ALL YOU need is love. And Liverpool’s universities have had a dynamic impact on the city possibly even more so than the Beatles or its famous football teams, reports Times Higher Education (Feb 7). The contribution of higher education to the economy nationally is £45 billion. In Liverpool, these positive effects are particularly clear economically, socially and culturally. Its three universities are essential to regeneration. Without them, argues Alan Moody, director for regional development at the University of Liverpool, the city “wouldn’t be competitive, it wouldn’t attract investment, it wouldn’t keep people”.
How has nursing transformed itself since the 1960s? During that decade, the profession grew in confidence as the NHS became established, reports Nursing Times (Feb 5). Christine Hancock, former general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, recalls fierce ward sisters equal in status to senior doctors. “It was regimented. . . your uniform, your behaviour and the way you treated patients.” This contrasts with today’s more flexible approach, she adds. “I don’t think we had the same ability that many of today’s nurses have, to really think and question and be more creative in what we think is needed.”
Advances are somewhat slower in ensuring women are adequately represented in Parliament, argues Barbara Keeley, MP, in The House Magazine (Feb 4). It has been 90 years since UK women won the right to vote, yet only one in five MPs is female. This is a record number, says Keeley, praising schemes such as all-women shortlists and training or mentoring for prospective female candidates. However, the pace of change needs to accelerate. The Fawcett Society agrees with her: “Only when political parties apply positive action to get women selected for winnable seats, will there be an equalisation of women and men present in the House of Commons.”
Dating back almost as far as the Suffragettes are young farmers’ clubs, founded in Devon in 1921. They still play a vital role, reports Youth Work Now (Feb). Many young people feel compelled to leave the countryside in search of education, jobs and housing. Yet young farmers’ clubs inspire a sense of pride and belonging. But it is about more than just socials, argues Catherine Sykes, youth work development officer at the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs. “We are here to champion rural young people’s issues, making sure they still have a choice on transport, employment and career choices,” she says.
Adults with Asperger’s syndrome need more support to ensure that their complex disorder is not neglected, reports Community Care (Feb 7). They may be denied services by teams working with either learning disabilities or mental health problems, because Asperger’s does not fit into either category. Support is also difficult to plan and deliver because government, local authorities and primary care trusts do not know how many adults have autistic conditions such as Asperger’s. Also, its complicated nuances can be misunderstood. “Professionals can’t understand that my daughter can’t cook a meal but could write a report on the Russian revolution,” says the mother of one adult with the disorder.