Through selective herbivory, expanding deer populations can impact the structure and functioning of forests, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services. Despite decades of research, uncertainty persists around the specific effects on understory plant communities. Here, we investigate impacts of fallow, red, and sika deer on understorey vegetation in 2020 forest plots across Ireland. Relative harvest indices, proxies for deer pressure, were combined with data from Ireland’s National Forest Inventory to test whether paradigms in the literature regarding deer impacts to plant growth forms (ferns and grasses responding positively, herbs and shrubs negatively) are supported. We hypothesise that the nature of impacts depends on ecological traits of deer species, and, that deer are causing detectable shifts in plant community structure, determined by plant palatability/tolerance. We found that plant groups responded differentially for cover, richness, and diversity with notable differences between deer species linked to variation in deer pressure and feeding ecology. Sika deer were the only species that caused the predicted impacts to herbs and shrubs, while impacts on grasses depended on deer feeding ecology rather than abundance related pressure, with ferns being minimally impacted. Deer clearly influenced plant community structure, driving shifts toward assemblages of unpalatable and browse-tolerant plant species. We emphasize caution around generalisations about ‘deer impacts’ to forests and the importance of species-specific effects, while showing that invasive sika deer are strongly affecting understory vegetation in Ireland. An improved understanding of how deer shape plant communities can inform future conservation and forest management.

Research on inequalities in children's services in the UK highlights a lack of systematic data on parental demographics, obstructing analysis of structural factors influencing children's outcomes. Using Growing Up in Scotland, a nationally representative longitudinal child cohort study of children born in 2004-2005, we investigate social inequalities in social work contact for children living with parental domestic violence and abuse (working sample n = 3216). Using logit models, we examine associations between self-reported maternal experiences of domestic violence and abuse (when children were aged 0-6 years old) and social work service contact for study children (across ages 2-7 years old), controlling for socio-demographic factors, illicit substance use, alcohol consumption, parental separation and maternal mental health. Maternal reports of domestic violence and abuse significantly increased the likelihood of social worker contact for the study child. Social worker involvement was far more likely in low-income households. Where domestic violence and abuse had been reported, social worker contact was twice as likely for boys than for girls. Findings suggest significant socio-economic disparities and gender discrepancies in the social work service response in the context of domestic violence and abuse. These patterns raise concerns about the potential for social work engagement being stratified by socio-economic status and underidentification of girls' needs in domestic violence and abuse contexts.

Disruption to the home environment is a central consequence of bereavement through intimate partner homicide (IPH) that threatens surviving children’s wellbeing. Despite this, very little is known about how children experience and respond to this profound disruption, while such work is critical in better understanding their perspectives and support needs. This qualitative study aimed to address this gap by exploring post-homicide experiences of home in young people and adults who were bereaved by IPH during childhood to better support future victim-survivors. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 22 people with lived experience of bereavement in Australia (n = 12) and the UK (n = 10). Seventeen participants identified as female, three as male, and two as non-binary. Victim parents were biological mothers in 20 cases and biological fathers in two cases. Perpetrators were participants’ biological father in 16 cases, a current or former partner of their biological mother in four cases, and their biological mother in two cases. Through reflexive thematic analysis, we generated three themes: (1) home as unfamiliar, (2) continued instability and violence in the home, and (3) redefining and journeying home. Post-homicide home environments were often experienced as unfamiliar in the context of displacement from the family home, difficulty adjusting to new environments, loss of belongings, and changed relationships. Children were rarely involved in decision making regarding living arrangements and often felt silenced in post-homicide homes that were only transitory or unsafe. Participants were active in responding to these challenges, which was evident in efforts to reimagine and find a sense of home in non-traditional spaces and settings. Implications for supporting children and their caregivers are discussed. This qualitative study interviewed 22 individuals from Australia and the UK to understand how home is experienced after the death of a parent through intimate partner homicide. The impact of bereavement extends beyond displacement from the physical home and is closely entwined with experiences of daily life, relationships, comfort, and safety. Services and caregivers should prioritise children’s agency and safety, honour prior customs, and facilitate access to belongings from pre-homicide homes where possible.

