Christmas Holiday!

Photograph by TinyApartmentCrafts

I shall be on annual leave from Thursday 20th December 2012 until Sunday 13th January 2013 (inclusive).

The entire University, including the Library will be closed from Saturday 22nd December until Tuesday 1st January (inclusive).

Please check the Library website at: http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/opening for further details.

Happy holidays everyone, see you in the new year!

Young Offenders Failed By Care System Says New Report

Photograph by Richard Masoner/Cycledelicious

An new report by HM Inspectorate of Probation "Looked After Children: An inspection of the work of Youth Offending Teams with children and young people who are looked after and placed away from home" reveals that children in care in England and Wales who've been in trouble with the law are being failed by youth offending teams.

The Inspectorate of Probation raised concerns about children placed far from home, and some youth offending team staff who thought little about the emotional impact of being in care.

The report looked at 60 children, from about 3,000 supervised by the teams. It found about a third of children were placed more than 100 miles away from home, and nearly two-thirds were placed 50 miles away.


Basic checks were not made when placing these "vulnerable and potentially dangerous" children into homes, the report said, adding that examples had been found of sex attackers being placed with abuse victims.

Youth offending teams and and other agencies did not "always work effectively together in the best interests of the children", and poor planning and assessment meant insufficient protection for two-thirds of the children.


You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

Library Christmas Opening Hours

The ecard created by by Grzegorz Łobiński for the EcardSphere project.

Merry Christmas to all my blog followers!

Just to remind everyone: All University buildings (including the Library) will close from Saturday 22nd December 2012 - Tuesday 1st January 2013.

The Libraries will re-open on Wednesday 2nd January 2013.

Term begins again on Monday 7th January 2013.

24:7 Library Opening In 2013

In response to student requests Learning Resources will be piloting 24:7 opening hours  in 2013 at two campuses:

• Luton, Park Square LRC
• Bedford, Polhill Library

This will provide students print resources, study space and access to PCs for 168 hours per week.

 

 24:7 opening will be available from 7th January 2013 to 21st July 2013 in first instance.

Dawsonera Maintainance 8th December 2012

This weekend 8th December 2012 Dawsonera Ebooks will be preforming an essential upgrade to their system which should improve its performance.

This means that between the hours of 10am - 6pm Dawsonera Ebooks will be unavailable.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this period.

Child Arrests Continue To Fall Says Howard League

Photograph by J D Mack

Figures compiled by the Howard League for Penal Reform suggest that the number of children arrested by the police has fallen by a third since 2008. 

Police arrested 209,000 under-18s in 2011, down from 315,923 in 2008. The Howard League said 10 forces in England and Wales had halved the number of children taken into custody.

 The figures, compiled through a freedom of information request to all 43 police forces in England and Wales, include more than 2,100 children aged 10 - which is the age of criminal responsibility - and 11.

The director of campaigns at the Howard League, Andrew Neilson, said a move away from a mandatory target system for police was likely to be the main reason for the third successive fall.

He said: "In 2008, the first year we have data for, the target culture was coming to an end.

"At that time, police services were being ranked on the number of arrests they were processing, and to a degree children were low-hanging fruit that helped the police reach their arrest targets.

"While some police services still use these targets informally, we are seeing a move back towards a discretion-led, common sense approach, and that's reflected in the figures.

"I suspect there are a lot of things that the police are doing to reduce arrests, ranging from restorative justice disposals to triage arrangements at police stations, where a youth offending team worker will interview a young person to see if there are any welfare issues."

New Survey Suggests Adult Social Care Is Suffering Under Cuts

Care for vulnerable older people has been suffering - both in quality and quantity - because of funding cuts, a survey of 200 social workers suggests.


In the survey by Age UK and the College of Social Work, more than 85% of respondents said they had seen the impact of cuts in the past year.

Of those, 95% said the cuts in England presented "a risk to the dignity of their older clients".

The Department for Health says the care of older people is a priority. Councils across the country have been facing a funding squeeze under the coalition's spending cuts.

Since 2004, social care funding has stagnated, and then decreased, Age UK said. This is despite an increase of more than 250,000 people aged 85 or over, the group most likely to require social care.

The charity said the funding given this year was half a billion pounds less than when the coalition came to power in 2010.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20566307

Beveridge Report: From 'deserving poor' to 'scroungers'

BBC News Magazine has an extensive article on the history of the welfare state and the public's changing attitudes.

Many people today are more suspicious of those claiming benefits, viewing them as 'scroungers' rather than 'deserving poor' - although research shows that benefit fraud is very low.

You can read the full article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20431729

Disability History Month Free Event

As part of Disability History month the University of Bedfordshire will be presenting 'Inspired' with Laurence Clark. The show will take place on:

Friday 7 December 2012 at 7:30pm
at University of Bedfordshire Theatre
Bedford Campus, Polhill Avenue, Bedford, MK41 9EA

Laurence Clark is an internationally-acclaimed comedian, presenter, writer and actor who has cerebral palsy. His observational, political stand-up and hidden camera footage demonstrate the endearing naivety and ridiculousness of
human behaviour by seeing the world through his
eyes with humour and warmth. He’s performed everywhere from the House of Commons to a double-decker bus in Sheffield. His 7 critically acclaimed solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe have gained him 25 4-star and 3 5-star reviews. With television appearances on BBC, ITV and Channel 4, Laurence was the subject of a major
BBC1 documentary called “We Won’t Drop the Baby” shown in March 2012. He was awarded Shortlist magazine’s Funniest New Comedian, and writes for The Independent and The Guardian.

To book your free place call the booking office on: 0800 328 5334 or e-mail: knowledge@beds.ac.uk

Attendance to this event is through Bookings only

New Report by The University of Bedforshire into Gang Sexual Exploitation

Photograph by Ulrica

The Office of the Children's Commissioner has released a new report: I thought I was the only one. The only one in the world which reveals that thousands of children are sexually abused by gangs and groups in England each year. 


The study says there were 2,409 victims in the 14 months to October 2011 - but the true number is likely to be far higher. The report also identifies 16,500 children who were at "high risk of sexual exploitation" in 2010-11.

As part of the study the University of Bedfordshire was commissioned to examine sexual violence in gangs. The interim report Research into gang associated sexual explotation and sexual violence is available to read here.

