Research and Reports

Useful Reports and Publications

We hope to increase the amount of reports and research in this section if you have any accredited research relating to Young Lives and would like to share it please contact us.  Further reports can be found on the relevant pages of this website.

Big Society / Localism

Big Society

The House of Commons has published a report on Big Society. The main point the report makes is that if the government Big Society ambitions are to be successful, then the government must act in support of 'little society'. That is commissioning policies need to help local organisations not just the big nationals. You can view the report at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmpubadm/902/90202.htm
If you don't have time to read the full report you can read a press release at:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/public-administration-select-committee/news/publication-of-big-society-report/  

The Red Book: impact of UK government spending decisions on children, young people and families 2010/11

David Cameron's Coalition Government has made a commitment to support the lives of the most vulnerable, since coming into office in 2010. One year on, we have published the Action for Children Red Book, which looks at the impact of the coalition Government's decisions based on what is happening in our services and what the children, young people and families we work with tell us. Its findings indicate that there are more children in need of support, cuts to the budgets of vital services means that increasingly this need cannot be met and on current trends this will only get worse. The report concludes that for the most vulnerable and excluded children and young people the impact of economic decisions could persist across generations and it emphasises the critical importance of early intervention services. Download the report from:
http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/redbookresources

The consequences of localism

In a thought piece for the Centre for Charity Effectiveness, Hilary Barnard offers his personal view of the consequences of the government's Localism policies and legislation in England for third sector organisations. Aimed mainly at senior staff and board members, he advocates engagement to retain the best of national frameworks and standards whilst enabling sector initiatives to meet local need. Download 'Whose Localism?' (pdf, 85KB) from
http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/103880/Whose_localism2.pdf
You can give your views about Localism at:
http://www.knowhownonprofit.org/the-cafe/the-cafe/230083255

Children and the Big Society

Children and their families are at risk of being overlooked by the government's Big Society and localism agenda, according to a new report which was commissioned by Action for Children. The report highlights the progress made over the last 2 decades on family policy, but says too little has been done to put children at the centre of the vision for communities. It argues that developing trusted relationships and networks for children and young people is fundamental to their development, wellbeing and safety. Social capital for children and young people can keep children safe, transform neighbourhoods, break intergenerational cycles of neglect and deprivation and prevent problems escalating.
http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/media/810373/children_and_the_big_society.pdf?utm_source=pdf&utm_medium=report&utm_content=full%2Breport&utm_campaign=big%2Bsociety

Voices on making a society where people don't feel small

This is not really a report but would make interesting reading. Twenty two "thought leaders in community enterprise and development", practitioners and academics, have contributed chapters to 'The Big Society Challenge', exploring how the rhetoric for a "society where people don't feel small" can become a reality. You can read the Development Trusts Association press release at
http://www.dta.org.uk/whatsnew/pressreleases/big+society or download direct from Keystone Development Trust
http://www.keystonetrust.org.uk/documents/128.pdf

How Fair is Britain

A report released on 11th October by the Commission paints a picture of a largely tolerant and open-minded society, in which some equality gaps have closed over the past generation.
But How Fair is Britain', the most comprehensive compilation of evidence on discrimination and disadvantage ever compiled in Britain, also shows that other long-standing inequalities remain undiminished; and that new social and economic fault-lines are emerging as Britain becomes older and more ethnically and religiously diverse. The Review also identifies recession, public service reform, management of migration and technological change as major risk factors in progress towards a fairer society. The Commission's findings cover all seven areas of formal discrimination set out in law: age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and transgender status. For the first time, it analyses the gaps in treatment and achievement of these seven social groupings beyond solely economic outcomes - by including factors such as personal autonomy and political influence (‘voice') alongside education, health, standard of living and personal safety. Read more at:
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/news/2010/october/commission-launches-landmark-report-how-fair-is-britain/

Building a stronger civil society: a strategy for voluntary and community sector groups, charities and enterprises

A publication from the Cabinet Office, this report is the first step towards helping civil society organisations with the new opportunities that will arise from the devolution of power to local communities. It helps them to understand the reform of public services that underpins the Big Society. Included in the strategy are the reduction of red tape for small organisations; local communities will have the right to buy or bid to run community assets; modernising public service commissioning so that the most efficient and effective charities can have a fair chance to bid for public contracts; giving public sector staff the right to spin-out and form co-ops or mutuals supported by a new network of advice and mentoring; and continuing to match fund local endowments to encourage giving.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/426261/building-stronger-civil-society.pdf.

Collaborative Working

Consortia for the delivery of public services: the issues for small and medium-sized charities

This report focuses on the experiences of charities that deliver public services by joining forces and working together as a consortium. Although only a minority of charities are involved in public service delivery, being commissioned to deliver services, usually by local authorities, is an area very much in the public spotlight at present. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator for charitable activity. This is one of a series of reports that draws upon independent research that we have commissioned, as well as our own internal data, knowledge and experience of working with charities. The purpose of these reports is to help increase understanding of an issue. They are part of our mission to help charities maximize impact and comply with their legal obligations, to encourage innovation within the charitable sector, and enhance effectiveness.
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/Publications/rs26_consort.aspx#1

Valuing Youth Work

A publication from National Youth Agency and Local Government Association. Using case-studies of local authority-funded projects, the Valuing Youth Work report shows how organisations and councils can effectively work together to provide services covering health, citizenship, participation, and training and education, and the impact it has on young people's lives. Download the report from:
http://nya.org.uk/dynamic_files/policy/Valuing%20Youth%20Work%20lo%20res[1].pdf 

Consortia ‘increase access to funding for charities', new research shows

Working in consortia helps charities increase their access to funding and build capacity through peer support and sharing resources and experience, new research has found. However, trustees are being reminded to be aware of both the opportunities and the risks associated with working in consortia that bid for and deliver public services. The messages emerge from a new research report; Consortia for the delivery of public services: the issues for small and medium-sized charities, published by the Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities. Read more and download the report from the Charity Commission website:
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/RSS/News/pr_consortia.aspx

 Small charities see collaboration success

A new Charity Commission research report has been published which focuses on the experiences of small charities collaborating, and explores the issues and challenges they face when doing so. The research shows collaboration is more likely to happen and more likely to succeed when charities network and get to know each other first. Nearly half (45%) of charities surveyed said they had collaborated with at least one other charity over the past two years, most commonly sharing information, joint fundraising and sharing equipment, with the vast majority believing it a success. Download the report from:
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/rs24.aspx

Strong Independent Roots

A policy document from NAVCA, the umbrella body for local sector support organisations. This is a policy document demonstrating the value of these organisations' work and showing how they can help politicians support local voluntary action. Strong Independent Roots includes six specific requests of government and six pledges of action from NAVCA. Download the summary (pdf, 757KB) from http://www.navca.org.uk/publications/roots/

Commissioning

An evaluation of approaches to commissioning young people's services

This small-scale survey examines approaches to the commissioning of services for young people in 12 local authority areas and reports on the experience of national organisations involved in this work. The survey highlights that in most cases, local authorities were not giving sufficiently impartial consideration to new providers as part of their commissioning, particularly voluntary sector, community and charitable organisations. You can download either the full version or a summary in both pdf and Word from:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/evaluation-of-approaches-commissioning-young-peoples-services 

Ofsted Report - An evaluation of approaches to commissioning young people's services

The Report has found that Local Authorities are not always considering the voluntary and community sector, charities, or other arms of the public sector, when commissioning services for young people. Download the report from:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/evaluation-of-approaches-commissioning-young-peoples-services 

Compact

Central government's implementation of the national Compact

The Compact is a voluntary agreement that sets out shared principles for effective partnership working between the government and voluntary and civil society organisations in England.
This report from The National Audit Office (NAO) examines the implementation of the national Compact by central government departments following its renewal in December 2010. The findings are based on work at nine departments, representing 98 per cent of central government's expenditure with the civil society. They also consulted the civil society sector. Download the report from:
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1012/national_compact.aspx

Compact Voice

Simon Blake OBE, chair of Compact Voice, said: "We are delighted that the Compact is supported by government departments and that the NAO have found good examples of it being applied. However the report also identifies gaps that must be addressed. We expect the Government to implement the recommendations in full and we will be pressing the Minister on this. In particular the report highlights that there needs to be more visible leadership on the Compact both in OCS and across Whitehall. This echoes the findings of our 2011 annual survey and remains the most important issue. We will also expect government departments to undertake work to identify the degree of their Compact compliance, as it is important that government departments know whether they are successfully implementing the Compact." Read more at compact Voice:
http://www.compactvoice.org.uk/news/2012/01/05/compact-voice-welcomes-nao-report-central-government%E2%80%99s-implementation-national-compa

 Benefits of The Compact for local councils

The Commission for the Compact has published research that identifies the social and economic benefits for local authorities when they apply the Compact agreement on working relations between government and the voluntary sector. They have also produced an electronic toolkit so councils can assess Compact performance and identify potential efficiencies and performance improvements.
http://www.thecompact.org.uk/information/100022/141910/socialandeconomicbenefitsofhecompact/

Social and Economic Benefits of Compact Working

The Commission has recently published research that demonstrates efficiency and performance improvements for local authorities when they apply Compact commitments in relationships with voluntary organisations. The research was carried out by Grant Thornton UK LLP in response to a number of local authorities citing a lack of business case for implementing the Compact.
Key findings of the research:
• Improved relationships with voluntary organisations
• More effective consultation
• More efficient monitoring
• Improved commissioning
• Gains from longer-term funding
• Advancing equality
It has been designed to support local authorities and their partners engage, understand and achieve the findings of the report
http://www.thecompact.org.uk/information/100022/141910/socialandeconomicbenefitsofhecompact/

Disability

Healthcare for disabled children and young people

(Source NCB PPI Digest)
This review presents the views and experiences of disabled children and their families as well as survey data from commissioners and acute hospitals about services provided from September 2009 to September 2010. It found that: Families felt access to and involvement in services was a challenge and that they waited too long for access to services and for initial diagnosis; Contributors felt services were not joined up and that different services did not work well together; Many disabled children and their families also reported they had not been consulted on how their care had been provided. The review found significant disparity between the experiences of disabled children and their families, which were overwhelmingly
negative compared to the data supplied by primary care trusts, which showed high levels of access and user-centred care.
http://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/documents/health_care_for_disabled_children.pdf

