Ensuring implementation success : how should coach injury prevention education be improved if we want coaches to deliver safety programmes during training sessions?

Coaches play a major role in encouraging and ensuring that participants of their teams adopt appropriate safety practices. However, the extent to which the coaches undertake this role will depend upon their attitudes about injury prevention, their perceptions of what the other coaches usually do and their own beliefs about how much control they have in delivering such programmes. Fifty-one junior netball coaches were surveyed about incorporating the teaching of correct (safe) landing technique during their delivery of training sessions to junior players. Overall, >94% of coaches had strongly positive attitudes towards teaching correct landing technique and >80% had strongly positive perceptions of their own control over delivering such programmes. Coaches’ ratings of social norms relating to what others think about teaching safe landing were more positive (>94%) than those relating to what others actually do (63–74%). In conclusion, the junior coaches were generally receptive towards delivering safe landing training programmes in the training sessions they led. Future coach education could include role modelling by prominent coaches so that more community-level coaches are aware that this is a behaviour that many coaches can, and do, engage in.

Modelling skill acquisition in acquired brain injury

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a debilitating condition often requiring extensive rehabilitation. Although cognitive rehabilitation is concerned with overcoming a skills deficit, the application of skill acquisition research in this context has been non-existent. Examining post-injury learning in terms of the qualitative variables associated with different phases of skill acquisition is likely to be beneficial in assessing patient status and monitoring progress, as well as identifying changing needs over the course of learning. However, current models of skill acquisition overlook the potential impact of variables such as emotion, implicit learning, metacognition, motivation, and strategies that can be leveraged to improve skill acquisition. The current paper attempts to lay the groundwork for modelling and improving skill acquisition in ABI.

High volume versus low volume balance training on postural sway in adults with previous ankle inversion injury

Balance training is commonly used in the rehabilitation process of ankle injuries; however, the exercise prescription guidelines for prescribing balance training are poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to determine if high or low volume balance training is more effective in improving postural sway after an 8 week balance training program utilising the same exercises. Seventeen subjects (14 male, 3 female) with a mean age of 24.06 ± 5.6 years were randomly allocated into a control group (CG), low volume training (LVT) or high volume training (HVT). All subjects had sustained at least two inversion ankle injuries within the last 18 months. Subjects completed 8 weeks of balance training of up to 30 mins duration, 3 times per week. LVT consisted of 40 repetitions for week 1, progressing to 90 repetitions by week 8. HVT consisted of 60 repetitions for week 1, progressing to 130 repetitions by week 8. The maximum centre of pressure (COP) excursion was obtained from the porce plate in the medial-lateral (ML) direction and subsequently used for pre-test and post-test analysis. After the 8 week training intervention, there was a significant (P<0.001) difference in postural sway between pre and post testing for both the LVT (pre = 88.69mm ± 25.08mm, post = 72.17mm ± 27.53mm) and HVT (pre = 77.47mm ±10.57mm, post = 58.54mm ± 7.01mm) groups. There was no significant (P>0.01) difference detected for improvements between the LVT and HVT, however reported effect sizes (ES) showed large effect size chances in the high volume training (ES = 1.7) whereas low volume training showed medium effect sizes changes (ES = 0.6). This preliminary study demonstrates the importance of training volume in the rehabilitation of ankle injuries, with the HVT being superior to LVT.

Navigating workplace learning placement challenges

This chapter narrates and critically reflects upon our experience designing and delivering an educational development program for professionals supervising students during periods of workplace learning (WPL). Since the program focuses on educational skills and knowledge rather than profession-specific skills and knowledge, we use the terms educating clinical supervisors and educational development.We explore the background and context to the development of the program and provide a rationale for the particular educational development approach that was adopted. To inform others working in this space, we describe how we navigated the challenges associated with providing educational development for clinical supervisors.

The evolution of freedom of association in Australia's federal industrial relations law: from trade union security to workplace rights

The early provisions protecting freedom of association in Australian federal industrial relations law supported trade union security. The interests of individuals were seen as adequately protected by collective groups. This principle dominated the industrial relations laws from 1904 to the mid-1970s. However, from the late 1970s, the laws were incrementally altered to promote freedom of choice and the rights of individuals not to be part of trade unions. The reframing of the laws also reflected changes in the wider Australian community, manifested particularly in the decline of union density rates. These changes were also part of an international trend, favouring the ideology of neoliberalism which contributed to an unsympathetic environment for trade unions. The current Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) has signalled a return to collectivism, although freedom of choice is at the heart of the laws rather than the promotion of collective groups. In the absence of legislative support promoting the viability of collective groups, this freedom to choose is threatened, leaving many workers with little choice but to disassociate.

