Neil Moreland

Putting personalisation and integration into practice in primary care

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to discuss the policy developments of integration and personalisation within the context of Primary Care, specifically an innovative Memory Service provided within a General Practice. It examines how these policies work together in this context to deliver a high quality service that is responsive to individual needs in an area of care: memory disorder or dementia, which has often relied heavily on secondary care services.Design/methodology/approach – The article is a case study analysis of integration and personalisation in Primary Care, allowing for examination and elaboration of both concepts as applied in this setting; and their contribution to a better quality care Memory Service. The analysis is produced by independent researchers (MC and NM), background and facts by service personnel (IG, NG and DJ).Findings – The innovative Memory Service operates as a person‐centred facility, integrating into the surgery, expertise that would traditionally be locked into se...

The ‘Twice a Child’ projects: learning about dementia and related disorders within the black and minority ethnic population of an English city and improving relevant services

Dementia is found in all races. Within the UK, elders in black and minority ethnic (BME) communities are often unable or unwilling to access services that might help them when they develop dementia. A series of research‐based studies in Wolverhampton have demonstrated that working with community leaders and family carers can identify strengths as well as areas for development in service arrangements. Some areas for development are those shared by all individuals and families with dementia, while others are specific to the cultural group. Areas for action include: the lack of understanding of the normal and pathological features of ageing; fear and stigma associated with mental disorders within BME communities; lack of knowledge of dementia; and insensitivity and inflexibility within some components of services. Knowledge gained from a collaborative review of the situation can be used to plan and deliver iterative improvements. The most effective single initiative is the appointment of a link nurse competent in language, culture and clinical skills. Despite progress over a 10 year period, difficulties remain and there is more to be learned.The research reported here has been conducted over a period of nine years within the city of Wolverhampton. The research has been co‐ordinated from for dementia plus (previously Dementia Plus), which has functioned as the Dementia Development Centre for the West Midlands since 2000.

The personalisation of dementia services and existential realities: understanding Sikh carers caring for an older person with dementia in Wolverhampton

While personalisation and service choice remains a central plank of the Labour Governments policies in health and social care, there is a growing evidence base confirming that ethnic minority groups, are disadvantaged as service users in the UK. Building on some baseline data collected in 2000 and 2003/04, our recent research (Jutlla & Moreland, 2007) has reaffirmed the difficulties that Asian carers have in accessing services when caring for a relative with dementia.While such access data is important, we wish to move beyond the demographic aspects to consider the existential realities (the ontology) of the lives and cultures of those in minority ethnic groups. This paper consequently discusses the diversity and complexity of migration patterns among the Sikh community living in Wolverhampton. The paper conceptualises some of the ways in which different migration experiences and the realities of daily life influence the perceptions, experiences and patterns of care among migrant Sikh carers in Wolverhampton caring for an older person with dementia. The paper thus explores the thesis that the Sikh community is not a homogeneous group; and that the diversity and differences within the Sikh community can have important implications for care. Taking a biographical narrative approach to fieldwork, the relevant factors to be considered include: the carers country of origin; their migration route and reasons for migration; their age at migration and the cultural experiences of the carers and their communities both in the UK and India.

Auditing: a tool for institutional development

ABSTRACT The impact of a market philosophy upon education in England is seen as the major context in which the developing concerns for efficiency, effectiveness and economy are worked through in (particularly) further vocational education. In order to provide a basis for further development activities for management and the staff, an audit of the Provision for Competency-based Vocational Education (CBVE) for National Vocational Qualifications associated with the National Council for Vocational Qualifications model was carried out within a Department of Engineering at a College. The audit revealed important areas for further development as well as indicating areas that are appropriate for the task of providing CBVE. The audit format used, initially developed by the Further Education Unit, was seen as effective and efficient.

