Roger Bullock

First published in 1998, this volume focuses on increasingly important aspects of research activity by analysing the various development and dissemination projects undertaken at Dartington during the last 15 years, setting out the evidence for their success or failure and then suggesting a strategy for others who may wish to develop their work by similar means. It introduces researchers to the language of information design, designers to some of the complexities of scientific research and looks forward to a research climate in which new knowledge and new practice spring from the same solid theoretical ground. Methods of disseminating the findings of social care research have changed radically in recent years, but little is known about the effects of the process on policy and practice. Professionals may have access to more information but do they understand it? Do they use it? Does it affect their practice?

First published in 1998, this volume recognises that, despite the plethora of benign welfare approaches to troubled and troublesome adolescents, a small proportion find themselves locked up. Who are they, why is it thought necessary to contain them and what effect does it have? This Dartington study tries to answer these questions by scrutinising the lives of 204 young people admitted to long-stay secure treatment units. It charts their experiences from their point of entry until two years after they leave. It also looks at equally difficult youngsters whose behaviour is dealt with in other ways. With such a varied group, it is difficult to be categorical about the value of security but, by employing a 'career' perspective that takes account of the interaction between life routes and process, the relationship between young people’s background characteristics, treatment and subsequent experience becomes clear. In fact, the research found considerable predictability amid the apparent chaos, a feature that should help practitioners and managers to fashion more effective approaches.

This book was originally published in 1998, when over 6,000 children lived in residential homes in England and Wales. The fact that some children's homes are better than others is well established, but why should this be so? Past answers have tended to be tautologous - rather on the lines of 'a good home is one where children do well; children do well because they are in a good home.' This study examines various aspects of children's homes and explores the connections between them in an attempt to break down the old circular argument. Structures are discernible in the relationship between different types of goals - societal, formal and belief; the variable balance between these goals determines staff cultures, which, in turn, shape the child cultures that develop. Such relationships are important because of their close association with outcomes - whether the children do well, whether the homes prosper. The model described in the book provides a conceptual framework and a set of causal relationships that should help professionals to plan and manage residential care better and so meet the needs of vulnerable children more effectively.

First published in 1998, this Darlington child care study looks at the return experiences of children looked after by local authorities. It shows that although the great majority of children go back to their families and home communities, little is known about the process. How can professionals and carers make the transition as easy as possible? The book takes forward ideas first reported in the Dartmouth publication, going home: The return of children separated from their families and tested in subsequent research. It charts patterns of separation and return, considers the experiences of those involved and highlights factors associated with the likelihood of return and its success. Because the factors described in the earlier research have since been confirmed in a blind prospective study they are among the most robust indicators available.

First published in 1998, this volume recognises that, despite the plethora of benign welfare approaches to troubled and troublesome adolescents, a small proportion find themselves locked up. Who are they, why is it thought necessary to contain them and what effect does it have? This Dartington study tries to answer these questions by scrutinising the lives of 204 young people admitted to long-stay secure treatment units. It charts their experiences from their point of entry until two years after they leave. It also looks at equally difficult youngsters whose behaviour is dealt with in other ways. With such a varied group, it is difficult to be categorical about the value of security but, by employing a 'career' perspective that takes account of the interaction between life routes and process, the relationship between young people’s background characteristics, treatment and subsequent experience becomes clear. In fact, the research found considerable predictability amid the apparent chaos, a feature that should help practitioners and managers to fashion more effective approaches.

This book was originally published in 1998, when over 6,000 children lived in residential homes in England and Wales. The fact that some children's homes are better than others is well established, but why should this be so? Past answers have tended to be tautologous - rather on the lines of 'a good home is one where children do well; children do well because they are in a good home.' This study examines various aspects of children's homes and explores the connections between them in an attempt to break down the old circular argument. Structures are discernible in the relationship between different types of goals - societal, formal and belief; the variable balance between these goals determines staff cultures, which, in turn, shape the child cultures that develop. Such relationships are important because of their close association with outcomes - whether the children do well, whether the homes prosper. The model described in the book provides a conceptual framework and a set of causal relationships that should help professionals to plan and manage residential care better and so meet the needs of vulnerable children more effectively.

First published in 1998, this Darlington child care study looks at the return experiences of children looked after by local authorities. It shows that although the great majority of children go back to their families and home communities, little is known about the process. How can professionals and carers make the transition as easy as possible? The book takes forward ideas first reported in the Dartmouth publication, going home: The return of children separated from their families and tested in subsequent research. It charts patterns of separation and return, considers the experiences of those involved and highlights factors associated with the likelihood of return and its success. Because the factors described in the earlier research have since been confirmed in a blind prospective study they are among the most robust indicators available.

This book reviews research evidence, drawing on a study of residential services in Wales and a literature review of US and UK findings, and identifies the significant elements that will lead to a successful strategy for residential child care across the UK.

Tailoring mental illness drug treatments specifically for elderly people has been a neglected area. This book brings together findings from recent multi-disciplinary research and the practical aspects of old age psychiatry. By taking into account the perspectives of the patient and their family, the neuropathologist, the pharmacist, the nurse, the GP, and the specialist, Practical Old Age Psychopharmacology provides a sympathetic analysis of contemporary practice and offers guidelines for the future. Providing the only comprehensive overview of the topic the editors delve into the important role of psychotropic drugs and the management of mental illness in the elderly, how these drugs should be used and how a truly personal approach to patient care can be maintained. To provide a practical focus on specific clinical topics, individual chapters can be used independently This book is an invaluable reference for old age psychiatrists, psychiatrists in training, hospital and community mental health nurses, geriatricians, general practitioners, and pharmaceutical company staff. Clinical psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and health care managers will also find it beneficial as a complement to their own work.