Prison mental health team stretched by 'serious' increase in demand - 9/28/2012 - Community Care

Photograph by Mikecogh

In more news on mental health, prisons watchdog warns of "serious and sharply increasing" problem of prisoners presenting with mental health and personality disorders.

An annual report to ministers by the independent monitoring board at HMP Pentonville revealed mental health teams at the prison received 24 referrals a week in 2011/12, up from 18 referrals a week last year. Incidents of self harm had also “increased very significantly” over the last year.


The watchdog said the reasons behind the spike in mental health demand at the prison “were not fully understood”. But it warned of the need for extra resources to bolster the mental health support on offer.

The full article is available to read here in Community Care:
Prison mental health team stretched by 'serious' increase in demand - 9/28/2012 - Community Care

Failings in ethnic minority mental health care ignored - 10/31/2012 - Community Care

The government talks about mental health reform but has taken little action to address inequalities in a system where ethnic minorities are over-represented and under supported, writes Professor Kamaldeep Bhui.

Professor Bhui claims that the government’s efforts to reorganise health and social care to promote public mental health fails to pay any attention to inequalities. Aside from the odd mention in policy statements and the ongoing rhetoric about the perils of state multiculturalism, there is little action.

You can read the full article in Community Care here: Failings in ethnic minority mental health care ignored - 10/31/2012 - Community Care

Amazing Parrot Singing Gangnam style

Nothing to do with social sciences but this made me laugh this morning!

RefWorks Workshops

Just to remind everyone...

I am holding 2 'drop-in' workshops for RefWorks, the University's referencing software this term. The workshops will cover creating an account, importing references from DISCOVER, the Library Catalogue and the web and creating a bibliography. Also a chance to deal with any RefWorks related questions you may have.

There's no need to book just turn up if you're interested. Dates and times are:

• Tuesday, 27th November. 1.00 - 2.00 in Polhill Library IT Training Suite 2
• Tuesday 4th December. 1.00 - 2.00 in Polhill Library IT Training Suite 2

Saturday Extended Opening Hours

Bedford, Polhill Campus Library will be open until 22.00 hrs on the following Saturdays:

• 24th November
• Ist December
• 8th December
• 5th January
• 12th January
• 19th January
• 26th January

Library staff will leave at 15.45 and security staff will keep the building open until 22.00.

Social Workers At 'Rock Bottom' Over Issue Of Race & Adoption

A report in today's The Guardian newspaper says that social worker's morale is at 'rock bottom' by cuts, targets and ministers making the issue of race and adoption a "political football", according to the biggest professional association.

Nushra Mansuri, of the British Association of Social Workers, is expected to criticise the education secretary Michael Gove, who accused social workers of condemning black and Asian children to a life in care rather than see them adopted by white couples.

"Leftwing prescriptions are denying children the love they need," Gove said in February. "This misguided nonsense punishes those who most need our help." The coalition later amended practice guidelines to speed up the adoption process and emphasise the determination of ministers to see more trans-racial adoptions.

"We are angry being misrepresented in this way," said Mansuri, who speaks for 14,000 social workers. "It is easy to talk about children in care who need to be with loving families and we are concerned about that. But we also know that only a minority can be adopted."

Mansuri, who will address the Lords select committee on adoption legislation led by Lady Butler-Sloss, said ministers increased their popularity by highlighting difficulties in adoption but did not take responsibility: "They set the policies and release the resources. What Gove said is an example of adoption as a political football, of the misrepresentation and distortion that gets people's backs up."

You can read the full story in The Guardian here.

International Crackdown On Human Trafficking

Immigration Minister Mark Harper has joined with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to call on international partners to redouble efforts against human trafficking. He outlined work the government is undertaking to tackle this crime, both in the UK and overseas. This includes:

• work with embassies and high commissions of key source countries
• collaboration between the Metropolitan Police, the Romanian National Police and the Romanian Embassy to share intelligence
• work by Border Force officials to identify victims
• victim care under a contract run by the Salvation Army

Mark Harper said: 'Human trafficking is an atrocious crime that requires a strong and robust approach, both from within the UK and internationally.


'The government will continue to identify what further we can do to stop people from becoming victims in the first place and, if they do, how we can best support them to recover and recuperate from their terrible ordeal.

'Our aim is to build on our collective efforts with international partners so far to continue to support victims and to identify and punish perpetrators.'

The top five countries for trafficking, based on potential victims referred through the UK's victim care system, are Nigeria, Vietnam, Romania, China and Slovakia. The top ten countries accounted for more than 64% of all referrals in 2011.









 

Mexxy, Black Mamba & Other 'Legal Highs' To Be Banned

The Home Office has announced  that a number of so-called ‘legal highs’ will become illegal Class B drugs.

Following advice from the government's independent drug experts, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), new synthetic cannabinoids (such as those sold under the name 'Black Mamba') and methoxetamine (sold as Mexxy) and its related compounds will be classified under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

The decision comes days after the ACMD recommended banning the substances because of their health and social harms. Minister for Crime Prevention Jeremy Browne said: 'High quality scientific advice is vital to the government's ongoing work to tackle harmful drug use. The independent advice we receive from the ACMD is critical to our evidence-based drugs policy.

'People who take 'legal highs' are taking serious risks with their lives because often they do not know what they are taking and the drugs may contain harmful substances.'


Since March this year, methoxetamine has been subject of the UK's first temporary class drug order (TCDO) following advice from the ACMD. It will remain a temporary class drug until parliament approves its classification. In its advice on methoxetamine the ACMD has indicated that the temporary ban may have had 'real and immediate impact on tackling internet sales of methoxetamine with a significant proportion of UK websites ceasing to advertise its sale.'

The government has also agreed to implement the ACMD's other recommendations on these substances including updating public health information on the drugs awareness website Frank.

NSPCC Issues Parental Advice Over Signs Of Abuse

The NSPCC has issued new guidance for parents to help them spot the signs of sexual abuse in children.

The charity says it has brought forward publication of the guide because of the number of calls it has received since allegations of abuse against Jimmy Savile emerged.

It says that since then it has received a 60% increase in calls expressing concern that a child is being abused.The charity also says most abusers are someone "close to the child".