Ambitious about Autism

Ambitious about Autism has launched a new campaign, Finished at School, which aims to secure more and better educational options for all young people with autism aged 16 - 25 to enable them to develop skills, gain employment, live more independently and ultimately live the life they choose. All too often, young people with autism are ‘written off' at the age of 16 when they leave school. Our research shows that fewer than 1 in 4 young people with autism continue their education after school. Many young people and their families talk of facing a "black hole" or a "cliff edge" waiting for them on the horizon as they approach the end of their time at school. Through the Finished at School campaign, Ambitious about Autism calls for:
• A clear legal right to educational support up to the age of 25 for young disabled people
• A funding system that gives young people and families more information, choice and support
• A cross-government focus on outcomes and destinations for disabled young people
• A further education workforce with the skills to support young people with autism to achieve their ambitions
Visit the website to download the report:
http://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/page/who_we_are/news/article/index.cfm?articleId=88 

Raised Expectations: parental experiences of short breaks

The Every Disabled Child Matters campaign has published, a report that examines parents with disabled children's experiences of short breaks between 2007 and 2011. The report finds that, when ring fenced funding was available, short breaks services were ‘transformed'. Parents reported an increase in regular, reliable and appropriate short breaks. Additionally there is clear evidence that the positive impact of short breaks has been recognised by both Government and some local areas. Parents who have had good experiences of short breaks report feel there is no going back to the limited services provision of the past. Read more, or download the report from:
http://www.ncb.org.uk/edcm/news/press_releases/press_releases_2011/5_oct_11_raised_expectations.aspx
Or read an article at CYP Now - Disabled children with complex needs are being denied short break funding due to health and safety fears and funding squabbles between councils and health trusts, Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) has claimed. The campaign group's latest report, Raised Expectations of Short Breaks, into parents' experiences of short breaks over the past four years shows that children with complex health needs are still missing out. Parents told EDCM that some councils saw their children as a health and safety risk. A lack of "joined-up working" between councils and primary care trusts (PCT) also scuppered many others short break opportunities. Read more at CYP Now:
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/1096991/funding-disputes-scupper-families-access-short-breaks/

Young Disabled Leaders - Engaging the Power House

The Young Foundation (in partnership with CSV and RADAR) has published research on the Young Disabled Leaders Project. The project was created to equip young disabled people with the tools to improve their chances of becoming leaders. It aimed to increase their skills, knowledge and confidence primarily through providing learning opportunities in a safe and friendly environment with their peers. Read the report at:
http://www.csv.org.uk/sites/default/files/Young-Disabled-Leaders.pdf 

Disabled children and young people missing out on vital advocacy services

Advocacy for disabled children and young people can lead to considerable improvements for them and their families, yet many are missing out on this vital support, says a new report from The Children's Society. ‘Someone on our side: Advocacy for disabled children and young people' is the outcome of a three year study exploring advocacy services for disabled children and young people in England. The research has found that disabled children and young people often face barriers in accessing advocacy, even though they have a right to express their wishes and feelings when decisions are made about their lives. Lack of awareness around the role of advocacy means many young people are missing out on this vital form of support. Other barriers include a lack of resources, specialist services and training opportunities for advocates. The report found that advocacy was often only commissioned when cases were extremely complex and had reached serious levels of concerns. In some cases professionals felt that disabled children and young people were unable to express their views, yet the charity has seen first-hand the benefits of advocacy, however complex a need the disabled child or young person may have. One disabled young person said: 'My advocate is brilliant. His is a big support for me. He's always been there for me, he listens to me.' Read more and download the report from:
http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/news-views/press-release/disabled-children-and-young-people-missing-out-vital-advocacy-services

Disabled children's access to childcare (DCATCH): a qualitative evaluation

This report presents the findings of two qualitative studies: of families' views on the acceptability and impact of Disabled Children's Access to Childcare (DCATCH); and a process evaluation of three themes identified by the scoping study: brokerage; information and outreach; and the provision of additional services. There are a couple of other reports here as well. https://www.education.gov.uk/search/results?q=dcatch 

Asset Building for Children with Disabilities

ResPublica's final report of the summer was launched on Thursday 21st July 2011, at a stakeholder roundtable hosted by the British Bankers' Association and attended by a number of policy experts, finance providers and financial inclusion groups. Building on a previous publication by ResPublica, Asset Building for Children, the report, produced in partnership with Scope, provides a fresh and much-needed contribution to debates on disability poverty, bringing to light new and innovative ideas as to how assets and savings can better the life chances of disabled children and make them more independent as adults. Its recommendations are aimed at improving disabled children's financial resilience, smoothing the transition into adulthood, and improving the opportunities for young disabled people to realise their potential. It calls for the financial services industry to develop products that:
• Allow flexibility - for e.g. short notice withdrawals without penalty,
• Incentivise savings with no impact on means tested benefits,
• Have businesses make gift in kind contributions - if customers spend a disproportionate amount on their services e.g. discounted utility bills,
• Incorporate robust financial management information and advice.
To download the report go to:
http://www.respublica.org.uk/item/Asset-Building-for-Disabled-Children 

Childhood Disability

A study from Warwick University shows that, in the UK, the highest prevalence of childhood disability is found in the poorest families. On average, families with a child with disabilities were £50 a week worse off than those who did not. They estimated that families needed an extra £18 a week to raise a child with disabilities.

The study which is published in the journal BMC Pediatrics, identified 950,000 families as having disabled children, but the report shows this was an under-estimation by about 250,000 children. The researchers found that debt was more common in families with children with disabilities and they also missed out on basic items such as an annual holiday, a bicycle or more than one pair of shoes.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2431-10-21.pdf 

Helping disabled youngsters grow up

According to New Philanthropy Capital, research into children with autism, special educational needs, disabilities and life-limiting conditions, the same question cropped up again and again: What will happen to these children when they grow up?  'Rights of passage: Supporting disabled young people through the transition to adulthood', a research report from New Philanthropy Capital, highlights how charities are plugging gaps in government services and helping young people to lead more independent lives.  You can download the report from:       
http://www.philanthropycapital.org/research/research_reports/health/transition.aspx

Early Years

Early intervention: informing local practice

The Local Government Association (LGA) commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to carry out a review of early intervention approaches to inform the practice of local authorities (LAs). This study complements three other studies funded or supported by the LGA to help authorities to evidence impact and assess value for money (VfM). NFER researchers reviewed published literature exploring the impact of early intervention on outcomes for children, young people and families. The report provides:
• a summary of examples of early intervention approaches shown to improve outcomes for children, young people and families
• further evidence of which early intervention approaches are likely to improve outcomes for children, young people and families
• information on the financial costs associated with offering early intervention provision and the costs associated with negative life outcomes.
http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/LGLC02/LGLC02_home.cfm?publicationID=659&title=Early%20intervention:%20informing%20local%20practice

Supporting Families in the Foundation Years

(From children England Newsletter)
In July the Department for Education published Supporting Families in the Foundation Years, which sets out the Government's vision for the services that should be on offer for parents, children and families in the foundation years. It also acts as the Government's response to the Field, Allen and Tickell reviews which looked at child poverty, early intervention and the Early Years Foundation Stage Respectively. The document makes reference to how the Coalition will ensure there are skilled professionals and strong leadership across the sector and describes how the Government is establishing a new relationship with the sector which frees professionals to do what they believe is best. For further information visit:
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/supporting%20families%20in%20the%20foundation%20years.pdf 

Enabling the sector potential in early years services

The Taskforce on Early Years, set up by ACEVO, has released its report calling for greater partnership between the voluntary sector and government to help deliver the services needed by more than a million children. The taskforce was set up earlier this year to consider the opportunities, challenges and solutions to voluntary sector delivery of early years services, with a particular focus on children's centres. 'One million reasons for reform: unleashing the potential of the voluntary sector in early years services' is in pdf, 3.37MB, from
http://www.acevo.org.uk/document.doc?id=1575

Youth centres and children's centres called upon to bridge generational gap

Children's centres, youth centres and care homes should be central to efforts to improve links between the young and older generations, charity 4Children has claimed. Think Intergenerational: Connecting Generations to Support Communities, published by 4Children with support from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, concludes that both the young and older generations are at risk of feeling isolated because of cuts to public services that are impacting on social care provision and youth opportunities. The report fosters the idea that community hubs be created to improve relationships between the generations, using centres that serve young children, adolescents and also elderly people. Read more at CYP Now:
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/Childcare_and_Early_Years/article/1088769/youth-centres-childrens-centres-called-upon-bridge-generational-gap/?DCMP=EMC-CONInPractice
or download the report from:
http://www.4children.org.uk/uploads/information/Think_Intergenerational.pdf 

Graham Allen launches second report on Early Intervention

Graham Allen launches second report on early intervention Mr Allen's first report, Early intervention: the next steps, underlined that many of the costly and damaging social problems for individuals can be eliminated or reduced by giving children and parents the right type of evidence based programmes, especially in their earliest years. This second report focuses on innovative financial approaches to ensure that every baby, child and young person grows up with the basic social and emotional competencies.
Read the key recommendations at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/news/graham-allen-launches-second-report-early-intervention
Download the second report:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/early-intervention-smart-investment-massive-savings
The first report Early Intervention: the next steps was published in January, it underlined that many of the costly and damaging social problems for individuals can be eliminated or reduced by giving children and parents the right type of evidence based programmes 0-18 and especially in their earliest years. Download the first report:
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/g/graham%20allens%20review%20of%20early%20intervention.pdf

Supporting Families in the Foundation Years

The Department for Education has published Supporting Families in the Foundation Years, which sets out the Government's vision for the services that should be on offer for parents, children and families in the foundation years. It looks at child poverty and early intervention and sets out the Government's plan to focus on child development and place parents and families at the heart of services. It explains the role of different services, working together to ensure that children, their mothers and fathers and other key areas receive early help where needed. Download the report from:
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/supporting%20families%20in%20the%20foundation%20years.pdf 

