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The purpose of this paper, a “thought piece”, is to consider the everyday realities of homebased working and the implications for work during a global pandemic and beyond.

The authors present a conceptual framework for considering the domestic sphere as a social space and apply this framework to consider the existing evidence base on homebased working. In particular, the authors consider the implications of homebased working during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of gender.

The authors identify key challenges in relation to flexibility, work intensification and socio-economic differences. Consideration of these areas highlights the potential pitfalls and challenges that are likely to persist as many organisations begin to plan for an increase in homebased working.

The authors argue that some commentators have been too quick to celebrate the apparent successes of the sudden, unplanned move to intensive homebased working. Important differences in occupation, gender and other socio-economic factors will have important implications for the experience of homebased working for many workers and their co-residents.

This research paper generates new insights into the challenges of implementation in women’s enterprise policy. It argues that organisations involved in policy implementation need to be understood as operating in a context of institutional pluralism and answers: How do organisations involved in the implementation of women’s enterprise policy manage the challenges of institutional pluralism?

Addressing the need for women’s enterprise policy to learn from the past, the research adopts a historical approach to the study of policy implementation through examination of the UK’s Phoenix Development Fund (1999–2008). It analyses a wide range of secondary sources to examine 34 projects funded and supported by the Phoenix Development Fund that targeted women entrepreneurs.

Potentially conflicting institutional logics associated with central government, mainstream business support and local communities were managed through four key processes: dominance; integration; constellation and bridging. The management of institutional pluralism was effective in delivering support to communities but not in providing an effective platform for learning in government or establishing sustainable, long-term mechanisms.

The paper develops an empirical contribution to practice through identification of processes to manage the challenges of institutional pluralism and lessons for community-engaged policy implementation. A theoretical contribution to academic debates is provided by the conceptualisation of these challenges in terms of institutional pluralism and the novel concept of institutional bridging. The study also demonstrates the value of historical methods for women’s enterprise policy to learn the lessons of the past.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of an evidence-based training and support course for caregivers of children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in New Zealand, and a brief evaluation undertaken. The seven-week caregiver training course takes an empowerment and advocacy orientation, and the aim is to assist caregivers who are caring for children with, or suspected to have FASD, develop greater resilience and strategies to help their families live successfully with impairments in a disabling society.

A total of 13 parents and caregivers received a seven times two-hour weekly group programme of talks, exercises and case study discussions focused on the following objectives: an increased knowledge of FASD; an increased knowledge of successful strategies and interventions that can be used to help families; and having an opportunity to foster strong peer-support relationships with others who share the lived experience of FASD. A brief interview-based evaluation was undertaken to ascertain caregivers’ views of the course, its benefits and limitations.

Caregivers valued both the content and process of the training course. They highlighted that strength of the training was the delivery by experienced, professionally trained caregivers of children with FASD. They valued the opportunity to spend time with peers in similar circumstances who understood the challenges of parenting a child with FASD.

A short evidence-based specialist training course for parents and caregivers with an empowerment and peer-support orientation is beneficial to parenting children with FASD.