Quality improvement in the TESOL curriculum: a generic benchmarking approach

Whilst there are different types of benchmarking, this article, as a result of our research into TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages), argues for a type of benchmarking that we call generic benchmarking to help develop quality education. The term generic is used to indicate that this type of benchmark is drawn from a detailed analysis and synthesis of extant literature, leading to the development and codification of quality characteristics and standards for an area. As the approach was used in research in TESOL, the context of the research is provided, as is a worked example drawn from the extensive literature review on planning for TESOL. Possible implications for staff development and curriculum improvement are identified.

Participants’ Experience of a Competence‐based Professional Development Programme: a case study

ABSTRACT This paper explores aspects of the experience of lecturers on an in‐service teacher training programme at the University of Wolverhampton. The progress of a group of 12 students was tracked from September 1993 to June 1995. Their experience was investigated to gain some insight into how learners approach and progress through a competence‐based programme. A number of factors considered significant in promoting achievement in a competence‐based programme were identified. These are considered in the light of relevant literature

Auditing recruitment and selection using generic benchmarking: a case study

This article provides an account of an audit on the recruitment and selection systems and procedures in place within a printing company based in the West Midlands (England). A human resource audit (HRA) of generic benchmarks was developed from a literature review. The audit subsequently was applied to establish the current position of the company in the areas of recruitment and selection. The empirical investigation process primarily consisted of content analysis of documents and the interviewing of 13 staff within the company. As a result of the audit, the recruitment and selection processes, systems and procedures were identified as ineffective. Consequently, an action plan was developed as part of a quality improvement process and preparation for Investors in People Award. As a result of the implementation of the recommendations, the culture of the company and the staff should become more focused, systematic and of a higher quality.

Dual tyrannies: breaking the chains of campus and distance education

Abstract This paper is based upon a small scale research project (n = 122) concerned with identifying the experiences and learning support needs of students studying distance education modules for access with advanced standing to more traditional campus-based education and training for nurses. The context of the study is two-fold. The first context examined is the increasing concern at national policy levels in the UK of being able to identify the value-addedness of achievement in higher education. The second context is the development planning and goals of one campus-based institution of higher education to develop an approach to the provision of education and training that seriously confronts and overcomes the dual tyrannies of campus and distance education. Often, the two kinds of education are posited as diametric opposites, when the study shows that this ought not to be so. As part of the research, content analysis of the related study packages has been carried out to assess their relationship to lea...

Training and development for small business managers. Part One: a prologue — who are the small business managers?

ABSTRACT This is Part One of a two-part article concerned with the development and validation of an education, training and development needs assessment instrument for small business managers. Whilst there is a recognition of small owner-director forms of small businesses, the emphasis in the research has been upon the physically involved and active entrepreneurial, small business fraction of the middle class (Petite Bourgeolsie). Part One is concerned with defining the nature and significance of small businesses in economic and experiential terms, whilst Part Two describes the development and validation of the needs assessment instrument itself. The instrument is seen as being valid and reliable, and able to assist small business managers to articulate their training and development needs.

Co-opting Learners: Addressing Their Learning Support Needs through a Learning Support Needs Questionnaire. Part Two. A Comparison of the Learning Support Needs of Campus and Distance-based Community Nurse Students

Abstract This article is a continuation of a previous article (Moreland & Carnwell, 2000) where the development and background of the Learning Support Needs Questionnaire (LSNQ) was explained. The LSNQ identifies and elicits practical, emotional and academic learning support needs, and is followed by an action planning process designed to assist the students to address any learning needs considered important but not met. Following on, this article presents the results of the first application of the questionnaire to two groups of nursing students - one group of distance learning based and one group of campus-based students. Whilst the distance education students overall had lower expectations of the different types of support than campus based students, both groups had significant but slightly different learning support needs. The failure to address the significant unmet learning needs by both the learners themselves and the providing institutions is likely to lead to unsatisfactory learning experiences and reduced achievements, though the results do have to be treated with caution until further research is carried out.