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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to assess the implementation of the Welsh Network of Healthy School Schemes (WNHSS) at national, local and school levels, using a systems approach drawing on the Ottawa Charter. Design/methodology/approach -The approach takes the form of a single-case study using data from a documentary analysis, interviews with Healthy Schools Co-ordinators (n ¼ 23) and stakeholder (n , 93) discussion of interim findings at three regional workshops. Findings -There was almost universal adherence to a national framework based on Ottawa Charter principles. Substantial progress had been made with advocacy and mediation, although the framework provided less specific guidance regarding enablement. All-Wales training for co-ordinators, the commitment of co-ordinators to working across administrative and professional boundaries, and support from local education and health partnerships, were important determinants of healthy school schemes' growth and efficiency. Primary schools were more successful than secondary schools in embedding health-related changes. Research limitations/implications -Although findings are largely based on indirect evidence, the use of a social-ecological model of evaluation provided valuable insights into implementation processes at multiple levels. Findings suggest that strong national support benefits programme development and dissemination and should include effective monitoring of local performance. The national strategic environment was influential at all levels of programme implementation. Priorities for further research include application of the social-ecological model and organisational theory to investigate indicators of sustainability and influences on inequalities in health in school health promotion programmes. Originality/value -The review illustrates the importance of evaluating health promotion programmes at multiple levels using a systems approach.

This article discusses some new ways in which social work research can explore the interaction between neighbourhoods and child and adult wellbeing. The authors note that social work practices are often criticised for taking an individualistic approach and paying too little attention to the service user’s environment. The article uses examples of research projects from Chile, the United States of America and Wales, to discuss the use of spatially oriented research methods for understanding neighbourhood factors. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches that are particularly appropriate for investigating social work relevant topics are discussed in turn, including quantitative and qualitative uses for geographical information systems (GIS), hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) for analysing spatially clustered data and qualitative mobile interviews. The article continues with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of using spatially orientated research designs in social work research settings and concludes optimistically with suggestions for future directions in this area.

A multilevel analysis of cross‐sectional data from a survey involving 1941 pupils (in grades 10 and 11) and policy indicators developed from interviews with staff from 45 secondary schools in Wales examined the hypotheses that pupil smoking prevalence would be associated with: restrictive staff and pupil smoking policies; dissemination of school smoking policies; and implementation of smoking policies in the context of a health promoting whole school environment. The only statistically significant association found was that pupils attending schools that did not disseminate pupil smoking policy in a written document had a greater tendency (OR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.13–4.10) to smoke daily on school premises than those who attended schools that disseminated policy through a written document. This association was not significant (p < 0.05) when pupil level covariates were included. Further research is required to identify the effectiveness and optimal content, enforcement and support of school smoking policies.