research report

Breakthrough Britain: ending the costs of social breakdown

This report from the Social Justice Policy Group, chaired by Iain Duncan Smith, identifies five 'pathways' to poverty and makes proposals for tackling them. These pathways are: educational failure, family breakdown, economic dependence, indebtedness and addictions. A sixth section considers how the third sector might be better supported to help people escape poverty.

Behind closed doors : preventing sexual abuse against adults with a learning disability

Report presenting evidence and case studies which highlight the type and extent of sexual abuse experienced by adults with a learning disability and how they are often poorly served by the legal system in England. The report argues for new legislation to provide better protection from abuse and ensure abusers are successfully prosecuted and sentenced.

A review of how fathers can be better recognised and supported through DCSF policy

While fathers can play an extremely important role in achieving positive outcomes for their children, they also face significant barriers to engaging with a range of family services. The available research shows that parental involvement is one of the most important factors in children’s achievement and adjustment and that fathers are vitally important in this.

Towards a popular, preventative youth justice system

In 1998 Labour made significant reforms to the youth justice system. A decade later these have failed to reduce offending. This report proposes ways in which the youth justice system could reduce offending, as well as ways of creating public confidence in the system. Contents include: why we need a new approach to youth justice; a tale of two targets - why a new approach is needed; objectives, barriers to, and new principles of youth justice; can a new direction be preventative?; will the public support popular preventionism?

Public knowledge of and attitudes to social work in Scotland

In June 2004, Scottish Ministers initiated the first fundamental review of Social Work since the Social Work (Scotland) Act in 1968.

To inform the work of the review, the Scottish Executive Education Department ( SEED) commissioned MORI Scotland to conduct a programme of public opinion research. The over-arching aim of the programme of public opinion research described in this report was to provide the 21 st Century Social Work Review Group with an understanding of public knowledge of, and attitudes towards, social workers and social work services.

The domestic cultivation of cannabis

An examination of the domestic cultivation of cannabis in England and Wales. This report examines the domestic cultivation of cannabis in England and Wales. Traditionally cannabis has been imported into the country by drug traffickers, but the extent of home cultivation has grown rapidly over the past decade, and home growing now accounts for a significant amount of cannabis consumed in this country.

The support needs of children and young people who have to move home because of domestic abuse : research report

Report of a study which explored the experiences of children and young people compelled to leave homes where domestic abuse has occurred and move to alternative housing. It records their views of the services and support they received and what other services they would have liked.