More than a third of current calls to the NSPCC about child sexual abuse are made by the child's own parent. Research suggests 80% of such offences take place in the home of either the offender or the victim.

The NSPCC's guidance for parents and carers - What can I do? Protecting your child from sexual abuse  is available to download from their website here.

100's Of Children With "No State" In The UK

The BBC has found that hundreds of children living rough in London and other cities may have no nationality. 

Inside Out London has uncovered stories of children who according to official records do not exist - some forced into sex work to eat.

Further research by the BBC suggests it is a UK-wide problem. Charities warn of stateless children in Birmingham, Leeds, Coventry, Nottingham, Newcastle, Liverpool, Oxford and Cardiff.

"The problems caused by statelessness are by no means limited to London," Chris Nash, of charity Asylum Aid, said. Though, he acknowledges it is in the capital that the problem is most acute.

Many of London's stateless youths came to the UK legally, but were never officially registered. They cannot access education or apply for social housing. According to two respected youth charities contacted by the BBC, there are "hundreds" of them in the city.

Both Coram Children's Legal Centre and Peckham Project Safe 'n' Sound are calling for increased awareness of the problem.

Safe 'n' Sound's Jennifer Blake said: "To date, we've been approached by over 600 young people. It is a big issue."

Inside Out London is on BBC 1 tonight, (Monday 5th October) at 7.30 pm and on BBC iPlayer for a week afterwards. 

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

Dissertation Tips!

I've also set up a Pinterest board with links to videos on different aspects of researching and writing dissertations which you can view here.

And another one on general study skills: Study skills

There's also a board on: Using the Library - which covers all the general things such as reservations, webprint, using the document supply service etc.

And another one on: Referencing.

More useful books on writing dissertations

I set up links to some more useful books on researching and writing dissertations (many of them electronic). Check them out on my Pinterest board here.

Domestic Abuse Reports In Scotland Rise By 7% In A Year

The number of reported incidents of domestic abuse in Scotland has increased by 7% in a year, government figures have shown.

The chief statistician said police recorded 59,847 cases in 2011-2012, rising from 55,698 the previous year.
But there was a 4% drop in the number of domestic abuse incidents being recorded as a crime or offence.
The Scottish government said the figures showed too many women and men were still being subjected to abuse.

According to the figures, domestic abuse was most likely to happen in the home, where 87% of incidents took place in 2011-12. The victim was most commonly a woman, with 81% of cases having a female victim and male perpetrator. And women were at most risk between the ages of 22 and 25, while men were most likely to be victims between 31 and 35 years old.

The number of cases with a male victim and female perpetrator stood at 17% in 2011-12, which is an annual increase of one percentage point. There has been an 8% rise in these cases since 2002-03. Assault, which accounted for 44% of all incidents, was the most commonly recorded crime or offence, with threatening or abusive behaviour second most common, at 17%.

You can read more on this story here.

Support For Teens In Care A 'National Scandal'

Children's Minister, Edward Timpson has said that too many teenagers in England leave care without enough support, ending up in a "trap of poverty and joblessness".

Mr Timpson said it was a "national scandal" and urged councils to do more to make sure they have a "solid start". He wants such teenagers to be given higher allowances towards setting up home and more foster placements. The Local Government Association says councils should not face new financial expectations at a time of drastic cuts.

Mr Timpson's comments come as figures suggest many 16-year-olds leaving care are not in education, work or training by age 19. According to the figures cited by Mr Timpson, more than a third (35%) of children in care leave by the age 16 and, of those, 45% will not be in education, employment or training - so-called Neets - three years later.

Mr Timpson said the "cliff-edge" of leaving care was often too sudden and poorly planned, with many teenagers finding the move "traumatic".

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

Universal Credit: Benefits Claimants Could Find Themselves Trapped in Poverty

Benefit claimants could find themselves "trapped in poverty" when a new single welfare payment is introduced next year, it is being claimed.

While the Universal Credit was sound "in principle", the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said its implementation could leave some people worse off. It warned any financial gains people might make in part-time jobs may be wiped out if they found full-time work.

In the biggest shake-up of the welfare system in generations, the single consolidated payment will replace a host of existing working age benefits for new claimants from October 2013.

Ministers say the Universal Credit - to replace income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits and Housing Benefit - will increase work incentives and reduce poverty among those on low incomes by ensuring people keep more of their income in employment and benefits are withdrawn more gradually.

But analysis of the new system for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, by the University of Portsmouth and the Centre for Social and Economic Inclusion, has raised serious concerns about its administration and potential outcomes.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

International crack down on human trafficking | Home Office

Immigration Minister Mark Harper has joined with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to call on international partners to redouble efforts against human trafficking. You can read what he had to say and more facts about human trafficking here:
International crack down on human trafficking | Home Office

Latest Statstics From The Home Office On Arrests, outcomes and stop and searches Great Britain 2011/12 Released

Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation: Arrests, outcomes and stop and searches Great Britain 2011/12 | Home Office

On TV tonight...

On BBC 1 tonight, (29th October 2012) at 8. 30 PM Panorama reveals new evidence of poor training and and false record-keeping at the Winterbourne View hospital outside Bristol.

Last year BBC Panorama exposed the violent abuse of people with learning disabilities at Winterbourne.  A number of former patients have faced further assaults or unnecessary restraints in other care establishments.

Following the closure of Winterbourne View, and as 11 of its former staff are sentenced in court, Panorama asks: are the most vulnerable people in society any better protected? http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01nqn4d/

More Support On Pinterest

I've set up a page on Pinterest where I'm putting links to useful books on study skills, dissertations, and referencing, as well as videos and anything else useful I find. You can check it out under the tab "Information Literacy" on this blog at: http://pinterest.com/sfensome/

Disabled People To Lose Out With Universal Credit

New reports by the Children's Society: The Parent Trap: Childcare Costs Under Universal Credit  and by Disability Rights UK and Citizen's Advice: Holes in the Safety Net  say up to half a million disabled people and their families stand to lose out under the government's proposed Universal Credit.

The Universal Credit will replace Jobseeker's allowance, tax credits, income support, employment and support allowance - formerly known as incapacity benefit - and housing benefits with a single payment.
The system will be "piloted" in parts of north-east England next April and will come into force across Britain for new claimants from October 2013.