 Early years providers need help to support the most vulnerable families

Early years providers must be supported to meet the needs of vulnerable children and families if the free entitlement to early education is to be successfully extended to all of the most disadvantaged two-year-olds, an evaluation of pilot schemes has claimed. The study commissioned by the former Department for Children, Schools and Families and undertaken by the National Children's Bureau and National Centre for Social Research said that training will have to be offered to providers with limited experience of catering for vulnerable children.
According to the evaluation, which examined a sample of areas that had piloted the "two-year-old offer" at some stage between 2006 and 2010, the current Early Years Single Funding Formula will not be "financially viable" to support the expansion by 2013, particularly in areas that already have a high demand for childcare.
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR131.pdf

New C4EO Practice Guide

C4EO have published "Grasping the mettle: early intervention for children, families and communities". It is a practice guide executive summary to the challenges and opportunities in supporting children, families and communities through early intervention, based on effective local, national and international practice. ‘Grasping the nettle: early intervention for children, families and communities' demonstrates the challenges and opportunities in supporting children, families and communities through early intervention, based on effective local, national and international practice. Download from:
http://www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/earlyintervention/files/early_intervention_grasping_the_nettle_executive_summary.pdf

Families

The enemy within: 4 million reasons to tackle family conflict and family violence

New research from the national charity, 4Children, reveals the extent of conflict and violence in Britain's families. A survey of parents with children under the age of 18 carried out by YouGov on behalf of 4Children reveals that over half of parents with children experience serious or frequent conflict - which equates to about 4 million families with children in this country[1] (where families are defined as parents with children under 18 years of age). Only 7% of parents said there was no conflict in their home. 4Children's groundbreaking report, The Enemy Within, presents the full picture of conflict and violence within families. The report reveals the way in which children and parents can be both victims and perpetrators of family conflict - with the evidence suggesting that violence is more widespread within the family than was perhaps previously thought. The report highlights that children are overwhelmingly the victims: 950,000 children are affected by domestic violence, either directly as victims of violence, or indirectly in terms of witnessing violence.[2] Squeezes on household budgets area a key factor, with one in 5 parents (21%) reporting conflict over serious financial worries and debt. Find out more and download the report:
http://www.4children.org.uk/Resources/Detail/The-Enemy-Within-Report

How is parenting style related to child anti-social behaviour

Anti-social behaviour is a major problem in childhood and beyond. More severe, persistent forms affect 5-10% of children in developed western countries and are linked to future adult crime, drug and alcohol misuse, unemployment, poor physical health, and mental disorders. A major risk factor is parenting style, in particular harsh and inconsistent parenting, which research has shown is associated with child behaviour problems. Other factors that feed into this directly and indirectly include domestic violence, parental drug abuse, maternal depression, family poverty, parents with low levels of education, stressed families and single parent status. This research report presents the findings from a study that examined the relationship between parenting styles and a range of family factors and child anti-social behaviour. The study examined in detail 278 families living in inner city areas who had children at higher risk of poor social and academic outcomes due to anti-social behaviour. The children involved in the study were aged four to seven.
Access the report here:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR185a.pdf

High Need Families Project

The High Need Families Project was one of a suite of projects funded by the Department for Education until March 2011. The programme is targeted specifically at the small but significant number of families with multiple problems, where chaotic parenting is likely to give rise to disruptive anti-social behaviour. The Helping Families Programme aims to improve the outcomes of children who live in some of the most complex and disadvantaged families in the UK. Children and families with such difficulties offer significant challenges to service providers and are the least likely to benefit from existing parenting programmes. Multi-stressed, high need families are particularly difficult to engage, retain and treat. This report provides an overview of the phases of the High Need Families Project, drawing together the lessons learned and describing dissemination of the Helping Families Programme to date. The report contains an executive summary.
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR187.pdf

Vulnerable Families

The Department for Work and Pensions has published the Social Justice Strategy, intended to help vulnerable families. It emphasises the importance of preventive services, and providing support and tools to allow people a second chance to transform their lives. Emphasises the importance of joint working, and looks at how public, private and voluntary sector organisations can work together to deliver intervention services locally. This Government's strategy for Social Justice is about giving individuals and families facing multiple disadvantages the support and tools they need to turn their lives around. The strategy sets out Government's strong commitment to this agenda. It focuses on exploring how we can tackle the root causes of problems to promote real and sustained changes in peoples' lives.
Download the strategy from:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/policy/social-justice/

Give Me Strength Campaign

4Children has launched a new campaign, Give Me Strength, calling for greater help to ensure that family dramas don't become crises. Accompanying the launch, 4Chilren has published a report Crash Barriers: A new approach to preventing family crisis, which identifies 3 parental-risk factors -maternal depression, alcohol misuse and domestic abuse, which are prevalent across all groups but hidden from the public eye. It argues that if these risk factors are addressed early and effectively, with a whole-family approach, families can continue to stay together and live safe and fulfilling-lives. Visit the website for more information:
http://givemestrength.org.uk/
Download the leaflet / report here:
http://givemestrength.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/GMS_CrashBarriers.pdf

Support for All: the Families and Relationships Green Paper

This Green Paper sets out a wide range of measures to support all families as they bring up their children and help families cope with times of stress and difficulty. The proposals recognise that while all families need some help, there are families in our society with complex needs and others who require additional - and sometimes non-negotiable - support.
The Paper's proposals aim to influence factors that can strengthen or weaken family life, such as the choices available when balancing employment with bringing up children; and how welcoming and accessible public services are to families of all kinds.
http://publications.education.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=CM+7787 

Family Intervention Projects

A new report from the Department of Schools and Families shows that Family Internvetion projects have a positive impact on families.  You can download the report here:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2010_0052

Funding and Finance

Cuts leave charities fearing closure within a year says National Children's Bureau report

A significant minority of charities fear closure over the coming year, while others implement bracing measures in the face of a £405 million statutory funding loss, reveals a National Children's Bureau (NCB) report today. 'Beyond the Cuts' estimates that the 34,000 charities in England which work primarily with children and young people will lose £405 million in statutory funding in the five years from 2011/12 to 2015/16.
The report consists of two parts:
• a calculation, conducted by NCB and NCVO, of what cuts to statutory funding the children's sector might expect to see over the five years from 2010/11 to 2015/16
• a consultation with 74 children's charities to find out what changes to funding they are experiencing and how they are responding and adapting
Read more on the NCVO website at:
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/news/civil-society/cuts-leave-charities-fearing-closure-within-year-says-national-children%E2%80%99s-bureau-
or download the report from:
http://www.ncb.org.uk/media/705870/beyond_the_cuts.pdf

End of a golden era

The NCVO's latest Civil Society Almanac shows just how the recession has affected the voluntary sector, Tania Mason reports. Every two years, the NCVO publishes its comprehensive study of the macro-economics of civil society in the UK. The latest report, published on 5 March, depicts a sector that took a big hit in terms of income, but managed nevertheless to maintain spending on its activities. The NCVO's head of research, Karl Wilding, provided civilsociety.co.uk with an exclusive briefing on the research. Read a summary of his analysis.
http://www.civilsociety.co.uk/governance/compliance/content/11704/  

NAVCA publishes regeneration report to support Transition Fund campaign

NAVCA has published a report to support the recent call made by the leading voluntary and community sector umbrella organisations, including NAVCA, for a second wave of transition funding to help regenerate the most deprived areas. The report evidences the impact of public spending cuts since 2010 on the local voluntary sector. After compiling the evidence in NAVCA's report, NAVCA has written to George Osborne MP to further urge him to use his Budget on 21 March to provide transition funding to help people who are suffering most from public spending cuts. NAVCA's report says that for the first time since the 1960s there is no government regeneration programme to support areas of deprivation. Since coming to power the Government has ended the Working Neighbourhoods Fund and the Performance Reward Grant. The report provides evidence of how this has adversely affected local voluntary action. Read more at NAVCA, where you can also download the report:
http://www.navca.org.uk/news/view-article/navca-publishes-regeneration-report-to-support-transition-fund-campaign  

Newcastle, state of the sector report

This item is from the NAVCA Linx e-bulletin and may be of interest in order to compare with the Wakefield District. This excellent report from Newcastle CVS, presents the results of their recent survey, The State of the Sector, and looks at the impact of the economic downturn and public spending cuts on the voluntary and community sector in Newcastle. The results make for mainly unhappy reading with service closures and redundancies likely; however some organisations report opportunities ahead, particularly with the new GP consortia commissioning arrangements.
http://www.cvsnewcastle.org.uk/assets/files/representinginfluencing/state_sector_survey_jan11.pdf

Rethinking Third sector funding 
Connect Assist has published a paper, 'Rethinking third sector funding: How to meet service demand while cutting costs'.   The argument of the paper is that although the third sector is facing unprecedented challenges to its funding, hey argue that the only appropriate response to what is a long term structural shift is not to look for more money, but to spend less.  Voluntary services are increasingly required to pick up services no longer available in the public sector, service users are demanding ever higher quality standards and sources of funding are reducing on all fronts. Download the paper from: 
https://support.connectassist.co.uk/cgi-bin/casupport.cfg/php/ma/fattach_get.php?1=AvUG~wpvDv8S9hz~Ghoe~yL~Jvsq~~7~F5va~jr~&2=268

Children England Members Cuts Survey

Children England have published a report, Counting the Cuts, detailing the results of survey of around 70% of their membership. It conveys a snapshot of the challenges currently facing their members, showed a high level of uncertainty about funding decisions, which are affecting service provision and staffing.
Its key findings are:
• Most participants (71 per cent) are experiencing cuts to their budgets in 2011/12
• Of those organisations in receipt of local government funding 80 per cent are experiencing cuts
• Two thirds of organisations were still awaiting funding decisions from local authorities for 2011/12, many not knowing whether services would still be running on 1 April and with staff on notice of redundancy
• 40 per cent of organisations anticipating staff cuts in the first 6 months of 2011, rising to 66 per cent over the whole year
• Over a third of organisations who receive funding from charitable trusts, individual giving and corporates are anticipating an increase in funding from these sources
• There are 14 instances of service closures reported
• Children's Centres, Sure Start services, youthwork, family support services and play services are amongst the hardest hit.
To download the full report visit the website at:
http://www.childrenengland.org.uk/upload/CountingTheCutsFinalforPDF.pdf

