Prisoners are a critical source of prison regulation around the world, but regulation by (rather than of) prisoners remains little analysed. In this article, we utilise the 1990 riots at HMP Strangeways (England), as a case study of prisoners (re)shaping imprisonment. We examine prisoners\' roles in these riots and subsequent cross-sectoral regulatory activities. We innovatively use the four-phase process of translation from actor-network theory to guide document analysis of (1) Lord Woolf\'s official inquiry into the riots and (2) the voluntary organisation Prison Reform Trust\'s follow-up report. We explore how participatory approaches could inform prison regulation through (former) prisoners partnering with external regulators throughout the processes of identifying problems and solutions to establish broader alliances seeking social change.

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities and increased adversity and challenges for vulnerable and marginalised communities worldwide. In the UK, the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector play a vital role in supporting the health and wellbeing of people who are marginalised or experiencing multiple complex needs. However, only a small number of studies have focused on the impact that Covid-19 had on the VCSE sector.
METHODS: As part of a Health Inequalities Impact Assessment (HIIA), we conducted qualitative focus groups with staff and volunteers from five organisations to examine short, medium and longer-term impacts of Covid-19 upon the VCSE sector in Northern England. Nine online focus groups were conducted between March and July 2021.
RESULTS: Focus group transcripts were analysed using Framework Analysis and yielded three central themes: (1) exacerbation of pre-existing inequalities, adversity and challenges for vulnerable and marginalised populations; (2) the \'price\' of being flexible, innovative and agile for VCSE staff and volunteers; and (3) the voluntary sector as a \'lifeline\' - organisational pride and resilience.
CONCLUSIONS: While the voluntary sector \'adapted at pace\' to provide support during Covid-19 and in its continued aftermath, this resilience has potentially come at the cost of workforce and volunteer wellbeing, compounded by political obstacles and chronic shortage in funding and support. The VCSE sector has a vital role to play in the post-lockdown \'levelling up\' agenda. The expertise, capacity and resilience of VCSE organisations, and their ability to respond to Covid-19, should be celebrated, recognised and supported adequately to maintain its resilience. To not do so threatens the sector\'s sustainability and risks jeopardising attempts to involve the sector in addressing the social determinants of health.

The Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector offers services and leadership within the health and care system in England and has a specialist role in working with underserved, deprived communities. This evaluation aims to identify best practices in self-management support for those living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to develop a theory of change (TofC) through understanding the impact of VCSE organisations on diabetes management. An appreciative inquiry (AI) was carried out and co-delivered using qualitative interviews and an embedded analysis with VCSE partners. A voluntary service coordinated seven VCSE organisations who assisted with recruiting their service users and undertook interviews to identify the impact of existing activities and programmes. People living with T2DM were interviewed about services. Themes were as follows: (a) individual and group activities; (b) trusted services and relationships across the community; (c) long-term engagement; (d) sociocultural context of diet and nutritional choices; (e) experience of adaptation; and (f) culturally appropriate advice and independent VCSE organisations. The structured educational approach (DESMOND) for T2DM was accessed variably, despite these services being recommended by NICE guidelines as a standard intervention. The VCSE offered continuity and culturally appropriate services to more marginalised groups. This evaluation highlights the importance of targeted engagement with underserved communities, particularly where primary care services are more limited. The TofC is a unique insight into the impact of VCSE services, offering bespoke support to manage T2DM, suggesting areas for improvements in capacity and offering the capability to sustain the VCSE sector as an essential element of the T2DM care pathway in England.

