social care services

Citizen involvement in local governance

This report draws on the findings of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's Governance and Public Services research programme and other related JRF work. It also looks at how citizens are involved, how they influence decisions and how diversity and population change affect citizen and community involvement.

The round-up outlines the challenges and dilemmas that local partners, central government, councillors, staff and communities must resolve if citizens are to have more power and influence over local services and their neighbourhoods.

Social Work Inspection Agency: Performance Inspection Summary: East Ayrshire Council 2009

The Social work Inspection Agency (SWIA) is carrying out performance inspections of all local authority social work services in Scotland. This leaflet summarises some key findings of the inspection of East Ayrshire Council’s social work services, which are set out in the full report published in June 2009.

Ensuring all disabled children and young people and their families receive services that are sufficiently differentiated to meet their needs: progress map summary

This progress map summary includes key research findings from a C4EO knowledge review about the diverse needs of different groups of disabled children and their families, and whether services are meeting these needs. The summary includes challenge questions which can be used as tools for strategic leaders in assessing, delivering and monitoring the ways in which the needs of disabled children from differentiated groups are met.

SCIE Research resource 03: SCIE Systematic mapping guidance (Draft)

Systematic mapping is a transparent technique for describing research literature on a broad topic. It allows us to take stock of the research available in any given area of social care, so that we can decide how to develop it. A map provides both a searchable database for researchers and policy makers, and a stand-alone piece of work describing the literature on that topic.

Why do people think inequality is worse than poverty?

The JRF's public consultation revealed a strong sense of unease about some of the changes shaping British society. This Viewpoint continues the discussion about modern ‘socialevils’ on the theme of ‘inequality’. Jeremy Seabrook argues that, in the face of extraordinary imbalances in society, the myth that accumulating wealth is the supreme human purpose needs to be replaced before any improvement will occur.