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This article describes a national guideline for the use of medication in the management of problem behaviours in adults with an intellectual disability. As problem behaviours in this group are common and medication is often prescribed ‘off licence’, it is important that a framework is established to direct this practice. The article details a guideline development project that is of importance because it is the only national guideline in the area. It also highlights important issues in clinical practice in the field, and addresses the current evidence base on the effectiveness of psychotropic medications in the management of problem behaviours. There is a lack of good research evidence to support use of medication for problem behaviours. Where medication is used for this purpose, it should be used with a clear rationale, following a thorough assessment of the individual, and carefully monitored, and withdrawal should always be considered. People should always be given information in a way that they understand, and they should be given choices about their treatment.

The aim of the research was to scope issues of concern at transition for young people with learning disabilities and mental health problems/challenging behaviour from the perspective of parent carers, using a focus group interview consisting of ten participants, including one facilitator and administrative support. The interview was tape‐recorded, transcribed and thematically coded using Microsoft Word and NVivo. Two case vignettes were used to stimulate the discussion. Several themes emerged from analysis of the transcripts: access to information about rights and the services available for their son or daughter, and conflicts between carers and professionals. The experience of parent carers of people with learning disabilities is still not well understood. By understanding the views and experiences of parent carers, transition can be facilitated and concerned parties can work together to achieve better results.

The paper reports on a review of assessment scales commonly used for assessment of psychiatric illnesses or behaviour problems in adults with learning disabilities. Initially, a literature search was conducted to identify relevant peer‐reviewed journal publications pertaining to relevant scales. Those scales with more publications were reviewed with reference to the scale composition and psychometric properties. In total, eight behaviour scales, one psychiatric illness scale and three combined behaviour and psychiatric illness scales are reviewed.

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings from the process evaluation of the Parallel Lives Programme (PLP), a child-to-parent abuse (CPA) prevention programme developed by the Media Academy Cymru in South Wales, UK. Whilst there has been a growing body of research examining CPA, empirical insight into interventions that support families experiencing CPA (including the children who use violence, their parent(s), siblings and wider family members) is lacking.

A process evaluation was used to examine the design and delivery of PLP from the perspective of the programme staff and the families who had completed the intervention. Several methods were used, including semi-structured interviews, online surveys, overt observations and file reviews. Forty-two people participated in the evaluation, including 6 practitioners, 19 parents and 17 children.

The findings highlight the need for specialised support/interventions for families that prioritise “children first”, relationship-focused, strength-based practices.

The study centres the experiences and voices of the parents and children who experience CPA and the practitioners who deliver support. Historically, these pivotal voices have been missing from practice and policy developments. The implications of this research extend beyond Wales, and it provides research, policy and practice recommendations aimed at addressing CPA in a therapeutic, non-punitive and responsive manner.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nature of knowledge sharing and what is experienced as being shared as knowledge sharing unfolds. In particular, the paper explores affect as a key aspect of knowledge sharing in an organisational context.

A practice theoretical approach is applied to the study combined with a phenomenological research methodology that focusses on the “lived experience” of participants.

Knowledge-sharing practice was found to encompass cognitive, social, bodily and affective dimensions. Affect was found to be a significant component of the practice as revealed by participant emotion and the use of conversational humour.

In light of the findings, the researcher recommends a focus on participant sensings in practice theoretical research, in combination with sayings, doings and relatings.

The approach to the study is significant in that, in contrast to previous practice-based research in information studies, it applied a methodology adapted from phenomenology. This combination of approaches opened the investigation to the multi-dimensional experiential nature of knowledge-sharing practice highlighting the significant role of affect in knowledge sharing.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on compacts and their effectiveness in ensuring that non‐government organisations (NGOs) are able to remain independent, critical checks on government.

The experiences of the English Compact and the Working Together for NSW agreement, created in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW). The analysis of Working Together relies upon interviews conducted with key informants involved in its negotiation. Using these cases the effectiveness of compacts in supporting NGOs, particularly in their role as advocates is examined.

The paper finds that, despite the similarities between the English Compact and Working Together, the NSW government has not produced similar supporting structures or mechanisms and that no champion exists to drive it within government. As a result, awareness of Working Together is low in both the NSW government and among NGOs, and, unlike the English Compact, it has had little effect on the ability of NGOs to advocate independently. As such, it is suggested that compacts do not offer long‐term solutions to the difficulties in the relationship between governments and NGOs. This is because their efficacy is reliant upon the support of government.

The list of interviewees is by no means exhaustive. Despite numerous attempts, the authors were unable to obtain interviews from a number of figures approached from middle‐level departments within the NSW state government.

The interviews are original and new to the literature on compacts. This interview material is especially useful as little literature exists that analyses the Working Together for NSW agreement.

Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to provide an overview of sustainability debates and a rationale for the book.

Method: A literature review was conducted prior to starting this book project, and this literature review is analysed and situated within a debate the book fosters.

Originality/Value: The paper outlines debate in the field of sustainability and provide a rationale for the book focusing on human sustainability, thus contributing towards extending knowledge on the sustainability concept and debates.

Financial stress features frequently as an explanatory factor in research into decisions concerning the contracting out, or decentralisation, of local public services, though existing empirical studies are not unanimous in their conclusions. The understanding of how financial crises influence these processes could be enhanced by the use of a dynamic methodology that takes into account the following three aspects: the duration of the financial stress, the effectiveness of the action taken and the time‐lag between the crisis and the response. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This study introduces three important innovations in the methodology employed to study financial stress: the consideration of the duration of a financial stress episode as a key factor in promoting changes in the provision of public services; the effectiveness of the measures taken; and time‐lag, which takes into account the extended time horizon over which the local authority may implement business‐like and organisational changes.

To date, the techniques used to measure the effects of changes in service delivery methods implemented to alleviate financial stress, have not reflected the true nature of the phenomenon. The results obtained when the new approach proposed in this paper was used to examine Spanish local government responses to financial stress during the period 1999‐2007 confirm that the methodology is well‐judged and effective.

This study reveals that local authorities facing financial stress of two, three or four years’ duration present percentages of decentralisation and contracting‐out that are significantly higher than is the case for local authorities that implement the same processes in response to crises of one year. These findings confirm the need to carry out studies that include the duration of financial crises as a determinant factor in change processes.

El estrés financiero como factor explicativo es una característica recurrente en la investigación sobre la privatización/descentralización de los servicios públicos locales, aunque los estudios empíricos previos no son unánimes en sus conclusiones. Nuestro conocimiento de la influencia de las crisis financieras en estos procesos se podría mejorar mediante el uso de una metodología dinámica que tenga en cuenta los tres aspectos siguientes: la duración de la tensión financiera, el tiempo que transcurre entre la crisis y la respuesta hecha, y la eficacia de esta acción. Al aplicar esta nueva metodología, se demuestra que, hasta la fecha, los métodos utilizados para medir los efectos de los cambios en las formas de prestación de servicios, como un medio de aliviar la tensión financiera, no han reflejado la verdadera naturaleza del fenómeno. Los resultados obtenidos con esta nueva propuesta confirman que la metodología aplicada es la correcta y efectiva en los gobiernos locales españoles para el período 1999‐2007.