We document community responses to the COVID-19 pandemic among Inuit living in the province of Manitoba, Canada. This study was conducted by the Manitoba Inuit Association and a Council of Inuit Elders, in partnership with researchers from the University of Manitoba. We present findings from 12 health services providers and decision-makers, collected in 2021.Although Public Health orders led to the closure of the Manitoba Inuit Association\'s doors to community events and drop-in activities, it also created opportunities for the creation of programming and events delivered virtually and through outreach. The pandemic exacerbated pre-existing health and social system\'s shortcomings (limited access to safe housing, food insecurity) and trauma-related tensions within the community. The Manitoba Inuit Association achieved unprecedented visibility with the provincial government, receiving bi-weekly reports of COVID-19 testing, results and vaccination rates for Inuit. We conclude that after over a decade of advocacy received with at best tepid enthusiasm by federal and provincial governments, the Manitoba Inuit Association was able effectively advocate for Inuit-centric programming, and respond to Inuit community\'s needs, bringing visibility to a community that had until then been largely invisible. Still, many programs have been fueled with COVID-19 funding, raising the issue of sustainability.

UNASSIGNED: Intermediate care (IC) was redesigned to manage more complex, older patients in the community, avoid admissions and facilitate earlier hospital discharge. The service was \'enhanced\' by employing GPs, pharmacists and the voluntary sector to be part of a daily interdisciplinary team meeting, working alongside social workers and community staff (the traditional model).
UNASSIGNED: A controlled before-and-after study, using mixed methods and a nested case study. Enhanced IC in one locality (Coastal) is compared with four other localities where IC was not enhanced until the following year (controls), using system-wide performance data (N = 4,048) together with ad hoc data collected on referral-type, staff inputs and patient experience (N = 72).
UNASSIGNED: Coastal showed statistically significant increase in EIC referrals to 11.6% (95%CI: 10.8%-12.4%), with a growing proportion from GPs (2.9%, 95%CI: 2.5%-3.3%); more people being cared for at home (10.5%, 95%CI: 9.8%-11.2%), shorter episode lengths (9.0 days, CI 95%: 7.6-10.4 days) and lower bed-day rates in ≥70 year-olds (0.17, 95%CI: 0.179-0.161). The nested case study showed medical, pharmacist and voluntary sector input into cases, a more holistic, coordinated service focused on patient priorities and reduced acute hospital admissions (5.5%).
UNASSIGNED: Enhancing IC through greater acute, primary care and voluntary sector integration can lead to more complex, older patients being managed in the community, with modest impacts on service efficiency, system activity, and notional costs off-set by perceived benefits.

UNASSIGNED: (1) To explore the relationship between loneliness and mental health in older people accessing interventions delivered through the voluntary sector. (2) To understand how these interventions can take account of mental health, discussing the relative strengths of a number of different one-to-one and group-based interventions.
UNASSIGNED: Qualitative case study of Age Better in Sheffield (ABiS), an initiative to address loneliness and isolation among older people (aged above 50). 37 beneficiaries of voluntary sector interventions participated in the study: 17 had accessed a one-to-one intervention and 20 had accessed group-based activities.
UNASSIGNED: One-to-one therapeutic interventions are beneficial when loneliness is associated with low psychological and emotional wellbeing stemming from trauma and other complex pre-existing issues that have left individuals unable to build social relationships and networks. One-to-one peer-to-peer interventions are beneficial for individuals whose loneliness is linked to low psychological and emotional wellbeing but for whom their issues are less complex. Group-based interventions are beneficial when loneliness is linked to social wellbeing and individuals want to build social networks and relationships and contribute to their community. Participants should be supported to access other forms of support if the benefits of the initial intervention are to be sustained.
UNASSIGNED: There is an interconnected relationship between loneliness and the emotional, psychological and social components of mental health that should be taken into account in the design of interventions. A range of one-to-one and group-based interventions are necessary to meet the varying needs and circumstances of older people experiencing loneliness. Public health commissioners should invest in an ecosystem of voluntary organisations providing different types of loneliness intervention if the epidemic of loneliness is to be addressed.

