Louise Brown | University of Bath (original) (raw)
Papers by Louise Brown
British Journal of Social Work, 2013
With unprecedented numbers of people living longer and with higher expectations of how they will ... more With unprecedented numbers of people living longer and with higher expectations of how they will live out their last years, the management of end-of-life services is being brought into sharper focus. Current models of end-of-life care have originated from the hospice and palliative care movement whose expertise, developed largely with cancer patients is now being looked to for guidance in developing end of life practice for non-cancer dying patients. This paper challenges the social work profession to consider whether the hospice and palliative care model needs to be rethought ; argues that social work is well positioned to help develop a more adequate model of care; and recommends a social model that builds upon the resources and networks already surrounding individuals. The social work profession is well placed to draw upon its values, culture and experience (particularly from the service user movement) and to get involved in developing new models of end of life care. This paper argues the benefits of community engagement through network mobilisation.
Handbook of Innovation in Public Services
The quality of public services is critically influenced by innovation and, ultimately, by advance... more The quality of public services is critically influenced by innovation and, ultimately, by advances in basic research, which however embeds the feature of a global public good. Two broad issues emerge. The first concerns the evaluation of the socioeconomic impact of science. What are the benefits and spillovers that R&D investments, research infrastructures and big science can bring to society? The second concerns which type of institutions and policies are most suitable for supporting R&D activities. These topics discussed in this article represent the core of the special issue "Innovation and Public Services: from the lab to enterprises and citizens" ARTICLE HISTORY
Public Management Review, 2013
The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with p... more The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sublicensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
Télescope: Revue d’analyse comparée en administration publique, 2013
Cet article étudie l’importante question des risques engendrés par les processus d’innovation dan... more Cet article étudie l’importante question des risques engendrés par les processus d’innovation dans les services publics. On y propose l’idée que les politiques publiques actuelles offrent peu d’orientation aux gestionnaires de services sur la façon de prendre en compte de tels risques, se résumant à mentionner que « c’est important ». Lorsqu’elles existent, les approches de prise en charge des risques et de l’innovation dans les services publics sont invariablement focalisées sur des optiques actuarielles ou concernées par les questions de santé et de sécurité, et ont pour objectif de minimiser ou d’éliminer les risques. Or les risques sont inhérents aux processus d’innovation et il est essentiel d’adopter une nouvelle approche qui reconnaît la nécessité des risques dans les innovations efficaces et qui s’engage de manière plus globale avec les intervenants afin de déterminer les niveaux de risque acceptables comparativement aux bienfaits potentiels pour les services publics d’une i...
To ensure delivery of public health, research is needed on the impact of social, economic, enviro... more To ensure delivery of public health, research is needed on the impact of social, economic, environmental and service-related influences on population health and well-being. This paper reports on a study of the current level of medical and non-medical academic public health R&D capacity, capability and concerns in England. A web-based quantitative survey ascertained details of staff, postgraduate students and research activity in university departments of public health and a sample of wider public health academic and non-academic institutions. In addition, a qualitative survey of selected institutions used focus groups and semi-structured telephone interviews. Although there had been an increase in staffing over the previous decade, the academic workforce was predominantly female and young. Several major deficits in capabilities were uncovered including: lack of secure funding and critical mass to build programmes of work; lack of depth and expertise in academic departments; lack of career pathways; lack of structured training funding; and a need to improve CPD. Concerns were: teaching and research balance; recruitment and retention; identity; conflict between RAE, NHS and multidisciplinary working; medical versus non-medical differentials; and sustainability. A number of recommendations are made but it is recognized that a paradigm shift is required to change the current situation of Public Health research, and that this is unlikely to be initiated from within the current academic structure.
