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Know your choices: plan your support

Ten tips to help older people with high support needs make informed choices and plan their support.
Older people who need support are often offered a very narrow range of choices, and are rarely given good information about the many possibilities. This leaflet is about a range of options that care professionals may know little about. Document published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in December 2013. Summary and full report available.

Evidence exchange: learning from social policy across the UK

Report that considers evidence from a survey of almost 500 policy makers and practitioners on how evidence is currently used, demand for more and better evidence and levels of interest in learning more from their counterparts in other parts of the UK.

The recent move to establish a series of thematic What Works Centres, including one in Scotland in 2014, offers a rare opportunity to improve the quality of evidence available.

Being human: a human rights based approach to health and social care in Scotland

Explores human rights in the context of health and social care with intention of stimulating discussion and adding to the existing body of work on this agenda. The report highlights highlight the significant work done by the Independent Living Movement who have led much of this discourse. Human rights have also been a key tenet of the mental health user movement and of both the learning disability and dementia agendas.

Exploring the relationships between evidence and innovation in the context of Scotland’s social services

Report that uses theoretical, empirical and practice literatures and case studies to reflect on the links between evidence and innovation in the context of Scotland's social services. It bridges two of the core work streams at The Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS); evidence-informed practice and innovation and improvement.

Housing (Scotland) Bill

An Act of the Scottish Parliament to make provision about housing, including provision about the abolition of the right to buy, social housing, the law affecting private housing, the regulation of letting agents and the licensing of sites for mobile homes.

Listen, learn, act: harnessing the power of personal stories to drive service improvement

Guidance that: outlines the benefits of person-centred story-gathering; explores the skills required to gather personal stories; considers legal and ethical issues associated with NHS story-gathering; highlights the principles of good governance that must underpin such work; shares best practice; supports staff to ensure that the information shared by patients, their carers and colleagues; and produces positive results, both for the service and for the individuals involved.

Story sharing guidance: a guide to inform the process of sharing personal experiences related to mental health and recovery

Guide that aims to support and inform those wishing to assist others to share a personal narrative, as well as providing guidance for those considering sharing their own personal narrative.

It does not attempt to address issues raised by the therapeutic uses of storytelling.

Modelling social care complexity: the potential of System Dynamics

Review that introduces one approach to modelling and simulation, System Dynamics, which can bring potential benefits and insights. Examples of its use in the health sector are cited, and its possible relevance to social care discussed.

The review introduces some generic building blocks for representing populations, services, human resources, and finance, and outlines a possible methodology, group model building, as an approach that uses simulation to enhance thinking and learning.