The report argues that the changes will mean 230,000 severely disabled people who do not have another adult to assist them will receive between £28 and £58 less in benefits every week.


You can read the full story and the Government's response on the BBC News website here.

Some Useful Books On Report Writing

A number of people have been asking me about report writing - so here are some books that you might find useful:

• Aveyard, H., Sharp, P. and Wooliams, M. (2011) A beginner's guide to critical thinking and writing in health and social care. Maidenhead: OUP. [Ebook] A straightforward guide showing you how to demonstrate critical thinking and critical appraisal in health and social care.
• Healy, K. and Mulholland, J. (2007) Writing skills for social workers. London: Sage. [Ebook] Covers a whole range of writing skills in the filed of social work. Chapter 5 deals with effective report writing.
• Murray, N. and Hughes, G. (2008) Writing up your university assignments and research projects: a practical handbook. Maidenhead: OUP. A clear handbook on assignment and report writing at university.

New Report Says Children In Care Run Away Despite The Risks

Photograph by Pink Sherbert Photography

A new report from the Children's Rights Director for England finds that children in care are running away from placements despite being well aware of the dangers of sexual exploitation, drugs and gang culture.

The report Running Away 2012  found they ran away for many reasons, such as stress, anger and unhappiness at being in care.

The research gathered views from 62 girls and 36 boys from different ethnic backgrounds and in different types of placement.

The children identified many dangers associated with running away - getting raped, being sexually exploited, being stabbed, being kidnapped, being taken and trafficked for sex, being murdered, getting involved in drugs or being made pregnant.

However,  issues such as anger, stress, fear of people living in the same placement, feeling "you don't get what you want or need in your placement", not being listened to, being scared and getting away from bullies were felt to justify the risks associated with running away.

Children's Minister Edward Timpson said: "We have been very concerned that some local authorities and care homes are letting down children by failing to act as a proper 'parent'. "This is a very important report - which makes clear that carers and social workers need to listen and address children's concerns as early as possible, before it reaches the crisis point of them feeling they have no option but to run away."

Figures published by the Department for Education last month show the number of children in local authority care in England rose by 2% from 65,520 last year to 67,050 this year. 

New Report Says That Possessing Small Amounts Of Drugs Shouldn't Be A Crime

A new report from the UK Drug Policy Commission urges that the penalties for drug misuse be relaxed so that possession of small amounts of drugs would no longer be a crime.

The Commission undertook six years of research and concludes the UK is wasting much of the £3bn it spends each year on tackling illicit drugs.

Its report, called A Fresh Approach to Drugs, says the annual estimated cost to England and Wales of class A drug use is £15bn.It says that while drug use and drug problems have declined in the UK in recent years, there are still about 2,000 drug-related deaths each year and 380,000 problem drug users.

The Home Office says drug use is falling and it does not plan to alter its approach.

You can read the full story on the BBC News website here.

Warning Over Middle Class Parents' Alcohol Habits

Too many middle class parents are drinking excessively as a way of coping with the demands of family life, a report suggests.

The study for charity 4Children warns of a "silent epidemic" of alcohol misuse in British families. It claims that two million parents drink alcohol daily, with the highest earners drinking the most.

The study claims parenting capacity can be hampered by habitual drinking.
The report, Over the Limit: The Truth about Families and Alcohol, suggested about a third of mothers and fathers drink more than their recommended units a week.

You can read more about this story on the BBC News website here.

E-books On Dawsonera

Here's another one minute video this time on using Dawsonera e-books - the University's main supplier of e-books.

Using The Library Print Credit Machines

Here's a brief video on how you go about using the print credit machines in the Library. It's part of the Library's "Just a Minute" series of videos - and only lasts a minute!



Number Of Children In Care In England Rises

The number of children in the care system in England is rising, official figures show. 

Department for Education data shows the number of children in local authority care rose by 2% from 65,520 last year to 67,050 this year.The figures reveal 28,220 children were taken into care during the year ending 31 March 2012, an increase of 3% from the previous year's figure of 27,500. The data also shows more youngsters were adopted, with 3,450 given a home.

Most affected are 10 to 15-year-olds, with 24,150 currently in care. The main reason for children living apart from their parents is to protect them from abuse or neglect, with 41,790 of those currently in care falling in this category.

Family dysfunction was the next most common reason given for being taken into care, with 9,530 children falling into this category. After this, "family in acute stress" affected 6,000 youngsters. And a total of 3,490 children had absent parents.

The number of babies less than a year old taken into care has also risen, from 3,680 last year to 4,190 this year. The official figures show there has been a steady rise in children being taken into care since 2008, from 59,380 to 67,050 in 2012 - 7,670 more children in total.

The death after months of abuse of Peter Connelly, in north London in 2007, is thought to have contributed to the increase. Social workers in the "Baby P" case were criticised for not removing the 17-month-old from his home sooner, prompting a mood of caution in the profession.

The figures also show that 3,450 looked after children were adopted during the year ending 31 March 2012.  You can read more on the BBC News website here.

Library E-Resources Sessions For New Students

If you're a new Applied Social Studies student beginning your course in 2012, then you have an upcoming session on using the library's e-resources to look forward to!

Criminology &Sociology BA - Wednesday 26th September 2012. Room P2.35, 11.00 - 11.50. E-books & DISCOVER.

Social Work BSc

• Tuesday 2nd October, Library IT Training Room 2, 11.00 - 12.00. E-books.
• Tuesday 9th October, Library IT Training Room 2, 11.00 - 12.00. Using journals & finding journal articles.
• Tuesday 16th October, Library IT Training Room 2, 11.00 - 12.00. Using DISCOVER and the Internet for academic study.
• Tuesday 23rd October, Library IT Training Suite 2, 11.00 -12.00. Using Microsoft Word (with Linda Martin).
• Monday 29th October - Friday 2nd November. READING WEEK.
• Tuesday 6th November, Library IT Training Suite 2, 11.00 -12.00. Using Microsoft Powerpoint (with Linda Martin).
• Tuesday 13th November, Library IT Training Suite 2, 11.00 -12.00. Using RefWorks.

