Blogs & Feeds

Its Birmingham, UK - not Birmingham Alabama or Michigan

What strikes a policy maker from the UK coming to the Blueprints conference for the first time is that the US is undoubtably years ahead of the UK in terms of the scientific development of evidence-based programmes.

Two societies building peace

The history of political violence in Northern Ireland has little in common with conflict in the Basque country of northern Spain, but when it comes to deciding how to guarantee young people a peaceful future and what use to make of prevention programs, might Spain benefit from Ireland’s recent experience?

To Tooele, Utah, to see CtC in action

The population of Tooele puts on an impressive flagship display of Communities that Care – faithful to the last detail.

But what if communities really struggle to care?

Solid evidence base, inspirational trainers, excellent manuals and materials – it all makes me want know more about what happens when Communities that Care doesn’t work?

In Bristol I find the true SEAL

A trip to a Bristol primary school that has become a beacon of enthusiasm for the UK Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning program overturns some of my prejudices.

Swapping hats on the way to Salt Lake City

Somewhere in mid-Atlantic, I imagine what it will be like to stop being a trainer in the Dartington Common Language method, and, for a change, to be on the receiving end of another, older, well respected operating system: Communities That Care.

Well-being? Social justice? Fight!

I found the Nottingham meeting frustrating. It reminded me of a conference on violence prevention I attended years ago which ended in a fist fight between two of the presenters.

Back to school

Children in the UK and US are heading back to school this month. But what makes for a good school and a good teacher?

How might we put treatment for life-threatening violence on trial?

Fellow of the Centre for Social Policy at Dartington Michael Power describes an attempt to evaluate a treatment program for violent men in circumstances in which a randomized controlled trial was ethically impossible.

Twenty-one things I learned in Washington State

I recently participated on a study tour to Washington State with a group of policy makers, practitioners and investors in children from England, Ireland and the US. Each day I tried to summarize two or three lessons that might be helpful to me and to colleagues as we go about the task of improving outcomes for children.

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