Multi-level governance of an intractable policy problem: migrants with irregular status in Europe

ABSTRACT

This article explores the responses of European local authorities to the public service needs of residents with irregular immigration status and the tensions with national governments to which this can give rise. Drawing on a study of responses by national and local tiers, including a mapping of national legal frameworks on entitlements to health care and education, it identifies factors that lead to divergence between local and national policy framing and responses. Finding that socio-economic and individual consequences of exclusion dominate in shaping local framing of policy responses in contrast to national government priorities, it explores the implications for modes of multi-level governance (MLG) on this issue. It expands on the concept in the literature of ‘decoupling’, contrasting relationships of overt conflict with low-visibility strategies of conflict avoidance; demonstrating the differing forms this ‘shadow politics’ of migrants’ rights and shadow provision of services can take, including arms-length provision through NGOs. Thus the dynamic of MLG is itself one part of explaining the nature of local responses to the challenges that migrants with irregular status can pose.     

Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults: A Review of Home and Community-Based Services Versus Institutional Care

Despite a shift from institutional services toward more home and community-based services (HCBS) for older adults who need long-term services and supports (LTSS), the effects of HCBS have yet to be adequately synthesized in the literature. This review of literature from 1995 to 2012 compares the outcome trajectories of older adults served through HCBS (including assisted living [AL]) and in nursing homes (NHs) for physical function, cognition, mental health, mortality, use of acute care, and associated harms (e.g., accidents, abuse, and neglect) and costs. NH and AL residents did not differ in physical function, cognition, mental health, and mortality outcomes. The differences in harms between HCBS recipients and NH residents were mixed. Evidence was insufficient for cost comparisons. More and better research is needed to draw robust conclusions about how the service setting influences the outcomes and costs of LTSS for older adults. Future research should address the numerous methodological challenges present in this field of research and should emphasize studies evaluating the effectiveness of HCBS.     

The journey effect: how travel affects the experiences of mental health in-patient service-users and their families

The qualitative study presented in this paper explored the perspectives of service-users, family members and staff about the impact of travel issues on the lives of mental health in-patients and carers. This topic was chosen because it was prioritised by members of Xplore, a service-user and carer research group, and has received little research attention. Travel problems were a significant issue for many service-users and carers, bound-up with mental health issues and the recovery experience. Travel facilitation through the funding of taxis and the provision of guides was appreciated. A few service-users and carers positively valued distancing from their previous home environment. The meaning of travel issues could only be understood in the context of individuals’ wider lives and relationships. The significance of the findings is discussed in relation to the social model of disability.     

Post Adoption Service Need and Use as Predictors of Adoption Dissolution: Findings From the 2012 National Adoptive Families Study

Data from the 2012 National Adoptive Families Study (NAFS) were used to examine the relationships between adoptive parents' need for and utilization of post-adoption services and adoption dissolution. NAFS was an online survey administered to adoptive parents (N = 437) who had adopted a child from the United States foster care system. The study found that needing and accessing post-adoption services predicted 26% of the variance in dissolution. Substance abuse treatment, educational advocacy, and parent support groups were the only significant predictors of adoption dissolution. Both needing and accessing substance abuse treatment increased the likelihood of adoption dissolution. Needing educational advocacy increased the likelihood of dissolution, but actually accessing it decreased the likelihood of dissolution. Accessing parent support groups similarly decreased the likelihood of dissolution. Policy and practice implications of the findings are discussed.     

Can service innovations be procured? An analysis of impacts and challenges in the procurement of innovation in social services

This paper addresses the challenges that arise when service innovations are being promoted through public procurement. The academic and policy debate on public procurement of innovation has recently been very vivid, but it has mostly focused on procurement of technologies and tangible goods while considerably less attention has been paid to public procurement of innovation in services. By drawing on conceptual tools from the literature on service innovation and public procurement of innovation, the paper examines an empirical case of procurement of social services for substance abusers carried out by the city of Helsinki, Finland. In particular, the article analyzes whether the characteristics of services and service innovation are compatible with processes and requirements of public procurement. The article shows that service innovations can be procured, but the features of services and service innovation such as intangibility, interactivity, and difficulty to measure the impacts of new services affect the procurement process and set particular requirements for it.     

