Introduction of a child sexual abuse policy in a health district

SUMMARY. Three one day workshops for 40 senior clinical staff were held to introduce a new Operational Policy on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and to provide them with a teaching package to enable them to run ‘cascade’ teaching sessions for other staff and colleagues. Part I of this paper describes an evaluation of the workshop; Part II describes an evaluation of the cascade The workshop evaluation showed that knowledge about CSA and policy issues was already good, but although that knowledge did improve after the workshop, attitudes about sexual behaviour were not changed by the workshop. Evaluation of the cascade also showed an increase in knowledge after the dissemination exercise     

Provisioning Responsibilities: How Relationships Shape the Work that Women Do

Cette étude documente le travail d'approvisionnement que les femmes effectuent pour elles‐mêmes et pour les autres, tout en enregistrant les contours de ce travail et en analysant les responsabilités qui y sont associées. Le concept d'approvisionnement a orienté les interviews réalisées auprès de 100 femmes. La diversité et l'étendue du travail des femmes se sont manifestées par le choix des femmes provenant de six groupes communautaires marginalisés par le revenu, la race ou l'âge dans deux provinces canadiennes. Les résultats résument les types d'activités et de stratégies d'approvisionnement que les femmes utilisent pour assumer leurs responsabilités. Parce que celles‐ci font partie des avenues de leurs relations, négocier les limites de leurs responsabilités d'approvisionnement modèle le travail quotidien des femmes et leurs possibilités de s'engager dans la société civile. This study documents the work women do to provision for themselves and others. It charts the contours of this work and examines associated responsibilities. The concept of provisioning informed interviews with 100 women. The diversity and range of women's work were surfaced by selecting women from six community groups, marginalized by income, race, and age, in two Canadian provinces. Findings summarize the types of provisioning activities and strategies women use to meet their responsibilities. Because the latter flow through pathways of relationships, negotiating the boundaries of their provisioning responsibilities shapes women's daily work and possibilities for engaging in civil society.     

The Psychiatric 'Caseness' of Clients Referred to an Urban Social Services Department

Correspondence should be sent to Dr. Peter Huxley, Mental Health Social Work Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Manchester University, Stopford Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT. Summary Of 158 clients referred to two area offices and six generalpractice attached social workers, 141 weré interviewedusing standardized social and psychiatric research interviews.The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) was completed by 138clients. Their social worker completed the Case Review Form.Scores of 5 or more on the PSE Index of Definition (for theclient) were used to indicate psychiatric caseness. Using IDscores of 5 or more, 53% of the sample were identified as ‘cases’.The GHQ (cut-off 4/5) identified 73% of the clients as cases;and the GHQ (cut-off 10/11) identified 51% cases. Morbidity was significantly greater in the general practicesetting. Social workers' judgement (about the presence or absenceof mental illness/emotional disorder) was not significantlybetter than chance in the identification of specific disorders,but was significant in relation to the whole sample. The results are discussed and further studies are being conductedusing more sophisticated judgements of ’caseness’,and extending the enquiry beyond an inner city population.     

Developing services to meet the special heeds of children under five: towards collective responsibility

SUMMARY. This article is based on a keynote talk given at a dg seminar on Under Fives: Special Needs, Special Services?held at the National Children's Bureau in June 1987. The purpose of the seminar is sketched as an introduction. Historical evolution of traditions and practice in early childhood education and in special education are traced and common Principles are identified as a basis for reconciling these traditions to form collective responses to young children's special needs. A number of recent and current initiatives are described which attest to the potential for developing policies on under fives and special needs which epitomise working partnerships between statutory and voluntary services and families.