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This article analyses a major healthcare and social welfare reform establishing new regional and integrated wellbeing services counties in Finland. The authors approach the reform and service integration as a knowledge management (KM) issue and analyse how KM appears and contributes in the context of integrated care, specifically in the process of integrating social and health care.

The article analyses the case organisation's KM initiatives in light of the integrated care literature and recognises the tasks and requirements for effective KM when building integrated health and social care system. The empirical research material for this qualitative study consisted of the case organisation's strategy documents, the results of an external maturity assessment, KM workshop materials and publicly available documentation of the Finnish health and social care reform.

This study identifies the mechanisms by which KM can support health and social services integration. At the macro level, national coordination and regional co-operation require common information structures. At the meso level, a shared regional strategy with shared objectives guides both organisational decision-making and collaboration between professionals. At the micro level, technology supported and data-driven planning of service chains complements the experiences of professionals and may help remove obstacles to integration.

This study contributes to the literature on integrated care by providing a more comprehensive view of the role and tasks of knowledge and KM when reforming health and social services than approaches focussing solely on health informatics and internal efficiency.

In a collective effort to build a patient-centered and coordinated health care system, social workers and psychologists are being progressively introduced to primary health care (PHC) settings worldwide. The present study aims to explore the current status of integration through the narrative of social workers and psychologists in PHC settings in Kazakhstan.

In this paper purposive snowball sampling was utilized to recruit social workers and psychologists who work, or used to work, in PHC settings since the onset of integration in Nur-Sultan for participation in an in-depth interview. A semistructured interview guide was based on normalization process theory (NPT). Interviews were conducted via video conference, in Russian language, lasted no more than 50 min, and transcribed verbatim. Cross-case analysis of eight cases was performed using NPT constructs.

Cross-case analysis included findings from the interviews from five social workers and three psychologists. Four major constructs of implementation process from NPT were reflected in the findings: coherence (believes integration improves patient care, functions within integrated care), cognitive participation (individual changes to role performance, mechanisms of work), collective action (status of support from stakeholders, cooperation within a multidisciplinary team) and reflective monitoring (existing mechanisms for monitoring the integration).

Despite organizational integration, there is a lack of successful clinical integration of social workers and psychologists in PHC settings of Kazakhstan, which is manifested by a lack of understanding of responsibilities and functions of these mental health care specialists. Consensus was reached by all participants that both social workers and psychologists are valuable assets in a multidisciplinary team.

The present study contributes to the current knowledge of integrated PHC service delivery by addressing the status of integrated care in Kazakhstan from interviews with key stakeholders in social work and mental health. Moving forward, improvements are needed to (1) establish the monitoring mechanism to evaluate the status of integration, (2) enhance effective collaboration within multidisciplinary teams in PHC settings and (3) increase awareness among medical workers and community members on mental health issues and the available support offered by social workers and psychologists to promote quality of life in a holistic, integrated manner.

The aim of this study was to identify key components of integrated mental health and social care services that contribute to value for service users in Sweden.

An explorative research study design was used, based on data from four group interviews conducted in June and August 2017 with service user representatives.

The analysis resulted in eight subcategories reflecting components that were reported to contribute to value for service users. These subcategories were grouped into three main categories: (1) professionals who see and support the whole person, (2) organizational commitment to holistic care and (3) support for equal opportunities and active participation in society.

The findings are primarily transferable to integrated mental health and social care services, as they emphasize key components that contribute to value for service users in these specific settings.

The complexity of integrated mental health and social care services requires coordination across the individual and organizational levels as well as ongoing dialogue and partnerships between service users, service user associations and health and social care organizations. In this integration, it is important that service users and service user associations not only are invited but also keen to participate in the design of care and support efforts.

Service User Associations (SUAs) can act as a bridge between county and municipal services through their participation in the development of local activities; at the regional and national levels, SUAs can help achieve more equitable integrated services. It is important that SUAs are not only invited but encouraged to actively participate in the design of such care and support efforts.

In the implementation of integrated care, the role of managers is important and their mutual collaboration should be addressed more visibly. The purpose of this study was to investigate how cross-boundary collaboration is constructed in the discourse of middle-level managers in health and social care.

The study was based on a discursive approach. Group discussions with three groups of Finnish middle managers (n = 39) were analyzed using discourse analysis.

Five ways of talking about cross-boundary collaboration were identified, labeled “ideal”, “structure”, “defence”, “money” and “support” discourses. In the ideal discourse, cross-boundary collaboration appeared as a “good thing” and is self-evident. Structural discourse defined managers as passive actors in self-sustaining entities. Defensive discourse highlighted the problems of cross-boundary collaboration and the hierarchy within the health and social sectors. Financial discourse constituted the ultimate obstacle to successful cross-boundary collaboration, and both strengthened and explained defensive discourse. Supportive discourse portrayed other managers as partners and as an important resource.

Cross-boundary collaboration can be experienced as a resource, helping managers cope with their workload. However, identification of and continuous attention to challenges at macro, meso and micro levels of integrated care is crucial for successful collaboration. Thus, critical discussion of collaboration needs to be given space.

The study design and discursive approach highlights the power of language and give voice to middle managers who are key actors when implementing integrated care.

The purpose of this paper is to explore and assess the configuration, role and likely contribution of the new integrated care partnerships (ICPs) established in Northern Ireland.

The approach is based on the assessment of policy background, strategy papers, implementation plans and initial activities of ICPs.

