 MN catchment areas for health, transport, education, social and recreational domains; (2) describe the number of residential locations within 20 MN domain catchment areas; and (3) describe variation in access to 20 MN domains by area-level socioeconomic status and urbanicity.20 MN catchment areas (800-m) were created for 10 domains using road and path network analysis. All Scottish residential locations (n:146,190) were plotted, assigned area-level socioeconomic status and urbanicity. A dichotomised (yes/no) variable was created to identify whether it was within a 10-min walk of individual 20 MN domains.One in five residential locations had access to all 10 20 MN domains (Urban: 28%, Rural: 5%). There was variation in proportion of residential locations that has access to at least one facility by domains; 91% had access to at least one public transport stop and 84% a public open space. There was poorer access to primary care services (42%) and healthy food retailers (50%). Across all domains, access to at least one facility was greater within the most deprived areas.Access to 20 MN domains was greatest in areas where individual health status tends to be worse. A policy focusing solely on improving access to key facilities and amenities for deprived areas may be ineffective in reducing health inequalities. Future studies should assess the quality of facilities and co-location with health damaging facilities, particularly within more deprived areas. Alternative policy approaches may be required for improving access to facilities and amenities for rural communities.

A Literature Review of Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to deeply impact education and wider society, with consistent disruption to relationships between authorities and citizens. As higher education sees continuing turbulence overlap with a strengthening of student engagement, this systematic literature review reappraises how students as ‘citizens’ are enabled to shape their learning. It does so in a Scottish tertiary context and through the prism of Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation, a classic framework whose eight rungs present a spectrum of ways that stakeholders can be engaged in decisions. The article explores the use of the ladder over half a century in planning, housing, health, schools and, finally, higher education, analysing critiques and adaptations of the ladder, conducting meta-synthesis across the literature to extract conclusions for student engagement. It concludes that Arnstein’s ladder has continuing value to conversations about partnership in tertiary education, and that the centrality of power to both the ladder and student engagement in a sector and wider world of increasing democratic citizenship presents a challenge to decision-makers. These conclusions, and the study’s limitations, point to further research opportunities that could enhance the understanding of engagement and partnership at a time of change and uncertainty.

Incorporating the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Scottish education

The incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots law offers an unprecedented opportunity to improve the realisation of the right to education for all children and young people living in Scotland. One feature of such a commitment ought to be clear and comprehensive policies on Human Rights Education (HRE) within Scottish educational policy. This article explores what incorporation of the UNCRC means in the Scottish context and reflects on the current status of HRE in Scottish education. It also asks what role HRE might play alongside incorporation and as part of wider proposed reforms in Scottish education following the Muir Report. I argue that such an examination provides significant opportunities to ask and seek to answer key questions about how HRE may be developed in Scottish education, both conceptually and in classroom practice.

Participatory design for democratic innovation: participation requests and community empowerment in Scotland

Over the last decade, a growing body of research has explored the potential of applying design approaches within policymaking, resulting in the emergence of a novel practice, termed ‘design for policy’. While largely successful, questions remain regarding the specifics of the design for policy process. In this, key points of contention relate to the way government-citizen deliberation and collaboration is framed (i.e., who gets to participate in design for policy initiatives and how), as well as the of the role of design within the process (i.e., is it a means of problem-solving or problem-framing). Responding to these challenges by examining the potential of a specific design approach—Participatory Design (PD)—in design for policy, the present article turns to the Scottish policymaking context. Here, we present a case study of a project titled Social Studios, which explored how PD might enable communities to better approach Participation Requests (PRs)–a mechanism within the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act (2015) that allows groups to engage with public authorities on local issues relating to infrastructure and services. From an initial overview of the context of the study, we describe its methods, process and, finally, its outcome—a bespoke ‘PR Toolbox’. The article then closes with a series of reflections on the broader potential of PD in the context of design for policy.

Women accused of killing with others: Experiences of the Scottish criminal justice system

AbstractThis article examines homicide cases in which women have been accused of killing alongside another person or persons – an area which until now has not been examined in a Scottish context. The findings presented demonstrate that being accused of killing with another person or persons can have particularly adverse effects for women: claims of domestic abuse are more likely to be rejected and ultimately, existing tendencies to construct women as deviant within the criminal justice system will be exacerbated, resulting in more severe punishment when they are convicted under the doctrine of art and part liability. It is concluded that closer attention must be paid to the criminalisation of women who are accused of offending alongside another person or persons, particularly in Scotland where less attention has been paid to how doctrines of derivative liability operate in practice.

