The environmental risk assessment of substances is introduced and the various controls used to protect the environment are outlined. The European notification system and the risk assessments required as part of the system are detailed. Through an examination of the existing European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances tool and sensitivity analyses based on variability in the measurement of physico-chemical properties for a substance, a spreadsheet model was developed to allow multiple risk assessments for the same substance to be calculated simultaneously. The development and testing of the NECXES spreadsheet tool are documented in detail. Data for the capacity and dilution factor at Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in England and Wales were collated and statistically analysed and compared to European default values used for generic risk assessments. The default capacity value for STPs (10,000 population equivalents) was protective of 70% of the STPs sampled. The remaining 30% however, a small number of large works, contributed 94% of the total effluent discharged from STPs in England and Wales. The STP data were used with the NEXCES tool to perform and compare probabilistic risk assessments to those calculated using deterministic methods for a number of test substances. The probabilistic calculations produced a lower median exposure concentration for water than the generic assessment for all of the test substances. Regression analysis allowed the probability of adverse effects to be quantified for the various deterministic risk values. The NEXCES tool was also used to develop a rapid assessment tool for new substances in the form of contour plots, which can be used to assess the risk of substances using minimal data. The main conclusions and contributions to the academic and industrial fields, as well as the field of environmental technology are presented. Areas where there are opportunities for further research are also outlined.

The objective of this research is to contribute to knowledge and understanding by exploring: first, the professional identities of English General Practitioners (GPs) and other clinicians in the newly-formed Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and second, their level of involvement in CCG ‘calculative practices’ (Miller, 1990, 2001). The institutional field studied is acute care, i.e. hospital, commissioning in contemporary England. To achieve its objective, this thesis asks four research questions: 1) ‘How appropriate is it for clinicians to be involved in CCG acute care commissioning?’ 2) What motivates clinicians to assume leadership roles in CCGs?’ 3) How involved are clinicians in CCG calculative practices?’ and 4) To what extent do hybridity and calculative practices affect clinicians’ professional identities in CCGs?’ The theoretical framework used is based on the concept of ‘calculative practices’ and elements of the Institutional Logics Theory (ILT). This research employs three research methods – documents’ content analysis, semi-structured, in-person interviews, and non-participant observation of CCG meetings with the public and NHS conferences. The interview subjects are NHS managers and accountants, as well as clinicians. This thesis answers the four research questions and then proposes some additional, incidental to this research findings and contributions to policy/legislation and practice. In conclusion, this study deliberates on the viability of the purchaser-provider split of the early 1990s that established the foundations and raison d’être of CCG commissioning and dwells on the possibility that one day the general taxation-funded and free at the point of service National Health Service (NHS) in England may cede its way to a US-inspired model of full blown privatisation.

The primary thesis that the chapters which follow are concerned to elaborate and to substantiate is to what extent legal procedure(s) and judicial discretion influence the administration, management and outcomes of Antisocial Behaviour Order (ASBO) use in Britain. A great deal of the existing academic literature on the use of ASBOs in Britain locates the strategic importance of the ‘relevant authorities’ (local authorities, housing associations, registered social landlords (RSLs), the police) involved in ASBO applications. While acknowledging the importance of existing scholarship which highlights the significance of the contribution of these applicant agencies in shaping ASBO outcomes, this thesis contends that the position of both legal procedure(s) and the court system in ASBO applications is also one of fundamental primacy, which necessitates further examination and analysis. Moreover, there are also no comparative studies in existence that analyse the substantive differences and/or similarities between ASBO administrative procedure(s) in Scotland, and in England and Wales. Hence this thesis will also provide a comparative account of relevant aspects of legal and administrative procedure(s) across these jurisdictions. The data production approach applied in this thesis is both quantitative and qualitative in its composition. An online survey questionnaire was used to obtain data on solicitors’ experiences of ASBO application and court procedure(s) (in Scotland, and in England and Wales), and semi-structured interviews were conducted with Sheriffs in the lower courts in Scotland in order to obtain information on judicial discretion and decision-making in ASBO cases. The study found that legal procedure(s) and judicial discretion fundamentally impacted on the operation of antisocial behaviour legislation and the use of ASBOs in both Scotland, and in England and Wales. Specifically, legal procedure(s) and judicial discretion influenced the form of ASBO prohibitions and the type of behaviour made the subject of an order; the extent of the impact of mitigating factors; the evidentiary requirements necessary for an interim/ASBO application; the sentencing tariffs for breach; the frequency with which orders on conviction are issued; the frequency with which orders are granted to children and young people; and the ability of alleged antisocial behaviour perpetrators to defend or to appeal action against them. Building on existing theoretical frameworks on procedural justice (Galligan, 1996a; 1996b; Halliday, 1998; 2004), and, moreover, on conceptual paradigms of ‘fairness’ and consistency in judicial decision-making developed in other empirical studies of procedure and judicial discretion in the lower courts (Anleu and Mack, 2005; 2007; Cowan et al., 2006 Hunter et al., 2005; Lawrence, 1995), the thesis develops an account of the network of (procedural and juridical) factors that influence the use of ASBOs in Britain. The thesis concludes that, in order to ensure greater consistency, stringency and accuracy in approach to ASBO cases – in essence, in order for there to be more ‘fairness’ in ASBO processes - there must be a greater socio-legal focus upon the influence of both substantive practices and formal procedural rules.