Loneliness is considered a global public health issue because of its detrimental impact on physical and mental health but little is known about which interventions can reduce loneliness. One potential intervention is social prescribing, where a link worker helps service-users to access appropriate support such as community activities and social groups. Some qualitative studies have identified that social prescribing may help to reduce service-users\' loneliness. Given this, the British Red Cross (a third sector organisation) developed and delivered a national social prescribing service in the United Kingdom to support people who were experiencing, or at risk of, loneliness. Service-users could receive up to 12 weeks of support from a link worker. A mixed methods study was conducted to understand the impact of the support on loneliness, and to identify the facilitators and barriers to service delivery. The study included: (a) analysis of quantitative data collected routinely between May 2017 and December 2019 (n = 10,643) including pre-post analysis of UCLA data (n = 2,250) and matched comparator work to measure changes in loneliness; (b) semi-structured interviews with service-users, link workers and volunteers (n = 60) and (c) a Social Return on Investment Analysis. The majority of the service-users (72.6%, n = 1634/2250) felt less lonely after receiving support. The mean change in UCLA score was -1.84 (95% CI -1.91 to -1.77) of a maximum change of 6.00 (decrease indicates an improvement). Additional benefits included improved wellbeing, increased confidence and life having more purpose. The base case analysis estimated a social return on investment of £3.42 per £1 invested in the service. Having skilled link workers and support tailored to individual needs appeared key. However, challenges included utilising volunteers, meeting some service-users\' needs in relation to signposting and sustaining improvements in loneliness. Nonetheless, the service appeared successful in supporting service-users experiencing loneliness.

Nurses in primary care are often the first point of access for those seeking health care, and it is well known that accessing health services can be difficult for some, especially those on a low income. A charity initiative has been developed in a low-income area in England to help such individuals, wherein volunteers help local residents to access local services and support. This study explores the experiences of service users in order to understand their perceptions and feelings about the service, using an instrumental case study method with semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were collected from six service users and transcribed by the researcher for subsequent thematic analysis. The participants\' experiences were characterised by reduced social isolation, reduced emotional distress, improved mobility and transport options, improved confidence and control over life, and effective management of memory issues. Various aspects of advocacy and empowerment were also observed. Further, the coping strategies used by the participants while facing the challenges of social isolation and ageing were highlighted. The findings provide important insight into the support needs of populations on low income, the ways in which they access healthcare and how the volunteer service can best support them.

Integrating voluntary sector organizations (VSOs) into complex health and social care provision is a priority in global healthcare policy. However, realization of these policy aspirations in practice is limited, as VSOs struggle to collaborate with health and social care professionals, or influence the wider healthcare system, undermining their potential involvement in care provision. This paper aims to increase understandings of how the policy implementation gap could be addressed, by asking: how do new workforce roles support VSO involvement in delivering integrated care? Drawing on 40 interviews with VSO workers, healthcare commissioners, and healthcare professionals, conducted over 18 months in the English NHS, we outline how workforce capacity development through the introduction of coordinating roles, coupled with increasing regulatory control of VSO involvement, resulted in enhanced VSO integration in service provision. However, we also warn against the potential for exploitation of VSOs whereby they become replacements for health and social care provision, rather than a complementary service within an integrated team, resulting in patient harm. Our findings have important implications for policy makers, practitioners, VSO leaders and healthcare commissioners. We conclude that policy realization is dependent on the development of coordinating roles, coupled with levels of regulation which protect against exploitation without becoming normatively restrictive, thereby losing the important flexibility of VSOs.

In an increasingly competitive context, attracting and retaining the best employees are a real preoccupation and a big challenge for organizations. Online recruitment (OR) is a growing trend, and corporate websites are an important instrument for talent attraction, but academic research on this topic is still scarce, especially in the voluntary sector. To shed light on the topic, this study examines and compares the 100 best companies to work for, published by Fortune, and the 100 largest charities, reported by Forbes. The comparative study focuses the attention and quantifies the web section devoted to careers, concretely information related to goods practices affecting the workers well-being. The results indicated, as essential in the OR process of charities, to understand the relevance of their web content because that affects the intentions of potential applicants. The work concludes that benchmarking efforts can be helpful for increasing the charities\' attractiveness in the labor market in the near future.