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The purpose of this paper is to empirically analyse how different exchange rate regimes affect the links between monetary fundamentals and exchange rates in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Using the Pedroni method for panel cointegration, mean group and pooled mean group and the panel vector autoregressive technique, this study empirically investigates whether monetary fundamentals impact exchange rates similarly in both regimes. Thus, the author acquires needed and credible empirical data.

The result suggests that the impact is dissimilar. In the floating regime, an increase in relative money supply and relative real output depreciates and appreciates the nominal exchange rate in the long run whereas in the non-floating regime, the evidence is mixed. Thus, exchange rates bear a theoretically consistent relationship with monetary fundamentals across SSA countries with floating regimes but fails under non-floating regimes. This provides evidence that regime choice is important if the relationship between monetary fundamentals and exchange rates in SSA are to be theoretically consistent.

This study empirically incorporates the dissimilarities in exchange rate regimes in a panel framework and study the links between exchange rates and monetary fundamentals. The focus on how exchange rate regimes might alter the equilibrium relationships between exchange rates and monetary fundamentals in SSA is a pioneering experiment.

Under the Supporting People Programme, low‐level ‘floating’ support is available to help vulnerable people live independently in their own accommodation. There is a good deal of research to indicate that this sort of support, particularly in social housing, is effective in helping people to sustain their tenancies, and that their well‐being and self‐esteem are improved as a result. However, there is little empirical evidence on the overall health impact of support. As part of a broader evaluation of a floating support service, this longitudinal study used the SF‐36 health questionnaire, complemented by in‐depth interviews, and found evidence of health gain.

Floating support can provide a flexible peripatetic service to people in their own homes, with the aim of developing or maintaining independence. It is based on individually assessed need and support plans that promote time‐limited self‐help and links to other local services. The shortage of properly structured low‐medium support leaves people vulnerable to a crisis of homelessness or in expensive residential services. Mainstream housing providers may lack the time or experience to offer the right help. This paper shows how an effective service can be designed and managed.

This new study carried out at Stirling University examines users' views of support services which are designed to enable them to live independently in the community. The aspirations and experiences of users from three different client groups are considered, in the context of a tangled web of funding mechanisms and statutory powers in Scotland. Published in April this year, the report provides useful insight for practitioners and managers responsible for floating support services.

The floating ring generates elastic deformation as the film pressure for high-speed floating ring bearings (FRBs). The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of ring elastic deformation on the performance of a hydrodynamic/hydrostatic FRB, including floating ring equilibrium and minimum film thickness.

The finite element method and finite difference method are used to solve thermohydrodynamic (THD) lubrication models, including the Reynolds equation, energy equation and temperature–viscosity equation. The deformation matrix method is applied to solve the elastic deformation equation, and then the deformation distribution, floating ring equilibrium and minimum film thickness are investigated. The maximum pressure is compared with the published article to verify the mathematical models.

The deformation value increases with the growth of shaft speed; owing to elastic deformation on the film reaction force and friction moment, the ring achieves equilibrium at a new position, and the inner eccentricity increases while the ring-shaft speed ratio declines. The minimum film thickness declines with the growth of inlet temperature, and the outer film tends to rupture considering elastic deformation at a higher temperature.

The floating ring elastic deformation is coupled with the THD lubrication equations to study ring deformation on the hydrodynamic/hydrostatic FRB lubrication mechanism. The elastic deformation of floating ring should be considered to improve analysis accuracy for FRBs.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-05-2023-0139/

Housing and support are essential if people misusing drugs and alcohol are to address their substance misuse and their other physical, mental and emotional health needs. If their housing and related support needs are not addressed at each stage of the treatment journey, they are much less likely to enter or remain in treatment. This article outlines the policy context, discusses barriers in service development, explores the role of housing with support for substance users and gives examples of imaginative commissioning and provision. It is based on recent work for the Department of Health Care Services Improvement Partnership.

Social inclusion means ensuring that all individuals, despite any particular perceived ‘differentness’ (Sayce, 2000; Harrison & Davis, 2001) or disadvantage in life, may nevertheless feel at home in the world and find a sense of belonging in their local community. But the most important place to feel at home is at home.

The article outlines how the regional northern charity Developing Initiatives Supporting Communities (DISC) and twelve voluntary organisations banded together to win two government‐funded Supporting People contracts to provide flexible housing support in North, West and South Lancashire. It explains who DISC and the 12 Lancashire partners are, and who benefits from the independent living services they offer through one easily accessible service known as Compass. The partnership bucked the trend for large organisations to sweep away small local organisations in competitive tendering bids for public sector contracts. The article summarises the lessons learnt.

Sarah Burroughes and John Bartle describe the highly innovative SMaRT scheme operated by Nottingham Community Housing Association. This demonstrates how the application of new technologies can allow the remodelling of conventional supported accommodation and floating support approaches to create a whole new approach to supporting independence.

This article reflects on the competitive strengths and weaknesses of small and large support providers, based on observations over the last few years, predicted developments in the commissioning market and the application of a few business tools. It concludes that the support market is in a poor state, that few if any providers can make a decent return and that competition between providers has not brought forth ‘winners’ with a commanding share of the market and the ability to achieve significant efficiencies. In the commercial world, support would rank as a ‘dog’ business ‐ low market share, low growth, loss making. Commercial businesses, if unable to reduce costs, would have left or repositioned this activity by now. Large housing association providers seem t10.5042/hcs.2010.0705o be doing just this, a trend that is likely to accelerate. But loss of support contracts is an existential threat to the small providers, so, unlike their large competitors who can simply walk away, they are fighting harder and making more sacrifices to stay in business. Although no organisation can afford to make continuing losses, it is possible that the determination of small providers will see them through to better times.