In the late 1990s, several areas in Northwest of England were identified as suffering from social and economic deprivations with low housing demand, abandoned neighbourhoods, where local people and services have moved out. To address these problems, the HMR initiative was introduced by the Department of Communities and Local Government in 2003. Nine Pathfinders supported by the HMR Funds were established aimed at rebuilding communities through creating places where people want to live and work for the present and for future generations. This puts local communities at a centre of the programme and they should act themselves as agents for HMR. The Government has recognised that community engagement is vital to the success of the HMR process. What little written guidance is available from the Government for community engagement in the HMR process is inaccessible or unused in HMR. However, the local protests on the way that the HMR is being delivered suggest that local communities are not fully engaged, and highlights that the Pathfinders need the necessary skills for improving the engagement with local communities in the HMR process. The Egan report (which is further supported by the professionals in built environment) has recognised the need for considering new skills and ways of working in delivering sustainable communities. However, the report does not specifically address how these skills need to be allocated among different stakeholders. It also fails to describe the skills necessary to improve engagement with the communities. This study aims to critically appraise Government policies for community engagement practice in the HMR process, and investigate the skills needed for attaining the full level of community engagement in the HMR process. It explores the roles of key stakeholders and their levels of involvement in the community engagement process; barriers for attaining the full' level of community engagement; and the stakeholders' expectations from the engagement process that leads to the skills needs for improving the engagement of communities. The study applies qualitative research within a nested research methodology with two phases of case study design (an exploratory study at Elevate East Lancashire Pathfinder, Blackburn Borough Council and Bank Top; and a detailed case study in Bank Top, Blackburn). Rigorous data collection and analysis using Nvivo is employed. Research findings from the exploratory study confirm that local communities were poorly engaged in the HMR process. This stimulated a definition of the research questions. A framework for identifying the skills needed for attaining the full level of community engagement was further developed and applied for a new play area in Bank Top. Findings from the case study identify the skills needed for attaining the full level of community engagement in the HMR process aimed at consulting young people and show some engagement, but this did not really empower the community. This study generates new knowledge about the skills needs for attaining the full level of community engagement in the HMR process. This study also offers a methodological contribution that could be applied to a similar study for different community groups and different Pathfinder areas.

Research has shown that the reaction of the non-offending guardian following disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) is an important factor related to the adjustment of the victim. However, to date, comparatively little research has examined the characteristics of non-offending guardians, specifically factors related to their ability to support and protect their child in the aftermath of disclosure. A systematic review of the existing literature, specifically primary studies of intervening variables for guardian belief, support and protection, or various combinations thereof, is firstly presented. Here, the lack of consensus within the literature over definition of ‘guardian support’ is highlighted, a situation that has confounded the drawing of firm conclusions regarding associated factors. Secondly, an empirical study is presented where this area of research is broadened out to include a general population of mothers and female carers, and to specifically examine perception of future sex offending risk through the use of vignettes. It is postulated that risk perception is a mediating variable between a guardian’s belief in the occurrence of CSA and subsequent support and protection, a variable that has yet to be examined within the literature as it relates to non-offending guardians. Results showed that mothers tended to over-estimate risk of re-offending, although of concern was that, in general terms, younger offenders with male victims (rated as ‘high risk’ according to a widely-used actuarial measure of sex offender risk) were regarded to be the least risky. Finally, an existing measure of guardian support is critically appraised. It is hypothesised that this type of instrument, that only measures a narrow aspect of a non-offending guardian’s post-disclosure functioning, might be usefully employed within an overall ‘risk of failure to protect’ assessment framework. Drawing upon the current findings, a model upon which to base this type of assessment is outlined in the discussion.