Psychosocial Differences in Post-Institutionalized,Internationally Adopted Children and Other Groups of Children Referred for Clinical Services

Thousands of children are adopted into the United States each year, many of whom have spent a significant portion of their pre adoptive lives in an institutional setting. Post-institutionalized (PI) children adopted into the United States are often referred for mental health services at higher rates than other groups of children. There is a lack of research examining differences in clinically referred PI children and other groups. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in knowledge. Results from multiple analysis of covariance and follow-up pairwise contrast analyses found significant differences only between PI and domestic adoptees (DA). Specifically, DA exhibited poorer functioning in the areas of attention problems and social problems. Mean scores were above the 85th percentile for all indicators for all groups, indicating the severity of psychosocial problems for the sampled group of clinical referrals. More research is needed that compares the psychosocial problems of PI children to other adopted youth.     

新中国成立前后苏北区医疗卫生事业发展述略

新中国成立前后,苏北区作为省级行政单位,存在了3年多的时间。虽然时间不长,但在各方面都取得了辉煌的成就,为该地区以后各项事业的发展奠定了坚实的基础。本文尝试从医疗卫生事业方面入手,来展现苏北区所取得的伟大成就和所做出的历史贡献。     

Privatization of Public Services in Leipzig: A Balancing Act between Efficiency and Legitimacy

Since 1992, the budget deficits of larger German cities increased from less than one billion Euros to more than nine billion in 2005. The reasons for this fiscal collapse were a worsening economic situation partly caused by lower government revenue and higher costs of unemployment benefits. In order to reduce their deficits, the municipalities started privatizing and outsourcing large sectors of public administration. Leipzig rejected the path of privatization and became the pioneer in organizing large-scale municipal companies. This approach brought essential social benefits, most needed revenues, greater efficiency in delivering services and allowed the city to reduce almost by 50% the number of its administrative staff.     

清末民初邮政近代化中的官民之争——以镇江民信局与国家邮政的关系为中心的历史考查

镇江自1861年开埠通商,繁荣的贸易往来促进了民信局的发展兴盛。1896年大清镇江邮政官局设立,民信局因其民办性质始终与官邮对立。官办邮政对于民信局加以控制、排挤。民国期间镇江民信局经营日益萧条,屡接按期取缔之令,到1935年被正式取缔。民信局从被控制到取缔的过程,是国家邮政对邮权的统一过程。国家邮政与民信局争夺邮权,蕴含了在邮政近代化过程中的中央权力对地方权益的争夺。     

生产性服务FDI对制造业出口技术复杂度的影响研究

本文理论分析了生产性服务FDI对制造业出口技术复杂度的影响效应与机制,并基于中国省级行业层面数据系统检验生产性服务FDI对制造业出口技术复杂度的影响及其作用机制,结果发现:第一,生产性服务FDI主要通过间接效应提升中国制造业出口技术复杂度,总体效应取决于直接效应和间接效应的叠加,直接效应、间接效应及总体效应存在区域异质性;第二,动态分析表明东部地区生产性服务FDI稳定、持续的促进了制造业出口技术复杂度提升,中部地区在金融危机后生产性服务FDI主要通过间接效应提升制造业出口技术复杂度,金融危机后西部地区直接效应和间接效应均不明显;第三,作用机制检验表明,全国层面上生产性服务FDI主要通过技术创新和生产成本降低渠道提升制造业出口技术复杂度,服务创新渠道促进作用不显著,且生产性服务FDI促进制造业出口技术复杂度提升作用机制存在区域异质性。