Health and wellbeing

The Good Childhood Report 2012: A review of our children's well-being

The Good Childhood Report 2012, from The Children's Society, reveals that half a million children across the UK are unhappy with their lives. It outlines six key priorities needed for a happy childhood, after interviewing more than 30,000 children aged eight to 16. Children who have low levels of happiness are much less likely to enjoy being at home with their family, feel safe when with their friends, like the way they look and feel positive about their future. Children unhappy in this way are also more likely to be victimised, have eating disorders or be depressed. Key findings include:
• Choice and family have the biggest impact on children's happiness.
• The quality of children's relationships with their families is far more important than the structure of the family that they live in.
• Low well-being increases dramatically with age - doubling from the age of 10 (7%) to the age of 15 (14%).
• Children as young as eight are aware of the financial issues their families face. Children in families who have experienced a reduction in income are more likely to have low well-being.
• Children who do not have clothes to ‘fit in' with peers are more than three times as likely to be unhappy with their appearance. Children who are unhappy with their appearance are also much more likely than average to experience frequent bullying.
Download the report from:
http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/research/well-being/good-childhood-report-2012

Right time, right place: alcohol-harm reduction strategies with children and young people

This report is from Alcohol Concern. Alcohol consumption by under-18s remains a significant problem for the UK and whilst government policy has often focused on how to tackle alcohol as a public nuisance issue insufficient attention has been paid to the health problems that young people face. This new report calls for earlier identification of young people engaged in 'risky' drinking such as young people attending A&E or getting into trouble with the police for alcohol, so that they can access information, advice and support.
http://www.alcoholconcern.org.uk/publications/policy-reports/right-time-right-place

Puppet on a String

This report outlines what is known about the scale and nature of sexual exploitation across the UK and points to some worrying new trends identified by Barnardo's 22 specialist services. Emphasising that child sexual exploitation is a child protection issue, the report calls for the secretary of state for education to appoint a minister to take forward a national action plan to tackle this crime against children.
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/resources/research_and_tips/campaign_documents.htm

Vision for the health of children and young people

The Government sets out a new vision for the health of children and young people in an engagement document, Achieving Equity and Excellence for Children. This is part of a detailed supplement to the ongoing consultation for the White Paper, Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS. Visit the website at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/MediaCentre/Pressreleases/DH_119464

Childhood Wellbeing: A Brief Overview

This briefing from the Department for Education examines how wellbeing is conceptualised, measures used to assess it, how children and young people's views are incorporated and some of the conclusions from key studies in the area of the wellbeing of children and young people. Download the report from:
http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/FinalChildDFEwebsite.pdf

Health

Healthy lives, healthy people: a call to action on obesity in England

Over 60 per cent of adults in England and a third of 10 and 11 year olds are overweight or obese. This document says that on average adults are exceeding their calorie intake by 10 per cent, and that people need to be more honest about what they eat and drink in order to achieve the goal of reducing levels of child and adult obesity by 2020. The strategy recommends that local authorities use their new commissioning powers and ring fenced public health budgets to make a difference in communities. Elsewhere, the strategy calls for the food and drinks industry to extend and intensify their efforts to help people make healthier choices through the Responsibility Deal. There will also be a £14 million investment in the Change4Life programme to encourage people to eat healthily and increase levels of
physical activity. Visit the website and download the reports:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_130401

Change4Life three year social marketing strategy

This document sets out a new three-year marketing strategy (2011-14) for the Change4Life programme. It is published as a companion to Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A call to action on obesity in England and describes how the Change4Life social marketing programme will support the achievement of the new national obesity ambitions, as well as promoting other, broader, lifestyle changes. Visit the website at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_130475

Local

Wakefield District Children and Young People's Plan

You can download the Wakefield District Children and Young People's plan here.

http://www.wakefield.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/AC791932-F70F-4795-A10E-01113DC3C01F/0/1_YP_Plan.pdf

The State of the District

The State of the District report provides important facts and figures on the conditions and circumstances affecting people's lives in the district. This includes information on how the demographics of Wakefield are changing, whether citizens are getting healthier, wealthier or more satisfied. Download the report here

Third Sector Organisations in Yorkshire and Humber

The Yorkshire and Humber Forum has just published a study undertaken by Southampton University and NCVO, of the number, location and types of third sector organisations in Yorkshire and Humber. Some key headline figures in the report are there are 14,218 registered Third Sector Organisations with an annual income of £2.75 billion and assets of £3.73 billion. 72,700 people work in the sector and there are 300,000-350,000 volunteers who give 25 million hours per year. Download the full report:
http://www.yorkshirehumberforum.org.uk/publications_resources/knowledgebase/500/540/366.pdf

NEET

Approaches to supporting young people not in education, employment or training: a review

This review forms one of a suite of four literature reviews that have been completed under the From Education to Employment theme. These reviews collectively identify strategies for assisting young people at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) to make effective transitions into learning or employment post 16. In 2011 one in five (22.3 per cent) young people aged 16-24 were unemployed (a total of 1.04 million). A slightly lower, but still large, proportion (19.2 per cent) of young people aged 16-24 were NEET. All four reviews build upon a large body of research on the reasons why young people are NEET, and on recent NFER research, which presented a 'segmentation' Visit the website to download a summary r the report:
http://www.nfer.ac.uk/nfer/publications/RSRN01/RSRN01_home.cfm?publicationID=672&title=Approaches%20to%20supporting%20young%20people%20not%20in%20education,%20employment%20or%20training%20-%20a%20review

NEET young people

From C4EO, here is a review of literature around NEET young people:
The 16 items of literature examined for this rapid review tell us that, whether strategies to re-engage those not in education, employment or training (NEET) are at national, local, programme, or school-level, the most effective approaches are those that:
• are supported by funding and a commitment to a reduction in youth unemployment
• adopt a 'whole-area' approach to planning and delivery, backed by political commitment
• involve young people, and employers and local businesses, in strategic development, implementation and review
Download the report:
http://www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/youth/files/youth-rapid-review-reengage-young-people-not-in-education-employment-or-training.pdf?dm_i=7SL,MVX0,2G7RX0,1UP2T,1  

What works re-engaging young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)?

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to secure suitable education and training to meet the needs of all young people in their area, including more tailored provision for those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Many of these young people fall into recognisable groups: they may be young parents, have learning difficulties or disabilities, or a history of offending. This report summarises the evaluations of the Activity Agreement and Entry to Learning Pilots, harnessing the years of piloting and evaluation to highlight the key features of the programmes, their impact, what has worked well and what has worked less well, so that local authorities and providers have access to the many helpful lessons learned from the pilots. It starts with a brief description of each pilot and sets out the evidence on their impact. It summarises the lessons learned from the pilots, highlighting a number of features that were common to both pilots, and areas that could have been improved. The report is not intended to be a comparison between Activity Agreement and Entry to Learning Pilots. The scale of the pilots were very different, they did not have the same eligibility criteria, and the evidence on each pilot was collected using very different research methods which mean that direct comparisons are not advised. Download the report from:
http://publications.education.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DFE-RR065&

Re-engaging young people in education, employment or training

Since 1990, a yearly government survey has indicated that between 9 and 10 per cent of 16 to 18 year olds is without a wage, schooling or training. Our new study looks at the financial, personal and social cost of teenagers who are so-called NEET - not in education, employment or training. The study has found that the problem may be worse than the annual 'snapshot' survey shows, but that a new approach can make scarce resources work harder for those at greatest risk. The report summary document gives an overview of the main findings from the research, complete with a series of questions to help commissioners and members of 14-19 partnerships, children's trusts and local strategic partnerships explore what local issues may be for young people not in education, employment or training and how to work more effectively to help them. Download the report from:
http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/nationalstudies/localgov/againsttheodds/Pages/default.aspx

Improving young people's lives: the role of the environment in building resilience, responsibility and employment chances

This report from the Department of Education highlights how young people can improve their health, behaviour and sense of personal responsibility through environmental activities and volunteering. It calls on the government and service providers to do more to help young people prepare for the green economy in order to tackle youth unemployment.
http://www.education.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/SDC_IYPL_report.pdf

Education mobility in England

Education charity, the Sutton Trust, have published a report that claims children's levels of achievement are more closely linked to their parents' background in England than in many other developed nations. The Report, Education Mobility in England , shows that, out of 16,000 14 year-olds and found that England was 'significantly behind similar nations' in creating an equal chance of achieving high exam grades for pupils from least well-educated households compared to those from the most well-educated households. For example, the study placed 56 per cent of children from degree-educated parents in the top 25 per cent of test scores at age 14, compared with 9 per cent of children whose parents left school without O-levels. Download the report at:
http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/Education_mobility_in_england.pdf

Participation and Young People

Limited progress for children's participation rights in 2011

The Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) has published its State of Children's Rights in England 2011 report, which examines Government progress on children's rights. When the UK was last examined by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2008, it was issued with several recommendations to improve children's rights to be involved in decisions which affect them. CRAE's report shows that although children's participation has been strengthened across a number of settings in the past year, there has been no significant progress in schools. Visit the CRAE website to download the report:
http://www.crae.org.uk/protecting/socr  

Building Engagement, Building Futures

The Government has published plans to increase the participation of 16-24 year olds in education, training and work. Building Engagement, Building Futures sets out the Government's strategy to improve the opportunities for young people, so they can succeed in education and training and gain the skills they need to secure an apprenticeship or employment. It includes radical reforms to schools, vocational education, skills and welfare provision. Visit the website to find out more:
http://www.bis.gov.uk/news/topstories/2011/Dec/strategy-youth-access-education-training-skills  

Children's Commissioners call for greater action on children's participation rights

Last week, the UK's four Children's Commissioners released a mid-term report on the UK's compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Commissioners examine five areas of law, policy and practice - participation in decision-making, disabled children, child poverty, children seeking asylum and juvenile justice. In relation to Article 12 of the Convention, the child's right to express their views freely and to have these views given due weight in all matters affecting him or her, the Commissioners conclude ‘the mainstreaming of children's participation has yet to happen and children report that their views are not sought, listened to or acted upon consistently'. They call for new legislation embedding participation in children's lives; participation training for all professionals working with children and young people; and an end to inconsistent advocacy provision. Download the report from:
http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/content/publications/content_542  