Community policing is one of the more significant recent developments in policing and the notion has been widely discussed and applied around the world. This thesis examines its various conceptions as discussed in the literature and in practice, with particular emphasis being given to the role of trust between police and citizens in this context. The investigation adopts a constructivist and qualitative comparative analysis based in two countries: Mexico and the UK (with two case studies in each country) and with data primarily collected through interviews with samples of police and citizens. Key findings are that: The variety of conceptions about community policing highlight the complex nature of the notion and the many factors shaping its varied practices. Police assumptions as to what constitutes good practice in community policing and what success might look like, deserve to be re-examined. The social constructions that police and citizens hold about community policing provide valuable sources of insight which challenge some of the conventional understandings regarding policing priorities. Trust is a vital ingredient for successful community policing and needs to be based as much on the police trusting citizens and communities as the other way round.

This study explores, analyses and seeks to explain the processes by which legislative changes were achieved to overcome the problems associated with the role and duties of the office of coroner from the mid nineteenth century to the 1920s. From time to time during the period, the office was exposed to political and public scrutiny that brought calls for reform. Despite that, and the general recognition that change was necessary, the process was extremely protracted and reform limited so that when the 1926 Act reached the statute book, it was greeted with a level of subdued dissatisfaction. Throughout the period, the coroners resisted change based on an appeal to their traditional links with the people and representing the office as an ancient institution rooted in long established custom and practice. Despite that, the coroners were unable to evade the impact of changes associated with developments in local and national government which had an indirect, though significant, effect on coroners' reform. For most of the period, the policy of successive governments was to have no policy on coroners. To fill that void,various groups with conflicting interests and ambitions proposed changes to meet their needs and attempted to influence the government to implement them. A slow, complex, haphazard, fragmented and undirected process evolved that had its own dynamic. There was no strategist, no over-riding driving force, no single source. Suggestions were adopted, modified or rejected to produce a 'policy' that was eventually accepted by the Home Office. From the detailed examination of the complex events, issues and stances adopted by the various bodies, including the Home Office, an explanation for the unusual, slow and tortuous process of reform emerges. Coroners' problems were a minor issue for the government and carried little weight in the wider scheme of politics. With such a low priority rating, the government was reluctant to intervene except under the pressure of public criticism when events created a crisis or near crisis. Eventually, a minimum legislative intervention brought closure, but left important problems unresolved. The coroners still investigated unexplained deaths on behalf of the Crown and retained intact their traditional authority, independence, common law powers and discretion.

