Alison Sarah Tomlin, Saktipada Ghorai, Gordon Hart and Martin Berzins
High resolution models of air pollution transport and transformation are necessary in order to test possible abatement strategies based on pollution control and to forecast high…
Abstract
High resolution models of air pollution transport and transformation are necessary in order to test possible abatement strategies based on pollution control and to forecast high pollution episodes. Models are especially relevant for secondary pollutants like ozone and nitrogen dioxide, which are formed in the atmosphere through nonlinear chemical reactions involving primary pollutant species, often far from their sources. Often we are trying to resolve the interactions between plumes from point sources such as power stations and regional pollution tides of ozone formed in other European countries. One method of tackling this problem of different scales is to use different grid sizes, using highly resolved grids in regions where the structure is very fine. Telescopic gridding is currently used in high emission areas or around sensitive receptor points. However, since meteorological conditions vary, this method cannot resolve a priori highly structured regions away from sources, e.g. along plumes. Such refinement can be achieved using adaptive methods which increase resolutions in regions of steep spatial gradients. This article describes the use of 3D adaptive gridding models for pollution transport and reactions using both a layered and a fully adaptive 3D tetrahedral approach and provides examples which show the effect of grid resolution on secondary pollutant formation.
Abbeygail Jones, Shuo Zhang, Amy Woodburn, Sarah Dorrington, Alison Beck and Helen Winter
The health and well-being of healthcare staff came into focus during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as already strained workforces responded to new and…
Abstract
Purpose
The health and well-being of healthcare staff came into focus during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as already strained workforces responded to new and additional challenges. Organisational support services made efforts to adapt staff support provision. However, most literature and recommendations are centred on surveys of medical and clinical staff. The present study included staff across clinical and non-clinical workforces within a mental health trust over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to date, and aimed to understand workforces' access to and experiences of organisational support.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study was a qualitative one using convenience and purposive sampling. Semi-structured individual and group interviews were conducted using a topic guide. Reflexive thematic analysis was used in a phenomenological framework to analyse data.
Findings
35 staff, broadly representative of the trust workforce, were recruited. Six global themes summarised the experiences of staff in relation to work practices, personal well-being and support access over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: COVID-19 disease, interpersonal relationships, individual considerations, change, working environment and support.
Practical implications
The findings from the study have implications for organisational support provisions for healthcare workers and the dissemination of these services.
Originality/value
Acknowledging the multi-various experiences of different workforces within National Healthcare Service organisations and how these change over time will facilitate innovative changes to staff support provision.
Details
Keywords
Isabel C.H. Clare, Kelly A. Wade, Nadine Ranke, Sarah Whitson, Alison Lillywhite, Elizabeth Jones, SallyAnne Broughton, Adam Wagner and Anthony J. Holland
While “generic” community teams for adults with learning disabilities (CTs) are well-established in the UK, very little recent evidence is available about any aspect of their…
Abstract
Purpose
While “generic” community teams for adults with learning disabilities (CTs) are well-established in the UK, very little recent evidence is available about any aspect of their work. As part of a larger project about the role, structure and functioning of CTs, the purpose of this paper is to provide data about referrals.
Design/methodology/approach
Over three months, the authors obtained data about 270 consecutive new referrals to five CTs in a countywide integrated health (NHS) and care management (local authority) service.
Findings
The 270 referrals related to 255 individuals, mainly already service users, with almost a third (30 per cent, n=204) described as people with severe or profound disabilities. Consistent with the reported living arrangements (residential accommodation or with one or more family members (87 per cent, n=270)), referrals were most often made by social care staff, General Practitioners or carers. The referrals related to a wide range of issues including mental health and/or behavioural needs, physical health and skills, and independence. The major group, however, were requests about a person’s entitlement to specialist learning disability services and/or reviews of an existing social care package.
Research limitations/implications
The focus on new referrals and the exclusion of intra-team referrals mean that the data are not representative of a CT’s caseload and cannot be used as a basis for resourcing. Nevertheless, the findings emphasise the heterogeneity of the population, and the long-term and varied nature of their needs, meaning that CTs require access to a range of expertise and, often, an inter-agency approach. The implications for service design are considered.
Originality/value
This is the first empirical study of referrals to specialist integrated (health and care management) community learning disabilities teams in England.
Details
Keywords
Maxine Sinclair, Alison Blencowe, Laura McCaig and Peter Misch
The existence of neuropsychological deficits associated with antisocial behaviour has received considerable attention. The pilot study investigates the cognitive impairments in a…
Abstract
Purpose
The existence of neuropsychological deficits associated with antisocial behaviour has received considerable attention. The pilot study investigates the cognitive impairments in a sample 9‐17 years old with suspected or previously diagnosed intellectual disability and/or neurodevelopmental disorders referred to a tier 4 CAMHS service in South East London. This paper aims to present the preliminary findings from the study.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 28 participants between the ages of nine and 16 years, who had been referred to a tier 4 South London Forensic CAMHS, were administered selected subtests to assess intellectual, executive and social functioning using the WISC IV/WAIS IV, NEPSY II and DKEFS. Descriptive and non‐parametric statistics were used to describe the sample and identify neuropsychological deficits.
Findings
Consistent with previous research participants FSIQ and VCI were lower than the general population mean and young people identified as being high risk on the SAVRY were more impaired than those assigned to the lower risk group. The results also identified neuropsychological deficits in behavioural inhibition, cognitive flexibility, problem solving and processing fear but spared cognitive inhibition, general social processing and non‐verbal reasoning.
Originality/value
These preliminary findings serve as a platform for better understanding the neuropsychological functioning of the young people referred to the clinic and in the future it is hoped that the data will be used to evaluate cognitive rehabilitation adjuncts to established interventions provided by the service.