Deforestation reshuffles communities across landscapes with myriad consequences for ecosystem function. Following deforestation, rapid exposure to novel microclimates can act as a strong environmental filter, favoring warm-adapted species and decoupling trophic interactions. Forest restoration may partly reverse this process through increased food resources, structural complexity of habitat, and buffering of microclimates-each potentially modified by tree diversity. Despite growing evidence that tree diversity and cool microclimates help maintain animal diversity in natural forests, less is known about how these factors shape species assemblages or multi-trophic dynamics in restoration areas. Here, using surveys and two field experiments within a long-term tree planting experiment, we assessed the relative effects of tree diversity, forest structure, and associated microclimate on fine-scale space use by birds and their top-down impacts on insects. Surveys showed that the probability of occurrences of birds increased in cooler plots, which were associated with higher tree diversity and vertical complexity. The strength of microclimate effects on bird occurrences was strongest for species that are forest specialists. To assess risk to insect herbivores from avian predation, we used a sentinel prey experiment and found that predation risk increased in warmer plots, counter to our expectations based on bird surveys. Last, we examined top-down effects of bird exclusion on leaf herbivory, finding that skeletonizing patterns of herbivory increased in exclosures and in cooler plots. Taken together, these results suggest that microclimate resulting from variation in forest structure shapes the space use of birds at fine scales with complex outcomes for bird-herbivore-tree interactions in planted forests. Active restoration methods that enhance below-canopy cooling may improve biodiversity outcomes and help maintain species interactions that underlie many ecosystem functions.

Background: Bereavement due to fatal family violence (e.g. intimate partner homicide, filicide, parricide, siblicide) is a profoundly disruptive experience for children, with lifelong psychosocial consequences. Although the need for fatal family violence prevention is increasingly recognised internationally, support for bereaved children in the aftermath remains fragmented, inconsistent and largely dependent on local service availability rather than individual needs. Caregivers, often coping with their own grief, face extraordinary demands without adequate guidance or resources.Objective: This paper seeks to draw attention to the urgent need to focus on children bereaved by fatal family violence and develop an international, collaborative agenda that places the voices of young survivors and their caregivers at the centre.Methods: We held a workshop in Caen, Normandy, France, in 2025, to mark the launch of the international component of the five-year research programme Homicide at Home: Minimising the Impact on Young Survivors, funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. This workshop convened 33 researchers, clinicians, policymakers and advocates, including with lived experience, from 11 countries to develop a roadmap.Results: The envisaged agenda aims to centre the perspectives of people with lived and/or caregiving experience and comprises three interconnected components: (a) identifying existing knowledge, practices and resources; (b) shaping and curating an international repository; and (c) supporting the development of new research. The description of these elements is intended as both a starting point and an invitation.Conclusions: Fatal family violence leaves behind a significant number of children whose needs are urgent yet under-addressed. By working collectively across disciplines and countries, together with those who are the most affected, we can begin to address the long-term impact of these traumatic losses. We invite colleagues to join this initiative.

While family focused practice can improve outcomes for families affected by parental mental illness, globally there is limited understanding regarding associated factors and enablers. This mixed methods study aimed to identify associated factors and enablers of family focused practice. A range of adult mental health and children's social care professionals in Northern Ireland completed the Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire (n = 868). The survey measured the extent of professionals' family focused behaviors (Referral; Psycho-Education; and Skills and Knowledge to support parent and their parenting) and four organizational (e.g., Workplace Support) and four individual professional factors (e.g., Connectedness) associated with these activities. The STROBE checklist for cross-sectional research was adhered to. Nested regressions identified nine factors associated with family focused practice; most significant were professionals' gender, professional discipline, years of experience, training in the Family Model and other training in child or family focused practice. Male professionals, social workers and those with more years of experience and who had received training in the Family Model and other training in child and family focused practice were most family focused. Subsequently 30 professionals and 21 service users participated in semistructured interviews to elaborate on factors associated with family focused practice. Both professionals and service users described the importance of family focused training while social workers more often discussed receiving the training and engaging in family focused practice than other disciplines. As clear skill, knowledge, and confidence differences are indicated between the professions they require consideration by organizations in developing training, policy and initiatives to promote FFP within adult mental health and children's social services in Northern Ireland and internationally.