Welcome To All New Students, 2012 & Welcome Back To All Returning Students

A big welcome to all new Department of Applied Social Studies students at the Bedford, Polhill campus. I hope you enjoy your time with us - and that goes for all returning students too!

As you settle in over the next few weeks there are few things you can do to help yourself get the best out of the Library service. Below are my top tips for all new students:

• Go for a Library tour - tours are available on request for the first 3 weeks of term. Just go to the Library Ground Floor Enquiry Desk and ask.
• Pick up a copy of the Library Handbook. It'll be very useful.
• Try borrowing / returning a book to make sure you can use the self issue machines
• Try logging on to a PC with your netwoek username & password
• If you intend to use your own laptop or other mobile device try connecting to the University's WiFi network.
• Check your UoB Student Gmail account for important messages from the University.
• Try logging onto BREO and see if there are any announcements for the units you're taking
• Try printing from a PC to make sure your account works.
• Try searching the Library Catalogue to find items on reading lists.
• Check out John Smith's bookstall in the Campus Centre for books on your reading lists at a 10% discount
• Go the LR Feedback Blog and leave a comment. You'll be entered into a free prize draw and if selected you'll win £20 of printing credits.
• Subscribe to this blog! I post useful support for your course here including recommended readings for assignments, 'how to' videos, new resources, useful websites, new research, upcoming workshops etc. Remember you can post a comment & give me feedback if you wish.

'Drop-in' Workshops For Semester 1

My new programme  of 'Drop-in' workshops for Semester 1 is now available here: Workshops at Polhill. There's no need to book; just 'drop-in' if you're interested. Any questions, please contact me at: sally.fensome@beds.ac.uk

Life Made Easier With DISCOVER!

DISCOVER is the University's new single search software. It allows you to search most of the University's electronic resources + the Library Catalogue all at the same time. This means no more searching individual databases to find journal articles - or the frustration of searching Google Scholar only to find that the perfect article you've isn't available in full text.

DISCOVER is made by Ebscohost so the interface will be familar to anyone who's ever used Ebsco. Results from any electronic source can be saved to your personal Ebscohost folder and all your saved preferences are available using DISCOVER.

For help with using DISCOVER please contact me, your Academic Liaison Librarian or come along to one of my workshops. Dates & times for Semester 1 will be published shortly on this blog.

Latest British Social Attitudes Released

The latest British Social Attitudes Survey was released today and is now available to read online here: 29th British Social Attitudes Report.

Headlines include a further hardening of attitudes to welfare.

Learning Hub Closure

The Learning Hub at the Bedford, Polhill Campus will be CLOSED for clearing & registration until 12th October 2012.

Trafficked Children In The UK Care Sector Go Missing

A new report from the Council of Europe says that some children trafficked into the UK are going missing from local authority care. 

It says there are indications that increasing numbers of people are being brought into the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour. The council raises particular concerns over a lack of secure and suitable accommodation for trafficked children who end up in local authority care. It calls for better trained supervisors or foster carers for them.

The Council of Europe's Greta (Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings) says reports suggest a "significant" number of trafficked children in local authority care go missing and some end up rejoining those who exploited them in the first place. Its report says hundreds of people have been identified as victims of trafficking in the UK but only 56 people were convicted of human trafficking in 2009 and 29 the following year.

The common countries of origin were China, Vietnam, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Albania, Nigeria, Uganda and India, the report says. Children tended to be brought in for the purposes of sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, benefit fraud, cannabis farming and forced begging and stealing.

Greta acknowledges good work is going on around the UK but it found inconsistent approaches in different areas.

Greta also highlights what it describes as a significant intelligence gap on trafficking, saying the levels of trust and co-operation between victim support services and law enforcement agencies need to be improved.
The Council of Europe says on its website that it aims to "develop throughout Europe common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals".

This is its first assessment of human trafficking in the UK since the anti-trafficking convention came into force in the UK in April 2009.As well as improvements regarding care of trafficked children, Greta recommends a number of actions:

• More needs to be done to separate the identification of trafficking victims from decisions on immigration or asylum and it points out that quick decisions on immigration status can prevent victims being recognised
• Victims of human trafficking need assistance and support regardless of when the trafficking actually took place
• Prosecutors across the UK need guidance to ensure trafficking is considered as a serious violation of human rights and victims of trafficking should not receive penalties for their involvement in illegal activities carried out under duress
• The assisted voluntary return programmes should be reviewed to check whether they are appropriate for victims of trafficking.

UK Schools "Most Socially Segregated"

A new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operations and Development (OECD) claims that schools in the UK are among the most segregated in the developed world.

The report: Education at a Glance 2010 (the latest figures available) warns that disadvantaged children are too often concentrated together in schools.This applies both to the children of poorly educated parents and to those of immigrant families. The OECD's Andreas Schleicher says this is the "biggest challenge" for schools.

The Education at a Glance report from the OECD is the leading publication of international education statistics - comparing the performance of education systems among developed countries.

These latest figures, which are from 2010, reveal the UK has unusually high levels of "segregation" in terms of poorer and migrant families being clustered in the same schools, rather than being spread across different schools.

It looks at where the children of "low-educated" mothers are going to school - which in the UK means the children of mothers who did not achieve five good GCSEs - and found that in the UK they were much more likely to be taught in schools with high numbers of disadvantaged children.

Among the children of immigrant families in the UK, 80% were taught in schools with high concentrations of other immigrant or disadvantaged pupils - the highest proportion in the developed world.

The significance of this, according to Mr Schleicher, is that the social background of a school's intake exerts a strong influence on the likely outcomes for pupils.

The report did however show that the UK was proving a success in harnessing education for social mobility - particularly in getting young people into higher education. The chances of poorer children in the UK getting into university are "relatively high", in comparison with other developed countries. It highlights the progress between generations - with 41% of 25 to 34-year-olds in the UK achieving a higher level of education than their parents - above the OECD average.

The international statistics showed that in some countries social mobility could also go in reverse. In the US, almost one in five young adults faced "downward mobility" - such as not going to university when their parents had.

How Much Does A Child Cost in 2012?

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has published a new report on how much it costs to bring up a child with a minimum level of participation in society, as well as catering for their needs in terms of food, clothes and shelter.