The impact of sport and active recreation injuries on physical activity levels at 12 months post-injury

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of serious sport and active recreation injury on 12-month physical activity levels. Adults admitted to hospital with sport and active recreation-related injuries, and captured by the Victorian Orthopaedic Trauma Outcomes Registry were recruited to the study. Changes between preinjury and 12 month post-injury physical activity was assessed using the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Independent demographic, injury, and hospital variables were assessed for associations with changes in physical activity levels, using multivariate linear regression. A total of 324 patients were recruited, of which 98% were followed up at 12 months. Mean short IPAQ scores decreased from 7650 METS (95% CI: 7180, 8120) preinjury to 3880 METS; (95% CI: 3530, 4250) post-injury, independent of functional recovery. Education level and occupation group were the only variables independently associated with changes in physical activity levels post-injury. These results highlighted that sport and active recreation injuries lead to significant reductions in physical activity levels. Hence, the prevention of sport and active recreation injuries is important when considering promotion of activity at a population level.

Loss and grief in the workplace. What can we learn from the literature?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine how Australian workplaces, their managers and employees respond to those who are grieving at work, as a result of chronic or terminal illness, or caring for those with chronic or terminal illness. The review draws on Australian and relevant international literature and seeks to answer this question.
Design/methodology/approach – A literature review was undertaken in preparation for an Australian study examining workplace supports for people who are grieving – because they are carers, have experienced a death, or are balancing their own illness with their work. Using a range of search terms, the literature was searched for relevant work between 1980 and 2010. The search found examples of workplace supports throughout the world and some developing Australian literature.
Findings – Despite illness and death occurring at any stage of a person's life, there is little research that identifies workplace issues associated with grief and loss. And while workplace legislation allows for minimal supports, there was evidence that some workplaces have begun to offer flexibility for work life balance.
Practical implications – Effective workplace supports will involve individual and workplace responses, but also require legislative approaches in order to effect broad-based system change.
Originality/value – The paper compares Australian and international literature about workplace supports and provides an overview of the issues arising.

Workplace human rights reporting: a study of Australian garment and retail companies

The opening of the Australian economy in a globalised world has led to Australian garment and retail corporations moving their manufacturing overseas and acquiring goods from overseas providers. This is usually better for the corporations’ bottom-line, as they can purchase goods overseas at a fraction of their local cost, partly due to cheap labour. Australia is one of the many OECD countries not to have a well regulated environment for workplace human rights. This study examines 18 major Australian retail and garment manufacturing corporations and finds that workplace human rights reporting is poor, based on content analysis of their annual reports, corporate social responsibility reports and websites. This is probably due to the failure of the Australian Government to provide adequate oversight by promulgating mandatory reporting standards for both local and overseas operations of Australian companies. This permits corporations to avoid reporting their workplace human rights standards and breaches.

Workplace stressors for investigative interviewers of child-abuse victims

Purpose - This study aimed to identify the nature and prevalence of workplace stressors faced by interviewers of child sexual assault victims.

Design/methodology/approach - Sixty-eight professionals (police and child protection workers) were invited to anonymously post their perceptions of workplace stressors on an internet forum as part of an investigative interviewing online training course. Specifically, participants were asked to reflect on salient sources of stress encountered in their role of interviewing sexually abused children.

Findings - Three key stressors were identified across the study’s professional groups: (1) inadequate recognition of specialised skills; (2) high workload demands; and (3) interagency tensions. Consistent with previous research, exposure to child abuse reports was not raised as a stressor.

Research limitations/implications - Our study generated suggestions for modifying management practices; however, future research should identify and trial strategies for improving workplace climate in child abuse investigation.

Practical implications - As the stressors isolated by participants related to workplace climate rather than exposure to victims’ accounts of child abuse, minimising negative consequences of work stressors requires changes to workplace culture and practice. Workplace climates need to be modified so that the demands are offset by resources.

Originality/value - Because of its online, anonymous nature, this was the first study to offer participants the opportunity to honestly disclose primary sources of stress in child abuse investigation. The research also makes a much-needed contribution to an area of police practice that is vital yet often overlooked.