scholarly journals Getting service at the constituency office: Analyzing citizens’ encounters with their Member of Parliament

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 551-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Hofstetter ◽  
Elizabeth Stokoe
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Office Staff ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Institutional Service ◽  
Telephone Calls ◽  
Member Of Parliament ◽  
Ordinary Citizens

Abstract In this paper, we present an analysis of how constituents procure services at the constituency office of a Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom. This paper will investigate how several previously documented interactional practices (e.g. entitlement) combine at the constituency office in a way that secures service. From a corpus of 12.5 hours of interaction, and using conversation analysis, we examine constituents’ telephone calls and meetings with constituency office staff and the MP, identifying practices constituents use. First, constituents opened encounters with bids to tell narratives. Second, constituents presented lengthy and detailed descriptions of their difficulties. These descriptions gave space to manage issues of legitimacy and entitlement, while simultaneously recruiting assistance. Third, we examine ways in which constituents display uncertainty about how the institution of the constituency office functions, and what services are available. The paper offers original insights into how constituency services are provided, and how constituency offices give access and support to ordinary citizens, while expanding the conversation analytic literature on institutional service provision.

scholarly journals Can humans simulate talking like other humans? Comparing simulated clients to real customers in service inquiries

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-109
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Stokoe ◽  
Rein Ove Sikveland ◽  
Saul Albert ◽  
Magnus Hamann ◽  
William Housley
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Conversation Analysis ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Conversational Agents ◽  
Call Duration ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Mystery Shoppers ◽  
Qualitative Analyses

How authentic are inquiry calls made by simulated clients, or ‘mystery shoppers’, to service organizations, when compared to real callers? We analysed 48 simulated and 63 real inquiry calls to different veterinary practices in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The data were transcribed for conversation analysis, as well as coded for a variety of call categories including reason for the call, call outcome and turn design features. Analysis revealed systematic differences between real and simulated calls in terms of (1) reasons for the call, call outcome and call duration and (2) how callers refer to their pets in service requests and follow-up questions about their animal. Our qualitative analyses were supported with statistical summaries and tests. The findings reveal the limitations of mystery shopper methodology for the assessment of service provision. We also discuss the implications of the findings for the use of simulated encounters and the development of conversational agents.

scholarly journals Facilitating integrated delivery of services across organisational boundaries: Essential enablers to integration

2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 302-309
Author(s):  
Stephanie Best
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Leadership Communication ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Integration Of Services ◽  
Integrated Delivery

Introduction Integrating services is a key tenet to developing services across the United Kingdom. While many aspects of integration have been explored, how to facilitate integration of services remains unclear. Method An exploratory qualitative study was undertaken in 2015 to explore occupational therapists’ perceptions on integrating service provision across health and social care organisational boundaries. The views of practitioners who had experienced integration were sought on a range of aspects of integrating services. This paper focuses on the facilitators for delivering integration and the essential enablers are identified. Findings Numerous factors were noted to facilitate integration and three essential enablers were highlighted. Leadership, communication and joint education were recognised as playing a central role in integrating services across organisational boundaries; without these three essential enablers, integration is liable to fail. Conclusion Integration is a process rather than an event; continued emphasis will be required on leadership, communication and joint education to progress integration achievements made to date.

scholarly journals Care revolutions in the making? A comparison of cash-for-care programmes in four European countries

2006 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
VIRPI TIMONEN ◽  
JANET CONVERY ◽  
SUZANNE CAHILL
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Formal Service ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Efficiency Cost ◽  
Source Of Care ◽  
Care Regimes

This article describes and evaluates cash-for-care programmes for older people in four European countries, namely Home-Care Grants in Ireland, Direct Payments in the United Kingdom (England), Service Vouchers in Finland and Personal Budgets in The Netherlands. The purpose is to raise understanding of the background and reasons for the introduction of cash-for-care programmes and their impact on the countries' care regimes. It is argued that while the motives for introducing cash-for-care programmes in the four countries are similar, namely to promote choice and autonomy, to plug gaps in existing provision, to create jobs, and to promote efficiency, cost savings and domiciliary care, the relative importance of these goals varies. Current cash-for-care programmes have comparatively modest coverage as compared with direct service provision and provide no more than an optional, supplementary source of care in three of the studied countries. Cash-for-care schemes have not radically transformed the care regimes in Finland, The Netherlands or the United Kingdom. In Ireland, however, the restricted availability of alternative forms of formal service provision means that the expansion of cash-for-care might shift care provision significantly towards private provision and financing.

scholarly journals The Role of Primary Care in Service Provision for People with Severe Mental Illness in the United Kingdom

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. e36468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siobhan Reilly ◽  
Claire Planner ◽  
Mark Hann ◽  
David Reeves ◽  
Irwin Nazareth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Severe Mental Illness ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
The United Kingdom
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