Background Child welfare responses to domestic violence and abuse often blame mothers for “failing to protect” while ignoring perpetrators. The Safe & Together model promises transformation through perpetrator pattern-focused assessment. Objective To examine how S&T implementation translates into practice across diverse UK child welfare contexts. Methods Focus groups with 55 professionals across five Scottish and English sites were analyzed using Two-Stage Reflexive Implementation Analysis, integrating reflexive thematic analysis with Proctor's implementation framework. Results Safe & Together achieved high practitioner acceptability, with professionals reporting it resolved conflicts between their values and bureaucratic demands. Implementation successfully transformed professional language from mother-blaming to perpetrator pattern analysis and improved assessment quality. However, critical gaps were identified between assessment capabilities and intervention availability. Insufficient perpetrator programmes or children's therapeutic services existed to address identified needs. There was also no evidence of involvement of adult or child survivors in implementation of the intervention, despite “partnering” rhetoric. Conclusions Safe & Together is necessary but insufficient for comprehensive transformation. While successfully shifting professional consciousness away from victim-blaming, the model cannot improve family outcomes without parallel investments in intervention infrastructure. The absence of family voices in both model development and implementation perpetuates professional-centric approaches even within anti-oppressive innovations. This “necessary but not sufficient” framework advances implementation science beyond binary success/failure assessments. Findings indicate that genuine transformation requires not only assessment innovation but also service infrastructure development and authentic co-production with families experiencing domestic violence and abuse.

After abuse is identified, children often navigate complex systems that can be confusing and challenging, potentially causing additional harm. The Barnahus model offers a multidisciplinary approach designed to minimise systemic harm and support children's recovery and justice. Scotland is adopting the Barnahus model, known locally as 'Bairns' Hoose. This paper considers how two core elements of the Barnahus model (the child friendly space and the forensic interviews) interact to support improved responses to children. Data were collected pertaining to experiences of children and young people (n = 9) who had undertaken a joint investigative interview with specially trained police officers and social workers as a response to an experience of abuse; nonabusing family members (n = 8); professionals (n = 29) who were involved in the Bairns' Hoose operationally and strategically. Qualitative data were gathered through interviews with children and family members as well as interviews, focus groups and sense making activities with multidisciplinary professionals. A thematic analysis was conducted of the data. The research identified the child-friendly space communicates a sense of safety, comfort and calm to children and their families, supporting them to feel respected and able to more easily engage with professionals. The physical space can also act as a catalyst for deepening professional engagement in trauma sensitive practice and multidisciplinary working. Consequently, the needs of children become more visible within the system. Meaningful systems change requires more than just a better physical space, yet this knowledge helps us begin understand what child friendly justice and recovery might begin to look like in practice.

Societal Impact Statement The invasive species S. alterniflora and P. australis are fast growing coastal wetland plants sequestering large amounts of carbon in the soil and protect coastlines against erosion and storm surges. In this global analysis, we found that Spartina and Phragmites increase methane but not nitrous oxide emissions, with Phragmites having a lesser effect. The impact of the invasive species on emissions differed greatly among different types of native plant groups, providing valuable information to managers and policymakers during coastal wetland planning and restoration efforts. Further, our estimated net emissions per wetland plant group facilitate regional and national blue carbon estimates. Summary Globally, Spartina alterniflora and Phragmites australis are among the most pervasive invasive plants in coastal wetland ecosystems. Both species sequester large amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and biogenic carbon in soils but also support production and emission of methane (CH4). In this study, we investigated the magnitude of their net greenhouse gas (GHG) release from invaded and non‐invaded habitats. We conducted a meta‐analysis of GHG fluxes associated with these two species and related soil carbon content and plant biomass in invaded coastal wetlands. Our results show that both invasive species increase CH4 fluxes compared to uninvaded coastal wetlands, but they do not significantly affect CO2 and N2O fluxes. The magnitude of emissions from Spartina and Phragmites differs among native habitats. GHG fluxes, soil carbon and plant biomass of Spartina‐invaded habitats were highest compared to uninvaded mudflats and succulent forb‐dominated wetlands, while being lower compared to uninvaded mangroves (except for CH4). This meta‐analysis highlights the important role of individual plant traits as drivers of change by invasive species on plant‐mediated carbon cycles.

