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Short breaks enable unpaid carers to have a life alongside caring, supporting their physical and emotional well-being. In the UK, short breaks are usually explored during a Carers Assessment. The conversations underpinning these assessments require considerable skill and presently there are few tools to support the exploration of short break needs, desired outcomes and options. Images are used in other conversations to enhance communication, help people consider options and broaden thinking. This study aims to explore whether and how stakeholders thought images might support short break conversations.

To improve access to meaningful short breaks, we need to be guided by the insights of unpaid carers, those they support, practitioners, commissioners and policymakers. We hosted two online involvement events, designed to facilitate the exchange of perspectives and ideas amongst diverse stakeholders. The events explored the acceptability, facilitators and challenges of using images to enhance unpaid carer short break conversations.

The online events were attended by 47 short break stakeholders. These stakeholders saw merit in using images to support short break conversations. They identified several facilitators and challenges to introducing images into practice. The paper highlights how this learning can inform future research and practice development.

Supporting the well-being of older unpaid carers is a pertinent concern as the number of older unpaid carers continues to grow. This paper reports on how stakeholders have informed the earliest stages of practice and research development in a relevant area and provides a model of involvement that others can emulate.

Considerable literature exists on the nature of yield management (YM) and capacity strategies. One strategy for maximizing revenue yield, rooms or supplementary spend is the provision of short breaks. Short breaks in the UK are widely recognized as a growth market. However, little literature exists on the supply or strategic dimensions of the market. Provides an overview of the supply dimension of UK short break markets, focusing on hotel operations. Examining the short break activities of 20 hotel companies in the UK, through personal interviews with key marketing executives, draws comparisons in performance between the use of various short break strategies. Explores the apparent impact of such strategies relative to supplementary spend and market segments, and draws conclusions as to how short break markets can be actively employed as a capacity management tool.

There is a growing policy impetus to promote carer well-being through the provision of personalised short breaks. However, understanding of what makes for a successful personalised short break is limited. This paper aims to identify key evidence gaps and considers how these could be addressed.

A scoping review mapping the evidence base relevant to respite and short breaks for carers for older people, including those living with dementia, was completed. National and international literature published from 2000 onwards was reviewed. The scoping review focused on well-being outcomes, identified by previous research, as being important to carers.

Most studies investigating the outcomes of short breaks for carers supporting older people focus on traditional day and residential respite care. Although there have been developments in more personalised break options for carers, research exploring their impact is scarce. There is limited knowledge about how these personalised breaks might support carers to realise important outcomes, including carer health and well-being; a life alongside caring; positive caregiving relationships; choices in caring; and satisfaction in caring. Three priority lines of inquiry to shape a future research agenda are identified: understanding what matters – evidencing personalised short break needs and intended outcomes; capturing what matters – outcomes from personalised short breaks; and commissioning, delivering and scaling up personalised short breaks provision to reflect what matters.

This paper contributes to the development of an outcome-focused research agenda on personalised short breaks.

This paper examines the changes in the length of commercial property leases over the last decade and presents an analysis of the consequent investment and occupational pricing implications for commercial property investments. It is argued that the pricing implications of a short lease to an investor are contingent upon the expected costs of the letting termination to the investor, the probability that the letting will be terminated and the volatility of rental values. The paper examines the key factors influencing these variables and presents a framework for incorporating their effects into pricing models. Approaches to their valuation derived from option pricing are critically assessed. Simulation methododology is applied to the rental and capital valuations of short leases and properties with break clauses. It is concluded that in addition to the rigour of its internal logic, the success of any methodology is predicated upon the accuracy of the inputs.

Through primary research based on interviews with key executives in 20 of the largest hotel groups operating in the UK short‐break market, presents the case that in the UK short‐break market complexity is deliberately being managed to enhance rewards for hotel groups and that this protects market share by raising supplier complexity and gains additional market share through lowering complexity for the consumer. Argues that the key element in managing complexity is the use of supply‐and demand‐side technology, and that as the technology develops further the concept of managing complexity as opposed to simply minimizing or adapting to it will become more widespread. Contends that such developments have key implications for the future structure of the UK short‐break market and indeed other hospitality‐based markets of the future.

