UK Context Research Articles

Sharing images of children on social media: British motherhood influencers and the privacy paradox.

This study examines the extent to which popular British motherhood influencers infringe on their children's privacy by posting images of them online. We conducted a content analysis of 5,253 Instagram posts from ten UK-based influencers, supplemented by self-reported data from these influencers. This represents the first comprehensive analysis of actual sharing practices in the British motherhood influencer industry, linking observed behavior with self-reported perceptions. Children appeared in over 75% of the posts (3,917), though the proportion of posts containing embarrassing, intimate, or revealing content was relatively low (11.5%). Notably, sponsorships and product advertisements were present in 46.4% of posts featuring children, indicating that children's images are frequently used for financial gain. Despite this, post popularity did not vary based on the inclusion of children, as posts featuring children did not receive more likes than those without. Influencers reported strong trust in online safety on Instagram, and reported indifference or willingness to sharenting suggesting that sharing images of their children may be a deliberate strategy rather than an accidental act. Half of the influencers did not accurately estimate their past sharenting behavior. This study extends the existing body of knowledge on sharenting behaviour and the privacy paradox by establishing a foundation of parents' real-world posting habits and connecting them to their beliefs about publicly sharing their children's images in the UK context. The findings do not strongly support the privacy paradox in this sample.

Commentary on “Improving quality of support and staff culture in supported living: a practice example of tier one positive behaviour support”

Purpose This commentary aims to explore the theme of Tier 1 support within the UK context and abroad by the associated article by Hardiman and Harding (2025; this issue). Design/methodology/approach This commentary considers the literature regarding high-quality support as a Tier 1 approach within positive behaviour support (PBS) model in the UK and abroad. It also considers potential infrastructure that services could use to develop and sustain high-quality support. Findings This commentary highlights how the UK may be guided by the framework of school-wide PBS in the USA to inform the implementation of system-wide PBS in UK contexts. Originality/value This commentary explores how system-wide PBS can be applied.

Explanations for higher-than-expected all-cause mortality from April 2021: A scoping review

ObjectivesMany countries have continued to experience a higher-than-expected number of deaths following the peaks in mortality observed in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. This review aims to identify the different explanations proposed for sustained higher-than-expected mortality beyond the first pandemic year. Study designScoping review. MethodsA systematic search of databases and grey literature sources was completed to identify English-language records proposing or investigating hypotheses for higher-than-expected mortality from April 2021 onwards in (sub)populations of high-income countries. Papers focused on survival following a diagnosis or intervention were excluded. Results were summarised narratively, and existing research prioritisation frameworks were adapted and applied to identify priorities for further research within a UK context. ResultsSeventy eligible papers were identified. Most were opinion pieces or simply presented trends; few included investigation of suggested hypotheses. Numerous explanations for higher-than-expected mortality were proposed, with hypotheses relating to direct Covid-19 mortality, sequalae of Covid-19 infection, the health service and wider impacts of the pandemic, and socioeconomic factors identified as highest-priority for further research. ConclusionsA critical understanding of the causes of higher-than-expected mortality is essential for achieving evidence-informed policy. This review proposes priorities for further research, although these are based on author opinion only and likely to vary by setting. We did not seek to clarify the potential interactions between the hypotheses identified, however, in the UK, it is likely that the wider impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on socioeconomic conditions have exacerbated pre-existing austerity-related trends in stalling life expectancy.

Impediments to progress toward discrimination-free workplaces: the overlooked causes of gender-based discrimination in the Pakistan and UK contexts

Impediments to progress toward discrimination-free workplaces: the overlooked causes of gender-based discrimination in the Pakistan and UK contexts

Nuclear Cogeneration to Support a Net-Zero, High-Renewable Electricity Grid

UK Government projections anticipate increasing electricity use, provided by variable renewables (i.e., wind and solar PV). A side effect of increasing the proportion of variable renewable generation is increased support costs, including curtailment, energy storage, and (most significantly) the cost of supplying electricity for periods of high demand when variable renewable generation is low. As the proportion of variable renewable capacity increases, demand for supporting capacity increases but the capacity factor of the support generation decreases, raising the support costs. Using nuclear power for dedicated baseload supply makes the situation worse. This paper explores in the UK context an original low-cost solution using nuclear cogeneration with hydrogen production as the main application. Electricity is diverted at low cost to the grid at times of high demand when renewables are not available. This ensures nuclear maintains a high capacity factor. When higher temperature advanced systems become available, using thermal energy storage will increase the nuclear electrical capacity. This “Flexible Nuclear” scenario substantially reduces support costs for accommodating variable renewables, saving GBP 14 bn/yr and leading to an 80% reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions, compared to a recent UK Government scenario utilising a large capacity of hydrogen and unabated gas generation at very low capacity factors.

Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to Active Travel Infrastructure Usage Amongst Under-Represented Population Groups in the United Kingdom: A Rapid Systematic Review

Utilising active travel has the potential to positively impact health. Research shows that certain members of society may be less likely to undertake active travel than others, particularly individuals belonging to marginalised population groups such as ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. The aim of this rapid systematic review was to assess the barriers and facilitators to active travel amongst marginalised groups in the United Kingdom. Electronic databases were searched from inception to October 2022. All primary study designs were deemed eligible for inclusion if they investigated either barriers or facilitators to active travel amongst a marginalised population group within the UK. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria encompassing participants from an ethnic minority background, physical disability or a learning disability. Safety concerns were identified as a barrier for each group. Infrastructural barriers were apparent for people with a physical disability. Bike ownership or lack of bike-riding knowledge was a barrier for ethnic minorities. Facilitators identified were provision of recourses in the form of bicycles and training for ethnic minorities, while improved independence and perceived health benefits facilitated active travel amongst people with disabilities. Overall, the included studies were deemed to be of a high risk of bias. There is a lack of high-quality research in this area in the UK context, and future studies should aim to identify ways to improve access to active travel for ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, in addition to other marginalised groups who are currently not represented in the existing literature.

Managing and resourcing Nigerian banks’ diasporic operations in the UK: An empirical study

This study explores the objectives and operations of the diasporic operations of Nigerian banks in the UK. Its aim is to understand why such banks choose to establish a presence in the UK, how they structure themselves, and how they meet the UK’s regulatory standards. By employing a mixed-method approach – a combination of survey data and semi-structured interviews – this research examines the reasons underlying Nigerian banks’ engagement in diaspora banking, their human resources strategies, and the manifestation of their organisational culture within the UK context. The findings illustrate that Nigerian banks utilise either the subsidiary model or the branch model to cater to the financial needs of Nigerian diaspora communities, facilitate international transactions, and support international investment in Nigeria and Africa more broadly. The usually staffing strategy applied involves a mixture of UK-based employees and Nigerian staff seconded from the banks; headquarters in Nigeria, which ensures that the bank are able to adhere to both UK financial regulations and Nigerian compliance standards. The study’s originality lies in its novel contribution to the operational activities of diaspora banking in the UK.

“A window onto a world”: a pilot research internship scheme for qualifying social workers

ABSTRACT Qualifying social work education is recognised as playing a critical role in equipping practitioners with the skills and interest to develop a ‘research minded’ approach to practice, yet in the UK context, the profession continues to grapple with questions about how to support practitioners to sustain and develop these skills post-qualification. This article reflects on the experiences of social work educators and students involved in a pilot research internship scheme based at a higher education provider in England (one of the four UK nations). Drawing on analysis of interviews with participating students and the reflective notes of the social work educators who led the scheme (the authors), we report on three key themes: 1. Students tended to have an idealised view of research. 2. Internships afforded opportunities to learn and work with people in new ways. 3. Post-project, students reflected on how to mobilise their learning but were conscious that they had only been afforded a ‘window’ onto the research ‘world’. We discuss the limitations of the internship model and highlight that, despite its strengths, more fundamental change is required if a ‘research minded’ workforce is to be developed and sustained. We question how realistic this change is in the current educational and professional context. We further discuss the complexities and contradictions that professional education programmes face in seeking to develop ‘research minded’ or ‘research active’ professionals whilst also protecting and nurturing alternative forms of professional knowledge and wisdom.

