Nexus project: a case study of scenario planning methodology applied to food system planning

Dr Wayne Foord (QUB) This presentation provides an introduction to scenario planning, its increasing application to food system planning, and reports on the QUB Nexus project. There is growing evidence that future food security, globally and regionally, is at risk due to climate change, environmental degradation and resource scarcity, including fossil energy scarcity. Scenario planning … Read more

Making the case for universal HPV vaccination

Dr Gillian Prue, Dr Olinda Santin, Dr Lesley Anderson, Dr Donna Graham and Prof Mark Lawler (QUB) Prevention of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers is an increasingly prominent public health issue. The current UK strategy of vaccinating girls alone does not provide males with adequate protection against HPV infection and HPV-related diseases, particularly men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM). In … Read more

Diabetes education for adults with learning disabilities: addressing the inequalities

Dr Maria Truesdale and Dr Laurence Taggart (Ulster) Health inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities (LD) is a critically important issue for primary and secondary healthcare services. Although health inequalities are, to an extent avoidable, it is evident that existing patterns of healthcare provision are insufficient and likely to be in contravention of legal … Read more

Modernising Adult Social Care in Northern Ireland

Dr Joe Duffy, Dr Gavin Davidson (QUB), Dr Subhajit Basu (Leeds University) and Prof Katherine Pearson (Penn State University) This seminar presentation will focus on the key findings from research this team published for the Commissioner for Older People Northern Ireland (COPNI) in June 2015, the full report can be accessed here. One of the … Read more

Regulation and bureaucracy – a significant source of Farmers’ stress

Mrs Ursula Walsh (Ulster) Farming is a very stressful occupation and ranks in the top ten job groups with a high mortality from suicide. This presentation aims to highlight the results of recent research (involving over 90 Northern Ireland farmers) that found that bureaucracy remains a significant cause of stress to farmers. Farmers reported that … Read more

Gender Equality in the Northern Ireland Public Sector – a View from the Top

Prof Joan Ballantine, Dr Graeme Banks, Prof Kathryn Haynes, Dr Melina Manochin and Mr Tony Wall (Ulster) The highly contentious issue of gender equality with regard to executive and non-executive director positions has received considerable attention in the context of the private sector. However, substantially less is known about gender equality issues at the senior … Read more

Global Challenges for Inclusive and Special Education – Exploring solutions within a Community of Provision

Prof Jonathan Rix (OU) This seminar builds upon a study undertaken for the National Council for Special Education in the Republic of Ireland, examining the continuum of special education globally (Rix, Sheehy, Fletcher-Campbell, Crisp & Harper, 2013). This involved a systematic literature review of the multitude of continua associated with special education, followed by a … Read more

Autism: a cross-cultural perspective on service provision and capacity building

Dr Ilona Roth (OU) Prevalence estimates for autism in the western world have risen substantially over recent years, most probably reflecting a combination of increasing public awareness, wider inclusion criteria and improved diagnostic services. Many gaps and inequalities of services and support remain, especially in relation to adults and to deprived and ethnic minority communities. … Read more

Evidence and Policy: How to help families of children diagnosed with autism in Northern Ireland

Prof Mickey Keenan (Ulster) Currently in the USA, 44 States have introduced legislation to ensure that parents have access to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for the treatment of autism; hundreds of major companies have also made ABA available under their health insurance policies for workers. The supporting evidence to introduce this legislation will be outlined … Read more