COMMUNITIES

Improving health outcomes in deprived communities: Evidence from the New Deal for Communities programme (11th February 2010)
This report forms part of the National Evaluation of the New Deal for Communities (NDC) programme. It examines interventions designed to improve health outcomes for NDC residents, and explores their subsequent impact. It draws on in-depth case study research in four NDC areas, as well as programme and national level outcome data. The report also looks at the sustainability of the NDC approaches, and draws lessons for both central government and local regeneration partnerships.
Report

POVERTY

Devolution's impact on low-income people and places (13th January 2010)
What is the impact of devolution for people and places in poverty?

For the tenth anniversary of devolution, this Round-up and a series of reports explored trends in social and economic disadvantage as well as policy developments in four areas: housing and homelessness, employment, neighbourhood regeneration and long-term care for older people.
Documents

POVERTY

Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2009 (3rd December 2009)
The New Policy Institute has produced its twelfth annual report of indicators of poverty and social exclusion in the United Kingdom, providing a comprehensive analysis of trends and differences between groups. This is the first report to be written in an economic downturn, and the recession is the focus of much of the analysis.
Report and Summary

LEARNING DISABILITIES

Taking a closer look: Child Poverty and Disability (20th November 2009)
A new report from Save the Children and The Family Fund reveals that 27% of disabled children across the UK are living in poverty.

The report shows the number of disabled children living in poverty is higher than previous figures have suggested.
Report

POVERTY

Engaging public support for eradicating UK Poverty (24th September 2009)
Surveys suggest that public attitudes towards those experiencing poverty are harshly judgemental or view poverty and inequality as inevitable. But when people are better informed about inequality and life on a low income, they are more supportive of measures to reduce poverty and inequality.

This paper:

• examines attitudes to poverty, what influences them, and ways to build public support for anti-poverty measures;
• draws on the findings of the JRF Public Interest in Poverty Issues programme.

Paper

POVERTY

ARTICLE - Comparison between geographies of mortality and deprivation from the 1900s and 2001: spatial analysis of consensus and mortality statistics (10th September 2009)
The objective of this study was:

• To examine the geographical relation between mortality and deprivation in England and Wales at the start of the 20th and 21st centuries.
• To explore the evidence for a strengthening or weakening of this relation over the century and test for relations between the mortality and deprivation patterns of a century ago and modern mortality and causes of death

The results show that there was no evidence of a significant change in the strength of the relation between deprivation and mortality between the start and end of the 20th century. Despite all the medical, public health, social, economic and political changes over the 20th century, patterns of poverty and mortality and the relations between them remain firmly entrenched.
Article

POVERTY

Poverty, inequality and human rights (3rd September 2009)
People working to tackle poverty in the UK are increasingly interested in using human rights in their work. This study looks at how this has been done in other countries, its impact on affected communities, debate, policy and government programmes, and its relevance for the UK.

The report covers:

• how human rights have been used to understand poverty;
• how communities experiencing poverty use human rights to act against injustice, build alliances between disparate groups, and articulate their conditions and claims;
• the tools that communities and their allies use to hold the state accountable for its human rights obligations;
• how human rights have been implemented in practice in anti-poverty work by governments and other organisations; and
• lessons for integrating human rights and anti-poverty work in the UK.

Report

POVERTY

Living with poverty: a review of the literature on children's and families' experience of poverty (20th July 2009)
This report presents the findings from an extensive review of recent research examining the views and experiences of low-income children and parents, covering topics such as housing, schools, neighbourhoods, public services and family life. The author draws on evidence from in-depth interviews, focus groups, group work, case studies, participatory workshops and action research to describe the lived experience of contemporary poverty amongst children and parents in the UK.
Report

POVERTY

A minimum income standard for Britain in 2009 (1st July 2009)
This study updates 2008’s innovative research, based on what members of the public thought people need for an acceptable minimum standard of living.

It shows:

• What different family types need to earn to meet the minimum income standard;
• How much the cost of a minimum household budget has risen since the original research in 2008.

Exploratory research with members of the public involved in the 2008 project suggests that even in today’s tough economic climate, people maintain their view of what things are needed to participate fully in society. As such, this is an important contribution to debates about what is happening to living standards and poverty during the recession.
Report

Building public support for eradicating poverty in the UK (6th July 2009)
A look at different ways of building public support for tackling UK poverty.

