How to Do Things With Words

Alcohol in Europe: a public health perspective

For people living in Scotland's remote and rural Highlands, user networks and drop-ins offer a vital space of safety and community. Reports on a two year research project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council into 'social geographies of rural mental health'. The study interviewed 107 service users, 44 mental health service providers and 17 carers, and surveyed 229 Highland GPs by postal questionnaire. In addition ten focus groups were held with members of the Highland User Group (HUG). Reports some of the key findings with regard to exclusion, stigma and the role of these voluntary sector support services in offering an alternative, safe 'community' to people with mental health problems.

Geographies of exclusion.

The Sociolinguistics of Society

Language: Contexts and Consequences.

This paper draws on the findings of a qualitative evaluation that examines women's perceptions of the services provided to them whilst their abusers attended an Integrated Domestic Violence Programme (IDAP) in one probation area in the UK. Research focusing on domestic violence programmes has mostly concentrated on the experiences of male perpetrators. As a result, less is known about how women feel about such programmes and the parallel safety services they are supposed to receive. This research seeks to address that weakness by exploring the perceptions of 13 women whose abusers are attending one perpetrator programme. The findings of our study suggest that women are generally negative about perpetrator programmes and require more comprehensive and coordinated services than are routinely made available to them. The paper suggests that women value and need direct and assertive support as well as safety services, and this need is especially pronounced in rural contexts where women can be isolated from mainstream services. The implications of the research to practice with victims of domestic violence are discussed to inform further development of IDAP and similar programmes in the UK and beyond.

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Women's Safety Service within the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme: Perceptions of Service Users

In light of the Bichard Inquiry, this paper considers the vetting practices that apply in relation to those students with criminal convictions who apply to undertake social work education in England or Wales. The paper is organized primarily around the lessons that can be learnt from two case studies, and descriptions of how a range of social work programmes in England and Wales assess individuals with criminal convictions. It explores some of the reasons why the assessment of individuals with previous criminal convictions is important, some of the issues that might arise in relation to how it is currently carried out and what might constitute best practice in this area.

Students with Criminal Convictions: Policies and Practices in Social Work Education

The Wales (Housing) Act 2015 introduced a preventative approach to addressing homelessness which impacted on prison leavers in Wales. Since the same changes will take effect in England from October 2018, this paper provides early insight into how new preventative duties have been implemented in Wales. Drawing on interviews with 114 stakeholders and 75 prison leavers we report that the promise associated with a preventative agenda is presently not fully realised. We contend that resettlement activity might be improved if it was better incentivised and facilitated inside the prison wall. However, we also suggest the time has come for more radical options to be pursued to address homelessness amongst prison leavers. We argue against short prison sentences, which are so often causative of homelessness, and for providers of probation services to be better incentivised and resourced to take a more active role in meeting accommodation needs.

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Rethinking preventing homelessness amongst prison leavers

Purpose



– At a time when funding arrangements are under review, the purpose of this paper is to come to a better understanding of victim needs and to inform future developments of services in England and Wales. 




Design/methodology/approach



– This paper is based on qualitative data gathered from a series of interviews with 33 individuals working with victims of crime in one police area in England and Wales. 




Findings



– Better practice and outcomes were associated in respondent’s accounts with the multi-agency working and end to end case management of needs associated with some victims of rape and domestic abuse assessed as high risk of harm. 




Research limitations/implications



– Small-scale qualitative study. 




Practical implications



– It is argued Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) should explore mechanisms for extending such services to more victims of crime and ensuring better co-ordination of service delivery. 




Originality/value



– From October 2014 onwards PCCs are set to take over responsibility for funding victim services in England and Wales. Though not an uncontroversial development, this sets the context for practice with victims to be considered afresh and accordingly this paper explores the needs of victims and how they are met in one police and crime area.

Where next for victim services in England and Wales

Existing research concludes that diglossia between languages is a barrier to minority language use in health, social care and criminal justice settings. In addition, it concludes that more fulsome service provision is the key for promoting greater minority language use in such settings. Using the case of Welsh speakers in Wales as an exemplar, this paper explores what is known about minority language use in service settings and how that knowledge has been acquired. It is argued that the existing research has neglected the influence of interviews on accounts of minority language use. Moreover, it is argued that an important issue in promoting minority use in service settings is recognising and addressing the diglossia that can come to exist within a minority language once its use is institutionalised in such contexts.

Iolo Madoc-Jones

Papers

Women's Safety Service within the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme: Perceptions of Service Users

Students with Criminal Convictions: Policies and Practices in Social Work Education

Rethinking preventing homelessness amongst prison leavers

Where next for victim services in England and Wales

Minority language non-use in service settings: what we know, how we know it and what we might not know