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We conducted a systematic review of studies reporting on the effectiveness of Circles of Support and Accountability (Circles). Circles use volunteers to provide support for sex offenders living in the community. We searched 10 databases up to the end of 2013 and identified 3 relevant outcome studies. An additional 12 papers or reports were identified by searching reference lists, Google, and contacting key authors and Circles providers to obtain unpublished data. These 15 studies comprised one randomized controlled trial, three retrospective cohorts with matched controls, and 11 case series. The majority reported measures of recidivism, particularly reconviction. The 4 studies with controls generally reported that participation in Circles was associated with lower recidivism although there were few statistically significant differences. Few studies examined changes in risk or psychosocial outcomes. A number of methodological issues are discussed. Longer term, prospective follow-up studies with control groups are required to address these issues.

AbstractUK water debt has increased rapidly and has become a significant management issue for most water companies, constraining investment in necessary environmental interventions. Debt is characterised as debt penetration (percentage of customers in debt) and debt intensity (average size of debt per indebted customer). Actual debt characteristics in a water company can be plotted by intensity and penetration to demonstrate performance differences between companies, changes over time and performance relative to national norms. Using the relationships between debt and deprivation, the expected debt performance can be plotted. Using the expected position as a benchmark, the company performance can be evaluated and the remedial strategies can be targeted (if required) towards reduction of frequency and size of debt. The distance between actual and expected values is used as a metric of the requirement for additional debt management investment. Examples of these debtor plots for a range of anonymous companies are presented.

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to promote the concept of organizational voluntarism, borrowed from political philosophy and to stimulate feedback and debate as to its efficacy in furthering the discourse on corporate responsibility.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines a range of current theories that address the issue of balancing organizational plurality and coherence. It identifies both shortfalls in current research and provides criteria for developing new theory in this area. The concept of organizational voluntarism is developed and these criteria used to test the robustness of the model and to explore future areas of research.FindingsThe criteria used to assess the voluntarism model are: the centrality of organizational plurality, the embeddedness of social relations and power in organization working, accounting for the motivations of managers to work this way; and the need for clear organizational benefits. Four potential cognitions are proposed that define a voluntaristic mindset.Research limitations/implicationsThe aim is only to develop the concept of voluntarism and promote debate about its value as an organizing principle in multi stakeholder settings.Practical implicationsThe paper offers a research proposition that managers who pursue voluntaristic behaviour will be influenced by cognitions that reflect plurality of interests, the value of personal interest, the need to "take" authority and who value political models of working in the reconciliation of competing interests.Originality/valueThe paper provides an additional perspective that can further the development of corporate responsibility by mediating the demands for corporate control and efficiency and the calls for greater inclusion.

Introduction -- The dynamics of retail store location -- GIS and models for retail planning and analysis -- Geodemographics and its role in retail marketing and location planning -- Model-based methods for store network planning -- Exploring retail demand: estimation methods and future drivers of change -- Measuring the attractiveness of retail stores or shopping centres -- Network optimisation -- Network reinvention -- E-retailing -- Big data analytics and retail location planning -- Conclusions

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effect intellectual capital (IC) has on firm performance of Australian companies.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative data are collected for Australian companies listed between 2004 and 2008. IC is measured using Pulic's value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) and its components (human, structural and capital employed efficiencies (HCE, SCE, CEE)). Direct and moderating relationships between VAIC, HCE, SCE, and CEE and four measures of performance are statistically analysed.FindingsThe results suggest that there is a direct relationship between VAIC and performance of Australian publicly listed firms, particularly with CEE and to a lesser extent with HCE. A positive relationship between HCE and SCE in the prior year and performance in the current year is also found. However evidence also suggests the possibility of an alternative moderating relationship between the IC components of HCE and SCE with physical and financial capital (CEE) which impacts on firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThere are some missing data and some transgression of the assumptions of OLS regression.Originality/valueThis paper presents the first study of the IC relationship with firm performance in Australia. Inconclusive results from prior studies in developing countries suggested the need for a study from a developed country such as Australia. The paper is also the first to investigate whether IC moderates the relationship between CEE and firm performance.