'Darker side to participation' Pathways Through Participation report

Participation can lead to stress, anxiety and burnout, and ultimately lead to non-participation in the long-term, warns NCVO's recently released Pathways Through Participation report.
The report found that if people have a poor quality experience, or are faced with a lack of resources, they are likely to suffer ill-effects that lead to their termination of voluntary participation, and the unlikelihood of participating in the future. Generated as a tool for improved participation experience, the Pathways Through Participation report, researched by NCVO, IVR and Involve over the past two-and-a-half years, warned that "participation can have a dark side", with factors such as individuals taking on too much responsibility and a culture of cliqueness or exclusivity leading to withdrawal from participation.
Some interviewees expressed a feeling of being bullied or over-burdened in their voluntary participation roles. Power-struggles and conflicts were noted from small to large organizations and tensions were said to have caused problems in participants' personal lives. Read more at Civil Society:
http://www.civilsociety.co.uk/governance/news/content/10496/darker_side_to_participation_revealed_in_pathways_through_participation_report
 or download the report from:
http://pathwaysthroughparticipation.org.uk/

Participation by 16-19 Year Olds in Education and Training

The Education Select Committee has produced a report on the participation by 16-19 year olds in education and training. Key findings from the report include:
• The Government should have done more to acknowledge the Educational Maintenance Allowance's (EMA) combined impact on participation, attainment and retention, before it decided how to restructure financial support
• The bursary scheme which is to replace the EMA will inevitably lead to inconsistencies which could distort young people's choices of where to study
• Bursaries administered by schools and colleges will not necessarily be fairer or more discriminating than a slimmed-down, more targeted entitlement such as the EMA
• The Department for Education should do more to ensure that information about pupils' needs can move easily between educational institutions
• The Department for Education should fund the National Careers Service to provide face-to-face careers advice for young people
You can download the report from:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmeduc/850/850i.pdf

Valuing Young Voices - Strengthening Democracy

This was commissioned by the Local Government Group and National Youth Agency and investigates the contribution made by young people's participation in society.
The paper demonstrates how youth engagement can lead to increased accountability and legitimacy amongst decision makers, and improved services for young people, concluding that youth engagement is instrumental in delivering outcomes that communities and councils seek.
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/22879535

Report highlights young people's role in strengthening local democracy

A new publication by the Local Government Group and the National Youth Agency, Valuing Democracy, strengthening young voices, looks at the contribution that youth engagement makes to local democracy. It focuses on 3 aspects of youth engagement - public, social and individual participation. It concludes that increased youth participation leads to greater accountability and legitimacy amongst decision makers, helps to develop more positive attitudes towards young people in local communities and contributes to more informed decision-making.
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/22879535

Review of children's rights shows mixed progress on participation

The Children's Rights Alliance for England (CRAE) have launched their State of children's rights in England report. This report is the first independent assessment of the coalition Government's record on children's rights, and it brings together research and evidence from the last 12 months that highlights where progress has been made on the 118 recommendations made by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to the UK Government in 2008. Downloads the full report from the CRAE website at:
http://www.crae.org.uk/assets/files/CRAE%20State%20of%20childrens%20rights%20Nov%202010.pdf
Or a summary from:
http://www.crae.org.uk/assets/files/Childrens%20report.pdf

An Agenda for Youth Engagement

The government has published a response to the recommendations in the final Youth Citizenship Commission report. An agenda for youth engagement outlines what the government has achieved in response to the Youth Citizenship Commission. As part of its response, the government has launched a new online hub entitled Join which provides young people with information about youth citizenship opportunities in their local community, and how they can take part in politics on a local and national level. Download the report at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/333826/youthengagement.pdf

An Equal Place at the Table for Children and Young People

National Participation Forum Launches has launched a new resource, which makes the case for involving children and young people in decision making and listening to what they have to say. Funded by UNICEF, it is part of a package of new resources and research from the National Participation Forum, a group of leading children's charities, associations and organisations, including NCB. Downloads
http://www.participationworks.org.uk/files/webfm/files/npf~/npf_publications/An%20Equal%20Place%20at%20the%20Table_jun10.pdf

Children's participation in decision making

Children's participation in decision making brings together the key issues from the research, highlighting the progress that has been made in empowering children and young people to participate in decision-making. The report, from Participation Works, describes how legislative changes and cultural changes have contributed towards children and young people having a greater say in matters that affect them. Download the report

http://www.participationworks.org.uk/files/webfm/files/npf~/npf_publications/A%20Summary%20Report_jun10.pdf?utm_content=0000-00-00%2000:00:00&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Children%26rsquo%3Bs%20participation%20in%20decision-making&utm_campaign=PWNE%20E-bulletin%20July%202010content

and a version for children and young people:

http://www.participationworks.org.uk/files/webfm/files/npf~/npf_publications/Children's%20Participation%202010_Summary%20for%20young%20people_jun10.pdf

 Positive Activities

Myplace Evaluation Report

Myplace is a major Government programme arising from Aiming High for young people: a ten year strategy for positive activities. The programme aims to establish ‘world-class' places for young people, which will offer positive activities and access to a range of services. The evaluation follows the implementation of the projects until March 2011. Its overall aims are to identify: the extent to which projects are adopting leading practice; the impact of adopting leading practice; and the extent of progress towards the myplace outcomes. The evaluation is set within an analysis of the policy framework out of which it developed and in the context of an historical review of building-based work with young people. This final report is based on continuing work with the eight case study centres, visits to seven additional centres (largely with buildings already open), interviews with lead contacts in two further centres; two annual surveys of centres; and research into the policy and practice context. It includes:
To download the report go Department for Education website:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/MYPLACE-FIN-REP 

Poverty

Fair and Square

The Children's Society have released a report that shows that more than half of all school children living in poverty - 1.2 million - are missing out on free school meals and 700,000 are not entitled to free school meals at all. Fair and Square also found that 60% of parents surveyed say that free school meal eligibility has a direct impact on their decision to move back into work or work more hours. The Children's Society campaign is calling on the Government to ensure that all children living in poverty receive free school meals when addressing the future of school meals as part of the overhaul of the current welfare system. Download the report from:
http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/tcs/fair_and_square_campaign_report_final.pdf

Ending child poverty: ensuring Universal Credit supports working mums

This briefing from Save the Children argues that the potential positive impact of Universal Credit - the new welfare system due to replace tax credits and most benefits from 2013 - on supporting parents into work and reducing child poverty could be undermined. It identifies three key issues: insufficient earnings disregards for working mothers; lack of support for childcare costs; Universal Credit payments will be withdrawn too quickly. There are two reports you can download from:
http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/resources/online-library/search?publication=Ending+child+Poverty&=Apply

Child Poverty

Child Poverty - Definitely not a thing of the past. I found this link on Voices, Northumberland. It shows lots of useful resources about child poverty and the differences between different countries:
http://www.voices-northumberland.org.uk/resources_folder/1_richard.pdf
The link is from the Equality Trust at:
http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/#  

End Child Poverty

4 million children - one in three - are currently living in poverty in the UK, one of the highest rates in the industrialised world. This is a shocking figure given the wealth of our nation. Poverty can have a profound impact on the child, their family, and the rest of society. It often sets in motion a deepening spiral of social exclusion, creating problems in education, employment, mental and physical health and social interaction. End Child Poverty is now being hosted by Child Poverty Action Group. Although in the last decade the number of children living in poverty has reduced, progress has not been fast enough for us to reach the goal of ending child poverty by 2020 that all the main political parties signed up to in the Child Poverty Act. You can download a report from the website at:
http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/  

 Democracy and disadvantaged young people

The Department of Education at the University of Cambridge is publishing a series of project reports on the democratic engagement of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds
To help you access the latest research findings relating to youth participation and democracy, they will arrange to have summaries written up and posted as soon as they are ready throughout the year. You will find the summaries under the year in which they have been produced, and can contact their author as listed to have a more in-depth discussion. Visit the website at:
http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/research/academicgroups/equality/forumyouthparticipation/keyfindings/

White working-class views of neighbourhood, cohesion and change

Community cohesion has been influential in shaping government policy since the 2001 disturbances in Burnley, Oldham and Bradford. During this period, few studies have assessed the contribution of white working-class communities to cohesion. Reviewing the experiences of residents in three neighbourhoods across England, this study:
• critically reviews the concept of community cohesion and its application;
• looks at whether white working-class communities are a forgotten group disconnected from policy and politics;
• discusses the complexity of whiteness, class and cohesion; and
• recommends changing community cohesion to a grassroots initiative, embracing difference and diversity.
Download the report from:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/working-class-views-neighbourhood

Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2011

The annual report on the state of poverty and social exclusion in the UK, from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the New Policy Institute. Each report, using official government data, is built around a set of 50 indicators. The analysis covers a wide range of issues, ranging from low income, worklessness and debt, to ill-health, poor education and problems in communities. This report presents the legacy that was left to the Coalition Government by its predecessor, and examines the current Government's priorities for action. While many of the indicators show the ongoing effects of the recession and subsequent low economic growth, the report also looks much further back, analysing longer-term trends. Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2011 is an essential resource for policy-makers and others wanting to take stock of what is happening and understand the challenges ahead. Download the report from:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/monitoring-poverty-2011  

What does the Local Child Poverty Measure tell us about the distribution of child poverty in England?