Public support is necessary to encourage Government action to tackle UK poverty. However, building public support for this can be challenging. This study:

• looks at successful ways of building public support for tackling UK poverty, including the use of 'real life' stories, for example;
• explores how organisations measure the effectiveness of their initiatives;
• finds that only few initiatives explicitly aim to build public support for the UK poverty agenda – and these initiatives tend to change perceptions and behaviour rather than attitudes; and
• argues that the term 'poverty' needs to be clarified, and possibly avoided when first engaging people.

Report

Poverty in the media: Being seen and getting heard (6th July 2009)
Public understanding of poverty in the UK is limited. The media can give people with experience of poverty the opportunity to present their views, experiences and opinions, which can help to inform and create a groundswell of public opinion supporting efforts to tackle poverty.This study focuses on:

• how people can give their views and tell their stories when they are presented as 'case studies' in the press, on radio or television;
• the roles and responsibilities of voluntary and community organisations in helping journalists find case study individuals – and the issues those individuals should consider;
• opportunities in the 'new' media to produce and disseminate material, and the challenge of reaching an audience;
• the need to produce accessible, good-quality material that people will pass on;
• viral' media and developing online communities.

Report

POVERTY

What are the implications of attitudes to economic inequality? (22nd June 2009)
This collection of three Viewpoints responds to work by the Fabian Society and Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) that looks at attitudes towards economic inequality and how to tackle it, and the political debate around it.

These Viewpoints and the research they respond to form part of a JRF programme on public interest in UK poverty.
Viewpoints

ETHNICITY

Ethnicity and Child Poverty (7th May 2009)
This report aims to significantly develop the evidence base on ethnicity and child poverty. The child poverty rates observed for most ethnic minority groups are higher than the national average; the report asks whether this is due to increased levels of poverty risk factors amongst families from these groups, or whether it requires further explanation. The author also examines a range of different poverty measures and related indicators for children and families from different ethnic groups – including income poverty, poverty persistence, material deprivation, worklessness, and area deprivation – and uses a variety of analytical methods and data sources to build up a detailed picture of how poverty varies across and within ethnic minority groups.
Report

POVERTY

Child wellbeing and child poverty. Where the UK stands in the European table (21st April 2009)
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has published a briefing drawn from a new league table (produced by researchers from the University of York) of child wellbeing in European countries, in which the UK comes in 24th place out of 29 countries. The briefing also outlines the policies CPAG is calling for to end child poverty and improve child wellbeing in the UK.
Briefing

Cognitive testing: British Social Attitudes child poverty questions (April 2009)
This research explores the effectiveness of both existing and new questions on poverty, for use in the British Social Attitudes Survey. It considers among other things whether the public believe child poverty exists in Britatin today, what it is and who is responsible for tackling it.
Research

COMMISSIONING

World class commissioning monthly update March 2009 (10th March 2009)

Commissioning Services and support for people with learning disabilities and complex needs (16th March 2009)
The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), the Healthcare Commission and the Mental Health Act Commission (MHAC), today published a joint report reviewing how councils and PCTs commission services on behalf of people with a learning disability. The watchdogs conducted the review following a series of reports over the past decade that point to poor care for people with a learning disability, particularly those with complex needs. This is the first review to focus specifically on how councils and PCTs commission services.
Report

Health Poverty Index (March 2009)
The Health Poverty Index (HPI) is a web based tool that allows geographical areas and different ethnic groups to be compared in terms of their health poverty.

A group's health poverty is a summary measure of both their present state of health and future health potential or lack of it. The latest update of the HPI was released in conjunction with a new HPI workbook, which guides the user through some of the features of the tool and demonstrates how the index can be used to provide a single visual summary of an area's health poverty.
Information

Commissioning healthcare for people with learning disabilities (16th March 2009)
This briefing, from NHS Confederation, is intended to raise awareness of issues in the commissioning of services for people with learning disabilities that meet their specific needs and enhance the development of mainstream services that are fit for purpose.
Briefing

POVERTY

Ending Child Poverty: a manifesto for success (18th March 2009)
This publication, from Child Poverty Action Group, is published on the 10th anniversary of the Government's pledge to eradicate child poverty in a generation. The summary and introduction to the manifesto include ten key steps needed to end child poverty and ten reasons to be angry about how children become trapped in poverty today.
Publication

POVERTY

Poverty, inequality and policy since 1997 (25th February 2009)
This research shows what effect policies introduced since 1997 have had on reducing poverty and inequality. It offers a considered assessment of impacts over a decade:

• How did policies change, before 1997 and since then?
• What evidence is there of impacts on key outcomes?
• What gaps or problems remain or emerged?