Barriers to psychological support following early miscarriage. Perspectives of the UK-based IAPT perinatal champion

ABSTRACT Background Early miscarriage has been linked to a wide variety of subsequent psychological difficulties. Despite this, challenges in accessing appropriate psychological support following early miscarriage are emphasised throughout the literature. Few studies have explored barriers to accessing support following early miscarriage from the perspective of healthcare professionals providing support, and none of these have focused solely on National Health Service (NHS) primary mental healthcare settings. Aim This study therefore sought to address the gap in the literature through a qualitative exploration of the perspectives of perinatal champions working within Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. These are practitioners specifically allocated to the role of providing specialist perinatal support within the UK primary healthcare system and therefore deemed to be in a position most likely to be providing support for people following early miscarriage. The aim of this study was to elicit a fuller, critical understanding of the potential barriers to accessing psychological support following early miscarriage within a UK context, with the hope of eliciting suggestions for how to improve it. Method 12 participants took part in semi-structured interviews exploring their experiences of providing psychological support for people following early miscarriage. Results Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts yielded four key barrier themes: unclear guidance, service-centred care, journey to role, and societal stigma. Conclusion This study has implications in terms of informing service structure, roles, and training within IAPT to improve pathways to support, following early miscarriage.

The cost of poverty for child development: The adverse impact on maltreatment, education and mental health outcomes cannot be ignored.

This commentary explores the 'cost of poverty' for child development, with particular reference to the current UK context. Specifically, it comments on the adverse impacts of poverty on child mental health, education, and maltreatment.

‘It's good what we're doing and it's scary what we're facing’: young people’s care-ful environmental action in the UK

ABSTRACT In this paper, we argue for greater recognition of young people’s contributions to environmental action through social and environmental justice. It draws on findings from research based on eleven organisations in the UK exploring young people’s connection with environment-related collective action and activism in the UK landscape. Building on theoretical arguments of ethics of care and implicit activism and capturing a range of practices of young people, the paper explores young people’s multiple framing(s) of activisms – towards the environment and each other. Drawing on the experiences of young people and facilitators within these organisations, we unpack the experiences and representation of minoritised groups in the climate movement and other forms of environmental engagement. The findings demonstrate thoughtful and effective approaches towards inclusion within the UK context and in terms of global climate justice but also highlight a need for more intersectional approaches and awareness of enduring barriers often relating to racialised identities.

Survival in the Passion Economy: Mental Health and Well-Being of Local Journalism Entrepreneurs

This study investigates the mental health and well-being of local journalism entrepreneurs in the UK context. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 57 journalists in 2020 and 2021, 10 in 2022 and 7 in 2023, the paper focuses on key trade-offs that shape the experiences of local news entrepreneurs. First, these journalists experience their work as meaningful and rewarding, but at the same time it requires significant financial and lifestyle sacrifices. Second, while they enjoy the autonomy associated with their work, some experience challenges due to loneliness and isolation. As such, local journalism entrepreneurs constitute a particular manifestation of workers in the “passion economy”: While they are making significant material sacrifices and experience financial precarity, their passion is informed by their embeddedness in the community. The paper ultimately underscores the importance of problematizing the passion economy in relation to both professionals’ mental health and well-being and an analysis of the systemic and structural causes of stresses and sacrifices.

Intangible Cultural Heritage and UK Built Heritage Practice: Opportunities and Future Directions

ABSTRACT The UK’s ratification of Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in March 2024 signals a formal commitment to engage with the concept of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). This article investigates how this commitment could reshape built heritage practices in the UK through fostering a more integrated relationship between the tangible and intangible qualities of heritage. It argues that prioritising this interface is essential for contemporary built heritage management, ensuring the diverse cultural values embedded in the historic environment are represented. After examining the broader UK context, the article narrows focus to England, where Historic England’s guidance and initiatives demonstrate how shifts in policy and practice could materialise in response to the convention. The article concludes by proposing three key opportunity areas that could emerge from emphasising the tangible–intangible relationship: 1) evolving understandings of heritage, community and participation; 2) recognising the mutual influence of ICH and physical heritage; and 3) strengthening place-based cultural practices. These opportunities offer a timely pathway for the UK to become a thought leader in heritage management by aligning conservation practices with evolving cultural values and community involvement, thus setting a new benchmark for built heritage management in a Western European context.