ICPs have been created with limited powers and an unclear relationship with the existing system of structurally integrated health and social care. The initial priorities and activities of ICPs suggest a focus on integrating health which may impede the further integration of health and social care.

Paper concludes there is a need for robust evaluation including monitoring of progress, performance and outcomes.

First published paper on implementation of ICPs in Northern Ireland. Contributing to comparative studies of structures of health and social care, with particular relevance to integration.

This review aims to focus on the role of evidence in informing policy and practice in health and social care integration.

Following discussion of the importance of defining the terms that are being used, the review addresses UK policy and practice developments in respect of integrated health and social care over the last two decades. It explores the extent to which these accord with the available evidence on effective strategies.

The review demonstrates that the focus in delivering integrated care should be on the local systems and cultures that can deliver positive outcomes for individuals. Structural change will not guarantee integrated care and diverts from the detail of local implementation that needs to be achieved. Current developments in both Scotland and England have some promise of delivering enduring progress.

The review provides a synthesis of key bodies of evidence and allows comparison between different polities within the UK.

This study examined the contribution of adult social work in integrated teams in the UK.

The study design was realist, evaluation research using a mixed methods approach. Data collection methods included interviews and focus groups. Types of social work activities were extracted from older adults' case records and used to calculate costs of care. The presence or absence of indicators of care quality was recorded using the same sample of case records. Data were collected from three primary care teams in which social work was integrated. They were compared with data from three social-work-only teams in the same districts. Narrative data was analysed thematically. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to compare costs and care quality.

When social work was embedded or attached to a primary care team, costs of care delivery were lower than in their social-work-only team and more indicators of good quality care outcomes were recorded. Results suggest that embedding social work in integrated primary care teams contributes to cost-effective, quality care for older people if certain conditions for integration are met.

This is the first study to triangulate three data sources to quantify the social work contribution to integrated primary health care teams for older adults.

The purpose of this paper is to explore community professionals’: opinions concerning social worker’s roles and statutory functions; understanding of collaborative and cooperative work; experiences of professional support; opinions on the aspects of anti-oppressive practices in social work; views on social work identity within multi-disciplinary team structures; exploring perceptions regarding the challenges of cultural; and contextual drivers of social work practice.

Design: thematic analysis of free-text data from a survey. Setting and participants: social workers, occupational therapists and nurses working within an integrated Health and Social Care NHS Trust. Main outcome measures: free-text coded and categorised by theme. Overarching themes are identified incorporating comment categories. Methods: 41 respondents (of n=600 survey respondents) provided free-text comments. Data were coded using a multistage approach: coding of comments into general categories (e.g. resources, budgets); coding of subcategories within main categories (e.g. s75 agreement, staffing levels); cross-sectional analysis to identify themes cutting across categories; and mapping of categories/subcategories to corresponding comparable research for comparison.

Most free-text respondents (51 per cent) were from social workers, with 32 per cent from occupational therapists and 17 per cent from nurses. These respondents provided comments that the authors developed into four overarching themes: first, culture – cultural biases and clashes of culture within an integrated care organisation which result in a negative experience for professionals and confusion for service users and/or carers. A lack of shared socialisation and the development of a shared culture. Second, austerity: the impact of economic austerity. Third, organisation: conceptual confusion in respect of defining/organising/structuring integrated care within a health organisation. Fourth, political: the political drivers of integration.

This study presents specific areas of concern for social workers and for integrated social care and health as a whole, revealing a number of themes present across the integration journey. While the majority of comments were negative, analysis reveals concerns shared by significant numbers of respondents: conceptual confusion in respect of organising integrated care within a health organisation, a lack of shared socialisation and the development of a shared culture within the integrated organisation, and the impact of economic austerity on integration.

This research explores community professionals' opinions concerning social worker's roles and statutory functions. It explores the perspectives of professionals and their understanding of collaborative and cooperative work; experiences of professional support; opinions on the aspects of anti-oppressive practices in social work; views on social work identity within multidisciplinary team structures; and perceptions regarding the challenges of cultural and contextual drivers of social work practice.

This study adopts an interpretivist paradigm and social constructionist epistemology in that there are multiple realities to be understood and different perspectives and perceptions to be explored. This study adopted a data collection approach of thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews.

Social workers and nurses working within an integrated social care and health NHS trust.

Six respondents volunteered for interviews in 2017. Data were coded as follows using a multistage approach: (1) coding of comments into general categories (e.g. culture, models of practice), (2) coding of subcategories within main categories (e.g. values, knowledge and skills), (3) cross-sectional analysis to identify themes cutting across categories and (4) mapping of categories/subcategories to corresponding comparable research for comparison.

Most interviewees (5) were social workers, with one from the nursing field. Respondents provided comments that fell under four overarching themes: cultural theme, the impact of economic austerity, organisational structures and the political drivers of integration.

This study contributes to the evidence regarding the role of social workers within integrated health and adult social care organisations (as opposed to mental health social work) and also contributes to the evidence around social work in times of austerity.

This paper presents a comparison of the views of staff working in 18 integrated care settings, undertaken as part of the PROCARE study of integrated health and social care. The data reveals some apparent commonalities across the nine European countries. Increased job satisfaction was an advantage of integrated working, but respondents also reported difficulties in working with hospitals or medical professionals, and continued barriers to integrated working generally. Overall, single standalone organisations such as home care teams reported the clearest benefits from integrated working, while cross‐agency models continued to encounter significant barriers to health and social care integration.