Mentoring: Can you get too much of a ‘good thing’? Proposing enhancements to the ‘effectiveness framework’ the England and Wales Prison and Probation Service

Opt-in, open-ended mentoring for people with convictions, allowing them to dip in and out of services without sanction arguably offers a service configuration to match the paradigm of the zig-zag, nomadic desistance journey. Balancing supporting individual’s agency while avoiding fostering dependency is tricky. What are the conditions which support the former and avoid the latter? We aim to answer this question by drawing on the lived experience of mentees and mentors collected during the evaluation of a mentoring scheme in England. We consider whether mentoring is unequivocally a ‘good thing’. Despite its ubiquity, the evidence for its effectiveness is mixed. We suggest that it is possible to get too much mentoring, and advance the evidence base in the United Kingdom and internationally in other jurisdictions by proposing enhancements to the ‘effectiveness framework’ set out by the prison and probation service in England and Wales.

Establishing a clinical service to prevent psychosis: What, how and when? Systematic review

The first rate-limiting step to successfully translate prevention of psychosis in to clinical practice is to establish specialised Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) services. This study systematises the knowledge regarding CHR-P services and provides guidelines for translational implementation. We conducted a PRISMA/MOOSE-compliant (PROSPERO-CRD42020163640) systematic review of Web of Science to identify studies until 4/05/2020 reporting on CHR-P service configuration, outreach strategy and referrals, service user characteristics, interventions, and outcomes. Fifty-six studies (1998–2020) were included, encompassing 51 distinct CHR-P services across 15 countries and a catchment area of 17,252,666 people. Most services (80.4%) consisted of integrated multidisciplinary teams taking care of CHR-P and other patients. Outreach encompassed active (up to 97.6%) or passive (up to 63.4%) approaches: referrals came mostly (90%) from healthcare agencies. CHR-P individuals were more frequently males (57.2%). Most (70.6%) services accepted individuals aged 12–35 years, typically assessed with the CAARMS/SIPS (83.7%). Baseline comorbid mental conditions were reported in two-third (69.5%) of cases, and unemployment in one third (36.6%). Most services provided up to 2-years (72.4%), of clinical monitoring (100%), psychoeducation (81.1%), psychosocial support (73%), family interventions (73%), individual (67.6%) and group (18.9%) psychotherapy, physical health interventions (37.8%), antipsychotics (87.1%), antidepressants (74.2%), anxiolytics (51.6%), and mood stabilisers (38.7%). Outcomes were more frequently ascertained clinically (93.0%) and included: persistence of symptoms/comorbidities (67.4%), transition to psychosis (53.5%), and functional status (48.8%). We provide ten practical recommendations for implementation of CHR-P services. Health service knowledge summarised by the current study will facilitate translational efforts for implementation of CHR-P services worldwide.

A moderated mediating mechanism of omnichannel customer experiences

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to create a well-integrated and unified customer experience anytime, anywhere, through any channel is the leading objective of omnichannel retailers. Scholars advocate the crucial role of channel integration quality (CIQ)–specifically its components of channel-service configuration and integrated interactions–in formulating the customer experience, which in turn determines their patronage intention. However, a dearth of research exists on the dynamic nature of this particular mechanism. The potential mediating and moderating effects of customer empowerment and Internet usage have hardly been considered at all in the context of omnichannel retailing. These research gaps will be addressed in this study.Design/methodology/approachBased on a data set of 312 omnichannel customers, the partial least square–structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the hypothesised relationships.FindingsThe results reveal the dynamic mechanism in which channel-service configuration and integrated interactions are the key factors that not only directly enable omnichannel retailers to deliver customers with a seamless shopping experience but also empower customers to shape their own consumption experiences. The findings also demonstrate the contingency role of consumers' Internet usage in such a dynamic mechanism. Finally, the notion that a strong customer experience increases their intention for patronage is supported by the empirical evidence.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by quantitatively examining the moderated mediating mechanism of forming customer experience and its subsequent patronage behaviour in the context of omnichannel retailers.

Legal needs of adults with life-limiting illness: what are they and how are they managed? A qualitative multiagency stakeholder exercise

ObjectiveLittle is known about legal needs in the context of life-limiting illness, particularly the need for advice concerning legal arrangements, rights and entitlements. This UK-based multiagency stakeholder engagement exercise scoped legal needs associated with life-limiting illness and identified support structures, gaps and opportunities for practice improvement.Method and analysisSnowball sampling generated a stakeholder group from a wide range of regional and national organisations involved in care of people with life-limiting illness, spanning health, social care, legal support, advice, charities, prison services as well as patient and carer representatives. A coproduced survey of three open questions generated qualitative data, interpreted by thematic analysis.ResultsStakeholders reported a broad spectrum of problems and needs raising legal issues, with no consistency of definition. A classification is proposed, identifying matters concerning rights and entitlements of patients/carers in day-to-day life and decisions around care, both immediate and in the future, as well as professional responsibilities in delivering personalised care. The support structures identified were predominantly online literature, although there was some availability of remote and face-to-face services. Limited awareness of the issues, variable service configuration, fragmentation of care and inequitable access were identified as barriers to support. Stakeholders recognised the need for education and closer multiagency working.Conclusions‘Legal needs’ incorporate wide-ranging issues, but there is inconsistency in perceptions among stakeholders. Practice is variable, risking unmet need. Opportunities for improvement include more formal integration of social welfare legal services in the health context, generating clearer pathways for assessment and management.

Novel Algorithm for Service Composition and QOS Enhancements in Composite Computing Services

The swift progress in the computing set up by providing services has caused the sudden increase in the amount of the services that are operationally similar. The dissimilarity in such services are observed based on the characteristics standards of their service quality. Consequently a thought-provoking issue in the perspective of the service-configuration is based on the choosing the accurate client services according to the user demands for which the acquired compound services guarantees the non-computational demands on the ground of comprehensive service quality constraints. The procedure carried out in the paper presents the novel algorithm for the service composition/configuration for enhancing the quality of service of the compound /composite computing services. The algorithm focusses in improve the service configuration feasibility and optimality and minimize the configuration time. The algorithm is totally based on the limits in the configuration strategies that relies on the Pareto-Dominance and the quality of service decomposition (PD-QOSD). The quantity of the service arrangements is expected to increase according to the service count and quality of service characteristics in case of PD and whereas the QOSD takes care of the feasibility of the arrangements during the high restrictions imposed by users on the constraints of the comprehensive quality of service. The validation outcomes prove that the novel algorithm developed function efficiently on the basis of the time required for composition, the optimality, as well as the search space.