Wider Social Outcomes Research Articles

The Social Impact of Musical Engagement for Young Adults With Learning Difficulties: A Qualitative Study.

There is evidence that music interventions can offer opportunities for creative, psychological, and social developments for individuals with mild to profound learning disabilities, addressing the disadvantages they face in respect of social outcomes. This paper reports on a qualitative study investigating a community music intervention for such a population. Thirty-seven adult service users (12 female, 25 male) took part in weekly music workshops for 10 weeks. Their learning difficulties ranged from mild to profound, and their levels of independence ranged from requiring constant one-to-one care to living alone in sheltered accommodation. Interviews were conducted at multiple time points with music and resource center staff as well as participants and members of their families and other center users; researchers also observed all workshops, taking field notes. Thematic analysis of the data informed understanding of the disadvantages facing participants, their experience of the workshop program and its immediate and wider social outcomes, as well as suggesting key mechanisms for effects. Disadvantages and barriers facing participants included: limited access to enjoying or learning music; boredom, isolation, and limited networks; lack of experience of new social contexts; and an associated lack of confidence, low mood or self-esteem. Participants were found to enjoy and sustain engagement with a program of dedicated group music workshops delivered by staff trained in an empathic and inclusive approach. Impacts included an ongoing enthusiasm to engage in music; wider recognition of musicality; increased self-confidence; being happier, more relaxed, and/or enthusiastic after the workshops; better ability to interact with unfamiliar situations and people; and participation in social activities for an unprecedented length of time. Key factors in achieving those impacts are that participants: had fun and interacted socially; felt secure, welcomed, and involved at all times; exercised choice; worked with others in nonverbal tasks; and encountered challenge while engaging and progressing at their own rate.

Impact of physical activity and sport on social outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of this scoping review is to identify and describe existing research on the impact of sport and physical activity programs on social outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. Physical activity can be particularly beneficial for groups such as Indigenous populations, who have increased rates of chronic disease. Systematic reviews have demonstrated the positive impact of physical activity on a range of health indicators, and there is also support for the positive impact of physical activity on wider social outcomes. However, there is a lack of evidence for the benefits of physical activity for broader social outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This scoping review will consider studies that include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of any age from any setting or region of Australia. Studies will be considered if they report on programs or activities that use physical activity and sport participation as a component or tool to improve one or more of six social and community outcomes: education, employment, culture, social wellbeing, life skills and crime prevention. Nine databases will be searched, as well as a selection of websites containing resources related to physical activity, sport and social outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Studies published in English will be included. No date limits will be set. After screening the titles and abstracts of identified citations, potentially relevant studies will be retrieved in full. Data extraction will be presented in a table with accompanying narrative.

Strengthening adult community-based cooking skills interventions using realist principles

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present learning on the strategies used by cooking skills practitioners and the programme theories, behaviour change mechanisms/contexts and intended outcomes associated with these in varied contexts.Design/methodology/approachGrey literature from Scottish cooking skills courses were reviewed using realist principles. Intervention implementation variables were identified and iteratively coded to uncover intended intervention strategies and programme theories. The lack of robust evaluation processes and outcome data in the grey literature prevented the testing of intended programme theories against outcomes. Alternatively, implementation strategies were aligned against behavioural-theory constructs contained in national guidance. Prioritised theories were further clarified/refined using practitioner and participant focus group data. Learning was used to inform future practice/evaluation.FindingsCourses targeted and reached vulnerable individuals. Practitioners articulated multiple theories and assumptions about how strategies may work. Numerous strategies and behaviour constructs were used to target, tailor and reinforce cooking/food and wider social outcomes. Mechanisms were assumed to be triggered by different contexts and lead to varied outcomes. Strategies used were consistent with evidenced behaviour change constructs and guidelines. Interventions aimed to achieve non-cooking/social outcomes as well as cooking ones – including potential mediators of cooking behaviour, e.g. self-confidence. Contexts facilitated/limited the use of certain strategies. Limitations in course design, reporting and self-evaluation need to be addressed.Practical implicationsRecommendations for improving intervention commissioning, design and evaluation using realist principles are provided.Originality/valueLearning addresses gaps in knowledge about the implementation of cooking skills interventions identified from systematic reviews and can improve course design and evaluation.

The potential of prisons to support drug recovery

Purpose – Recovery is the predominant discourse within current UK drug policy, promoted as freedom from dependence. In support of such a policy driver, prison drug recovery wings have been piloted in ten prisons in England and Wales to address high drug prevalence rates in prisoner populations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of these specialist wings within the context of wider developments to tackle reoffending among drug-using prisoners. Design/methodology/approach – The first part of the paper offers an analysis of the emergence of the recovery paradigm in the prison context through analysis of official policy documents. The second draws predominantly upon two process evaluations of the drug recovery wings, alongside literature on prison drug treatment. Findings – There is limited empirical evidence to inform the debate about whether prisons can provide settings to facilitate recovery from the effects of illicit drug use. What is available suggests that effective therapeutic environments for recovering drug users could be established within prisons. Key components for these appear to be sufficient numbers of staff who are competent and confident in providing a dual role of support and discipline, and a common purpose of all prisoners committing to recovery from illicit drugs and supporting each other. Further research regarding the impact of drug recovery wings upon health, crime and wider social outcomes is needed. Originality/value – This paper provides an updated perspective on the development of drug treatment in prisons, with a particular focus on the implications of the new recovery paradigm.

Achieving positive social outcomes through participatory urban wildlife conservation projects

Context As urbanisation continues to increase on a global scale, people are becoming increasingly distanced from nature. Fewer opportunities to encounter nature mean that the benefits of engaging with nature are often not realised by urban residents. In response to this, there is a growing number of initiatives that aim to connect people with nature, for the benefit of individuals, communities and nature conservation. However, in order to maximise these benefits, it is important to understand the potential transformative effects for participants, both on a personal level and in terms of wider impacts. Aims In this study, we evaluate the social outcomes of a participatory wildlife conservation project in an urban area in north-east England, using hedgehogs as the focal species. Methods Based on an approach of community volunteers working alongside scientific researchers in an evaluation of hedgehog urban habitat use, we examine the transformative effects of this involvement at the individual and community levels via qualitative semi-structured interviews with community volunteers. Key results Participants were motivated by personal wellbeing factors such as enjoying proximity to the study species, learning and social factors. Participation in the study itself indicates a degree of motivation for engaging with a study of this sort. Nevertheless, involvement in the study was a successful vehicle for increasing participants’ engagement with nature both during the study and potentially into the future, particularly in terms of biological recording and gardening for wildlife. Conclusions Participation in a wildlife study is a positive experience for many volunteers, leading to actual and potential changes in both personal and wider social outcomes. Implications Participatory initiatives such as the one described have an important role to play in signposting and supporting volunteers to follow future environmental aspirations and maximise the personal and social benefits associated with participation. This could be enhanced by ensuring that volunteering opportunities are linked in with pre-existing community-based networks that can act as advocates for environmental and wildlife conservation.