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General Reports and Other Publications
ESRC: Being seen as either well behaved or naughty at school is never entirely in the hands of the individual child, a study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) shows. Once some children acquire poor overall reputations among teachers & other school staff, classmates and parents, it becomes difficult for them to be regarded as ‘good’.
Two broad types of behaviour in school cause particular concern: physical actions such as kicking & punching and persistent failure to comply with adults’ requests. Repeatedly calling out or not sitting properly in class, failing to listen or being noisy in queues are all examples of conduct likely to arouse the concern of teachers and other staff.
Press release ~ Becoming a problem: how and why children acquire a reputation as ‘naughty’ in the earliest years at school
HEFCE: The HEFCE has welcomed the CBI Higher Education Task Force report recommending a stronger relationship between higher education & business. Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said:
“HEFCE will continue to support enduring education, innovation & research partnerships between universities and colleges & business. It will also continue to promote study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – boosting demand and provision to meet the needs of employers and new industries………
While supporting the main tenets of the report we do not wish to pre-empt the fees review, participation targets & other aspects of the student finance debate”.
Press release ~ CBI Higher Education Task Force ~ Stronger together: Businesses and universities in turbulent times
Newswire – TSA: £ms are claimed to have been saved by the existence of the Tenant Services Authority (TSA). In his speech at the recent annual National Housing Federation conference, Chief Executive Peter Marsh explained how better regulation of housing associations has attracted investors and maintained the confidence of both existing & new lenders, meaning more favourable interest rates.
CQC: The biggest-ever national survey of people’s experiences of acute mental health inpatient services reveals that too great a proportion feel they were let down in some important aspects of the care they received, says the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The findings from the survey underline 2 key issues that have been previously identified as priority areas for improvement:
* focusing on individuals’ needs
* ensuring the safety of patients
Large proportions of patients also reported shortcomings in other aspects of the care they received during their hospital stay.
Barbara Young, CQC Chairman, said: “It is not acceptable for people to feel unsafe in hospital or for them not to be to given basic information about their care & treatment. All trusts must provide a therapeutic environment in which patients can feel safe & recover. A therapeutic environment must include adequate access to activities & talking therapies”.
CQC press release ~ DH Press release ~ More information on the survey ~ National Centre for Social Research (NatCen)
Monitor: Monitor has had a positive impact on efficiency & governance at NHS foundation trusts, according to a new study. It produced the report, Measuring Monitor’s Impact, to evaluate the effect of its activities as the independent regulator for NHS foundation trusts. The study highlights improvements in performance at NHS foundation trusts as a consequence of both Monitor’s assessment process for applicant trusts and its risk-based approach to regulation.
Defra: A Defra funded report summarises the impact that windows have on the environment in the first step to providing industry best practice on sustainability. The report establishes that wood, PVC and aluminium frames all have a role in the future of windows – and a place to play in creating sustainable buildings.
This report has been produced collaboratively by Government & industry representatives and is one of several actions to help deliver the Strategy for Sustainable Construction. The next step for the Government & industry organisations involved, is to agree a voluntary action plan for tackling some of the areas highlighted in the report.
Defra: A Defra funded report into the sustainability of plasterboard is the first step on a ‘roadmap’ which will ultimately provide best practice for the industry. The next objective for the Plasterboard Sustainability Partnership is for Defra to work with industry stakeholders to identify areas that could benefit from further effort and to prioritise the development of a voluntary action plan for tackling some of the gaps identified.
ESRC: Teenagers’ attitudes to diet & weight are shaped by their social class, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Policymakers have long insisted on the importance of understanding young people’s health & eating habits but this is the first study to show how everyday practices & perceptions of different social classes contribute to variation in the diet, weight and health of teenagers.
Middle class families look towards their children’s future, expecting young teenagers’ tastes to develop and have a good body shape to actively participate in adult life. Parents expressed concern that if children were overweight they would have poor health in later life. They also felt that being overweight would affect the children’s self-esteem and ability to take part in life’s opportunities.
In working class families, concern for the future is dominated by more pressing concerns about everyday life.
Although working class families express the desire to improve the diet & lifestyle of their children, they sometimes lack the social and cultural abilities as well as money to make such changes happen.
Press release ~ Parents' & teenagers' conceptions of diet, weight & health: does class matter’ ~ NHS Teen LifeCheck ~ NICE - Promoting physical activity for children and young people ~ NICE - Obesity: guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children ~ 'Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives toolkit: A Toolkit for Developing Local Strategies' ~ DH - Obesity ~
ACE: More people than ever before are getting involved with dance according to a report published by Arts Council England. Dance mapping: a window on dance - the largest piece of research of its kind - offers a deep insight into the breadth & range of dance in England.
The overwhelming message is that dance is an ‘artform in growth’ with more than 40,000 people currently working in dance and the amateur sector accounting for a fifth of all arts participation in England. The report also shows a new generation of emerging artists coming through the DCSF funded Centres for Advanced Training. The number of people studying dance in higher education has increased by more than 97% in the past 5 years.
