Renee Brighton, Victoria Traynor, Lorna Moxham and Janette Curtis
Alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI) is part of a group of conditions that do not fit easily into existing systems of care. People living with ARBI require flexible health and…
Abstract
Purpose
Alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI) is part of a group of conditions that do not fit easily into existing systems of care. People living with ARBI require flexible health and social services to ensure they receive person-centred, therapeutic care and treatment. Effective service provision promotes recovery for people who continue to experience significant levels of morbidity and mortality due to symptoms that are potentially reversible or at least amendable to appropriate care and treatment options. There exist significant gaps in the provision of this care for these vulnerable populations.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review was undertaken of various scholarly databases (e.g. CINAHL, MEDLINE and Web of Science), as well as government and non-government publications and reference materials. Publications were included for analysis if they reported participant cohorts who had a diagnosis of ARBI or were carers or service staff involved with individuals who lived with ARBI.
Findings
In total, 31 publications on the needs of people living with ARBI were reviewed. Of the 67 sources identified a total of 31 were accessed and retrieved. Four main themes were identified: under-recognition and lack of a timely diagnosis, inadequate service provision and limited care pathways, stigma, and homelessness. Sources came from Australian, British, North American and Canadian literature.
Research limitations/implications
Significant gaps were found in both the literature and in current clinical practices when it comes to the identification, care and treatment of people with ARBI. Globally, ARBI policy, treatments and service provision is often not available and when it does exist, it lacks consistency. Variations in models of care are significant given the fact that the predicted increase in per capita alcohol consumption will see a disproportionate increase in ARBI in future generations. This review was generated by the lack of contemporaneous evidence and may be considered a starting point for future research looking into the needs of individuals living with ARBI.
Originality/value
This international literature review contributes to a broader understanding of the issues and problems faced by people with ARBI. Of the 67 resources identified through a rigorous search method only 31 were relevant to people who live with ARBI in relation to care and support services. This indicates a lack of research in this area but that which needs to be undertaken. The review also highlighted service disconnection and the need for specific, tailored treatment approaches for people with ARBI. It was also found that the identification of ARBI in clinical practice has been protracted by the lack of systemised and standardised screening tools to use in the assessment of those who display signs and symptoms of these conditions.
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A representation in relation to a sale—written or in advertisements, films or labels or in the spoken word—may be (a) a mere expression of opinion or commendation by a seller of…
Abstract
A representation in relation to a sale—written or in advertisements, films or labels or in the spoken word—may be (a) a mere expression of opinion or commendation by a seller of his wares; or (b) it may constitute part of the description of the thing sold; or (c) consist of a warranty. The law allows a certain latitude in the efforts to gain a purchaser; does not insist on the absolute truth of the commendatory expressions habitually used to induce people to buy. The flourishing expressions used by auctioneers and estate agents—“ this superlatively appointed residence ”—are commonplace examples of this recognised “puffing” of wares. “ Puffing ” in relation to sale is merely an extension of the everyday usage of accepting half‐truths, untruths or the conventional evasion of truth; even as part of the bedside manner, the splendide mendax, of the doctor! What constitutes the upper limit of permissible misrepresentations such as these is by no means clear, either in civil law or in the growing body of statutory law regulating trade descriptions and advertisements of recent years, for here, as with so much law relating to sale, there is that same cleavage between civil rights of action and prosecutions to inflict penalties for statutory offences.
The High Court judgments in the two appeal cases relating to the sale of cream containing boric acid will be read with considerable satisfaction by those who consider that the…
Abstract
The High Court judgments in the two appeal cases relating to the sale of cream containing boric acid will be read with considerable satisfaction by those who consider that the protection of the health of the people is a matter of greater importance than the protection of the interests of a trade. In one case the Westminster City Council appealed against the decision of a Metropolitan Police magistrate who had dismissed a summons taken out by the Council under the third Section of the Act of 1875 for the sale of “preserved cream” containing 23·8 grains of boric acid per pound, and in the other the vendors of a sample of “preserved cream” containing 19·7 grains of boric acid per pound, appealed against their conviction under the same Section of the Act by the Kensington justices. In the first case the appeal was allowed and the case was remitted to the magistrate with a direction to convict; and in the second the appeal was dismissed, the Divisional Court, consisting of Justices Ridley, Bray and Avory being unanimous in both cases.
Ashlee Curtis, Keith McVilly and Andrew Day
Offenders with intellectual disability (ID) who commit arson and other acts of fire setting are over-represented in the criminal justice system in Australia, as in many other…
Abstract
Purpose
Offenders with intellectual disability (ID) who commit arson and other acts of fire setting are over-represented in the criminal justice system in Australia, as in many other jurisdictions. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the judicial considerations that influence sentencing in these cases.
Design/methodology/approach
Case law was utilised to locate and analyse judges’ sentencing remarks for offenders with ID found guilty of an offence of arson. These data were subject to Inductive Content Analysis to establish the major judicial considerations in sentencing.
Findings
Seven common issues emerged: general deterrence, seriousness of arson, rehabilitation, sentencing options, moral culpability, protection of the community, and punishment. Judges noted that they handed down reduced sentences to persons with ID relative to the severity of their offending, that they considered people with ID to have low levels of moral culpability, and that these offenders did not provide good examples for community deterrence.
Originality/value
The current study highlights the need for judges to have available a range of sentencing options, including diversion and treatment/rehabilitation programmes for persons with ID, particularly for those involved in more serious offences such as arson.
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John Beech, Simon Horsman and Jamie Magraw
This paper identifies five types of insolvency in English football: clubs that have failed to cope with relegation; failed to pay monies due to the UK government; seen 'soft…
Abstract
This paper identifies five types of insolvency in English football: clubs that have failed to cope with relegation; failed to pay monies due to the UK government; seen 'soft debts' become 'hard debts'; lost the ownership of their stadium; or have been 'repeat offenders'. As the second of a three-phase research project, the paper concludes with an indication of the final phase research and implications of the findings so far for other professional sports.
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A LETTER from the President of the Library Association (Mr. Berwick Sayers) has been received which we have pleasure in giving prominently.
Meropy Barut, Jean Raar and Mohammad I Azim
The purpose of this study is to illuminate the disclosure of biodiversity material contained in the reported information of 151 local government authorities (LGAs) in New South…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to illuminate the disclosure of biodiversity material contained in the reported information of 151 local government authorities (LGAs) in New South Wales, Australia. The introduction of the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (an international treaty to sustain the rich diversity of life on earth) has made the issue of fauna management and monitoring, and the associated requirement for cost-effective information, much more important. As local communities are best placed to make decisions about the protection of their local environments, the content in external reports and other disclosures allows stakeholders to gauge how accountable LGAs are regarding the conservation of biodiversity within their geographical jurisdiction.
Design/methodology/approach
Content analysis was used to analyze the disclosures of these LGAs.
Findings
The results reveal marked differences in the reporting of biodiversity issues. In fact, LGAs in the state of New South Wales (Australia) have been, at best, lukewarm in their disclosure of strategic information relating to biodiversity, particularly in their strategic goals and plans.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the academic literature on biodiversity reporting by investigating existing reporting practices and providing evidence that a universally adopted framework for biodiversity reporting and reporting of local native fauna is required. In particular, the impacts of these practices need to be properly understood for LGAs to provide accountability to their stakeholders.