There is global acknowledgement of the need to improve services for those experiencing mental illness, with learning disabilities or those who abuse substances (WHO, 2010). Government policy in the UK also outlines the importance of using resources efficiently, improving access to services and driving up quality (Darzi, 2009). Organisational transformation of this nature can create uncertainty, not only for those working within the service but those accessing services and wider stakeholder. This paper proposes that effective communication is a crucial ingredient of successful change and a tool that can be used in to support transitional change and those that may be affected but it. The paper describes the underpinning communication theories used by an NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom to develop an effective, inclusive communication strategy to support a service delivery innovation.

This article describes how health service transformation can be aided by using ‘practice development’ as a vehicle for change at times of economic uncertainty. It explores the importance of understanding the needs of individuals in the workforce when engaging in a process of development and emphasises the importance of equipping leaders with the tools to understand individual practitioner's capacity to engage in a process of development. A review of existing measurement tools summarised within the paper indicates a paucity of valid and reliable instruments to support leaders to identify individual support needs at time of transformation and change. The article therefore recommends the development of further tools to support leaders to understand and respond to the individual needs within the workforce at times of development and change.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and its Forensic Technology Center of Excellence (FTCoE) hosted the National Opioid and Emerging Drug Threats Policy and Practice Forum on July 18–19, 2019, in Washington, DC. The forum explored ways in which government agencies and programs, law enforcement officials, forensic laboratory personnel, medical examiners and coroners, researchers, and other experts can cooperate to respond to problems associated with drug abuse and misuse. Panelists from these stakeholder groups discussed ways to address concerns such as rapidly expanding crime laboratory caseloads; workforce shortages and resiliency programs; analytical challenges associated with fentanyl analogs and drug mixtures; laboratory quality control; surveillance systems to inform response; and policy related to stakeholder, research, and resource constraints. The NIJ Policy and Practice Forum built off the momentum of previous stakeholder meetings convened by NIJ and other agencies to discuss the consequences of this national epidemic, including the impact it has had on public safety, public health, and the criminal justice response. The forum discussed topics at a policy level and addressed best practices used across the forensic community.