Short breaks are one important segment of the overall tourism market. They provide a distinct market sector with, it appears, special competitive strategies. While the growth and value of this market sector is undisputed, little attention has been paid to the strategic nature of short break provision, or the potential of movement in strategic space. Using data gathered from personal interviews and applying the concept of strategic group clusters and strategic space, explores strategy and performance differences of companies operating in the UK short break market. Examines correlation between structural variables of market scope, company size; and sources of competitive advantage in relation to prime strategies adopted. Draws conclusions with regard to shifts in strategic space for performance enhancement, and potential future market developments.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the city break travel decision, and in particular, to develop a decision making model that reflects the characteristics of this type of trip taking.

The research follows a sequential mixed methods approach consisting of two phases. Phase One involves a quantitative survey of 1,000 visitors to Dublin. The research distinguishes and compares city break and non‐city break visitor cohorts. Phase Two entails a qualitative analysis (involving 40 in‐depth interviews) that specifically examines the decision making behavior of city break visitors.

The research shows city break trips to be relatively inexpensive, uncomplicated, and discretionary in nature. The city break travel decision emerges from quite distinct motives where situational factors proved particularly influential. The decision process mostly entailed low involvement / limited problem solving behavior with strong internet usage evident throughout.

The findings show that many traditional decision making models have problems incorporating contemporary travel decisions such as city breaks. This is because such models generally fail to recognize a non‐systematic approach to decision making, where travelers do not necessarily undertake the process in distinctive stages, and where emotional elements are as relevant as functional ones. This study supports the need for a range of models that are reflective of the differences that exist in travel decision making – models that can distinguish the specific nuances and characteristics of particular decision situations.

There has been a steady increase in the number of children diagnosed as having an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Consequently, demand for services to meet the needs of these children and their families has increased. Northamptonshire County Council's approach to addressing the needs of this group has been through the development of multi‐agency services united by a common approach: the TEACCH model. This paper outlines developments in the area of the provision of short‐term breaks. This approach has been considered successful by parents, service users and external audit. Factors that have been helpful in providing services are discussed, as are areas requiring further development.

The introduction of more flexible lease terms within the structure of commercial leases in the UK generates a number of challenging issues for investors, occupiers and their advisers. This emerging structural change requires a new approach to the management and pricing of commercial real estate. This paper examines the factors underpinning the desire for greater corporate agility, including business planning and risk management; globalisation; and existing and proposed changes to accountancy standards. In addition, the paper considers innovation in the supply of space and the substance of space contracts. It is the contention of this research that it is possible for all parties to derive equal utility from greater flexibility by matching occupier and investor requirements. However, any attempt to price the risk reallocation rationally must encapsulate the likelihood of experiencing greater income volatility as well as the probability of a break clause being exercised or, more specifically, the risk of experiencing costs associated with voids and re‐letting.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the changing nature of commercial leases with specific reference to the landlord and tenant relationship, lease lengths and incentivisation in the post-recessionary UK property market.

The research applies data analysis utilising the Estates Gazette Interactive database coupled with survey analysis conducted across three UK cities to investigate and compare the changing nature of the commercial property leasing market and the landlord and tenant relationship.

The empirical analysis highlights that recessionary conditions prevalent in the market from the 2007 global crisis has caused a reassessment of lease structures, leading to shorter lease terms and increased use of incentives, as tenants have been empowered to negotiate more flexible leases due to their stronger market position.

This paper builds upon previous research conducted back in 2005, investigating commercial leases in the market up-cycle. The recent volatility in the commercial property sector requires fresh insights and in-depth analysis of lease patterns, length and covenant strength, which is fundamental for investor decision-making. In addition, past research has tended to consider solely landlord or occupier perspectives, whereas this research offers new insight into the landlord–tenant lease negotiation process.