Forest canopy complexity (i.e., the three-dimensional structure of the canopy) is often associated with increased species diversity as well as high primary productivity across natural forests. However, canopy complexity, tree diversity, and productivity are often confounded in natural forests, and the mechanisms of these relationships remain unclear. Here, we used two large tree diversity experiments in North America to assess three hypotheses: (1) increasing tree diversity leads to increased canopy complexity, (2) canopy complexity is positively related to tree productivity, and (3) the relationship between tree diversity and tree productivity is indirect and driven by the positive effects of canopy complexity. We found that increasing tree diversity from monocultures to mixtures of 12 species increases canopy complexity and productivity by up to 71% and 73%, respectively. Moreover, structural equation modeling indicates that the effects of tree diversity on productivity are indirect and mediated primarily by changes in internal canopy complexity. Ultimately, we suggest that increasing canopy complexity can be a major mechanism by which tree diversity enhances productivity in young forests.

Mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse involves regulations that legally require the reporting of suspected cases of child abuse to state authorities. In this study, we examine the debate surrounding the planned introduction of MR for child sexual abuse (CSA) in England. The research explores the discourses shaping the MR debate employing a qualitative, grounded theory approach that incorporates policy document analysis and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. The findings address four key themes: (1) MR as a tool to promote disclosure of harm to children; (2) MR as a way to improve intervention and professional responses; (3) MR's role in reshaping public and professional attitudes and responsibility towards CSA; and (4) MR's potential contribution to detecting crime and addressing institutional cover-ups. The analysis explores the diverse understandings and rationales underpinning the MR debate in England, revealing potential challenges, including the complexities of balancing child welfare with public protection mandates. The study suggests focusing policy to respond to the child's needs rather than focusing on criminal justice outcomes, ensuring that any implementation of MR prioritizes children's well-being. The research may contribute to the critical discussion of child protection policy internationally, offering insights relevant to social work practice and policy development. This study delves into the heated debate surrounding mandatory reporting (MR) of child sexual abuse in England. To examine MR's potential to encourage disclosure, enhance professional responses, and influence societal attitudes, we asked: What are the proposed benefits of MR, and is there agreement? This study uncovers the complexities of balancing child welfare with legal mandates through policy analysis and stakeholder interviews. Could MR be the key to uncovering hidden abuse, or is there a risk of unintended negative consequences? In this study, we discuss the need to prioritize children's well-being over the criminal prosecution of perpetrators.

The number of child abuse-related deaths has decreased significantly in the United Kingdom over the past 50 years, but there remains public and political concern about the actual and perceived risk of child deaths, with resultant processes enacted to supervise child protection practice. Drawing upon an analysis of the ways in which the deaths of two children, Victoria Climbi & eacute; and Peter Connelly, became child protection scandals in England, we examine the gap between notions of accountability as an ideal, and enacted accountability, as the embodiments of supervisory mechanisms. We consider how these two sides of accountability are produced in child protection practice via three mechanisms: the inspectorate, the child death review process, and the oversight of individual social workers by their employers and professional regulator. We explore how these mechanisms can lead to the unbalanced apportioning of blame in child protection scandals, whereby social workers and managers are held individually responsible for a child abuse-related death beyond any reasonable conception of answerability-what we refer to as hyperaccountability. Through exploring these issues, we seek to contribute to debates as to how child protection services can be robust, while proportionate, in how they seek to support families and protect vulnerable children.

Purpose There is a growing acknowledgement that children are direct victims of domestic violence and abuse, and require support and protection in their own right. However, professional interventions designed to protect children may unintentionally further victimise parents, most often mothers. In response, a number of new interagency approaches have been developed. Method Updating a previous review by Macvean et al. ( Australian Social Work, 71 (2), 148–161, 2018), we report the findings of a scoping review of models of interagency working between child protection and either domestic abuse services or family law services, or all three services, to improve understanding of practices that may facilitate collaboration between child protection and other agencies in the context of domestic violence and abuse. We also consider the effectiveness of such approaches in improving the safety of child and adult victims. Results A systematic search of all sources identified 4103 documents that were screened for inclusion. The outcome of this screening was the identification of thirteen papers or reports dated between 2018 and 2022 that comprised an evaluation of six models of interagency interventions. Nine publications originated in Australia, three in the UK and one in the USA. The most referenced model was Safe & Together, primarily due to the number of publications from the same research team in Australia. None of the included studies reported the outcomes or impact for children and families. Conclusions While there are a growing number of promising approaches identified, there is little evidence of effectiveness, or the views of child and adult family members about the acceptability and utility of such approaches.

