This report focuses on the 18-month recession of 2008 and 2009. Whilst highlighting recent success in preventing poverty worsening, it draws attention to several longstanding problems, including unemployment. It is too soon for the data in this report to reflect any impact of new policies from the Coalition Government, but it describes the subjects any new anti-poverty programme will need to address to match the scale and scope of the challenge.
UK communities find themselves in an increasingly complex world of news mediation. There are more channels of information from around the world that provide more varied sources of topical data and comment than ever before. This paper seeks to chart the impact of changes in global media on low-income groups in the UK and community dynamics. It will explore how their mediated relationship to the local and global world is affected by current trends in media production and consumption.
This paper was commissioned as part of JRF's programme on Globalisation, which explores and promotes awareness of the impacts of globalisation on the UK and focuses on communities and people in poverty.
This paper:
* explains the implications of easier access to global communication;
* surveys the increasing use of the Internet in Britain and how this applies to local and global networks; and
* discusses how individuals and communities can build networks and the challenges this brings.
This study examines international evidence on sanctions within welfare systems where benefits are conditional on claimant behaviour. It considers the impact of sanctions, the wider literature on how they have been used and the experiences of claimants. It also discusses how this evidence relates to political justifications given in support of sanctions.
This publication contains the latest statistics in relation to child protection, secure care accommodation and close support care accommodation.
Scotland is currently engaged in one of the biggest penal reform projects in a generation, seeking to fundamentally change its approach to punishment, which is characterised by high use of imprisonment compared to other parts of Europe, and the use of very short prison sentences. In Scotland around three quarters of prison sentences handed down by the courts are for six months or less. But because short sentences are seen as minimally intrusive compared to long-term or life sentences, there has been, until now, little research on their effects.
One of a series of reports providing the social services workforce with brief, accessible and practice-oriented summaries of published evidence on key topics.
Developed through a process of rapid appraisal, Insights seek to highlight the practice implications of research evidence and answer the 'So what does this mean in practice?' question for each topic reviewed.
This Insight examines the evidence around the effectiveness of reablement services.
One of a series of reports providing the social services workforce with brief, accessible and practice-oriented summaries of published evidence on key topics.
Developed through a process of rapid appraisal, Insights seek to highlight the practice implications of research evidence and answer the 'So what does this mean in practice?' question for each topic reviewed.
This Insight looks at the evidence around effectively involving those in seldom-heard groups.
One of a series of reports providing the social services workforce with brief, accessible and practice-oriented summaries of published evidence on key topics.
Developed through a process of rapid appraisal, Insights seek to highlight the practice implications of research evidence and answer the 'So what does this mean in practice?' question for each topic reviewed.
This Insight looks at evidence around assisting those with mental health problems into employment.
Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2009 is an essential resource for policy-makers and others wanting to take stock of what is happening and understand the challenges ahead. The report is complemented by a comprehensive website which provides updates to graphs, more analyses and links to other relevant sites.