research report

Managing the Risk : An Inspection of the Management of Sex Offender Cases in the Community

In January 1998, the Minister for Home Affairs announced that the Social Work Services Inspectorate would inspect all sex offender cases supervised by Aberdeen Social Work Department, and such cases in a sample of other local authorities across Scotland, to assess compliance with National Objectives and Standards. This is the Report of these findings.

Improving the wellbeing of disabled children and young people through improving access to positive and inclusive activities

This review looks at the evidence base for improving the wellbeing of disabled children and young people through improving access to positive and inclusive activities. It assess where gaps in the evidence base occur and suggests where future research and development may need to take place.

Minorities within minorities: beneath the surface of community participation

Participation is on everyone's agenda at the moment, and statutory agencies are conscious of the need to hear a wide range of voices. Some voices, however, are more powerful than others. This research project carried out in Bradford supports the view that statutory agencies do not adequately hear minority voices within groups such as the South Asian community.

Information, advice and advocacy for older people: Defining and developing services

An exploration of information, advice and advocacy services for older people. Services providing information, advice and advocacy are crucially important in promoting older people’s independence. The report looks at information, advice, and advocacy and the ways in which they may overlap in practice, as well as the differences between them. It explores definitions, core principles, forms, roles and relationships. Information, advice and advocacy are also discussed in terms of skills, services and processes of empowerment.

Now it's personal: personal advisers and the new public service workforce

Providing tailored one-to-one support to help people back into work has been central to the UK Government's reform of the welfare system. This report argues that a new examination is needed on the role of personal advisers. The report is based on focus groups with service users, in-depth interviews with advisers, surveys of personal advisers and employment providers and a review of the literature. Qualitative analysis is presented to show changes in the ratio of Job Centre Plus advisers to the number of interviews they conducted since the recession began.

Sweet 16?: one year on - is life any sweeter?

On 25 March 2008, the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland laid before the Scottish Parliament a report called Sweet 16? The Age of Leaving Care in Scotland. It was debated on 25 June 2008. The Scottish Government has responded positively to most of the report’s recommendations, which are attached as an appendix to this paper, together with a short summary of the full report. In January 2009, a feedback survey was circulated to local authorities to help identify progress on the issues raised in Sweet 16? and also what more needed to be done.

Disproportionality in child welfare: the prevalence of black and minority ethnic children within the 'looked after' and 'children in need' populations and on child protection registers in England

This study aimed to investigate the differences between ethnic groups in their contact with child welfare services in England. Analyses were conducted on three national datasets (the Children in Need Census, children on the child protection register and children looked after), and looked after children’s care histories were examined to see if over- or under-representation could be explained by factors such as differing rates of entering or leaving care. These analyses were supplemented by a review of relevant research literature.

Substance Misuse in Adolescents

There is increasing evidence that substance misuse among British adolescents is escalating (Miller & Plant, 1996; Sutherland & Willner, 1998). Swadi (1992) found that, among adolescents aged 12–17 years referred to mental health services, the prevalence of drug use was 13.1% (16.3% among boys and 9.3% among girls).

The lonely society?

Although many people experience loneliness at one time or another, it is often overlooked or dismissed. Because society prides itself on self-reliance, loneliness might carry a stigma for people who admit to it. This is both paradoxical and pernicious: if loneliness is transient, it is simply accepted as part of life, but there is a deep dread of being lonely for the long haul.