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The decision-making process in recommending electronic communication aids for children and young people who are non-speaking: the I-ASC mixed-methods study
- Authors:
- MURRAY J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Health and Social Care Delivery Research, 8(45), 2020, Online only
- Publisher:
- National Institute for Health Research
- Place of publication:
- London
Background: This project [Identifying Appropriate Symbol Communication (I-ASC)] explored UK decision-making practices related to communication aid recommendations for children and young people who are non-speaking. Research evidence related to communication aid decision-making is limited. The research aims were to increase understanding of influencers on the decision-making process in recommending electronic communication aids, and to develop guidance tools to support decision-making. An additional, post hoc aim was to evaluate the public involvement contribution to the I-ASC project. The research focused on the identification of attributes and characteristics that professionals, family members and those who use communication aids considered important in the recommendation process. Findings informed the development of guidance resources. The evaluation of public involvement focused on what could be learned from a nationally funded project with involvement from public contributors typically regarded as hard to include. Methodology: For the clinical decision-making component, the methodological investigation adopted a three-tier approach with three systematic reviews, a qualitative exploration of stakeholder perspectives through focus groups and interviews, and a quantitative investigation surveying professionals’ perspectives. The public involvement evaluation adopted a mixed-methods approach. A total of 354 participants contributed to the decision-making data set, including professionals, family members, and children, young people and adults who use communication aids; 22 participants contributed to the public involvement evaluation. The literature review process followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Thematic analysis and framework approach supported the analysis of qualitative data. Two stated preference surveys, a best–worst scaling and a discrete choice experiment, allowed the relative importance of factors in decision-making to be determined. Analysis was grounded in random utility theory. Public involvement: Two public involvement co-researchers, an adult using a symbol communication aid and a parent of a communication aid user, were core members of the research team. The I-ASC public involvement resulted in an additional award to evaluate the impact of public involvement across the project. Results: Factors influencing decision-making are not always under the control of the decision-makers, for example professional knowledge, referral criteria and service structure. Findings suggest that real clinical decisions contrast with hypothetical decisions. Survey responses indicated that children’s physical characteristics are less important than their language, communication and learning abilities; however, during real-time decision-making, the opposite appeared to be true, with access needs featuring most prominently. In contrast to professionals’ decisions, users and family members prioritise differing aesthetic attributes of communication aids. Time allocated to system learning remains underspecified. The research informed the development of decision-making guidance tools (https://iasc.mmu.ac.uk/; accessed 8 June 2020). A public involvement evaluation suggests that successful public involvement of individuals with disabilities requires significant resources that include staff time, training and personal support (https://iasc.mmu.ac.uk/publicinvolvement; accessed 8 June 2020). (Edited publisher abstract)
Third sector commissioning and English local government procurement
- Author:
- MURRAY J. Gordon
- Journal article citation:
- Public Money and Management, 31(4), July 2011, pp.279-286.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The government has made policy commitments to a greater involvement of local government procurement with the third sector in England. Third sector involvement is beyond that of being a potential provider and includes active participation in designing, shaping and calling public service delivery to account. This explorative study sought to consider the response of English local government procurement to this third sector policy agenda. A web-based survey was included in a newsletter that was emailed to the Society of Procurement Officers in Local Government (SOPO) during October and November 2008. The survey examined: whether procurement managers view procurement and commissioning as different; the level of awareness of the policy commitments; and whether the policy commitments regarding third sector commissioning are embedded in procurement policy, strategy, procedures and performance management. A total of 72 usable responses were received. The findings showed that there is confusion regarding the differences between commissioning and procurement; 53% of respondents considered them to be different names for the same thing. Most respondents claimed to have a working knowledge of the policy commitments. However, embedding the commitments into change management tools, such as procurement policy, strategy, procedures and performance management, appeared to be lacking.
Men’s bodies: listening to the voices of young gay men
- Author:
- DRUMMOND Murray J. N.
- Journal article citation:
- Men and Masculinities, 7(3), January 2005, pp.270-290.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Men’s bodies and body image have attracted increasing attention from researchers and popular press journalists during the past decade. Arguably, Western culture tends to identify men’s body image issues as heterosexual notions. Although research on gay men’s body image has increased, a cultural myth remains that gay men are more susceptible to body image concerns and eating disorders due to the aesthetic-oriented gay culture. This article reports in-depth interviews with fourteen young gay men on issues of bodies and body identity, particularly regarding masculinity. The men, aged 18-25 and living in Adelaide, Australia, identify aspects of gay culture with the capacity to promote and reinforce body image concerns among gay males. A life historical perspective provides reflections on participants’bodies in school, including those of growing up young and gay. Current body-based issues are identified, highlighting the plight of many gay males regarding the physical-aesthetic-driven culture in which they exist.