The main findings from the report are:

• It costs £143,000 in total to bring up a child to age 18 and meet their minimum needs, which is around £150 a week (averaged for a child across all ages and including childcare costs and housing). (Chapter 5)

•  The basic cost of raising children has risen faster than inflation (CPI) in recent years, meaning that with wages falling behind and benefits being cut, Britain is moving backwards for the prosperity of our children. (Chapter 7)

• Childcare can add as much as £60k to the total cost of childhood. Childcare is one of the factors most responsible for the costs of children’s needs rising faster than inflation. The main state support for childcare costs is through tax credits and it was cut by 12.5% in April 2011. (Chapter 5)

• State support fails to ensure basic physical needs are met, leaving many families lacking sufficient funds for a healthy diet for the whole family and living in unhealthy housing conditions with problems like overcrowding and damp (Chapter 3). The maximum support available only meets between 73% and 94% (depending on family composition) of basic costs for children. (Chapter 6)

• A full-time job on National Minimum Wage is not enough to meet minimum costs for children.  For single parent families, NMW leaves them with 89% of the basic requirement; and for couple families it is just 82% of the basic requirement (this is after benefits and tax credits have been included). (Scorecard and Executive summary)

• Child Benefit meets only 20% of childhood costs on average for couple families and just 18% for single parent families. Child Benefit has been frozen since 2010 and will have lost 10% of its value by 2014. Since the war, universal support with the cost of a child, first through family allowances and then child benefit, has been our national public commitment to all children. This universal arrangement will come to an end next year. (Scorecard and Chapter 6)

• Having children leaves adults on benefits worse off. Additional state support for families with children is lower than a child’s minimum needs, so families face a growing shortfall with each child. Parents react by spending less money on themselves; in some cases parents will even skip meals so that their children don’t go without. If a single parent of three children used his/her adult benefit income to top up the child-related benefits so the minimum needs of the children are met, they would have just £12 a week to meet their own basic needs. (Chapter 6)

• The cost of a child rises as they get older (excluding childcare costs). This is because of increased consumption needs – e.g. more food – and also because people believe children are less able to share a room with younger siblings once they reach adolescence. (Chapter 5)

• Costs are higher for single parents and, since cuts were implemented in 2010, the deterioration in income for single parents is worse than for couple families. A single parent has £107 less than they need and £166 less if they have three children. (Chapter 5)

• Parents have modified their own expectations since the recession with fewer meals out and fewer presents for each other. Parents clearly prioritise children’s needs over their own. All acknowledge that life changes when you have children, you make more sacrifices, eat out less, life is less spontaneous and holidays abroad often come to an end. Parents also have less time available. (Chapter 4)

The full report is available to download on the CPAG website here. 

Middle-Aged Men At Highest Risk Of Suicide

Statistics reveal that middle-aged men are now the group at highest risk of committing suicide in England. 

Key reasons could be job or money worries due to the recession, says a new government strategy to reduce the number of suicides. Suicide rates among young men - previously the most at-risk group - have fallen. There was a total of 4,215 suicides recorded in 2010.

Charities said better support was key to cutting rates further. It is 10 years since the government published its last strategy to tackle suicide rates. Overall the rate of suicides has fallen - but there has been a slight increase in recent years.

The strategy says the current economic problems are likely to have a bearing on rates. particularly in middle-aged men.

"Previously, periods of high unemployment or severe economic problems have had an adverse effect on the mental health of the population and have been associated with higher rates of suicide," it stated.

"Evidence is emerging of an impact of the current recession on suicides in affected countries."

The most recent figures show that in 2008-10 the three-year average suicide rate for 35-49 year old males was the highest of any group, at 20.8 per 100,000 population. However, suicide risk is recognised as being complex, and most often a combination of factors.

The government is promising £1.5m for research into how to tackle suicide in at-risk groups. Aside from middle-aged men, these include people with mental health problems and those with a history of self-harm.
Strategies to reduce the risk of suicide include reducing access to suicide-related internet sites for children and reducing the opportunity for suicide for people in prisons or mental health facilities.

The government has also promised better information and support for those bereaved or affected by suicide.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

"It Shouldn't Happen Here" , Save The Children Launches Its First Appeal To Help UK Children

The charity Save the Children, best known for helping some of the world's poorest families, has launched its first appeal to help UK children. 

The charity says the UK's poorest children are bearing the brunt of the recession, with some missing out on regular hot meals or new shoes.The campaign urges the government to focus on benefits for low-paid families and ask employers to pay a living wage.

Researchers for Save the Children surveyed more than 1,500 children aged eight to 16 and more than 5,000 parents, focusing on the lowest income groups.

The study draws on Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) figures which estimate that there are 3.5 million children living in poverty in the UK and predict a steep rise in the numbers in coming years.The charity defines living in poverty as having a family income of less than £17,000 a year.

More than half the parents in poverty surveyed (61%) said they had cut back on what they ate and more than a quarter (26%) had skipped meals in the past year.Just under a fifth (19%) said their children sometimes had to go without new shoes when they needed them.

The report, It Shouldn't Happen Here, also reveals the extent to which children are aware of how much financial strain their parents are under with more than half (58%) saying they thought it was getting harder for their parents to pay for everything.

Some 52% of the poorest children agreed that not having enough money made their parents unhappy or stressed and 43% 'strongly agreed' that their parents were cutting back on things for themselves such as clothes or food.

Dissertation Drop-ins In September

I shall be holding the following Dissertation Workshops in September. All workshops will take place at the Bedford, Polhill Campus Library. There's no need to book, just 'drop in' for a while if you'd like some help / have any questions re: researching your dissertation.

• Monday, 3rd September 10.30 - 12.00, Library IT Training Suite 2. RefWorks: An introduction to RefWorks for new users & a refresher for those who already have accounts.
• Tuesday, 18th September 10.30 - 12.00, Library IT Training Suite 1. Doing A Literature Review. How to research & review the literature on your chosen topic, using a clear methodology, selecting your inclusion/exclusion criteria, critical analysis etc.
• Tuesday, 25th September 10.30 - 12.00, Library IT Training Suite 1. Finding Research Material. How to find academic research material, choosing keywords, searching tips. A general help session on any dissertation related queries you may have.