(Department of Education)
The Child Poverty Strategy, A New Approach to Child Poverty: Tackling the Causes of Disadvantage and Transforming Families' Lives, set out the Government's approach to tackling child poverty for this Parliament. The strategy maintained the Government's commitment to the Child Poverty Act 2010 and the duties it placed on national Government to meet four child poverty targets by 2020. This paper explores what local level child poverty data can tell us about the distribution of child poverty in England and how child poverty rates at these lower geographies have changed over time, further developing the evidence base on the extent and distribution of child poverty. It demonstrates how this data might be exploited more fully in developing local and national strategies. This report builds on the range of data and analysis and support for local areas that has already been published. This includes the Child Poverty Needs Assessment Toolkit, aimed at individuals and groups who lead on understanding family poverty locally and designed to help provide the underpinning information and insights to develop strategies that can reduce, or mitigate against the effects of, child poverty. Download the report from:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR161  

uSwitch Quality of Life Index: UK is the worst place to live in Europe

The UK is the worst place to live in Europe, thanks to a combination of high living costs, a poor work-life balance and low government spending on healthcare and education, according to the latest uSwitch Quality of Life Index. This is the UK's first year at the bottom of the Index, which calculates an overall quality of life score for ten European nations, based on 16 factors including net income, VAT and the cost of essential goods such as fuel, food and energy bills, as well as lifestyle issues like hours of sunshine, days holiday, working hours and life expectancy
http://www.uswitch.com/news/money/uswitch-quality-of-life-index-uk-is-the-worst-place-to-live-in-europe-900002286/

Child Poverty 1

The Department for Education has published the Local authority child poverty innovation pilot evaluation: Final synthesis report. This was commissioned by the Child Poverty Unit in 2009. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of 10 local authority pilot programmes that designed local approaches to tackling child poverty and increasing employment. The evaluation found that the pilots had achieved a great deal in challenging circumstances, and drew important lessons for the development of future interventions:
• There was a high demand for all the pilot services aimed at parents and families.
• There is a lack of integrated family support provision that results in many families' needs not being recognised and addressed.
• Community capacity building and co-production can be extremely effective but must be supported by dedicated resources.
• Parents require specialist flexible support focused on overcoming barriers to move nearer the labour market.
You can download the report from:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR152

Child Poverty 2

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has released a new forecast for child poverty in the UK funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Key predictions in the forecast include:
By 2012-13 absolute poverty is forecast to rise by about 600,000 children and 800,000 working-age adults.
• Median income is expected to fall by around 7% in real terms, which would be the largest three-year fall for 35 years.
• By 2020-21 the long term effect of Universal Credit is to reduce relative poverty by about 450,000 children and 600,000 working-age adults.
• Absolute and relative child poverty are forecast to be 23% and 24% in 2020-21 respectively.
• These compare to the targets of 5% and 10%, set out in the Child Poverty Act (2010) and passed with cross-party support
http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/5711
Disabled Children and Poverty
The Children's Society has published a report into disabled children's experience of poverty. The report finds that disabled children and their families experience higher levels of poverty than children and families as a whole.
• 4 in 10 disabled children live in relative income poverty compared to 3 in 10 of all children.
• 14% of disabled children are in severe income poverty compared to 11% of all children
• Around 100,000 disabled children will lose up to £27 per week under the universal credit.
You can download the report and recommendation to government from:
http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/policy-and-lobbying/child-poverty/disabled-children-and-poverty-0

Austerity measures are hitting children's charities hardest

This report from NCB, researched and published with input from NCVO, finds that the children and young people's voluntary sector is amongst the hardest hit by government funding cuts and local authority austerity measures. 'The Ripple Effect' paints a picture of the children's voluntary sector as heavily reliant on government funding and less likely to receive funding from the private sector. Just over half of the children's voluntary sector relies on statutory funding, as opposed to only 38% of the wider voluntary sector. Similarly, children's charities receive only 1% of their funding from corporate sources, compared to an average of 4% for the entire voluntary sector. The research, which includes an analysis of Charity Commission data, in-depth interviews with five local authorities and a review of existing literature, found that while the children's voluntary sector accounts for a quarter of all charitable organisations, it only receives one tenth of the income. The research also found that 96% of the children's voluntary sector operates at a grass-roots, local level - delivering vital service to families in need. These factors combine to make the children's voluntary sector particularly vulnerable to the current funding environment that seeks to cut back on central government funding while meeting the shortfall through private sector funding for local services. Download the report from:
http://www.ncb.org.uk/vss/home.aspx 

Exploring poverty gaps among children in the UK

Karen Gardiner and Martin Evans for the Department for Work and Pensions Measures set out in the Child Poverty Act and in the National Child Poverty Strategy are based on poverty headcounts, i.e. you are either below or above a certain poverty threshold. The head count does not distinguish between those with incomes just below the poverty line and those deeper in poverty. This paper supplements the headcount measures with analysis of the ‘poverty gap' for UK children. The poverty gap measures ‘How poor are the poor', i.e. the extent of poverty for those who are below the relative poverty threshold.
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/report_abstracts/wp_abstracts/wpa_103.asp 

Poverty policy lacks input from children

Save the Children has called on the government to ensure it involves children and young people more in efforts to end child poverty. In its report Telling It Like It Is, the charity has documented a raft of real-life experiences from children living in poverty. Such views are important to help ministers understand the harsh realities children in poverty have to endure. The report states: "These children are experts on their own lives and understand what it means to be poor. Yet too often their voices are left out of debates and discussions about what the government should do to end child poverty." The children and young people who took part are involved in Save the Children's UK projects and are also featured in a documentary called Poor Kids, screened on BBC One tonight (7 June). Among those featured is 11-year-old Sam from Leicester, who told the charity: "We have to save up what we've got, you know, like food-wise. And sometimes I don't even get lunch." His sister Kayleigh, 16, said: "You tend to just start merging into the background, not wanting to join in, because you don't want people to know what's going on at home." Read more at CYP Now:
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/go/news/article/1073768/poverty-policy-lacks-input-children/

Download the report from:
http://offlinehbpl.hbpl.co.uk/NewsAttachments/PYC/Childrens%20Views%20briefing%203rd%20pp.pdf

Child poverty figure drops by 100,000

The number of children living in poverty has fallen by 100,000 in a year, according to latest figures. The latest government Households Below Average Income figures show that after housing costs there were 3.8 million children living in poverty during 2009/10, one per cent less than the previous year. Since 1998/99 the number of children living in poverty has fallen by 700,000. But child poverty campaigners warn that progress is still slow and fear that coalition government changes to benefit payments could plunge more families into poverty. Enver Solomon, The Children's Society's director of policy, is "deeply concerned" about the Welfare Reform Bill that plans to cap household benefits. A reduction in childcare costs that can be recouped through working tax credits is another concern. Once again it is the most vulnerable young people who are being hit the hardest. If the government is truly committed to ending child poverty by 2020, as it claims, it must invest in welfare for the next generation," Solomon added. Read more at C&YP Now:
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletin/cypnow_daily/article/1069825/child-poverty-figure-drops-100000/

Children and Young People's Views on Poverty

The Children's Commissioner has published a report that details the views on child poverty of children and young people living in deprived areas. The children and young people interviewed associated stigma with being poor, were reluctant to tell others about their situation and embarrassed to ask for help. They also reported that not having mobile phones, PCs or branded clothing could lead to social isolation. Download the full report from:
http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/force_download.php?fp=%2Fclient_assets%2Fcp%2Fpublication%2F480%2FTrying_to_get_by_-_full_report.pdf 

The Campaign to End Child Poverty

The Campaign to End Child Poverty has published the first instalment of a two part report providing a child poverty map of the UK. The publication provides Local Authority and constituency information for England. On the End Child Poverty website you can find local child poverty data down to ward level in England.  Here are the figures copied from the spreadsheet on their website

Local Authority and wards	Percentage of children in poverty
Wakefield	21%
Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton	15%
Airedale and Ferry Fryston	36%
Altofts and Whitwood	17%
Castleford Central and Glasshoughton	15%
Crofton, Ryhill and Walton	16%
Featherstone	26%
Hemsworth	25%
Horbury and South Ossett	12%
Knottingley	27%
Normanton	21%
Ossett	11%
Pontefract North	17%
Pontefract South	22%
South Elmsall and South Kirkby	25%
Stanley and Outwood East	9%
Wakefield East	31%
Wakefield North	26%
Wakefield Rural	12%
Wakefield South	20%
Wakefield West	35%
Wrenthorpe and Outwood West	9%

If you want to explore further the information is available at: (click on Why end child poverty tab and choose Poverty in your area from the drop down list)
http://endchildpoverty.org.uk/news/press-releases/child-poverty-map-of-britain/24/187

The Foundation Years: Preventing Poor Children from Becoming Poor Adults

Children's professionals are pessimistic the government will act on the recommendations made in Frank Field's review of poverty. His report, The Foundation Years: Preventing Poor Children from Becoming Poor Adults, calls for greater investment in early years education. Funding should be shifted towards the first five years of children's lives and weighted to help the most disadvantaged, it states. It also calls for all disadvantaged children to be provided with affordable, full-time, graduate-led childcare from the age of two. Download the report from:
http://povertyreview.independent.gov.uk/media/20254/poverty-report.pdf

Report Card Nine: Children Left Behind

Unicef has called on the UK government to focus its child poverty policy on tackling low wages. Its report into child inequality in 24 developed countries found that income poverty has the greatest impact on child inequality in the UK. This is leaving the UK lagging behind other European countries such as France and Germany in improving the lives of the most disadvantaged children. Unicef UK executive director David Bull said: "Tackling income poverty should remain the number-one priority for government to reduce child inequality in the UK. At a time of austerity we must not widen this gap. Called Report Card Nine: Children Left Behind, the report measures how far children in poverty have fallen behind in terms of health, education and material wealth. Download the report from:
http://www.unicef.org.uk/Latest/News/Report-Card-9/

 Safeguarding

Keeping children safe: The case for reforming the law on child neglect

Action for Children has launched a new report on neglect. The report, spearheads a new campaign from the charity urging the Government to reform the law on child neglect to ensure that children are protected, parents are supported rather than criminalised and neglect is prevented. It claims that The Children and Young Persons Act 1933, which applies to England and Wales, is no longer fit for purpose. Find out why and download the report from:
http://www.actionforchildren.org.uk/neglectlawchange  

Teachers raise alarm about malnutrition as more children turn up to school hungry

A study by the Prince's Trust and the Times Educational Supplement suggests that growing numbers of children are turning up at school malnourished, dirty and struggling to concentrate because of increasing poverty. The survey of 515 teachers from schools across England is the latest to highlight the impact increasing poverty is having on children. According to the research, the most effective methods of helping deprived pupils cope with the impact of poverty is to provide them with mentors, However, two fifths of teachers said they did not have enough support to do this. Visit the website to find out more:
http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/about_the_trust/headline_news/national_news_2012/1204_teacher_survey.aspx

