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The purpose of this paper is to communicate the findings of an empirical research project based on a real world problem that involved the development of a continuous professional development (CPD) framework for a children’s integrated service workforce. In addition, to give attention to the notion that children’s integrated services have not necessarily been viewed from the perspective of conflict management and that this has meant ensuing conflicts that characterise such organisations are more often than not ignored.

A case study approach involving a mixed methodology consisting of semi-structured interviews for senior managers and service leads; a quantitative survey for frontline practitioners and focus groups for service users, carers and children.

Rather than the service being fully integrated, services were aligned, and this was reflected in the conflict between professional cultures, reinforcing an “us and them” culture. This culture had seemingly permeated all aspects of the organisation including the senior management team. It was also noted that certain systems and processes, as well as bureaucracy, within the service were seen as hindering integrated working and was in effect a catalyst for conflict.

What has become evident during the course of this empirical study is the need to further explore the functioning of children’s integrated services using conflict management theories, tools and techniques so as to understand how best to manage conflict to an optimum where an environment of creativity and productiveness is created.

Therefore, when devising a CPD framework it can be argued that there is a need to address some of the types of conflict at the micro-frontline practitioner level of the organisation, as it is this level where there is opportunity through a variety of mechanisms, for example formal and non-formal learning, ring-fenced time, attendance at conferences, team away days and shadowing opportunities can be used to achieve a greater understanding of professional roles, improve working relationships and engage in the division of tasks in a fashion that will promote collaborative working.

The extent to which a children’s integrated service can be the harbinger of a range of multi-faceted conflicts that include the jarring of professional cultures, task conflict, inter-personal incompatibilities and competing value bases cannot be underestimated. Therefore, when devising a CPD framework it can be argued that there is a need to address some of the types of conflict at the micro-frontline practitioner level of the organisation.

Through the application of conflict management theory it will be illustrated how conflict could be used to effectively steer children integrated services towards creativity and productivity through an organisational wide framework that not only embraces dissonance, but also promotes a learning environment that takes advantage of such dissonance to incorporate a hybrid of professional practice and expertise.

Following the recent paper by Palmer in Aslib Proceedings in which she discussed the changes taking place in agricultural information, this paper discusses the effect of recent government policy on personal advisory work. It seeks to demonstrate that state advisers and private consultants exhibit similar information‐related behaviour and share a relatively small clientele. Pressures of commercialisation on the public sector will increase competition which will be to the detriment of the public service as it will be unable to provide advice of the same intensity or quality as private consultants who can devote all of their time to their, relatively few, customers.

Despite the availability and accessibility of standardized screening services, such as preventative health services, many individuals avoid participation. The extant health literature has indicated that health locus of control (HLOC) influences engagement and uptake of health services. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the microfoundation, HLOC, contributes to value co-creation via service-generated and self-generated activities in standardized screening services.

A qualitative study of 25 consumers who have experienced one of the three standardized screening services in Australia was undertaken, followed by thematic analysis of the data.

Service-generated activities elicit reactive responses from consumers – compliance and relinquishing control – but when customers lead co-creation activities, their active responses emphasize protecting self and others, understanding relationship needs and gaining control. Consumers with high internal HLOC are more likely to take initiative for their health, take active control of the process and feel empowered through participating. Consumers with low internal HLOC, in contrast, require more motivation for participation, including encouragement from powerful others through promotion or interpersonal dialogue.

These findings can be used by policymakers and providers of preventative health services for the betterment of citizen health.

The integration of the DART framework, customer value co-creation activities, and the delineation of self-generated and service-generated activities provides a holistic framework to understand the influence of HLOC on the co-creation of value in standardized screening services.