Barnardos Warns Schools Must Tackle The Causes, Not Just The Symptoms Of Unruly Behaviour

Official Department of Education figures, released last week show that pupils with special educational needs are around nine times more likely to be permanently excluded than those with none – up from eight times the previous year.

Barnardos have warned that schools must tackle the causes and not just the symptoms of unruly behaviour. The call comes ahead of a new two part Channel 4 documentary which follows children from one of its specialist schools. The first episode is tonight (Tuesday 31st July) at 10.00 pm on Channel 4.

You can read more about this programme & view some clips on the Channel 4 website here: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/lost-children

Benefits Cheats Cause A Negative Image Of Disabled People: New Report

New Research by the disability charity, Scope shows that almost half (46%) of disabled people feel that attitudes towards them have worsened over the last year.

Disabled people single out the tiny number of people falsely claiming disability benefits and the way their actions are reported by the media as the chief causes of public hostility. At the same time disabled people report that they are increasingly confronted by strangers questioning their right to support.


It comes after ministers released data suggesting 55% of sickness benefit claimants were no longer eligible for it. The government is changing the welfare system to try to get more people into work and is scrapping the three main benefits for disabled people in the process. Anyone receiving these benefits will be reviewed to see if they are capable of work or eligible for other benefits.

But a report from a parliamentary committee for Scope has warned that changes to disabled people's benefits may risk their right to independent living. The report asked 500 disabled people, their parents and carers a series of questions in England, Wales and Scotland. It found:

• 46% of those polled said people's attitudes towards them had worsened over the last year
• 40% said people's atitudes had stayed the same; 16% said they had improved
• Nearly two-thirds (64%) said they had experienced aggression, hostility or name calling
• Nearly three-quarters or (73%) said they had experienced an assumption they did not work.
• When asked what could be contributing to such hostility, 87% singled out people claiming disability benefits to which they are not entitled
• 84% highlighted negative media coverage about benefit cheats

You can read the full report & more on this issue from Scope here on their website: http://www.scope.org.uk/news/discrimination

Vulnerable Children 'At Risk' In New Protection System

Some of England's most vulnerable children may lose out under planned changes to the child protection system, a new campaign group has argued.

The government wants to cut bureaucracy and replace more than 700 pages of guidance with three short documents. But the group Every Child In Need say the new rules are too vague and risk letting local authorities "do what they want when they want".

The group is particularly concerned that the relaxing of the rules may lead to delays. For example, the government proposes removing the requirement for local authorities to prepare an initial assessment of a child's needs within seven working days of a referral and a more detailed assessment within seven weeks.

The group fears that "many local authorities - cash-strapped following cuts to their budgets - are happy to take this lifeline which will mean less pressure to act quickly when a child in need comes to their attention". It argues that, far from cutting bureaucracy, the changes will remove "an essential safety net for children when they are failed by their local authority".

The group also says the new rules are overly-focused on child protection and will ignore a much larger number of children who have significant needs but are not at immediate risk of abuse. They give the examples of disabled children, homeless children or children who have been trafficked.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

'Mate Crime': Fake Friend Abuse Can Lead To Murder Of Those With Learning Disabilities

In recent years, a severely under-reported element of learning disability hate crime has been identified as so-called "mate crime". It can include physical abuse, torture and even murder.

Steven Hoskin had learning disabilities and endured months of abuse from people he believed to be his friends. He was tortured and taken to a viaduct where he was forced to hang by his fingers from railings. His hands were then stamped on causing him to fall 100ft (30m) to his death in 2006.

Steven was a victim of what is now being called "mate crime", a type of hate crime where perpetrators befriend vulnerable people with learning disabilities and exploit them.

An organisation was so worried about the instances of mate crime that it started a campaign to highlight the problem. The Association for Real Change (ARC UK) launched its Safety Net campaign in 2009, running for three years.

Rod Landman, ARC UK regional development officer, says that financial abuse is typical of mate crime. A couple of years ago he met a group of young people with Asperger's who talked about their "Tuesday friends".

"Tuesday is the day that their benefits get paid and so a particular group of people would turn up and help them to the cash point, help them to the pub and help them spend all their money.

"Then they don't see them again for another week," Mr Landman adds.

ARC UK is concerned that, without a sustained national campaign, more vulnerable adults will be abused by people pretending to be their friends. Identifying and tackling mate crime is complicated. Victims often do not understand what is happening to them or are too afraid to tell anyone.

ARC UK also points out that people with learning disabilities often find it hard to make friendships of any sort. When it comes to abusive friendships, they can often feel "any friend is better than no friend at all".

Mr Landman says that from his experience around 99.9% of learning disability mate crime goes unreported. One of the key points of the Mental Capacity Act states "every adult has the right to make his or her own decisions and must be assumed to have capacity to make them unless it is proved otherwise".
This includes bad decisions as well as good decisions.

Living in isolation can make people more vulnerable to these "fake friends" - it is believed that it goes on unnoticed more in rural areas.

Stephen Brookes from the Disability Hate Crime Network points to figures from Cumbria. In 2011, there were only four reports of disability hate crime and one prosecution in the county, while there more than 900 prosecutions in all across England and Wales. Mr Brookes says that in rural areas people do not know how to report these crimes and there is not enough support.

As social media takes off, the internet is becoming the new place for mate crime to be acted out. When it comes to tackling this hidden form of abuse, Mr Landman believes we are only just scratching the surface.

This issue was discussed on BBC Radio 4's You & Yours programme which you can listen to here.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

UK Teenagers Shun Drugs For A Healthier Lifestyle

Teenagers in England are shunning drink and drugs for a cleaner lifestyle, say health officials. A survey of 6,500 children aged between 11 and 15 showed the numbers taking drugs, smoking and drinking alcohol had all fallen over the past decade.

A Report by the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre found 17% had tried drugs at least once in 2011, compared with 29% in 2001. The team said youngsters appeared to be living increasingly healthy lifestyles.


The survey, which questions a selection of children at English secondary schools, is carried out every year to monitor reported use of drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. The latest poll, carried out between September and December last year, found the number of children at each age who said they had taken drugs in the preceding 12 months was down.

Among 15-year-olds, the number fell from 39% in 2001 to 23% in 2011. Only 3% of 11-year-olds had taken drugs.