Sexuality: policies, beliefs and practice
- Authors:
- MURRAY J., MacDONALD R., LEVENSON V.
- Journal article citation:
- Tizard Learning Disability Review, 6(1), 2001, pp.29-35.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Predictors of stress amongst social workers: an empirical study
- Authors:
- COLLINGS John A., MURRAY Philip J.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 26(3), June 1996, pp.375-387.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This questionnaire study examines the perceptions of work-related stress, and factors contributing to high and low levels of stress, in a sample of social workers drawn from four local authorities in northern England. The most powerful predictor of overall stress that emerged related to the pressure involved in planning and reaching work targets. The study also identified certain caseload and supervision-related predictors of stress, but, apart from age and marital status, personal background factors seemed of weak predictive power. The study findings suggest a need for combining organisational with individual oriented initiatives to combat stress.
Using clinical assessment to enhance adoption success
- Authors:
- MURRAY Kathryn J., SULLIVAN Kelly M.
- Journal article citation:
- Families in Society, 98(3), 2017, pp.217-224.
- Publisher:
- The Alliance for Children and Families
There is a growing recognition that adoptive families have unique clinical needs, including the need for postadoption mental health services that are adoption competent, trauma informed, and evidence based. Although underrepresented in the literature, the assessment process is the gateway to the provision of trauma-informed, adoption-competent services for adoptive families. Based on a thorough review of the literature and clinical experience, the current article provides several specific recommendations for social workers and other mental health clinicians in conducting assessment with adoptive families, including domains to assess; specific strategies for assessing each domain; and guidelines for using the results of the assessment for case conceptualisation, treatment planning, and family engagement. Implications for practice are discussed, including recommendations for obtaining training needed for adoption competence. (Publisher abstract)
Improvement in upper limb motor performance following stroke: the use of mental practice
- Authors:
- BELL Alison R., MURRAY Bridget J.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(11), November 2004, pp.501-507.
- Publisher:
- Sage
Mental practice is a technique involving imagery and rehearsal of movement without movement actually occurring. This study considers the evidence indicating whether it is successful in improving upper limb motor performance after a stroke. Its use in traditional fields of sport, music and dance is identified and a theoretical premise for its application in stroke rehabilitation presented. Eight studies on its use in motor performance rehabilitation following a stroke are critiqued. These suggest that mental practice improves upper limb motor ability and appears applicable to a range of participants, especially those with moderate impairment, although good cognitive and communication skills are required. Suggests reasons that this relatively new approach should be considered by occupational therapists involved in stroke rehabilitation. Highlights the limited number of studies and small sample sizes. Further research is recommended in order to identify people who will benefit from mental practice, to investigate the generalisation of results and establish guidelines for effective provision in terms of length, format and content in stroke rehabilitation.
Trauma-informed care for children in the child welfare system: an initial evaluation of a trauma-informed parenting workshop
- Authors:
- SULLIVAN Kelly M., MURRAY Kathryn J., AKE George S.
- Journal article citation:
- Child Maltreatment, 21(2), 2016, pp.147-155.
- Publisher:
- Sage
An essential but often overlooked component to promoting trauma-informed care within the child welfare system is educating and empowering foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers (resource parents) with a trauma-informed perspective to use in their parenting as well as when advocating for services for their child. In this first evaluation of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s trauma-informed parenting workshop (Caring for Children who Have Experienced Trauma, also known as the Resource Parent Curriculum), participant acceptance and satisfaction and changes in caregiver knowledge and beliefs related to trauma-informed parenting were examined. Data from 159 ethnically diverse resource parents were collected before and after they participated in the workshop. Results demonstrate that kinship and nonkinship caregivers showed significant increases in their knowledge of trauma-informed parenting and their perceived self-efficacy parenting a child who experienced trauma. Nonkinship caregivers increased on their willingness to tolerate difficult child behaviours, whereas kinship caregivers did not show a significant change. Participants also demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the workshop. Although these preliminary results are important as the first empirical study supporting the workshop’s effectiveness, the limitations of this study and the directions for future research are discussed. (Edited publisher abstract)