Citizens’ basic income in Scotland: On the road to somewhere

While the economic fragility exposed by Covid-19 has renewed the attention paid to social protection systems and in particular to basic income, the Scottish government had already funded four local authorities – North Ayrshire, City of Edinburgh, Fife and Glasgow – to undertake a feasibility study on the introduction of a Universal Basic Income pilot in Scotland. This article explores the specific Scottish context and rationale for this study, including the factors that led the Scottish government and the local authorities to pursue this approach, as well as the impact of the study on the wider social security debate and policy context in Scotland. Specifically, it takes a critical look at the Steering Committee's feasibility study, and its two commissioned research components, and explores the financial costings and institutional obstacles identified in taking forward a pilot Universal Basic Income in Scotland. These significant challenges are considered in light of both the limits of devolution and the ongoing debate on independence, as well as the wider implications for progress in social protection in Scotland.

Separatist Presbyterianism in 20th Century Scotland

This essay aims to give an account of separatist Presbyterian denominations in the context of Christianity in Scotland in the 20th century. After a brief introduction, attention is first given to the circumstances in which the denominations concerned were birthed. A second section looks at their current place within the wider Scottish context. In the third section, further attention is paid to the two most recent, late 20th century, divisions, those of 1989 and 2000. Concluding reflections seek to view the scene, thus sketched, through a wider lens and to look to the future with a degree of hope for reconciliation and healing. This paper is indebted to the invaluable insights, particularly in regard to the content of its third section, of the Revd Archie McPhail. Sincere thanks are also due to the Revd Martin Keane, Principal Clerk of the United Free Church, and the Revd David Meredith, Mission Director of the Free Church of Scotland, for their gracious and helpful responses to specific queries about their respective denominations. Any errors of fact or judgement are of course those of the author. In writing on a subject as difficult—and painful—as this, one inevitably brings personal perspectives to bear. Those of this writer have inevitably been formed, at least in part, in the context of an unusual ecclesiastical journey within the territory of three denominations—the Free Presbyterian Church, the Associated Presbyterian Churches and the Church of Scotland. Personal involvement in the history and denominational transfers of recent decades, together with long service as a parish minister and experience as a former Moderator, lend to the paper its distinctive angle of approach.

Are images of seized knives an effective crime deterrent? A comparative thematic analysis of young people’s views within the Scottish context

ABSTRACT The urgency to reduce knife carrying has been recognised by police services within Scotland and has been addressed by initiatives such as the sharing of knife seizure images on media outlets. This study sought to explore young peoples’ views on the use of knife seizure images as a deterrent to carrying knives by using comparative individual interviews (N = 20). Three themes were discovered: (1) negative reactions towards images of seized knives, (2) images of knives may encourage rather than deter knife carrying, and (3) reinforcement of existing beliefs, stereotypes and stigma. These findings highlight the limitations of using knife seizure images as a deterrent and the importance of involving young people in developing preventative and non-discriminatory approaches to tackling knife crime.

Stonehouse: Scotland's last new town, c. 1967–1977

AbstractThis article examines the proposals for Stonehouse, designated as the sixth Scottish new town in 1972 but abandoned in 1976. Several themes emerge, with lessons for the wider urban and political histories of 1970s Britain. First, the evolving plans demonstrate the ‘malleability’ of the post-war ‘new town idea’, conceptually and organizationally. Second, cancellation was the consequence of short-term factors, changing strategic objectives and local government reform, rather than being the result of a sudden ideological pivot towards inner-city renewal. Third, Stonehouse counters established narratives of the practice and decline of regional planning in post-war Britain. At least in a Scottish context, regional planning took on new forms during the mid-1970s.

Changing places: the generative effects of community embeddedness in place

ABSTRACT How social structures and relations influence entrepreneurship is an enduring puzzle. The history of land ownership in Scotland is marked by tensions between the institutional legacy of private landlordism and community embeddedness in place. In this paper, I examine the development of a community venture that was established to buy and commit land that was formerly privately owned into community ownership, and then manage the land in perpetuity for community benefit. The methodology employs archival, interview and observation data to investigate how institutional legacy social structures and relations motivated and shaped community entrepreneurship. The Scottish historical context elaborates the influence of institutional legacy on the embeddedness in place perspective, and the effects of transcending institutional legacy on entrepreneurial flourishing and institutional change.

Public mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: impacts on children's rights

ABSTRACT Restrictions on social and economic activities imposed by governments around the world in response to COVID-19, including the closure of schools and childcare facilities, have had a detrimental impact on children's mental health and wellbeing. Initial responses to support mental health during the pandemic have largely focussed on immediate support and crisis management. However, as governments plan for recovery from the pandemic it is important to focus on the wider determinants of children's mental health including their relationships and the environments and societies in which they live in order to prevent a future global mental health crisis. This narrative review draws on the Independent Children's Rights Impact Assessment on the response to COVID-19 in Scotland to evaluate how the measures implemented by the Scottish Government have impacted on children's rights related to the wider determinants of mental health. The review reflects on the indivisibility of both children's rights and the different aspects of children's lives, particularly when considering issues such as mental health. Using the Scottish context as an exemplar, it highlights the value of a rights-based framework for providing a holistic view that can inform preventative approaches to support better mental health among children in the future.

