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This article aims to review some of the literature relating to the concept of effective engagement of doctors with health service redesign and delivery and discuss the relevance in light of recent developments from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

This article is a literature overview and personal reflection. It contains elements of personal reflection on the recent historical policy changes that have the potential to lead to frontline changes in the development of managerial training for doctors and how this could benefit healthcare systems

For services to be effective doctors need to be engaged in their design. Historically the engagement of doctors in this process has been haphazard and often taken on by doctors who have been provided with little management training. This has led to internal and external conflict and possibly been a contributing factor to lack of clinical engagement. The recent suggestions by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement around mandatory management training for doctors throughout all stages of their training as doctors has the potential to improve effective clinical engagement of doctors in service redesign and delivery and therefore their potential for success.

This paper has been written by a consultant psychiatrist who is involved with frontline delivery of services, medical management and training of doctors and medical students.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a qualitative evaluation of a learning initiative between different mental health professional groups, the Collaborative Learning Initiative (CLI). These qualitative results are after the first year of a two year evaluation of the CLI in which social work, clinical psychology and nursing students together with post-registration medics undertook a sequence of joint learning in relation to mental health theory and practice.

In total, 81 post-course evaluations were qualitatively analysed using a process of thematic analysis based on the guidelines outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006). Each academic involved with the CLI thematically analysed the post-course evaluations from their discipline. Following the generation of key themes each set of evaluations was separately analysed by an academic from a different professional discipline associated with the initiative.

The evaluation of this initiative demonstrates that the model of interdisciplinary teaching whereby service user and carers facilitating small group working is an effective model for delivering interprofessional mental health education. The paper highlights the convergent and divergent themes between the different groups involved in the initiative. Most of the social work, medics, nursing and all clinical psychology participants evaluated the programme positively, however some of the themes were not positive and these are also discussed within the paper.

Based on this qualitative evaluation, the evaluation of the service user and carer small group facilitators and observations by the CLI organizers, changes will be made to the second year of the evaluation cycle and these changes are highlighted in the paper. The uniqueness and value of this initiative lies in both having service users and carers involved in the design, delivery, evaluation and dissemination of the CLI and also in the strength of having four professional disciplines involved. Limitations of the study are highlighted.

The purpose of this paper is to address and understand recruitment difficulties into psychiatry; however, to date there is no published research with respect to forensic psychiatry. Forensic psychiatry has always been considered to be a popular specialty amongst junior doctors and therefore the recent trend in local unfilled core training (CT) (junior doctor) posts and national reduced competition ratios for higher specialist training has triggered concern. The impact vacant CT posts within the Forensic Service may have on the future workforce must be considered. Further understanding of this trend is required.

A short statement-style survey addressing attitudes and opinions with respect to the field of forensic psychiatry was devised and distributed to all West Midlands core psychiatry trainees who attended post-graduate teaching (November 2014).

Response rate was 64 per cent. In total, 52 per cent of participants expressed an interest in the specialty, but only 13 per cent wished to pursue a career in forensic psychiatry. In total, 68 per cent of responses deemed forensic psychiatry to be a demanding speciality, with over 50 per cent perceiving forensic patients as difficult to work with. There were high rates of uncertain responses with respect to specialty work life. In total, 78 per cent of responses considered experience of the specialty to be useful.

The method chosen to distribute the survey maximised response rate, but may have introduced a Hawthorne effect, as well as response bias, with the visual presence of the researcher. Participants were limited to those who attended teaching on the specified day. This could potentially skew results with an absence of opinions of non-attenders. It may be that characteristics and therefore attitudes and opinions of these two groups are different. A further limitation of the study is that opinions explored are limited to statements included within the survey.

The current views may represent stigma, negative media portrayal and misinformed opinions. Action must be taken to increase understanding, interest and experience. Increased exposure to the specialty needs to occur. This could occur as early as high school, using case-study exercises and career sessions. Teaching sessions, summer school placements and elective opportunities should be made available for medical students. At post-graduate level, taster days as well as earlier access to rotations may be a way forward.