Whole‐Life Embodied Carbon Reduction Strategies in UK Buildings: A Comprehensive Analysis

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a detailed analysis of embodied carbon (EC) in various case studies using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Through comprehensive assessments, including modules A, B and C, the study evaluates EC across different stages of building life cycles. This study also considers the EC savings achievable through current end‐of‐life strategies in the UK context. As Module A accounts for the highest EC in the case studies, the majority of reduction strategies should focus on this stage. The most impactful strategy for reducing EC emissions involves incorporating Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) as a replacement for cement. This approach has the potential to achieve a substantial reduction in the EC of concrete within the buildings under investigation, ranging from 60% to 70%. The study reveals that specification strategy can lead to significant Whole Life Embodied Carbon (WLEC) reductions, with the residential building achieving a 30.59% reduction, the college building a 46.86% reduction, and the hotel building a reduction of 23.69%. Effective mitigation strategies, such as utilizing recycled and reclaimed materials, demonstrate promising results, showcasing significant reduction in WLEC emissions in the buildings.

Corporate governance and environmental disclosure: a comparative analysis

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the influence of corporate governance (CG) on environmental disclosure (ED) practices within UK and US firms, addressing the contemporary challenges confronting firms in both contexts.Design/methodology/approachUsing the dynamic panel regression framework of system generalised method of moment (GMM), this study analyses a sample comprising 121 FTSE and 200 S&P firms from 2010 to 2020.FindingsThe findings emphasise the dynamic nature of ED practices among UK and US firms, demonstrating their propensity to swiftly adjust to desired levels whenever deviations occur. Besides, this study identifies board independence and the frequency of board meetings as significant determinants of ED for UK firms. In contrast, for US firms, board independence and audit committee independence are found to be significant determinants of ED.Research limitations/implicationsThe research highlights the fundamental role played by CG in shaping how firms in the UK and the US navigate agency problems and respond to diverse stakeholder demands through ED in their annual reports. This study advocates for the promotion of robust governance systems that concurrently serve the purposes of accountability and monitoring to bridge the information expectation gap between firms and stakeholders. The findings reinforce the necessity for regulatory initiatives involving policy formulation and corporate oversight to enhance private sector awareness regarding environmental reporting practices.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the scarce literature on the impact of board and audit committee characteristics on ED practices in the UK and US contexts. In addition, by using the system GMM estimation technique, this study provides robust and updated evidence that addresses the weaknesses inherent in previous studies.

Bringing research into policy: understanding context-specific requirements for productive knowledge brokering in legislatures

Background: Knowledge brokering is suggested as an instrument to improve productive use of research in policy organisations. Previous research asserted that research utilisation is dependent on dynamics of knowledge exchange in institutional settings, but these claims have not received substantial empirical attention (Saarela et al, 2015; Akerlof et al, 2019; MacKillop et al, 2020). Viewing knowledge brokering as the involved role, three specific challenges are identified: high legitimacy requirements for the brokered knowledge and the broker; the need to cater for a wide range of topics, audiences and uses; and the need to compete with other evidence suppliers. Aims and objectives: The research question of the article is: how do legislative knowledge brokers navigate context-specific knowledge transfer challenges presented by their institutional context? Methods: An in-depth interpretive case study of the UK Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. The analysis includes interviews with parliamentary actors, shadowing and participant observation. Findings: The results substantiate the challenges of legislative knowledge brokering in the UK context and inductively identify a further challenge of demonstrating impact. Legislative knowledge brokers employ multiple strategies to navigate the challenges: co-shape and adhere to the norms of impartiality, mobilise external expertise, collaborate with in-house and external research support actors, employ anticipation techniques, build broker chains, seek understanding of own role and impact. Discussion and conclusion: The article contributes to the understanding of knowledge brokering as a context-dependent role. The conclusions discuss influence of knowledge brokers’ work remit and positionality in deploying strategies to overcome the legislative challenges.

Community action, counter-professionals and radical planning in the UK

This paper reconsiders the roles of ‘counter-professionals’ (Goodman 1972) in urban social movements, focusing on the generation of students, activists and planners involved in the UK’s community action movement from the late-1960s. The paper therefore provides the first historical account of the ways community action stimulated the development of a distinctive counter-tradition of radical planning in the UK, inspiring experimentation with new, activist roles amongst a generation of young professionals who sought to support community-based movements seeking to challenge the post-war state, develop new models of participatory planning and lay the foundations for a more democratic society. Drawing on oral history interviews with key figures and archival materials from their personal records coupled with analysis of Community Action magazine (1972–1990), we track how many of those involved developed careers ‘working the spaces of power’ in and against various state projects (Newman 2012). The paper explores three key, interconnected dimensions of our participants’ experiences that we argue are central to counter-professional practice and the politics of radical planning: their relations with the state; their relations with community-based movements and organisations; and thirdly, the ways these relations shaped the political horizons of community action. Our empirical work concludes by accounting for the relative decline of community action in the 1980s. Through reconsideration of the UK context, the paper contributes to debates about the politics of radical planning and the roles of activist-professionals within urban social movements. It concludes with reflection on the seemingly constrained conditions of possibility for counter-professional practices today and the wider lessons of the community action moment for attempts to build collective alternatives, in, against and beyond the neoliberal state. By reconsidering the role of radical planners in community action in the UK we hope the paper can inspire further debate about the contributions future generations of counter-professionals might make to ongoing movements for urban justice, both in the UK and internationally.

