In 1968, the humanitarian and development charity Oxfam asked a simple question: does aid work? What this meant in practice was that it appointed Bernard Llewellyn as its first Aid Appraiser. His conclusions were that roughly 50 percent of most aid work was wasted and ill-spent, too often on what he disparaged as ‘monuments to human folly’. That the organisation continued to support such initiatives he blamed on the ‘Oxfam bias’. There was always somebody to claim that aid worked. Llewellyn’s criticisms, and those who followed him, were acknowledged but the sector has been able to absorb them and move on. Indeed, a development studies literature has pointed to the self-perpetuating nature of aid work more generally: the ‘anti-politics machine’. One consequence has been that, if it is not known what works, then it is not known either what contribution charity has to the mixed economy of overseas welfare. That this has never been determined is not only a reflection of the ongoing disputes about the meaning of charity itself but also the reason for its subsequent growth.

This chapter describes the Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) and the mhGAP-Intervention Guide (mhGAP-IG) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), aimed at scaling up suicide prevention and management services to bridge unmet need.The mhGAP-IG is an evidence-based tool for mental disorders with structured and operationalised guidelines for clinical decision-making targeting non-specialist community and primary care workers in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

At the beginning of this book, we examined your own play memories and those of other people. We concluded that play really matters to children. But what do we really learn about children’s learning and development when we observe and analyse play? We begin this chapter by looking at a play memory of a 16-year-old boy whose parents used play to support their son in dealing with the arrival of his new baby sister.

Employment testing is routinely performed in South Africa today, but this was not always the case. Turning its back on its apartheid history of racial segregation and discrimination, South Africa has developed a progressive legal system to thwart bias and promote fairness in employment testing. This chapter explores employment-related testing in the public and private sectors, beginning with an overview of South Africa’s apartheid history, followed by a discussion of how the current legal system addresses fairness. A distinctive aspect of South African law is that preferential treatment, including lower cutoffs and within-group norming for protected groups, is not only mandated but also widely practised as the norm rather than the exception. Our review concludes that South Africa has enacted an extensive legal framework to promote equality and prevent unfair discrimination.

An epilogue assesses the impact of the antiwar movement. Both activists and scholars disagree over its significance. Despite common misperceptions of the movement by the public, antiwar activists generally represented mainstream American political values. While the movement did not stop the war by itself, it imposed real limits upon presidential decisions to escalate American military expansion. Movement activists overwhelmingly waged peace using the tools of democracy to align the nation’s practice with its most righteous vision.

Assessment of mental health problems in children and young people (CYP) is an essential skill that requires a curious mind, a good knowledge of the subject and an ability to be empathic. Assessment should be structured with attention given to the developmental nature of the presenting difficulties and their impact on functioning. Similarly, understanding the impact of the child’s immediate environment on their mental health and integrating information from various sources is an important skill to be mastered. A thorough mental state examination of a CYP complimented by relevant physical examination is an integral component of a good assessment and creatively engaging a CYP in this process is crucial. A knowledge of psychometric profiles of various assessment and outcome measurement tools and the ability to skillfully use them in the assessment process is also important. The strength of child psychiatric assessments lies in multidisciplinary working. Specialist assessments by other professionals are valuable in arriving at a diagnosis or a formulation. The skill to sensitively feed this back to the CYP and their family, and engaging them in the next steps will help in a successful outcome. Ultimately, a good assessment ensures that the CYP and their families get the right help, at the right time from the right people.

This chapter provides an overview of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in children and young people. The definition and classification of NDDs is discussed, including key differences between ICD-10 and ICD-11 and the problematic use of language in diagnostic classifications, which is at odds with the social model of disability. Important stages of a multidisciplinary assessment of NDDs include a detailed developmental history, a psychosocial history, observation of the child, an assessment of the child’s communication and learning and supplementary rating scales. The role of professionals such as Community Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, teachers and Educational Psychologists is highlighted. Features of the main NDDs are outlined, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Specific Disorders of Development and Language and Tic disorders. Finally, an overview of treatment approaches and their evidence base is explored.

The terms ‘curriculum’, ‘pedagogy’, ‘assessment’ and ‘reporting’ are often heard. Each of these terms has been interpreted in different ways and, throughout the history of formal education, one or another has been often at the forefront of educational thinking and practice. We consider that these four areas are inextricably interwoven and changes in policy or practice in one area influence each of the others. This chapter introduces some of the literature, research and practice to help develop an understanding of curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and reporting. We will discuss the interrelationship and alignment of these four areas, enabling reflection on how changes in each of these areas at a national, system or school level impact the day-to-day work of teachers.

The chapter will help you to be able to explain the structure of CBT as a whole, including the purpose of each stage of therapy, effectively structure a treatment session of CBT, so as to ensure the best possible experience for patients, and develop a strong therapeutic alliance with this process, based on active collaboration and genuine empathy, warmth and unconditional positive regard

Commercially run grade examinations and competitive music festivals, which tested learners’ attainment, were central to the consolidation of violin culture across Britain. Chapter 3 analyzes the string exams operated by three institutions, each of which targeted different socioeconomic groups. Bringing the College of Violinists – the first exam board to offer elementary string exams and the only one to guarantee string players would be assessed by specialists– into dialog with the more often discussed ABRSM and Society of Arts, the discussion evaluates exam requirements, candidate numbers, and success rates. At root, exams were tools for motivating students and supporting and shaping learning. Regional competition festivals offered additional opportunities for more advanced pupils’ performance to be assessed (in a public hall, as opposed to a private exam room) and, along with the exam boards, they contributed to the informal standardization of core repertoire. The chapter also surveys instructional materials, some of which were responses to the exam culture, and weighs students’ experiences of learning.

The chapter will help you to be able to explain the six key questions that are answered by a good formulation, consider the purpose of formulation in shaping assessments and intervention, and create effective and idiosyncratic formulations and treatment plans for your own patients