 Child protection inquiry

NCVYS has published its response to the Education Select Committee's inquiry into the Child Protection System. The submission made recommendations about ensuring that child protection policies of voluntary and community sector organisations work alongside other professionals in the interests of the child. We also noted our concerns that the focus of the recent Munro Review was on social work and that it failed to consider the child protection system as a whole and therefore does not adequately address the challenges within the health or schools systems. Consequently the challenges of safeguarding (older) young people are not satisfactorily set out in the Review. Read the response at:
http://www.ncvys.org.uk/UserFiles/NCVYS%20response%20to%20Education%20Select%20Committee%20Child%20Protection%20System%20Inquiry.pdf

Safeguarding children across services: messages from research

(Department of Education)
The Safeguarding Children Research Initiative is an important element in the government response to the Inquiry following the death of Victoria Climbié. Its purpose is to provide a stronger evidence base for the development of policy and practice to improve the protection of children in England. Eleven studies were commissioned as part of the Safeguarding Children Research Initiative. This Overview focuses on the findings from these studies, but also refers extensively to a further four important research studies that also reported during the same time period. This research provides an overview of the key messages from 15 studies, distilled to meet the needs of those professionals who seek to utilise such research findings to shape their day-to-day work. These include strategic and operational managers and practitioners, commissioners and providers of services, and policymakers in all those agencies that are required to work together to safeguard children. Download the report:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR164

Serious and fatal child maltreatment: setting serious case review data in context...

(Department of Education)
This interim report summarises data from Serious Case Reviews (SCR) notified to the Department for Education during 2009-10. The aim of this work is to provide up-to-date, comprehensive data on serious and fatal maltreatment of children in England, and to set those data in the context of other relevant data on children's health, well-being and possible harm. This has been achieved through a descriptive analysis of Serious Case Reviews from 2009-10, using data from the database reports.
Data are compared to other available data sources including Office for National Statistics (ONS) death registration statistics, Home Office data on recorded homicides, Child Death Overview Panel returns, and the Children in Need census. Download the report from:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR167

Protection of children online - a scoping review

The Department for Education has published a report, by the Child Wellbeing Research Centre, looking at what is known about the protection of children online. Issues covered include: cyber-bullying, sexual solicitation and grooming, and pornography and other harmful content. Ninety-nine percent of children aged 12-15 use the internet, as do 93% of 8-11 year olds and 75% of 5-7 year olds. New media technology means that the ways in which children are accessing online content are changing and ever evolving. Policy makers need research evidence to inform policies that articulate children's online risks, safeguard them from harm and promote their welfare. Recommendations for areas in need of further research include: factors that make some young people more vulnerable than others; how risk and protective factors influence outcomes; and how services can better protect children from online harm.
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/Online-vulnerability-Report.pdf

Ages of concern: learning lessons from serious case reviews

Ofsted
This report provides a thematic analysis of 482 serious case reviews that Ofsted evaluated between 1 April 2007 and 31 March 2011. The main focus of this report is on the reviews that concerned children in two age groups: babies less than one year old and young people aged 14 or above.
http://www.goodpractice.ofsted.gov.uk/

Child protection

The Department for Education (DfE) has published Professor Munro's interim report on child protection.  Professor Eileen Munro signalled a new approach in her interim report on child protection, which focuses on helping children rather than on the regulations, inspections and procedures that have thrown the system out of balance.

The interim report examines the areas of the child protection system where reform needs to take place. Currently the amount of prescription and bureaucracy in the system has meant social workers are not able to do the jobs they came into the profession to do.  
http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0074006/interim-report-of-munro-review-published

 Better Protection for vulnerable children

The Children's Minister, Delyth Morgan, has said that professionals must take steps to work together to identify children at risk from sexual exploitation and keep them safe from harm. New guidance has been produced by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Home Office advising local organisations on how to identify children at risk, protect them and take action against people exploiting and abusing them. The guidance was developed in conjunction with the VCS organisations that work with children at risk and is aimed at Local Safeguarding Children Board partners practitioners and other professionals working with children and young people. Read more at the DCSF website.
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0104 
or download an updated guide from:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/safeguardingandsocialcare/safeguardingchildren/
workingtogether/workingtogethertosafeguardchildren/

 Volunteers

Investigating the training needs of volunteers in the children's workforce

This is a qualitative study from CWDC to identify the core training priorities of volunteers in the children's workforce. It explores the training needs and experiences of volunteers in two case study areas. NCVYS contributed to the research providing advice, information and contacts:
http://www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/assets/0001/1578/CWDC__Final_Volunteer_Report.pdf

Well-being

The Good Childhood Report 2012: a review of our children's wellbeing

Children's Society
Researchers questioned more than 30,000 children and young people aged eight to 16 in the UK. The report identifies six key priorities needed for a happy childhood:
• the conditions to learn and develop
• a positive view of themselves and an identity that is respected
• have enough of what matters
• positive relationships with family and friends
• a safe and suitable home environment and local area
• opportunity to take part in positive activities to thrive
To look at the other findings and download the report, visit the website at:
http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/what-we-do/research/well-being/good-childhood-report-2012

Child well-being in the UK, Spain and Sweden

This new research shows that children in the UK feel trapped in a "materialistic culture" and don't spend enough time with their families. Consumer culture in the UK contrasts starkly with Sweden and Spain, where family time is prioritised, children and families are under less pressure to own material goods and children have greater access to activities out of the home. You can download the report from:
http://www.unicef.org.uk/Latest/Publications/Ipsos-MORI-child-well-being/ 

Workforce

Do Skills Matter? Literature Review on Skills and Workforce Development in the Third Sector

This report published by Skills-Third Sector provides a comprehensive review of current thinking and contextual information about skills and workforce development issues in the third sector. It covers areas such as: the workforce profile of the third sector; skills gaps and shortages; and recruitment, retention and turnover in the sector.  Download report from:
http://www.skills-thirdsector.org.uk/news_media/news/do_skills_matter/

Young People

Saving children's Relationship with the Outdoors

This report from the National Trust shows evidence of a long-term and dramatic decline in children's relationship with the outdoors is ‘overwhelming' and urgent action is needed to bridge this growing gap before it's too late, according our new report published today. In his Natural Childhood report naturalist, author and TV producer Stephen Moss charts years of academic research and a steady stream of surveys on the subject, highlighting how a generation of children is finally losing touch with the natural world. Fewer than ten per cent of children play in wild places; down from 50% a generation ago The report outlines a clear need to tackle the rise of ‘Nature Deficit Disorder', a term coined by the US based writer Richard Louv, to describe a growing dislocation between children and nature. Read more and view a slideshow at:
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/what-we-do/news/view-page/item788564/

Positive for Youth

The Government's youth policy statement, Positive for Youth: A new approach to cross-government policy for young people aged 13 to 19, has been published.
It brings together all of the Government's policies for young people aged 13 to 19, covering a wide range of issues - from education and youth services, to health, crime, housing and more. Nine government departments have been involved in developing it - including the Department for Education, the Department of Health, the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government. Young people and youth professionals have also been involved directly in developing the statement through extensive collaboration and consultation. You can find more information about the process on the Department of Education website where you can download an Executive summary, the full report or view YouTube:
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/Positive%20for%20Youth/b00200933/positive-for-youth-the-statement

This is Youth Work

The In Defence of Youth Work Campaign has produced a book, This is Youth Work: Stories from Practice. For those involved in doing it, whether voluntary or paid, whatever their ideological differences, there has long been a consensus. It ought to be founded on a voluntary engagement with young people in their leisure time. It ought to be informal and educational, focused on the personal, social and political awareness of the young people drawn to its provision..
You can down load the book (52 pages) at:
http://www.indefenceofyouthwork.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/20252-Youth-stories-report-2011_4th-11.pdf

An Education for 21st century: A narrative for youth work today:

There is a new DFE paper commissioned by Tim Laughton from a number of youth ‘experts' An Education for 21st century: A narrative for youth work today: There are two reasons why the timing is ideal for a new understanding of the role youth work, alongside formal education, parents, families and wider communities, plays in the personal and social development of young people and equips them with the resources they need to ‘succeed'. Such success we might define as finding a place within the community offering security, fulfilment and strong interpersonal relationships. The first is to inform the collaborative discussions of the Department for Education's Positive for Youth 1 process (a task for which the authors of this paper have been commissioned), complementing the work being undertaken by the Centre for Analysis of Youth Transitions. Click on the link below to read more:
http://www.indefenceofyouthwork.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/an-education-for-the-21st-century.pdf

Oversight of special education for young people aged 16 - 25

National Audit Office
The report shows that course outcomes for young people aged 16-25 receiving special educational support are improving at similar or better rates than those for all students within this age group. However, parents, students and local authorities do not always have the information they need to choose the school or college that best meets the young person's needs given the available funding. Assessments of young people's needs vary in quality, and local authorities do not always consider the full costs to the public purse of different placement options. The NAO has called on the DfE to address current limitations in information, and better understand the relationships between needs, costs and outcomes so that it can secure value for money from its expenditure in this area.
http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1012/special_education_for_young_pe.aspx

Supporting independence? Evaluation of the teenage parent supported housing pilot - Final report

(From children England)
The Department for Education has published an evaluation of the teenage parent supported housing pilots in seven local authorities that provided ‘enhanced support packages' for teenage parents, with a particular emphasis on those aged 16 and 17 and those not living with parents/carers from early 2009 to March 2011. Key points from the evaluation include:
• The majority of young people surveyed (72%) found the pilot made a significant difference to their lives.
• The proportion living independently increased from 41% to 67%.
• The pilots highlighted effective approaches, and significant barriers to working with young people that should be used to inform future policy and service development.
To read the full report please go to:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RB158  

Young Carers

The Department for Education has published an evaluation of the Family and Young Carer Pathfinders Programme that aimed to turn around the lives of families with multiple problems. Key findings from the report include:
56% of families supported by the Family Pathfinders and 31% of families supported by the Young carers Pathfinders showed significant improvement in outcomes. For every £1 spent the pathfinders generated a saving of £1.90 to the local authority.
The 3 key features of effective delivery were:
1. A persistent and assertive key worker
2. A robust framework of support
3. An intensive and flexible family focused response.
To read the full evaluation please click here:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RB154 