Summary

POVERTY

In-work Poverty: a systematic review (4th February 2009)
This report presents the findings of a systematic review of the evidence base relating to working poor families with dependent children. The review aims to increase understanding of research in this area and produce findings that will help inform future policy and research. The systematic review was conducted in two stages.
Review

Data use in voluntary and community organisations (6th February 2009)
This study assesses the need and demand within voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) for relevant, analysed and well-presented data to support their work tackling poverty.

The poverty agenda has shifted away from ‘top-down’ action by central government towards the engagement of local voluntary and community organisations. As small, independent groups with their own ideas about tackling poverty, VCOs represent a powerful, ‘bottom-up’ approach.

Financial support for VCOs increasingly depends on evidence of need and success against outcomes. This report considers:

• how VCOs use data to support their work;
• what data VCOs find most useful;
• what obstacles there are to accessing data.

Report

Ending child poverty in a changing economy (18th February 2009)
Despite tough times ahead, there is still political consensus around the goal to end child poverty. Based on new projections taking account of the recession, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has updated its assessment of what it will take to meet the government targets to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020.
Summary

POVERTY

Nice Work If You Can Get It. Achieving a sustainable solution to low pay and in-work poverty (7th January 2008)
Persistently high levels of low pay and in-work poverty in the UK reveal a blind spot in the Government's otherwise impressive record on employment and poverty. This report makes the case for a coherent strategy to deal with the twin challenges of low pay and in-work poverty that emphasises job quality and career progression and recognises the needs of different families. This is the third paper in the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) 'Working Out of Poverty' series, a project to develop proposals to end the injustice of in-work poverty, through promoting greater fairness and opportunity to progress in the labour market.
Executive Summary
Full Publication

POVERTY

Time and income poverty (26th November 2008)
Time and money are two key constraints on what people can achieve. The income constraint is widely recognised by policy-makers and social scientists in their concern with poverty. Proposed solutions often focus on getting people into paid work, but this risks ignoring the demands people may have on their time. This study looks at individuals who are significantly limited by time and income constraints: those who could escape income poverty only by incurring time poverty, or vice versa.
Document

POVERTY

London Children: Our Future Capital (20th November 2008)
This document, London's Children: Our Future Capital, contains details of a new joint target for tackling child poverty in London and identifies the priorities and actions that will accelerate progress towards this goal. The document is an interesting and informative read for any organisation that works with children and families, including local authorities, health services, employment services, housing providers, children's centres and childcare providers. It explains what each of these partners can do to play their role in ending child poverty, and why it is essential that we all work together to achieve more for London's children.
Document

POVERTY

Child Poverty Toolkit
This Toolkit is a key resource developed by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and Inclusion to help local authorities analyse child poverty in their areas and develop their child poverty strategy. The site has local data, policy and strategy briefs and examples of best practice.
Toolkit

The GDP cost of the lost earning potential of adults who grew up in poverty (23rd October 2008)
This report estimates the costs of child poverty in terms of reduced GDP, focusing on the lost earning potential of adults who have grown up in poverty. It includes: empirical estimates of the impact of growing up in child poverty on adult earnings and employment; the role of education in the relationship between child poverty and adult earnings and employment; estimates of the overall monetary costs of child poverty; and a final assessment of the GDP benefits of abolishing child poverty in terms of foregone earning, employment and benefit savings.
Report
Summary

The costs of child poverty for individuals and society: a literature review (23rd October 2008)
This report examines the costs of child poverty to individuals and wider society, through reduced productivity, lower educational attainment and poor health. It explores the financial consequences of child poverty for individuals, families, neighbourhoods, society and the economy in the following areas: health; education; employment; behaviour; financial; family and personal relationships; and subjective well-being.
Report
Summary

