social policy
The purpose of this review is to summarize policy research findings in the area of maternal prenatal substance abuse to (1) inform and advance this field, (2) identify future research needs, (3) inform policy making and (4) identify implications for policy. As a review, this is a systematic analysis of existing data (findings) on maternal drug use during pregnancy for determining the best policy among the alternatives for dealing with drug using mothers and their children.
This episode of Radio 4's Woman's Hour series looks at what support is available for people released on appeal and why is it often less than if the accused had been found guilty. In December 2003 Angela Canning was cleared for murdering her two babies. This has led to the wholesale review of cases of parents and carers convicted of killing their babies over the last ten years. The Attorney General has already suggested that it might be appropriate for 24 cases to be considered for appeal.
This resource provides information, statistics and research on drugs misuse in Scotland. Target users are policy makers, professionals, researchers, employers and the wider community. This website supports the implementation of the Scottish Drug Misuse Information Strategy.
Report of a research project which studied the development of character capabilities contributing to life chances and the factors influencing their development. It concludes that the early years are the critical years in this regard and that parents are, consequently, the principal character builders in society.
This site presents the work of the York node of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)-supported Evidence Network. Their aim is to contribute to the development of systematic review methodologies in social policy and social care.
The New Policy Institute has produced its 2009 edition of indicators of poverty and social exclusion in Wales, providing a comprehensive analysis of trends. This is the second update of Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Wales, following the original report in 2005, but is the first to be published in a recession. After reviewing ten-year trends in low income statistics, its focus shifts to unemployment and problem debt.
Report reviewing how children's services in England have changed since the introduction of the Every Child Matters initiative and setting out thoughts on what more could be achieved in terms of integrating services which support children and strengthening local communities to make better environments for children.
This resource from the BBC website presents a major thirty-part narrative history series exploring British childhood and the experience of British children over the last thousand years. Open2.net, the online learning portal from the Open University and the BBC, has also produced a stimulating site to accompany the series, which can be linked to from this BBC webpage.
This report identifies key issues and lessons for current planning policy and practice concerning the development of new urban extensions. It combines the first-hand learning of practitioners – including the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust at Derwenthorpe in York – with an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the current policy framework, and draws conclusions that are relevant not just to high-profile “eco-towns” but to all new communities in Britain.
The National Drug Evidence Centre (NDEC, formerly Drug Misuse Research Unit) has long established expertise in drug misuse prevalence work, evaluative and outcomes research, the use of epidemiological indicators, and information in evidence based policy making. Senior staff are involved in national policy initiatives and in provision of advice regarding health care and criminal justice responses. NDEC is one of the leading units in the country engaged in research in the area of drug misuse.