Australia. The rationale for this research is a desire to 'promote the uptake of innovations... more Australia. The rationale for this research is a desire to 'promote the uptake of innovations that have been shown to be effective, to delay the spread of those that have not yet been shown to be effective, and to prevent the uptake of ineffective innovations' (Haines & Jones 1994:1488). The paper begins by locating the project broadly within the child and family welfare arena before providing a brief outline of diffusion of innovation theory and the rationale for using it in the research design. It concludes with a discussion about some of the challenges faced. Australian child and family welfare Since settlement Australia has had a mixed model of welfare provision with government and non- government agencies being both providers and funders of social services. More recently the operational relationships between funders and providers have diversified, and membership of these categories has broadened to include business and quasi-government bodies. The provision and deliver...
Disability & Society, 2002
ABSTRACT Since 1997, Local Authorities have had the discretionary power to pay cash directly to d... more ABSTRACT Since 1997, Local Authorities have had the discretionary power to pay cash directly to disabled adults up to the age of 65 and assessed as needing social service support. More recently, the scope of Direct Payments has been widened to include people aged over 65 ...
Policy Studies, 2006
... Journal of Interprofessional Care , 15(4): 319–27. ... View all notes. as cost advantages ste... more ... Journal of Interprofessional Care , 15(4): 319–27. ... View all notes. as cost advantages stemming from 'learning by doing' or accumulated experience (see Besanko & Braeutigam, 20054. Besanko, D. and Braeutigam, RR 2005 ... Microeconomics , Second Edition, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley ...
British Journal of Social Work, 2010
Abstract Risk is a central component of innovation and innovation is seen as essential to the imp... more Abstract Risk is a central component of innovation and innovation is seen as essential to the improvement of public services. The UK government clearly believe that unless public sector services engage with the innovation agenda and find ways to incorporate innovation into ...
Social Policy and Society, 2007
The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the promotion and use of innovation as a mean... more The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the promotion and use of innovation as a means of improving public services. Rafts of central government initiatives exist to promote, support and learn from innovative activity. This paper examines the adoption of a ...
Child & Family Social Work, 2003
A decade has passed since family group conferences were initially introduced into the UK by Famil... more A decade has passed since family group conferences were initially introduced into the UK by Family Rights Group. Ten years on, this paper examines the extent to which family group conferences have developed and become embedded into current social work practice. Despite the initial interest by social work practitioners and the picture often painted of a growing radical movement, the degree to which family group conferencing has become part of mainstream practice has until now remained fairly anecdotal. A number of difficulties have been identified with implementing the model, including fitting it into an existing system and the challenge it poses to professionals to hand over power. Two surveys, the first undertaken in 1999 and the second in 2001, describe the current use of the model in the UK by Councils with Social Services Responsibilities (Councils). The surveys reveal the areas of practice within which family group conferences are being used, the size and capacity of projects and why some Councils have adopted the model whilst others remain hesitant. It concludes by considering why family group conferences remain on the margins of practice.
Health & Social Care in the …, 2003
Although it is perceived wisdom that joint working must be beneficial, there is, even at this sta... more Although it is perceived wisdom that joint working must be beneficial, there is, even at this stage, little evidence to support that notion. The present study is an evaluation of two integrated co-located health and social care teams which were established in a rural county to meet the needs of older people and their carers. This study does identify that patients from the ‘integrated teams’ may self-refer more and are assessed more quickly. This might indicate that the ‘one-stop shop’ approach is having an impact on the process of service delivery. The findings also suggest that, in the integrated teams, the initial stages of the process of seeking help and being assessed for a service may have improved through better communication, understanding and exchange of information amongst different professional groups. However, the degree of ‘integration’ seen within these co-located health and social care teams does not appear to be sufficiently well developed to have had an impact upon the clinical outcomes for the patients/service users. It appears unlikely from the available evidence that measures such as co-location go far enough to produce changes in outcomes for older people. If the Department of Health wishes to see benefits in process progress to benefits to service users, then more major structural changes will be required. The process of changing organisational structures can be enhanced where there is evidence that such changes will produce better outcomes. At present, this evidence does not exist, although the present study does suggest that benefits might be forthcoming if greater integration can be achieved. Nevertheless, until the social services and National Health Service trusts develop more efficient and compatible information systems, it will be impossible to evaluate what impact any further steps towards integration might have on older people without significant external resources.