This thesis reports on a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the SEL policy makers’ conversations taking place in England and Wales during the New Labour period. The research sets out to offer a critical explanation of Welsh and English SEL policy thinking and doing and how the SEL policy discourse worked to privilege certain ideas and topics and speakers and exclude others. Thinking with theory and building on the work of Apple (2007) and Ball (2012) I draw on the contemporary tenets of critical theory to examine the (dominant) English and (often subjugated) Welsh discourse(s) to historically locate and contextualise the mainstream SEL literature within the ideological discourse of neoliberalism (Harvey, 2005). This neoliberalism is one which unequivocally drives policy in the direction of markets and propounds a thorough marketization of educational provisions and practices (Lynch, 2006).Drawing on data from a series of eight semi structured interviews with key national level policymakers, alongside documentary analysis, I argue that New Labour in England, particularly in its second term, through a particular policy network and the SEAL programme, adopted SEL as a tool of managerialism designed to shape and govern a self-managing, entrepreneurial, placid subject in the service of the neoliberal economic model. Alternatively I contend that the Welsh assembly adopted SEL as a practical and progressive tool for developing a more equal society and a more egalitarian and democratic modus operandi of social justice (rooted in normative precepts of the collective and of community cohesion). This “Welsh” approach was powerfully intertwined with the devolution programme and notions of the child as a democratic citizen with agency and rights. In both England and Wales this understanding and application of SEL was intimately connected with national identity and notions of nationhood. This work was undertaken using a CDA approach. It employed Fairclough’s Three Dimensional Model (1992) of Critical Discourse Analysis and engaged with the subject and data through the three lenses of text (the written and spoken word), discursive practice (the production, distribution and consumption of the text) and social practice (the wider social, political and economic forces shaping the discourse). By illuminating through CDA the ideologically infused discursive claims to truth and value, which underpinned the rhetoric and substance of the UK (Anglo-centric) Government’s version of SEL in schools and that of the devolved Welsh Government, my findings reveal the broader scale ideas and political-ontological truth claims which drove the development of SEL across England and Wales during the New Labour period; the research therein unveils the implicit but reified notions of childhood and children’s wellbeing which were central to SEL development at both the national and devolved levels; it identifies the unspoken and latent ideological projects which were core to the production of divergent SEL discourses in each of the countries; and finally, it reveals the influence which national tradition, domestic power structures, cross-societal inequities and the subjugation of certain identities have had on the conceptualisation and practical delivery of SEL in England and Wales. The study concludes that the relationship between language and political ideology in England and Wales during the New Labour years powerfully shaped the SEL policy discourse. In England the result of this was a thin version of SEL co-opted into the service of the neoliberal marketplace. In Wales a similar outcome occurred but only after a very different contextualised and transformative version of SEL was relinquished due to the invasive neoliberal forces attacking Welsh education.

This diploma thesis deals with the comparison of education of upper secondary teachers in chosen countries including the Czech Republic. Its objective is to analyse requirements for teachers' training, qualifications and continuing professional development. The thesis primarily looks into the organisation of the education system and governance, legislation and principals of upper secondary teachers' training in chosen countries. The thesis is divided into two main parts. The first one specifies the environment of chosen countries using different criteria (the Czech Republic, England and Wales, Finland) and also the teachers' training, qualification and development dilemma in particular countries is detailed in this part. The countries involved are described in general (geographic location, political system, social, cultural and economic situation). The outline of the development and current situation of each society contributes to the understanding of particular systems of education. Chosen countries are characterised by a considerable geographic distance and also by different historical development. The general information is enhanced with legislation and administration and governance specifics. We can assess the causes and consequences of various factors which can influence teachers' education...

Since its inception in 1989, the private water sector of England and Wales has been enlisted as a centrepiece in debates concerning the merits of privatisation. Advocates point to increased environmental performance and increased investment. Critics note a significant retraction of the early free market aspirations and increasingly prescriptive regulation. However, market mechanisms and liberalisation are once again being emphasised in policy, reigniting the debate surrounding the commoditisation of water. This thesis engages directly and critically with Karen Bakker's 'Uncooperative Commodity' approach to the 'reregulation' of the industry, arguing its tenants must be adapted to accommodate these recent developments. While Bakker's earlier accounts of the reregulation of the water industry placed a great emphasis on the geography and biophysical properties of water, later work by both her and her contemporaries have developed more refined and socialised models of how water and society interact to produce temporary regularities in the material world. This thesis argues that an appropriate means of developing Bakker's original thesis would be a greater focus on socio-historical context when exploring the materiality of water, and hence the degree to which water may be transformed into a private commodity. Bob Jessop's Strategic Relational Approach (Jessop 2008) is deployed as a means of describing and relating: (1) the degree to which research can identify underlying mechanisms which govern the outcomes of attempts to commoditise water under capitalist modes of production, (2) the role of the state and politics in flanking or supporting the commoditisation of water and (3) the role of existing discursive-institutional structures in introducing path-dependencies and uneven power geometries which in turn effect the outcomes of collective action towards the commoditisation of water. The thesis documents historical developments in English and Welsh resource planning, regulation, and policy from 1945 to 2012 in order to explain the current structure of the industry, its response to water scarcity, and the origins of the current reform programme. It then focuses on the conflicts and tensions between actors in the industry generated by the current reform programme and their role in affecting the degree of success of the programme itself.