The public service costs of child poverty (23rd October 2008)
This report estimates the costs of child poverty to the Exchequer, focusing on public service costs. It includes: services provided to individuals or families on a basis of need or demographic eligibility, including education, most health services, subsidised housing and social care services; services which provide local ‘public goods’ such as policing and the criminal justice system; and area-based regeneration initiatives and more general supplementary expenditure targeted on deprived neighbourhoods.
Report
Summary

The changing pattern of earnings: employees, migrants and low paid families (29th October 2008)
This study explores the assumption that individuals can work their way out of poverty, by examining the changing earnings of employees, the integration of migrants and the progression of low-paid families in Britain since the late 1970s.
Study

Ending child poverty: ‘Thinking 2020’ - report and think-pieces from the Child Poverty Unit conference (4th November 2008)
In June 2008, the Child Poverty Unit held an event entitled ’Ending Child Poverty: “Thinking 2020”’ at which around 100 stakeholders from across lobby organisations, academic institutions, devolved administrations and local and central Government attended. The event was designed to begin a discussion with stakeholders on the vision for a UK free of child poverty by 2020, and the route by which that could be achieved. To facilitate discussion and debate, four think-pieces were commissioned from academics and think-tanks which were then presented and discussed at the event. This report contains the write-up of the event, plus the authors’ four think-pieces on financial support, employment, communities and children’s life chances.
Report

Childcare and Child Poverty (10th November 2008)
Over the past 10 years, great strides have been made in improving childcare, but more must be done to improve quality and to make childcare more affordable and available to the most disadvantaged groups. This report sets out how, with further improvements, childcare policy can continue to play a key role not just in reducing poverty for today's children, but also in improving outcomes and preventing poverty for the next generation.
Report
Findings

Ending Severe Child Poverty (10th November 2008)
This report asks what a focus on severe child poverty adds to our understanding of child poverty and what it may suggest in terms of future strategic approaches and policy solutions. With the government committed to their goal of ending child poverty by 2020 there are concerns that policy has not reached those families in the most severe poverty. A focus on severe poverty, in terms of persistence and depth of poverty, will add a critical dimension to our understanding.
Report

Addressing in-work poverty (10th November 2008)
The existence of 'in-work' poverty has only been officially recognised in the last couple of years. Yet the steady upward trend and number of children involved mean that it should be given high priority. The report includes an in-depth analysis of the progress that has been made on in-work poverty among children since the start of the government's poverty programme in the late 1990s.
Report

Tackling child poverty when parents cannot work (10th November 2008)
The report describes the current strengths and weaknesses in policy provision to combat child poverty when parental employment is constrained and is a timely analysis given the approaching 2010 deadline for halving child poverty from 1999 levels. The analysis uses original and unique tax-benefit modelling of current provision across a range of low-paid and out-of-work family profiles.
Report

The effects of discrimination on families in the fight to end child poverty (10th November 2008)
This report focuses on the discrimination experienced by families living in poverty in the UK ('povertyism'), examining the barriers preventing them from enjoying equal access to fundamental economic and social rights. Current thinking, in the national and international poverty debate, is that the question of rights, and their absence, is linked to poverty. Povertyism perpetuates a lack of knowledge and understanding about the lives of people experiencing poverty. The resulting policy approach leads to a denial of their basic human rights.
Report

Parental qualifications and child poverty in 2020 (10th November 2008)
This report looks at how the anticipated changes in qualifications and in the occupational and sectoral distribution of employment will impact on the incidence of child poverty by 2020. The Leitch Review of Skills predicts that the working population should be better skilled by 2020, leading to an increase in the quality and quantity of jobs and a reduction in the risk of household poverty.
Report

Can work eradicate child poverty? (10th November 2008)
The government has repeatedly stated that work is the best route out of poverty. This implies that work is not the only route, but is the preferred or main route in tackling child poverty. This report examines the extent to which there is underemployment among parents and a desire to work among parents who are not currently working. It examines patterns of work and worklessness among parents and flows between work and workless states for parents, both using survey data and lone-parent benefit claims.
Report