This qualitative study highlights how people bereaved due to parental intimate partner homicide relate to themselves and the world in meaningful and trauma-specific ways.

This paper reports on a feasibility study for an evaluation of a UK primary school-based prevention programme that addresses multiple forms of abuse and neglect, identifying research design and ethical issues and exploring research practice. For this feasibility study, 194 children aged 6-11 years completed a baseline survey and 113 did so following the intervention. Eight focus groups were undertaken with 52 children and nine interviews with school staff. We highlight key considerations for conducting large-scale mixed-method research on sensitive topics with younger children, a focus that is largely absent from the extant research methods literature. The feasibility study showed that younger children can contribute their views on sensitive topics in ways that are measurable, replicable and reliable, contesting ideas that certain topics are too sensitive to explore with younger children.

Purpose To develop a socio-ecological understanding of the immediate and long-term effects on, and the needs of, children and young people (CYP) in the UK and Ireland bereaved by parental intimate partner homicide (IPH). Method The study draws on in-depth interviews from three different informants: those with lived experience (LE) (10); caregivers (12); and professionals (10). In addition to the 10 interviews with those bereaved by maternal IPH, experiences discussed include a further 23 cases of bereavement due to IPH during childhood (when aged under 18). We used thematic analysis to code and extracted themes into the relevant five dimensions of the socio-ecological model. Results The circumstances in which the homicide/suicide took place, were crucial in shaping children's life trajectory. We identified circumstantial predictors in branching of trajectories: witnessing the murder; relatedness to perpetrator; and assumptions on biological relatedness. We found the need for life-long access to therapeutic care to support CYP essential during various developmental stages and life transitions. We recognized that both kinship and foster carers, required support in dealing with the complexity of grieving children. For kinship care, carers require help in managing their own grief, in addition to financial support to account for the new caring responsibilities. We also observed that children's voice was rarely elicited, with no opportunities to exercise their agency. Conclusion Our findings highlight the importance of contextual circumstances for tailored support and the identification of appropriate carers and supporting them holistically. Finally, we highlight the importance of child centered policies and dedicated resources to support relevant services dealing with CYP bereaved by parental IPH.

Key Practitioner Messages Mothers who have a child removed from their care often face a range of vulnerabilities, such as abuse in childhood, isolation, poverty, poor mental health, domestic abuse, and substance misuse, which contribute to the reasons for their children being removed. Yet following this removal, and at a time of acute need for them due to the trauma involved, birth mothers frequently disappear from the gaze of services, as children's services are structured to meet the needs of the child. There is evidence that mothers who have a child removed are at a significantly increased risk of early death. While the need for support for the children is irrefutable, equally there needs to be specialist support for their mothers, which goes beyond children's services and involves health services.

Decades of studies have demonstrated links between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, yet the generality of the relationships and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear, especially for forest ecosystems. Using 11 tree-diversity experiments, we tested tree species richness-community productivity relationships and the role of arbuscular (AM) or ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal-associated tree species in these relationships. Tree species richness had a positive effect on community productivity across experiments, modified by the diversity of tree mycorrhizal associations. In communities with both AM and ECM trees, species richness showed positive effects on community productivity, which could have resulted from complementarity between AM and ECM trees. Moreover, both AM and ECM trees were more productive in mixed communities with both AM and ECM trees than in communities assembled by their own mycorrhizal type of trees. In communities containing only ECM trees, species richness had a significant positive effect on productivity, whereas species richness did not show any significant effects on productivity in communities containing only AM trees. Our study provides novel explanations for variations in diversity-productivity relationships by suggesting that tree-mycorrhiza interactions can shape productivity in mixed-species forest ecosystems.