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Empty cells or empty words? Government policy on reducing the number of women going to prison

Report that begins by considering how the female prison population has increased, why this has happened and what the consequences have been. This is followed by a review of the way the Labour government sought to reduce the number of women going to prison and the very limited impact its policies had in practice. The report concludes by considering what the current government has achieved during its first two years in office; and what changes might be needed if the number of women entering prison is really to fall.

Growing the care market: turning a demographic challenge into an economic opportunity

Stimulation of the care market can not only help to meet demand but can turn the challenges of an ageing population into a driver for economic growth – with new opportunities for existing providers, small scale start-ups and health and care technologies. This paper is designed to kick off that debate and look at some of the key challenges and opportunities in developing a new care economy.

7 truths about social mobility

The all-party group was formed to discuss and promote the cause of social mobility; to raise issues of concern and help inform policy makers and opinion formers.

Its particular focus is on understanding what social mobility is, and what has/does/could impact it - both in policy terms and in more informal, cultural ways.

Homelessness strategy for Northern Ireland 2012-2017

The Homelessness Strategy 2012-17 sets out our strategy for tackling homelessness over the next five years and establishes the guiding principles for the development and delivery of homelessness services.

The strategy aims to ensure:
• The risk of a person becoming homeless will be minimised through effective preventative measures.
• Through enhanced inter agency co-operation, services to the most vulnerable homeless households will be improved.

Deliberate research as a tool to make value judgements

Paper that compares deliberative research to more traditional methods of studying the values of the general public, such as in-depth interviewing, attitudinal surveys, and participatory approaches, and reveals that deliberative designs involve a number of assumptions, including a strong fact/value distinction, an emphasis on ‘outsider’ expertise, and a view of participants as essentially similar to each other rather than defined by socio-demographic differences.

Well-being in old age: findings from participatory research

Report of a project designed to develop understanding of what well-being means to older people, and of how it is produced. The well-being project was carried out between 2008 -11 in Brighton and Hove by a team involving university researchers, a voluntary sector manager and older co-researchers. Its aim was to develop participatory research with older people which would foreground lived experiences of ageing and co-produce knowledge about what well-being means.

'We've got to talk about outcomes...': a review of the Talking Points personal outcomes approach

Review which establishes the nature of activity in respect of the approach across partnerships and providers across Scotland, in particular since an earlier review in 2008. It is based primarily on interviews with forty key informants (from partnerships, providers and national organisations) and responses from a sample of those already using Talking Points to a web-based survey. Talking Points is an approach which focuses on assessing the outcomes important to the individual, planning how they will be achieved and reviewing the extent to which they have been attained.

Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland 2012

Report that looks at what has changed in the two-and-a-half years since the last report in 2009. It examines low income, work, benefits and education. What emerges is a complex picture. There has been continued long-term improvement in some areas and persistent problems in others.

There are variations both between and within geographical areas and population groups. In all of this, there is the sense that while the position is no worse than three years ago,it is also no better, and Northern Ireland is now faced by the uncertainties of public sector cuts and welfare reform.