Interventions Targeting the Mental Health and Well-being of Care-Experienced Children and Young People: Mixed-Methods Systematic Review with Stakeholder Consultation to Inform Transportability and Adaptability to UK Context

Abstract Care-experienced children and young people are at increased risk of poor mental health and well-being, and suicide-related outcomes. There is an evidence-base for intervention effectiveness, but this is primarily from the USA. The present systematic review synthesised evidence for international interventions, exploring potential transportability and adaptability to the UK. We constructed an evidence map, and syntheses of intervention effectiveness, process evaluations and economic evaluations. We conducted seven stakeholder consultations with care-experienced young people, carers and professionals, to appraise transportability and adaptability. We identified sixty-four interventions, with 124 associated study reports. Seventy-seven were from the USA. There was limited effectiveness in targeting mental health, although there were promising approaches. Few approaches targeted well-being and suicide. Context factors, identified by the review and confirmed by stakeholders, may inhibit delivery: insufficient resources; time, emotional and cognitive burden; challenging interprofessional relationships; non-responsiveness to young people’s needs; and discounting of carers’ knowledge. Stakeholders recommended peer mentoring by other care-experienced individuals and system-change models that facilitate an attachment and/or trauma-informed ethos. Adaptation of existing approaches may be required to account for the context factors. Further intervention work is needed to target well-being and suicide.

Why Do Companies Share Buybacks? Evidence from the UK

We examine the key drivers behind management decisions on share repurchase from various theoretical perspectives, including the free cash flow theory and the signaling theory/hypothesis. Specifically, we investigate the relationship between share repurchase and three key drivers: surplus cash, undervaluation, and leverage, along with several control variables. Using a sample of UK-listed non-financial companies from 2012 to 2022, we apply logistic regression, standard OLS regression, and Tobit regression to identify the factors influencing share repurchase. Our findings reveal that firms repurchase shares to distribute cash to shareholders with surplus cash and Surplus investing cash flow. This study also finds that undervalued smaller firms with lower market-to-book ratios and lower leverage are more likely to repurchase shares. Our study highlights the key factors motivating companies’ share repurchases, such as undervaluation, surplus cash, and leverage, examined from various theoretical perspectives, including the free cash flow theory and signaling theory. Focusing on the UK context, as well as adding a new angle in regard to applying logistic regression, standard OLS regression, and Tobit regression in combination, this research contributes to the existing body of knowledge in corporate finance. The outcome of the study has plausible implications for financial managers and investors in selecting stocks. Its practical implications will help investors gain a better understanding of the factors and forces influencing share repurchase decisions.

Including carer health-related quality of life in NICE health technology assessments in the United Kingdom.

The impact of health technologies may extend beyond the patient and affect the health of people in their network, like their informal carers. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) methods guide explicitly allows the inclusion of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) effects on carers in economic evaluations when these effects are substantial, but the proportion of NICE appraisals that includes carer HRQoL remains small. This paper discusses when inclusion of carer HRQoL is justified, how inclusion can be substantiated, and how carer HRQoL can be measured and included in health economic models. Inclusion of HRQoL in economic evaluations can best be substantiated by data collected in (carers for) patients eligible for receiving the intervention. To facilitate combining patient and carer utilities on the benefit side of economic evaluations, using EQ-5D to measure impacts on carers seems the most successful strategy in the UK context. Alternatives to primary data collection of EQ-5D include vignette studies, using existing values, and mapping algorithms. Carer HRQoL was most often incorporated in economic models in NICE appraisals by employing (dis)utilities as a function of the patient's health state or disease severity. For consistency and comparability, economic evaluations including carer HRQoL should present analyses with and without carer HRQoL.