Health & Social Care in the …, 2003
Although it is perceived wisdom that joint working must be beneficial, there is, even at this sta... more Although it is perceived wisdom that joint working must be beneficial, there is, even at this stage, little evidence to support that notion. The present study is an evaluation of two integrated co-located health and social care teams which were established in a rural county to meet the needs of older people and their carers. This study does identify that patients from the ‘integrated teams’ may self-refer more and are assessed more quickly. This might indicate that the ‘one-stop shop’ approach is having an impact on the process of service delivery. The findings also suggest that, in the integrated teams, the initial stages of the process of seeking help and being assessed for a service may have improved through better communication, understanding and exchange of information amongst different professional groups. However, the degree of ‘integration’ seen within these co-located health and social care teams does not appear to be sufficiently well developed to have had an impact upon the clinical outcomes for the patients/service users. It appears unlikely from the available evidence that measures such as co-location go far enough to produce changes in outcomes for older people. If the Department of Health wishes to see benefits in process progress to benefits to service users, then more major structural changes will be required. The process of changing organisational structures can be enhanced where there is evidence that such changes will produce better outcomes. At present, this evidence does not exist, although the present study does suggest that benefits might be forthcoming if greater integration can be achieved. Nevertheless, until the social services and National Health Service trusts develop more efficient and compatible information systems, it will be impossible to evaluate what impact any further steps towards integration might have on older people without significant external resources.
Disability & Society, 2002
ABSTRACT Since 1997, Local Authorities have had the discretionary power to pay cash directly to d... more ABSTRACT Since 1997, Local Authorities have had the discretionary power to pay cash directly to disabled adults up to the age of 65 and assessed as needing social service support. More recently, the scope of Direct Payments has been widened to include people aged over 65 ...
British Journal of Social Work, 2013
With unprecedented numbers of people living longer and with higher expectations of how they will ... more With unprecedented numbers of people living longer and with higher expectations of how they will live out their last years, the management of end-of-life services is being brought into sharper focus. Current models of end-of-life care have originated from the hospice and palliative care movement whose expertise, developed largely with cancer patients is now being looked to for guidance in developing end of life practice for non-cancer dying patients. This paper challenges the social work profession to consider whether the hospice and palliative care model needs to be rethought ; argues that social work is well positioned to help develop a more adequate model of care; and recommends a social model that builds upon the resources and networks already surrounding individuals. The social work profession is well placed to draw upon its values, culture and experience (particularly from the service user movement) and to get involved in developing new models of end of life care. This paper argues the benefits of community engagement through network mobilisation.
Handbook of Innovation in Public Services
The quality of public services is critically influenced by innovation and, ultimately, by advance... more The quality of public services is critically influenced by innovation and, ultimately, by advances in basic research, which however embeds the feature of a global public good. Two broad issues emerge. The first concerns the evaluation of the socioeconomic impact of science. What are the benefits and spillovers that R&D investments, research infrastructures and big science can bring to society? The second concerns which type of institutions and policies are most suitable for supporting R&D activities. These topics discussed in this article represent the core of the special issue "Innovation and Public Services: from the lab to enterprises and citizens" ARTICLE HISTORY
Public Management Review, 2013
The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with p... more The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sublicensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden.
