Service users and carers' (SUACs) inclusion in student selection days at English universities is accepted as standard practice, since such inclusion is mandated by a range of professional health and social work regulators. However, SUACs' voices are little heard; this study addresses this knowledge gap for the first time. Student selection…

The UK construction sector is not diverse and is reputed to be dangerous, dirty, physically demanding and non-professional. Young people often regard construction jobs as a last resort. Yet there is a growing skills shortage that needs to attract greater diversity of applicants. The aim of the BRIDGE (Building Routes Into Degrees with Greater…

Recruiting and retaining excellent teachers remains a pressing policy issue in education systems worldwide. According to UNESCO estimates, 68.8 million teachers will need to be recruited globally to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4. However, simply recruiting more teachers will not be enough to meet this challenge: we need to recruit…

The T Level Transition Programme is a study programme targeted at students aged 16 to 19 years (or young people with Education and Healthcare Plans to age 24) who are not ready to start a T Level but have the potential to progress onto one following a tailored preparation programme. The Transition Programme is expected to be a full-time study…

This chapter describes how one particular Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), created at the University of Southampton, has evolved beyond its core purpose as a promotional tool, to complement and serve purposes and priorities of relevance and importance to wider university strategic aims. It briefly outlines elements of the course design and…

This report examines the range of factors that might influence the decision by social care professionals on the use of boarding schools as an intervention option for Children in Need (CiN) or children on a Child Protection Plan (CPP). Attempts to conduct a randomised controlled trial (RCT) failed to recruit participants. Initially, failure to…

The overall aim of the study is to understand effective practice and lessons that can be learned from the approaches currently being adopted, particularly in relation to curriculum design and employer engagement, as well as the broader challenges facing University Technical Colleges (UTCs). More specifically the objectives of the research are to:…

Unhealthy behaviours represent modifiable causes of non-communicable disease. In men, concern focuses on those (i) demonstrating the poorest health, exacerbated by a lack of awareness of the risks that their lifestyles pose and (ii) who neither consult their doctor nor use health services. Classed as "hard-to-engage", distinctive…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the process of involving students and staff on school action groups, and staff and student experiences of reviewing local data and initiating school-level changes, to address bullying and other aggression. Design/methodology/approach: The authors draw on qualitative, process data collected at four…

The Strengthening Families Programme 10-14 (SFP10-14; UK) is a seven-session DVD-based family skills training programme. While the programme has been extensively evaluated in the United States, no randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the SFP10-14 has been conducted in the United Kingdom. This exploratory Phase II study was an evaluation of a…

This article highlights the importance of considering the flow of newcomers into church life and the inadequacy of relying solely upon changes in numbers of attenders in assessing the effectiveness of churches. Drawing upon data collected in four countries, Australia, England, New Zealand and the United States of America, this article looks at the…

The purpose of this research was to evaluate a parent intervention programme, open to parents of children in Year 7, aimed at assisting parents to help their children achieve their full potential. The benefit for parents themselves was also examined. Unlike many existing evaluations of parent intervention programmes, it drew upon statistically…

This report describes the results of a study aimed at presenting a broad picture of educational opportunities open to unemployed adults in England and to identify problems and possible solutions. Material for the report was gathered through visits to a variety of institutions and agencies in urban and rural areas of England. The report is…

A study evaluated the 83 basic skills open learning centers established in England and Wales to improve opportunities for adults and young people to improve essential basic skills. They were established in a variety of locations, ranging from further education colleges or adult education centers to libraries and shops. The most successful centers…

This conference summary contains 36 presentations. Participants' comments, taken from response cards, are quoted throughout. Presentations from the Opening Plenary include a keynote address--"What Is Literacy?: Critical Issues for the Next Decade" (John Ryan) and four "Panelist Presentations" (Francis Kazemek, Lorraine Fox,…