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The purpose of this study is to describe what a sample of men in prison believe works well for the delivery of prison-based group alcohol and other drug (AoD) treatment programs. The authors hope the findings will help inform future practise in AoD program delivery in prison.

A qualitative research paper reporting on a thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 30 male prisoners on their perspectives on AoD group treatment approaches.

Results indicate that matching readiness and motivation to start treatment is important for group success. Program content must be relevant and delivered by empathic facilitators who maintain confidentiality. It would be advantageous if one of the program facilitators was a peer with personal experience of overcoming an AoD use disorder.

According to the authors’ knowledge, this is one of few qualitative studies into the delivery of AoD treatment for men in prison and the only study of its kind in Australia. The consumer perspective is an important element in improving quality of treatment provision.

Risk assessment is a fundamental part of clinical practice in mental health and learning disability services in the UK. Most services use a tool or framework to structure their clinical judgments, but there does not appear to be a consensus on which risk assessment tool should be used. This paper aims to describe the development, implementation and evaluation of an evidence-based formulation informed risk management (FIRM) framework in mental health and LD services.

The development of FIRM and evaluation was based on the model for improvement, with an emphasis on co-production broken down into three distinct yet interdependent phases of co-production: co-design, co-create and co-deliver. Following the implementation of the FIRM framework, a post-implementation survey was distributed to a sample of clinical staff to capture experiences in the first three months post-implementation.

The three co-production stages were pivotal for successful implementation in clinical practice. The key ingredients for success seemed to be acknowledging human factors and varied responses to change, communication, engagement and involvement of stakeholders. Early evaluation post-implementation demonstrated the benefits in terms of confidence in use, formulation of risk, risk management and communication. Further quality improvement initiatives are underway to evaluate impact up to 12 months post-implementation and to improve the quality of FIRM in practice. Future research is planned to look at enhancing personalised risk assessment and management.

This paper describes and demonstrates the value of co-production with clinicians and stakeholders in service development. The FIRM has improved the clinical practice of risk assessment, formulation and management and use of digital technology.

Nationally community services for patients with intellectual disability and forensic needs are limited, and research to guide service development for this patient group with highly complex needs is sparse. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of referrals to and case management by the multi-agency Fife Forensic Learning Disability Service (FFLDS), including demographic data, treatment, risk assessments and outcomes.

All referrals received between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed to identify key demographic factors and to clarify the outcome of the referrals. Risks levels and presence of factors related to ongoing risk management were identified. For those accepted, final outcomes were noted.

In total, 145 referrals were received by FFLDS between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2014. Of these 117 were accepted for ongoing case management. In total 106 patients were discharged from FFLDS over the review period, with the vast majority remaining in community settings. Patients were overwhelmingly male, with an age range of 16-79 (mean age of 30). Approximately half of referrals were from criminal justice agencies, and sexual and violent offences predominated. Alcohol and/or illicit substance use was problematic in 49 per cent of patients.

FFLDS needs to consider building links with Drug and Alcohol Services, for assistance in developing expertise in managing problematic alcohol and/or illicit substance use. Links with professionals working with female offenders may increase the rate of referral of female patients.

Policy and legal frameworks emphasise the need to manage people with learning disabilities and forensic needs in the least restrictive environment possible. This paper provides information on a cohort of forensic patients over a ten-year period, including characteristics and outcomes, to inform the evaluation of these frameworks and the planning of both community and in-patient services for this patient group.

Previously, diversion from the criminal justice system for people with learning disability (LD) and serious forensic needs in Scotland meant hospitalisation. More recently new legislation has meant that community-based rehabilitation is possible for this group. The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively explore the views of people with LD subject to these legal orders. This is both a chance to work in partnership to improve services and also to make the voices of this potentially vulnerable group heard.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten participants subject to a community-based order. All participants were male. Ages, index behaviour, and time spent on order varied. The data was transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

The main themes which emerged from the data were a taste of freedom, not being in control, getting control back, loneliness, and feeling like a service user. Participants described positives about community-based rehabilitation but also a number of negatives.

Participant accounts suggest that the current community rehabilitation model has some shortcomings which need to be addressed. Suggestions are made for improvements to the current model relating to: achieving clarity over the role of support staff and pathways out of the system; increasing opportunities for service users to voice concerns; empowering staff teams via extensive training and supervision; and directly addressing internalised stigma to promote community integration.

This is the first piece of work evaluating compulsory community forensic care for people with LD from the perspective of service users. It highlights difficulties with the system which could lead to helpful ways to evolve this model.

Evidence has emerged from an analysis of two organizational case studies to suggest that a relatively discrete and processual view of management development may be contributing to the “failure” of development strategies and activities to meet organizational expectations during a time of radical change. Proposes a more holistic, relational perspective in which management development is reframed to take account of the wider contextual influences such as changing goals, tasks, technologies, cultures, structures, power and the “realities” of managerial work. In the reframed model, focuses on understanding the dynamics that exist between the process of developing managers and the organizational context in which development activities are located. This new perspective provides those responsible for development with a practical framework for intervention, action and organizational learning.

The Library Literacy Program, authorized by Title VI of the Library Services and Construction Act, provides financial assistance “to state and local public libraries for the purposes of supporting literacy programs.” The program was funded for the first time in fiscal year 1986 at $4,785,000.

From the point of view of reference service, the crucial fact about my desert island is that I am its sole human resident: I am therefore the sole potential recipient of any service I may manage to create, hence the sole subject of whatever user study seems called for. One Finding of the latter being, by the way, that I can meet my life‐survival needs simply by exploiting, thoughtlessly and effortlessly, my island's resources. Its climate is mild, it harbors nothing immediately or remotely dangerous to me, and it offers me a never failing and perfectly balanced diet.

From the point of view of reference service, the crucial fact about my desert island is that I am its sole human resident: I am therefore the sole potential recipient of any service I may manage to create, hence the sole subject of whatever user study seems called for. One finding of the latter being, by the way, that I can meet my life‐survival needs simply by exploiting, thoughtlessly and effortlessly, my island's resources. Its climate is mild, it harbors nothing immediately or remotely dangerous to me, and it offers me a never failing and perfectly balanced diet.