Télescope: Revue d’analyse comparée en administration publique, 2013
Cet article étudie l’importante question des risques engendrés par les processus d’innovation dan... more Cet article étudie l’importante question des risques engendrés par les processus d’innovation dans les services publics. On y propose l’idée que les politiques publiques actuelles offrent peu d’orientation aux gestionnaires de services sur la façon de prendre en compte de tels risques, se résumant à mentionner que « c’est important ». Lorsqu’elles existent, les approches de prise en charge des risques et de l’innovation dans les services publics sont invariablement focalisées sur des optiques actuarielles ou concernées par les questions de santé et de sécurité, et ont pour objectif de minimiser ou d’éliminer les risques. Or les risques sont inhérents aux processus d’innovation et il est essentiel d’adopter une nouvelle approche qui reconnaît la nécessité des risques dans les innovations efficaces et qui s’engage de manière plus globale avec les intervenants afin de déterminer les niveaux de risque acceptables comparativement aux bienfaits potentiels pour les services publics d’une i...
To ensure delivery of public health, research is needed on the impact of social, economic, enviro... more To ensure delivery of public health, research is needed on the impact of social, economic, environmental and service-related influences on population health and well-being. This paper reports on a study of the current level of medical and non-medical academic public health R&D capacity, capability and concerns in England. A web-based quantitative survey ascertained details of staff, postgraduate students and research activity in university departments of public health and a sample of wider public health academic and non-academic institutions. In addition, a qualitative survey of selected institutions used focus groups and semi-structured telephone interviews. Although there had been an increase in staffing over the previous decade, the academic workforce was predominantly female and young. Several major deficits in capabilities were uncovered including: lack of secure funding and critical mass to build programmes of work; lack of depth and expertise in academic departments; lack of career pathways; lack of structured training funding; and a need to improve CPD. Concerns were: teaching and research balance; recruitment and retention; identity; conflict between RAE, NHS and multidisciplinary working; medical versus non-medical differentials; and sustainability. A number of recommendations are made but it is recognized that a paradigm shift is required to change the current situation of Public Health research, and that this is unlikely to be initiated from within the current academic structure.
Australia. The rationale for this research is a desire to 'promote the uptake of innovations... more Australia. The rationale for this research is a desire to 'promote the uptake of innovations that have been shown to be effective, to delay the spread of those that have not yet been shown to be effective, and to prevent the uptake of ineffective innovations' (Haines & Jones 1994:1488). The paper begins by locating the project broadly within the child and family welfare arena before providing a brief outline of diffusion of innovation theory and the rationale for using it in the research design. It concludes with a discussion about some of the challenges faced. Australian child and family welfare Since settlement Australia has had a mixed model of welfare provision with government and non- government agencies being both providers and funders of social services. More recently the operational relationships between funders and providers have diversified, and membership of these categories has broadened to include business and quasi-government bodies. The provision and deliver...
Disability & Society, 2002
ABSTRACT Since 1997, Local Authorities have had the discretionary power to pay cash directly to d... more ABSTRACT Since 1997, Local Authorities have had the discretionary power to pay cash directly to disabled adults up to the age of 65 and assessed as needing social service support. More recently, the scope of Direct Payments has been widened to include people aged over 65 ...
Policy Studies, 2006
... Journal of Interprofessional Care , 15(4): 319–27. ... View all notes. as cost advantages ste... more ... Journal of Interprofessional Care , 15(4): 319–27. ... View all notes. as cost advantages stemming from 'learning by doing' or accumulated experience (see Besanko & Braeutigam, 20054. Besanko, D. and Braeutigam, RR 2005 ... Microeconomics , Second Edition, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley ...
British Journal of Social Work, 2010
Abstract Risk is a central component of innovation and innovation is seen as essential to the imp... more Abstract Risk is a central component of innovation and innovation is seen as essential to the improvement of public services. The UK government clearly believe that unless public sector services engage with the innovation agenda and find ways to incorporate innovation into ...
Social Policy and Society, 2007
The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the promotion and use of innovation as a mean... more The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the promotion and use of innovation as a means of improving public services. Rafts of central government initiatives exist to promote, support and learn from innovative activity. This paper examines the adoption of a ...
