government and social policy

Code of guidance on homelessness

National guidance from the Scottish Government on legislation, policies and practices to prevent and resolve homelessness. It provides practical guidance on how the legislation and related policies should be implemented.

It supports our objective that homeless people receive readily accessible services tailored to their needs.

Evaluation of the working for families fund (2004-2008)

This report summarises the final evaluation report of the Working for Families Fund (WFF) programme from 2004-08. It was carried out by the Employment Research Institute, Napier University, Edinburgh, for the Scottish Government over this period.

Over the four years the budget for WFF was £50 million, a total of 25,508 clients were registered, 53% of all clients (13,594) achieved 'hard' outcomes, such as employment, and a further 13% (3,283) achieved other significant outcomes.

Growing up in Scotland (GUS): the impact of children's early activities on cognitive development summary report

The Growing Up in Scotland study (GUS) is an important longitudinal research project aimed at tracking the lives of a cohort of Scottish children from the early years, through childhood and beyond.

The study is funded by the Scottish Government and carried out by the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen). Its principal aim is to provide information to support policy-making, but it is also intended to be a broader resource that can be drawn on by academics, voluntary sector organisations and other interested parties.

Growing up in Scotland (GUS): parenting and the neighbourhood context summary report

The Growing Up in Scotland study (GUS) is an important longitudinal research project aimed at tracking the lives of a cohort of Scottish children from the early years, through childhood and beyond.

The study is funded by the Scottish Government and carried out by the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen). Its principal aim is to provide information to support policy-making, but it is also intended to be a broader resource that can be drawn on by academics, voluntary sector organisations and other interested parties.

Evaluation of ownership options' pilot advice service on disability issues for registered social landlords taking part in Scottish Government funded shared equity provision

Reid Howie Associates was commissioned by the Scottish Government in Summer 2008 to carry out an evaluation of a pilot advice service on disability issues provided by Ownership Options for Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) taking part in Scottish Executive (now Scottish Government) funded shared equity provision in Scotland.

Poverty and income inequality in Scotland: 2007/08

This publication presents annual estimates of the proportion and number of children, working age adults and pensioners living in low income households in Scotland and the distribution of household income across Scotland.

The estimates are used to monitor progress towards UK and Scottish Government targets to reduce poverty and income inequality. The data published for the first time here are for the financial year April 2007 to March 2008.

Seizing the opportunity: telecare strategy 2008-2010

This strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s expectations of further developments in telecare: telecare to contribute significantly to the achievement of personalised health and social care outcomes for individuals; telecare to contribute significantly to delivering wider national benefits in areas such as shifting the balance of care and the management of long-term health conditions; and local partnerships to mainstream telecare within local service planning.

Preventing offending by young people: a framework for action

Scottish Government publication aimed at preventing offending by young people. It outlines a shared ambition of what the government and its partners want to do to as national and local agencies to prevent, divert, manage and change offending behaviour by children and young people - and how they want to do it.

The framework is broad in its scope, spanning prevention, diversion, intervention and risk management, with reference to the individual, the family and the wider community. It reaches from pre-birth and early years to the transition to adult services.

SCIE knowledge review 05: fostering success: an exploration of the research literature in foster care

Foster children have difficult early lives. Their needs are great, their educational performance can be poor, their childhoods in foster care and out of it are often unstable. In their adult lives they are at greater risk than others of a wide variety of difficulties. These 'facts' have led some to conclude that the state is not an adequate parent.