IDLENESS AND THE VERY SPARING HAND OF GOD: THE INVISIBLE TIE BETWEEN HUME’SDIALOGUES CONCERNING NATURAL RELIGIONAND SMITH’SWEALTH OF NATIONS

In the eighteenth-century Scottish and British cultural context, idleness was a central issue for religion, literature, art, and philosophy. This paper analyzes the reflections of David Hume and Adam Smith on idleness and commercial society. Hume advanced his most provocative view on the subject in hisDialogues Concerning Natural Religion(1779), where idleness is represented as the endowment made by the “very sparing hand” of the “author of nature” to humanity. My argument is that Smith’s view on idleness that was advanced in theWealth of Nations(1776) is connected to Hume’sDialogues, as Smith’s invisible hand defeats idleness through a combination of self-interest, the propensity to exchange, and the division of labor. The broader aim of this study is to add to the philosophical relationship between the Scottish philosophers.

Look what’s coming over the hill: DAST-10 problem severity among non treatment seeking young people

PurposeThis study aims to provide data on substance use amongst young people in Scotland to inform policy and practice for an age group who generally do not access specialist alcohol and drug services. The main objectives of the study were to assess the problem severity scores of items from a modified version of the DAST-10 brief screening instrument among respondents; examine correlations between a range of variables in relation to DAST-10 problem severity scores; and explore respondent knowledge of how and where to seek help.Design/methodology/approachA fixed quantitative design methodology recruited a non-probability sample of 4,501 respondents from an online survey made available by “We are With you” Scotland.The survey was ethically approved by the School of Education and Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland. It consisted of 32 questions exploring substances used within the past 12 months, and 12 weeks, and included the DAST-10. We further explored help seeking, and knowledge of support available to respondents.FindingsSubstance use patterns were markedly different from people currently known to specialist alcohol and drug services. Over half of respondents were under 25, and 62% report being employed. The most commonly used substances were cannabis and cocaine. One third of respondents recorded substantial or severe problem severity scores and reside in Scottish Local Authorities with high concentrations of socio-economic inequality.Secure accommodation, stable relationships and being employed are protective factors in relation to reported negative health consequences associated with problem substance use.Just under one third (27%) of respondents report knowing where to seek help for substance use problems; however, they are unwilling to attend existing specialist alcohol and drug services.Research limitations/implicationsA non-probability sample of the Scottish population has a potential for response bias due to how and what way the survey was made available to respondents. It is acknowledged that while useful as a method of generating drug use data, there are limitations in how recently the substance use occurred, and in relation to the types of substances reported (cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy).Practical implicationsThe study provides data to inform wider public health measures in relation to accessing support and addressing societal discrimination associated with the use of substances. The study provides data on service design for young people who do not access specialist alcohol and drug services.Social implicationsThe study informs substance use policy in the Scottish context in relation to a population of young people who use licit and illicit substances. Data contributes to evidence supporting correlations between problematic substance use and socio-economic inequality. Data indicates that existing specialist services require redesign.Originality/valueThe study is the first to be conducted within a Scottish context.

Understanding recruitment and retention of doctors in rural Scotland: Stakeholder perspectives

AbstractRecruitment and retention of medical practitioners is a challenging contemporary policy issue for rural areas. In this paper we explore this issue in the context of doctors in rural and remote Scotland, drawing on findings from a service mapping exercise into the recruitment and retention of doctors in rural areas, conducted by interviewing key stakeholders in the delivery of healthcare in rural and remote Scotland, most of whom combine clinical and organisational responsibilities. The aim of this paper is to understand the key issues, drawing on what the stakeholders see across the day‐to‐day delivery of their clinical roles and within the varied levels of the organisational structure of Scottish healthcare to which they contribute. Our findings build on a review of key literature of contemporary issues in rural Scotland, healthcare delivery in rural areas and wider international literature on recruitment and retention of medical practitioners. Our findings focus around three key themes: power of place; how people make place; and place and policy. In our conclusion, we argue that the importance of this stakeholder research is three‐fold. First, that such insights from stakeholders are important in shaping and preparing for future research on the topic, particularly interviewing those currently working. Second, it adds to and echoes the growing body of literature globally focused on recruitment and retention by expanding on the Scottish context. Finally, it proposes that appropriate and effective rural proofing is important in the implementation of new policies where place‐based challenges or differences can emerge.