Cannabis was the most commonly used drug, although its was also down. The survey also found the proportion of 11-to-15-year-olds smoking was the lowest since the polling began in 1982, and the number of "regular" smokers had halved in the past decade. Five per cent said they smoked at least one cigarette a week compared with 10% in 2001. Just 25% said they had tried cigarettes at least once.

The proportion drinking alcohol at least once has dropped to under half - 45%, compared with 61% per cent in 2001. Only 7% reported drinking regularly, down from 20% 10 years ago.

Tim Straughan, chief executive of the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre, said: "The report shows that pupils appear to be leading an increasingly clean-living lifestyle and are less likely to take drugs as well as cigarettes and alcohol.

"All this material will be of immense interest to those who work with young people and aim to steer them towards a healthier way of life."

Siobhan McCann, of the charity Drinkaware, said: "While the decline in the number of children trying alcohol is good news, the report still shows there are 360,000 young people who reported drinking alcohol in the last week alone."

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

Should Adoptive Siblings Be Separated For Their Own Benefit?

Brothers and sisters facing adoption should in some cases be split up for their own benefit, the government's adoption adviser has said.

Martin Narey said the presumption that siblings are kept together can sometimes "disadvantage children". There are too few adopters willing to take brothers and sisters together, he said.


He also warned that keeping siblings together may not always be in the interests of individual children. Current legal guidance to local authorities says siblings should be placed for adoption together unless there was good reason for them not to be.

Mr Narey said the law should be changed, so that "the case for placing siblings together should be considered on the needs of each individual child."

Mr Narey gave several examples of the negative consequences of keeping children from dysfunctional families together.

You can read more about this story on the BBC News website here.

Child Support Changes Will Impact On 100,000 Families

One in 11 families who currently get child support payments in England will lose out in a major shake-up of the system, government analysis suggests.

Ministers want to charge people to use a new maintenance service to encourage them to make their own arrangements. But government analysis suggested 100,000 families were unlikely to do so and could lose child support payments as a result.

The government insisted more people will benefit from its changes overall.

Single parent charity Gingerbread, which has highlighted the government's own calculations, estimated that knocking those 100,000 families out of the system would result in the loss of £26m in child support.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

Rise In Convictions For Violence Against Women

Prosecutions and convictions for crimes of violence against women and girls have risen by 15,000 over four years.

The figures come from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which covers England and Wales.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer, said the rise was due to better training and a greater understanding of victims. The Refuge charity welcomed the increase but said it represented only "the tip of the iceberg".

Most victims of domestic violence suffer in silence - Mr Starmer said a woman would on average be assaulted 30 times before she sought help. In a speech he will highlight the progress he believes the CPS has made when it comes to all violent crime against women and girls.

The DPP will tell his audience that last year in England and Wales there were 91,000 prosecutions and 52,000 convictions. The CPS launched its Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy in 2008.
It focused on a number of issues including domestic violence, rape, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

You can read more on this story on the BBC News website here.

New Report: Listening To Troubled Families

Social workers have been urged to get "on the sofas" of England's most dysfunctional families to help them break a "grim" cycle of abuse. Government adviser Louise Casey said some households could get daily visits as part of a scheme to target 120,000 of the most troubled families.

In a report for ministers she details a picture of welfare dependency and sexual abuse going back generations. She said it was "wrong that we allow them to carry on living this way".

The government says 120,000 "troubled families" in England cost taxpayers £9bn every year - and want to turn their lives around by 2015. Ms Casey insisted the evidence showed these families could change - despite mixed results from initiatives she was involved in under the previous Labour government.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's not about left wing, it's not about right wing, it's about doing the right thing and the right thing is... to get our sleeves rolled up nationally, locally and in these people's lives.

You can read more about this story on the BBC News website here.

Louise Casey's full report is available to download here.

Some useful books on Critical Analysis

Photograph by H is for Home

Ok, I'm going to recommend some useful books on critical analysis. All of the following are available from the library:

• Aveyard, H., Sharp, P. and Wooliams, M. (2011) A beginner's guide to critical thinking and writing in health and social care. Maidenhead: OUP. [Ebook] Like most of Aveyard's books this is very clear and gives a strightforward guide to becomming a critical thinker.
• Bell, J. (2010) Doing your research project: a guide for first time researchers in education, health and social science. 5th edn. Maidenhead: McGraw Hill / OUP. [Ebook] This classic text has a useful chapter on doing a critical literature review.
• Brown, K. and Rutter, L. (2008) Critical thinking for social work. 2nd edn. Exeter: Learning Matters. [Ebook] Contains a good chapter on writing reflective academic assignments.
• Cottrell, S. (2011) Critical thinking skills: developing effective analysis and argument. 2nd edn. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Good, clear overview on how to develop your critical thinking skills, what to look for and interpret in materials.

TV Habits 'Can Predict' Kid's Waistlines & Fitness

Children who increase the number of hours of weekly television they watch between the ages of two and four years old risk larger waistlines by age 10.

A Canadian study found that every extra weekly hour watched could add half a millimetre to their waist circumference and reduce muscle fitness.

The study, in a BioMed Central journal, tracked the TV habits of 1,314 children.Experts say children should not watch more than two hours of TV a day.

Researchers found that the average amount of television watched by the children at the start of the study was 8.8 hours a week. This increased on average by six hours over the next two years to reach 14.8 hours a week by the age of four-and-a-half. Fifteen per cent of the children in the study were watching more than 18 hours per week by that age, according to their parents.

The study said the effect of 18 hours of television at 4.5 years of age would by the age of 10 result in an extra 7.6mm of waist because of the child's TV habit.

As well as measuring waist circumference, the researchers also carried out a standing long jump test to measure each child's muscular fitness and athletic ability. An extra weekly hour of TV can decrease the distance a child is able to jump from standing by 0.36cm, the study said.

The researchers said that further research was needed to work out whether television watching is directly responsible for the health issues they observed.

You can check your own BMI on the NHS Choices website here.

1.0 Introduction - Learn to Use RefWorks in Twenty Minutes

This  is the first of a series of RefWorks help videos. RefWorks is the University's reference management software which allows you to store useful references online and create bibliographies, correctly referenced in your chosen style. It takes away a lot of the pain of referencing!

You will first need to set up a RefWorks account - so why not come and see your librarian and get started!