This book explores the link between the ‘corridors of power’ where healthcare policy is made and the hospital, health center or clinic where it is carried out. It encourages and empowers readers to make changes in the public’s involvement at a local level and explains how this impacts positively on organizational culture. A user-friendly book written in a light and easy-to-read style, it combines theoretical arguments with tried and tested practical applications and features contributions from a wide range of experienced professionals. This is essential reading for every member of the healthcare team. It will be of particular interest to patient and public involvement leads as well as patient advice and liaison service workers, healthcare policy makers and shapers, students and patient groups.

Patient and public involvement in health and social care has become a key element of government policy, and the need to listen and act on the views of patients and the public is an increasingly integral part of the planning and delivery of healthcare. This new edition has been completely revised and updated, providing practical information on the new responsibilities under clinical governance and Health Improvement Programmes, including useful website links and contact details. It offers clear and straightforward practical advice and provides an introduction to the new structures and processes being set up to enable patients and the public to be more influential in designing and delivering healthcare services. This book is essential reading for all healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses and therapists, and those with management responsibilities, as well as policy shapers and patient organisations.

Service users are increasingly involved in health and social care research, this edited collection provides examples of research methods with service users along a continuum of involvement as participants through to service user-led research.

It is imperative that an auditor effectively guides an organization through a process of meeting ISO 9000 compliance requirements. However, real value can be added to the process if the auditor establishes a program that also focuses on overall performance relative to the objectives being met for registration. This book introduces a radical new approach that teaches the auditor how to add value, deliver business benefits and become a partner with the organization's management team. This book offers a proven effective questioning technique, structured around key business processes and linked to the requirements of the Standard. It will guide the auditor through a system that significantly contributes to achieving the organization's objective of not only compliance but more importantly, an improved process approach that has inherent long term benefits. With the 2000 update of ISO 9000, auditing has changed radically. With previous versions, the approach concentrated on compliance to specific and individual requirements, independently of how the system really contributed to achieving the organization's objectives. Auditors are now required to establish that the systems they are auditing have been based on these principles, one of which is the process approach. From five fundamental questions, a series of questions is derived for several business processes that will reveal the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance with ISO 9001:2000. At the same time, the strength of the organizations processes to achieve their objectives is tested. Quality management principles are explained to show how they can be used to establish that the organization's management system is soundly based. The current auditing approaches are evaluated to show the fundamental weaknesses relative to how audits are planned, conducted and reported. Radical new approach that focuses on performance relative to objectives Allows auditors to focus on the real purpose Provides an effective questioning technique

Written from the authors′ experience in conflict intervention in their private consulting practice, Engaging Communication in Conflict uses a communication perspective to address insights and methods in private mediation, small group facilitation, system design, large-scale interventions, and public-issue management. This book offers encouragement for a world sometimes overwhelmed by conflict and presents an expanded and pragmatic definition of peace. Authors Stephen Littlejohn and Kathy Domenici discuss numerous methods and principles in conflict resolution. They explore transformative mediation, the team mediation system, assessment and evaluation, systemic design, gaming methodology, issue framing and public deliberation, study circles, dialogue groups, and many other interventions. These methods and principles are adapted from a spectrum of theory and practice and include fresh and innovative approaches designed by the authors and their colleagues. The book is based on a coherent theoretical orientation, drawing heavily from the theories of the coordinated management of meaning, system theory, social constructionism, and transformative discourse. While these theories are detailed in the Appendix, the book is highly pragmatic in orientation, with numerous case examples and "how-to" information.

The management of organizational resources is extremely difficult. Managers face serious and complex challenges when managing the required resources for the benefit of their organization. This book presents a unique approach that aims to tackle these management challenges. This approach is based on four propositions that together form a solid frame

Social enterprises - real businesses that trade for a social purpose - are a growing phenomena with an increasing role to play in society, but there is widespread confusion and controversy over the definition of the term. This exciting book includes nearly forty interviews with the most influential and experienced social enterprise practitioners, supporters, thinkers and policy makers. In their own words, they discuss their organisations, values and world-changing goals, providing fresh clarity and understanding on the real value of social enterprises. Jargon-free, the book delivers a lively and clear introduction as to what social enterprises are, how they can change individual lives and, by challenging assumptions, may even offer new directions for the future of capitalism. It is a unique guide for aspiring practitioners, students, researchers and public sector staff.