Although participatory methods are increasingly used in social care regulation, limited research examines how inspectors apply information from service users. This study addresses this gap through a case study of onsite interviews with children in residential care in Israel. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with inspectors and headquarters staff from Israel’s Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs. The analysis identified four approaches used by inspectors: assessing care quality against standards, advocating for children as a group, advocating for individual children, and empowering children to address their concerns. These approaches illustrate inspectors’ dual role as regulators and facilitators of participation, balancing oversight with a relational approach that shapes service users’ lives at a personal level. This multifaceted role reflects an evolving view of regulation that extends beyond oversight to include advocacy, protection, and empowerment, emphasising the balance inspectors maintain between regulatory duties and the well-being of service users in social care.

Fonio (Digitaria exilis (Kippist) Stapf) and Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) are native crops grown at a small scale in Mali that have potential to support agricultural productivity under climate change. A community biodiversity management approach was explored in this study as a means to reinforce the cultivation of these crops by increasing farmers' access to intraspecific diversity and developing capacities of community institutions for their management. The research involved six communities in Ségou and Sikasso regions. Multiple varieties of fonio (10–12) and Bambara groundnut (8–12) were established in diversity fields in each site over 2 years where farmers engaged in experiential learning over the crop cycle. Significant adoption of fonio and Bambara groundnut was detected in several study sites. The precise drivers of adoption cannot be definitively determined but likely include increased seed access and awareness gained through the diversity field fora, seed fairs and community seed banks. No significant yield advantage was detected for any of the varieties in the diversity fields, which showed variable performance by site and year. The number of varieties registered and managed by community seed banks in each site increased from 1–5 varieties of each crop to 11–12 varieties following the interventions. The number of Bambara groundnut varieties cultivated in farmers' fields also increased, while there was evidence of a slight decline in fonio diversity in some communities. The results of this study can inform efforts to strengthen seed systems and cultivation of neglected and underutilized species in Africa.