Child & Family Social Work, 2003
A decade has passed since family group conferences were initially introduced into the UK by Famil... more A decade has passed since family group conferences were initially introduced into the UK by Family Rights Group. Ten years on, this paper examines the extent to which family group conferences have developed and become embedded into current social work practice. Despite the initial interest by social work practitioners and the picture often painted of a growing radical movement, the degree to which family group conferencing has become part of mainstream practice has until now remained fairly anecdotal. A number of difficulties have been identified with implementing the model, including fitting it into an existing system and the challenge it poses to professionals to hand over power. Two surveys, the first undertaken in 1999 and the second in 2001, describe the current use of the model in the UK by Councils with Social Services Responsibilities (Councils). The surveys reveal the areas of practice within which family group conferences are being used, the size and capacity of projects and why some Councils have adopted the model whilst others remain hesitant. It concludes by considering why family group conferences remain on the margins of practice.
Health & Social Care in the …, 2003
Although it is perceived wisdom that joint working must be beneficial, there is, even at this sta... more Although it is perceived wisdom that joint working must be beneficial, there is, even at this stage, little evidence to support that notion. The present study is an evaluation of two integrated co-located health and social care teams which were established in a rural county to meet the needs of older people and their carers. This study does identify that patients from the ‘integrated teams’ may self-refer more and are assessed more quickly. This might indicate that the ‘one-stop shop’ approach is having an impact on the process of service delivery. The findings also suggest that, in the integrated teams, the initial stages of the process of seeking help and being assessed for a service may have improved through better communication, understanding and exchange of information amongst different professional groups. However, the degree of ‘integration’ seen within these co-located health and social care teams does not appear to be sufficiently well developed to have had an impact upon the clinical outcomes for the patients/service users. It appears unlikely from the available evidence that measures such as co-location go far enough to produce changes in outcomes for older people. If the Department of Health wishes to see benefits in process progress to benefits to service users, then more major structural changes will be required. The process of changing organisational structures can be enhanced where there is evidence that such changes will produce better outcomes. At present, this evidence does not exist, although the present study does suggest that benefits might be forthcoming if greater integration can be achieved. Nevertheless, until the social services and National Health Service trusts develop more efficient and compatible information systems, it will be impossible to evaluate what impact any further steps towards integration might have on older people without significant external resources.
Health & Social Care in the …, 2003
Although it is perceived wisdom that joint working must be beneficial, there is, even at this sta... more Although it is perceived wisdom that joint working must be beneficial, there is, even at this stage, little evidence to support that notion. The present study is an evaluation of two integrated co-located health and social care teams which were established in a rural county to meet the needs of older people and their carers. This study does identify that patients from the ‘integrated teams’ may self-refer more and are assessed more quickly. This might indicate that the ‘one-stop shop’ approach is having an impact on the process of service delivery. The findings also suggest that, in the integrated teams, the initial stages of the process of seeking help and being assessed for a service may have improved through better communication, understanding and exchange of information amongst different professional groups. However, the degree of ‘integration’ seen within these co-located health and social care teams does not appear to be sufficiently well developed to have had an impact upon the clinical outcomes for the patients/service users. It appears unlikely from the available evidence that measures such as co-location go far enough to produce changes in outcomes for older people. If the Department of Health wishes to see benefits in process progress to benefits to service users, then more major structural changes will be required. The process of changing organisational structures can be enhanced where there is evidence that such changes will produce better outcomes. At present, this evidence does not exist, although the present study does suggest that benefits might be forthcoming if greater integration can be achieved. Nevertheless, until the social services and National Health Service trusts develop more efficient and compatible information systems, it will be impossible to evaluate what impact any further steps towards integration might have on older people without significant external resources.
Disability & Society, 2002
ABSTRACT Since 1997, Local Authorities have had the discretionary power to pay cash directly to d... more ABSTRACT Since 1997, Local Authorities have had the discretionary power to pay cash directly to disabled adults up to the age of 65 and assessed as needing social service support. More recently, the scope of Direct Payments has been widened to include people aged over 65 ...