financial management

Money advice services across Scotland's local authorities

Report that has been published as part of a two-year action research project funded by the Money Advice Service and the Improvement Service.

The principal aim of the research was to provide an overview of money advice services delivered and commissioned by Scottish Local Authorities. A secondary research aim was to identify potential areas for improvement in money advice services, which could lead to enhanced positive outcomes for citizens and communities.

Spending on health and social care over the next 50 years: why think long term?

Report that analyses the factors that influence the demand for health and social care, taking a long-term perspective. It shows that pressures to increase spending on health and social care will result in these services consuming an increasing proportion of gross domestic product.

The exact proportion will depend on how quickly the economy itself grows, and on the choices made about the levels of taxation, government borrowing and public spending priorities.

Survey of child maintenance options outcomes

TNS-BMRB was commissioned by the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission to undertake a survey of clients who had used the CM Options service since its inception in July 2008.

The primary objective of the survey was to measure the following Commission target for 2010: “The number of children, by March 31st 2010, who are benefiting from a private arrangement which has been put in place following contact with the Child Maintenance Options service.”

The Red Book 2012 - The annual review of the impact of spending decisions on vulnerable children and families

The ‘Red Book’ is the Government’s financial statement and budget report. It contains economic analysis and summarises the annual budget tax measures.

This annual publication will identify the impact of decisions made in the 2010 spending review on the lives of the most vulnerable and neglected children and young people. It is based on the views of the social care professionals working in Action for Children services. The economic literature review is provided by the Social Market Foundation.

GP budget holding: lessons from across the pond and from the NHS (Policy paper 7)

Paper which draws on evidence from the US as well as on previous experience in the NHS of GP commissioning in different forms, to identify lessons for policy makers as they take this policy forward.

While the government is on the right lines in promoting GP budget holding, the paper suggests that there is a need for caution in promoting budget holding as a universal solution without regard to the capabilities of practices to manage a budget and the safeguards that need to be put in place to avoid the downside risks.

Counting the costs 2010: the financial reality for families with disabled children

Counting the Costs 2010 was a survey carried out between February and April 2010 and completed by 1,113 UK respondents. All respondents are parents of disabled children. It comprises open and closed questions and is s a repeat of a survey carried out by Contact a Family in 2008. Additional questions were added to the 2010 survey on the benefits system, working and childcare.

Response to the Scottish Government Finance Committee Inquiry to consider and report on how public spending can best be focussed over the longer term on trying to prevent, rather than deal with, negative social outcomes

Joseph Rowntree Foundation's response to the Finance Committee’s call for evidence on public spending aimed at preventing negative social outcomes.

Building public support for eradicating poverty in the UK

Public support is needed to ensure that the government and other organisations take action to tackle poverty in the UK. The perception of poverty is often misguided, with people believing that it is a result of laziness, or an inevitable part of modern life.

The aim of this research is to identify ways of changing such perceptions and building public support for addressing the problem.