evidence summary

Commissioning in health, education and social care: models, research bibliography and in-depth review of joint commissioning between health and social care agencies

The way that public services are organised and work has changed considerably over the last 25 years. One of the main changes has been to divide the function of public agencies into service purchasers which ‘commission’ or ‘purchase’ services on behalf of the public and service providers which provide the services. This change has been introduced across all public sectors in many different countries. The broad aim of this research was to identify research evidence on ‘commissioning’ or ‘public service purchasing’ in education, health and/or social welfare in the UK and other countries.

An equal start: improving outcomes in children's centres - the evidence review

Evidence review that identifies the most important outcomes children’s centres should be striving for in order to give all children positive early-years experiences.

It draws together the best academic evidence, the views of practitioners and parents, and the work that government continues to take forward around the early years. It recognises the value of many of the existing national and local frameworks.

Culture change in the public sector (IRISS Insights, No. 17)

Evidence review that focuses on the topic of organisational culture change in the public sector. It examines definitions and approaches to organisational culture and how they relate to the public sector; the type of change that identifies as cultural; what the enablers are to culture change; and describes some of the challenges to changing cultures in the public sector.

Dementia: autonomy and decision-making. Putting principles into practice. Research summary and recommendations for policy and practice

This project drew on the experiences of over 100 carers (family members, partners, friends, volunteers) who have taken on the role of proxy decision-maker for someone with dementia. I wish to thank them all for their invaluable contributions to informing both the practical guide to making decisions and this report.

Getting it Right for Play: the power of play - an evidence base summary

Short summary of a detailed literature review, the Power of Play: an evidence base. It presents a strong body of evidence and expert opinion demonstrating the crucial role of play, especially outdoor play, in children’s enjoyment of their childhood, their health and their development. It also discusses the importance of creating spaces and opportunities where children can play freely in their local neighbourhoods.

Fuel poverty evidence review: defining, measuring and analysing fuel poverty in Scotland

Report that examines issues around the nature and measurement of fuel poverty in Scotland. It draws on data from the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) which has been the official source of descriptive statistics on fuel poverty since 1996, as well as information from the wider evidence base, including the John Hills Fuel Poverty Review 2011‐12 undertaken for England and Wales.

Pregnancy and motherhood

This page contains the findings of systematic reviews undertaken by the EPPI-Centre Health Promotion and Public Health Reviews Reviews Facility. This review provides information about teenage pregnancy; smoking in pregnancy; midwifery and motherhood. This topic is included in the EPPI-Centre knowledge library. The Knowledge Pages facility enables users to search for the key messages within specific subject areas to which EPPI-Centre reviews have contributed.

Practitioner research in social services: A literature review (summary)

Summary of a literature review undertaken to establish the context for practitioner research and its impact on practice through identifying practitioner research carried out in a social services context. The review formed part of an evaluation into the initiative taken by Children 1st and the Glasgow School of Social Work to develop a practitioner research programme. The evaluation was commissioned by the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS) with funding from the Scottish Government's Changing Lives Fund.