The Disqualification of Childminders: A New Form of Assessment?

SUMMARY. Amongst the many new statutory Regulations introduced with the Children Act 1989 are the “Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations 1991‘. The Regulations outline, for the first time, exactly which previous criminal convictions may lead to a person being disqualified as a childminder, day care worker or private foster parent. The paper describes the background and implications of the Regulations and suggests some possible implications.     

Exploring Accessibility in DOAJ: A Case Study

Abstract

This study explores the accessibility of HTML articles indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The researchers tested a random sample of journals that possessed the DOAJ seal of approval, added content in 2019, were published in English and had 50 or more indexed articles. From this sample, HTML full-text articles were randomly selected for accessibility testing, using the W3C Easy Checks. 131 journals on 22 platforms were reviewed. All content reviewed provided unique web page titles. The majority of articles reviewed allowed for increases in text size and had meaningful heading structure. The application of alternative text tags for images and form labels was inconsistent, as was the ability to use keyboard controls for page navigation. Further, most content did not clearly indicate cursor location. The most egregious accessibility issues came from design choices, which generated a variety of contrast errors. More in-depth studies of DOAJ and other OA indexes and content providers are recommended, as is requiring adherence to WCAG 2.0 accessibility criteria as a condition of article submission.     

A Feminist Critique of Japanization: Employment and Work in Consumer Electronics

The debate over lean production and Japanization has now matured, with a broad range of perspectives and analysis. Through analysis of the central role women’s labour plays in Japanese‐owned enterprises, this article will provide a critical discussion of Japanization. Japanization is neither a sufficient explanation of the nature of workplaces in which women work, nor a necessary goal for labour management in Japanese‐owned enterprises. Using extensive ethnographic field research drawn from studies in Japan and the UK in Japanese‐owned enterprises and a European‐owned enterprise engaged in television assembly, this article argues that there is no aspect of it which it would be appropriate to label Japanization.     

Poll finds physicians very wary of pay-for-performance programs

A new poll sheds light on how physician leaders across the country view the rapidly expanding pay-for-performance movement. Some take a dim view; others see it in a positive light.     

News of the societies

The following is excerpted from a letter by Bill L. Jett, President, NFSCSW, to Estelle Gabriel, Chairperson of the NASW Committee on Private Practice. It was written on 11/8/73 in response to the NASW proposal for a Registry of Clinical Social Workers and represents Mr. Jett's views on the subject after informally discussing this proposal with the Executive Board of the NFSCSW in Los Angeles during the Biennial Conference of the California Society for Clinical Social Work.     

Employment programs for people with psychiatric disability: the case for change

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of disability employment policy in assisting people with psychiatric disability to find, or return to, paid work. We argue that the poor employment outcomes from current programs establish the need for a paradigmatic shift in the form of a state‐provided Job Guarantee (JG) for people with psychiatric disability. In the absence of measures to generate suitable jobs, forthcoming changes to the eligibility criteria for Disability Support Pension will create risks rather than opportunities. Under the JG, the Federal Government would maintain a ‘buffer stock’ of minimum wage, public sector jobs to provide secure paid employment for this highly disadvantaged group. The role of the state in this alternative model is two fold. First, the state must provide the quantum of JG jobs required. Second, the state must ensure the design of jobs is flexible enough to meet the heterogeneous and variable support needs of workers. This will require effective integration of the JG scheme with mental health, rehabilitation and employment support services.