Purpose
Neuropsychologically informed rehabilitation (NIR) is one approach to supporting people with intellectual disabilities, cognitive impairment and challenging behaviour. This study aims to evaluate a five-day training course in NIR for staff working with adult male offenders with intellectual disabilities in a high secure hospital. The impacts on both the staff who undertook the training and the patients with challenging behaviour were explored.


Design/methodology/approach
Participants were psychology, nursing and day services staff and male patients. The staff completed a post-training questionnaire and three measures at pre-NIR training, post-NIR training and one-year follow-up. Patients completed four questionnaire measures within the same periods.


Findings
NIR training was positively evaluated by staff. Staff members' perceived efficacy in working with challenging behaviour significantly increased post-training which was maintained at follow-up. Thematic analysis showed that the training staff members built their confidence, knowledge and skills. Because of these being high to start with, the study could not evidence statistically significant changes in these. Thematic analysis yielded two main themes, namely, benefits and quality of training, each with their own subthemes. The impacts of the training on patients were difficult to assess related to various factors.


Research limitations/implications
The knowledge and confidence measures used were limited in scope with an experienced staff group and required development.


Practical implications
NIR training could assist staff in other secure and community settings in working with people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviours.


Originality/value
This study positively contributes to an area that requires more research.

As part of its strategy for more sustainable construction, the UK Government has been encouraging sector representative bodies and trade associations to develop sector sustainability strategies. A four-year research programme aimed at developing such a strategy for the precast concrete industry was therefore established by the British Precast Concrete Federation in 2004, in collaboration with the Department of Civil and Building Engineering at Loughborough University. In accordance with best practice, the research began with the identification and prioritisation of sustainability issues for the precast industry. A facilitated workshop with key practitioners from the industry identified a series of key business issues for the industry and demonstrated that sustainability was intrinsically linked to the profitability and competitiveness of the industry. A questionnaire survey was then conducted to verify and prioritise these issues across the wider industry. Whilst the survey verified the issues, priorities were found to vary between groups of companies as a result of them being in different phases of a corporate sustainability model. The research has enabled priorities for the precast sector sustainability strategy to be identified which will facilitate progress towards a more sustainable precast concrete industry in the UK.

Abstract. Background: Repetition of self-harm is common and is strongly associated with suicide. Despite this, there is limited research on high-volume repetition. Aim: To investigate individuals with high-volume repeat self-harm attendances to the emergency department (ED), including their patterns of attendance and mortality. Method: Data from the Multicentre Study of Self-Harm in England were used. High-volume repetition was defined as ⩾15 attendances within 4 years. An attendance timeline was constructed for each high-volume repeater (HVR) and the different patterns of attendance were explored using an executive sorting task and hierarchical cluster analysis. Results: A small proportion of self-harm patients are HVRs (0.6%) but they account for a large percentage of self-harm attendances (10%). In this study, the new methodological approach resulted in three types of attendance patterns. All of the HVRs had clusters of attendance and a greater proportion died from external causes compared with non-HVRs. Conclusion: The approach used in this study offers a new method for investigating this problem that could have both clinical and research benefits. The need for early intervention is highlighted by the large number of self-harm episodes per patient, the clustered nature of attendances, and the higher prevalence of death from external causes.

Governments have committed to conserving ≥17% of terrestrial and ≥10% of marine environments globally, especially "areas of particular importance for biodiversity" through "ecologically representative" Protected Area (PA) systems or other "area-based conservation measures", while individual countries have committed to conserve 3-50% of their land area. We estimate that PAs currently cover 14.6% of terrestrial and 2.8% of marine extent, but 59-68% of ecoregions, 77-78% of important sites for biodiversity, and 57% of 25,380 species have inadequate coverage. The existing 19.7 million km2 terrestrial PA network needs only 3.3 million km2 to be added to achieve 17% terrestrial coverage. However, it would require nearly doubling to achieve, cost-efficiently, coverage targets for all countries, ecoregions, important sites, and species. Poorer countries have the largest relative shortfalls. Such extensive and rapid expansion of formal PAs is unlikely to be achievable. Greater focus is therefore needed on alternative approaches, including community- and privately managed sites and other effective area-based conservation measures.