Although entry into Forensic Higher Training remains comparatively competitive, the potential impact of vacant junior doctor (CT) posts within the speciality is concerning. This is likely to negatively influence recruitment into higher training, which may ultimately lead to decreased numbers of qualified forensic psychiatrists. Specialised care for such a risky and challenging patient group could thus be significantly compromised in the near future. Hence, it is vital to understand the current trend in order to act pre-emptively and address the underlying problems. To date no such research has been conducted.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of videoconferencing to deliver a post-graduate education programme in forensic mental services by video-conference across three sites in a large urban centre and develop a forensic community of practice.

This paper describes the setting up of the programme, equipment used, the challenges and evaluation of a teaching programme delivered using technology-enhanced education.

This forward thinking mechanism of delivery of education has propelled multi-disciplinary and multi-site discussion with the formation of a community of practice.

Additional skills are demanded of clinicians including familiarisation with the equipment and an awareness of the restrictions in communication using videoconferencing.

The use of technology has facilitated delivery of a learning programme within our services. Practical benefits are readily evident with increased accessibility, cost and travel savings.

The greatest benefit has been the development of a virtual community allowing peer support, an extended peer review and network development.

The paper describes use of technology to support delivery of a post-graduate forensic mental health training programme.

This paper aims to examine a co-produced initiative implemented at the University of the West of England, UWE (UWE) between September 2022 and April 2023. The student-led project (Climate, Conversations and Cake: The 3C’s) addressed environmental and climate crisis awareness through monthly gatherings where, in partnership, students, academic staff and professional personnel gathered to share food, engage in conversations and partake in joint activities.

This paper draws upon a mix of student and staff feedback, gathered through surveys and written/verbal reflections, to explore the value and impact of this project.

The project received two UWE student Union awards for teaching sustainability and for student welfare, and was a finalist in the UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards. The 3C’s provided a platform for emotional expression by fostering a safe and supportive environment and encouraged students to reflect, share, apply and deepen their learning experiences in an informal setting characterised by compassion and empathy. This paper highlights the importance of developing supportive and compassionate pedagogical practices which recognise and normalise climate concern.

The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on co-produced projects within higher education institutions, showcasing the potential of such initiatives to encourage meaningful engagement and empower students in addressing the pressing challenges of climate crisis. In addition to providing an evidence base for the value of such initiatives, through outlining the specifics of this student-led project, a framework that can be used by other institutions to develop their own initiatives is offered.

Describes how BAE Systems, a global provider of defense and security products, is integrating environmental awareness into every business unit and helping its executives to consider the limitations and opportunities of the environment in their everyday functions.

Details the role of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA)-City & Guilds course on leading with environmental sustainability in helping the company to achieve these changes. Also considers other environmental courses run by IEMA.

Explains the two key goals of the training – to ensure a level of integration with other existing training and development schemes at BAE Systems and to get different senior people from across the business units together in one room so that they can collectively learn and appreciate how the environment affects the company's operations and how its long-life products – ships, planes and tanks – affect the environment.

Reveals that engaging executive managers in the program, clarifying key questions for them and providing a model that they can support with its subsequent roll-out across their businesses is already providing huge benefits and extended buy-in.

Reveals the growing role of environmental considerations in a global defense and security company.

Implicit within much of the migrant literature is an assumption that migrant flows are primarily motivated by economic differences. However, such an assumption raises three interesting questions. First, why would people wish to leave a country where income levels are relatively high, public services are extensive and the standard of living is well above global averages? Second, what are the socio-cultural attributes that might attract such potential migrant to a new domicile state? Third, how might this be reflected in consumptive attitudes and behaviours within their new domicile state? The paper aims to discuss these issues.

In order to investigate the answer to these questions, a two-stage qualitative research methodology incorporating photographic self-records and in-depth interviews is used to examine UK migrants’ decisions to migrate to New Zealand. Subsequently, the authors examine the celebration of Christmas in New Zealand by UK migrants to better understand meaning creation and re-creation of consumption activities within a new socio-cultural context informed by their decisions to migrate.

Findings suggest that with some lifestyle migrant groups, individualistic values and belief systems appear to play a significant role in determining consumptive attitudes and behaviours in their domicile states.

This research identifies how some migrant groups may adopt a more reflexive approach by undertaking a complex and sophisticated process of self and social identity construction reflective of their individualistic values and belief systems rather than the acceptance or rejection of their domicile culture.