Positive for Youth response

NCVYS has published a response to the Department for Education's Positive for Youth discussion papers. The response was produced as part of the work of the Catalyst consortium. Different organisations took the lead in responding to the papers (the National Youth Agency developed the young people's workforce response with supporting evidence from NCVYS and Community Matters). The full response was coordinated by NCVYS. See pages 77 - 81 for the young people's workforce section. (Please note that this is a large document and also includes links to other reports). Read the document at:
http://www.ncvys.org.uk/UserFiles/Positive_for_Youth.pdf

Transition Services

A report, Improving Services for Young People - an economic perspective, reveals that if a more coordinated approach to services for vulnerable young people were adopted the cost benefits to the state, and improved outcomes for young people, would be to the value of £3.2 billion.  Catch22 commissioned the report through nef (the new economics foundation), as part of its Ready or Not campaign. The campaign revealed that at the ages of 16,17 and 18 many services for young people without families, able or willing to support them, fall away. Read more at Catch22:
http://www.catch-22.org.uk/News/Detail/Billions-could-be-saved-if-services-for-vulnerable-young-people-were-overhauled

Teenage Pregnancy

Researchers from the University of Bristol have published research, Is teenage motherhood contagious? Evidence from a natural experiment, that shows that teenage pregnancy is contagious among siblings. If an older sister becomes pregnant as a teenager, the chances of the family having another teenage pregnancy rise from one in five to two in five. The influence is greater the closer the sisters are in age to each other. Although further education lowers the chances of teenage pregnancy, this effect if much smaller than the influence of siblings. Download the report from:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/cmpo/publications/papers/2011/wp262.pdf 

Voice of the North: Reflections on the Northern Youth Experience

JUST West Yorkshire has been working together with One North West in Manchester to bring together key partners working for and with young people in the North of England. The majority of the young people are from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. We have documented the findings and there is a link to the report below. At a time when young people are being ascribed negative and damaging labels following the youth disturbances across the country, it is imperative we take stock of what young people are telling us and respond to meet their needs. Young people participating in the project told us the following:
• They experience discrimination as a result of their ethnicity and age
• There is a lack of choice available for young people
• Their aspirations are being constrained leading to hopelessness
• The Government is not listening to the voices of young BME people in the North
We urge the Government to open up opportunities for young people and create safe spaces in which they can work with the Government to explore key issues which impact on them. If young people are going to believe that they have a stalk in society, the Report highlights they the challenge for Government is to explore the following:
• How can it build aspirations for young people? How will it include Northern BME young peoples voices in decision-making?
• How will address discrimination and disadvantage faced by young people?
Please feel free to share the report and we would welcome your feedback at admin@justwestyorkshire.co.uk Download the report from:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/62479703/Voice-of-the-North-Final-Report-2 

Services for Young People

Community Matters has produced a briefing on the Education Select Committee's report on services for young people as part of the Children England led Overarching Strategic Partnership with the Department for Education.
You can download the briefing from:
http://www.childrenengland.org.uk/strategicpartnershipresources/1585 

How happy are young people and why does it matter?

Relate has published a report looking at the happiness levels of young people. Findings based on an average class of 30 children turning 16 include: 8 will have experienced physical or sexual abuse, or neglect; 3 will be living in a step family; and 7 will have reported being bullied. The report calls for a statutory requirement on primary and secondary schools in England to provide counselling services. To view the report visit the website at:
http://www.relate.org.uk/userfiles/documents/Classof2011yearbookRelatereport.pdf

Major survey shows family and friends are key influences on teenage drinking

A major survey of early teen drinking patterns in England) finds that drinking escalates to a worrying extent during these years. The research, conducted by Ipsos MORI for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, also finds that family and friends have a strong influence on teenagers' drinking patterns, and are stronger influences than some other factors - such as individual well-being, celebrity figures and the media
http://www.jrf.org.uk/media-centre/major-survey-shows-family-and-friends-are-key-influences-teenage-drinking

Runaway Children

The Children's Society has launched a new report and campaign called Make Runaways Safe. This has four main recommendations:
• Raising awareness. Every professional working with children must be aware of the risk factors associated with running away. Children and their parents and carers also need to know how to access timely advice, guidance and support.
• Improving support. Universal services have a vital role to play as they can respond when a child starts running away, but there also needs to be specialist provision in place and clear pathways to that provision.
• Improving statutory responses and ensuring clear systems of accountability and performance management. When children run away it must be recognised as an early indication that a child is at risk. This should be seen explicitly as a child protection issue by all Local Safeguarding Children Boards with protocols and procedures in place backed up by clear systems of accountability and performance management.
• Improving police responses. Every police force needs to prioritise the importance of responding effectively to a child who runs away by conducting regular assessments in their area to determine the nature and scale of the problem, and by making sure that there are effective links with other agencies.
• Visit the website to download the report:
http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/tcs/make_runaways_safe_report.pdf 

 Miscellaneous

The role of aspirations, attitudes and behaviour in closing the educational attainment gap

Charlotte Carter-Wall and Grahame Whitfield for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation This paper examines whether children's and parents' attitudes, aspirations and behaviours for education really do affect attainment, and whether interventions focused on these can reduce the attainment gap. Summarising messages from research in JRF's Education and Poverty programme, the key findings are: A clear causal relationship between attitudes, aspirations and behaviours and children's educational outcomes could not be established, mainly due to the quality of evidence, which offers limited support for the impact of most interventions; evidence supports interventions focused on parental involvement in children's
education to improve outcomes; there is mixed evidence on the impact of interventions focused on extra-curricular activities, mentoring, children's self-belief and motivation; there is little evidence of impact for interventions such as those addressing children's general attitudes to education or the amount of paid work children do during term time. Download the report from:
http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/education-achievement-poverty-summary.pdf  

Seven key truths about social mobility

All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Mobility The report advises that social mobility in Britain is the worst in the Western world and the gap between rich and poor has become ingrained in children as young as three. It quotes an OECD study showing that the prospects of half of all children born in the UK can be almost entirely linked to the circumstances of their parents - compared to only 15 per cent of those in Denmark. The Group calls for more intervention in the lives of under-threes and advises that the biggest impact on social mobility was the quality of parenting, whether the home environment was educational and whether the parents had good mental health.
http://www.appg-socialmobility.org/

Protecting Independence, the Voluntary Sector in 2012

The Panel on the Independence of the Voluntary Sector has published the first of its annual assessments, highlighting that this a pivotal moment for the voluntary sector as a whole, and many individual organisations within it. Voluntary sector organisations are - rightly - highly valued for their connection and commitment to the people and communities they serve. This allows them to meet real and sometimes previously hidden needs, to speak up without fear or favour and to deliver services in original and effective ways. This independence - of purpose, voice and action - is what makes the voluntary sector special and enables it to serve the interests of those who might otherwise be left without support or a voice because they lack power or influence. Download the report, 'Protecting Independence: the Voluntary Sector in 2012' from:
http://www.independencepanel.org.uk/

British Social Attitudes 28

National Centre for Social Research

The BSA survey asks over 3,000 people what it's like to live in Britain and how they think Britain is run. The survey tracks people's changing social, political and moral attitudes and informs the development of public policy. It includes chapters on school choice, private education, housing, child poverty, childhood, NHS, transport, environment. BSA 28 reveals that attitudes have hardened in the wake of the recession, with falling sympathy for the unemployed, lower support for tax rises to fund public services and slipping opposition to private health and schooling. Download the report from:
http://ir2.flife.de/data/natcen-social-research/igb_html/index.php?bericht_id=1000001&index=&lang=ENG  

Baroness Newlove: Our vision for safe and active communities - government progress update

In March 2011, Baroness Newlove, the government's Champion for Active Safer Communities, published Our vision for safe and active communities. It called for a change of culture so neighbourhoods no longer see crime, antisocial behaviour and disorder as 'someone else's problem'. This report provides an update on the Government's progress in achieving Baroness Newlove's challenges to action.
Published 27 July 2011
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/safeactivecommunitiesupdate 

Single Mothers: Singled Out

The impact of tax benefit changes on men and women is very different, and research from the Fawcett Society and the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that single mothers are the hardest hit by the cuts. You can read the research from the Fawcett Society at:
http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/
or visit the website for the Institute for Fiscal Studies at:
http://www.ifs.org.uk/
You can also find a factsheet on Women and the Cuts that highlights the impact of the cuts on the voluntary sector and Women's organisations at the Women's Resource Centre (WRC)
http://www.wrc.org.uk/resources/facts_and_statistics_on_womens_inequality_in_the_uk.aspx

Guide to twenty impact and quality tools

‘Tools for you’ is an update to the Prove and Improve Toolkit from New Economics Foundation.  It is designed to help development workers and frontline organisations navigate the world of social impact and quality measurement.  The main booklet gives detailed summaries of twenty different approaches and an accompanying tool decider and comparison chart enables you to weigh up the varying benefits.  All downloadable, but registration required.
http://www.proveandimprove.org/new/

How population change could impact on voluntary sector

The sixth in a series of Future Focus pocket guides from NCVO on major trends provides an overview of how the UK population is changing and how this will affect the voluntary and community sector. It can be downloaded or ordered via -
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/publications/publication.asp?id=14056

Ofsted report highlights key qualities of successful children's trusts

Local children's trusts can lead to "real change and improvement" for children and young people, an Ofsted report has found. The report, which highlights good practice across six local areas, identifies the key qualities of successful children's trusts. Common features of these trusts include clear children and young people plans, a strong focus on prevention and early intervention, and services designed around the needs of children and their families. Leadership in all six trusts was found to be strong and effective, local self-evaluation processes were robust, and frameworks for co-ordinating the work of partners and governance were effective and well-established. Read more at:
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/news/1038651/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin

Munro Final Report

Munro said the arguments for early help are three-fold:
• A moral argument for minimising adverse experiences for children and young people
• An argument of "now or never" arising from the evidence of how difficult it is to reverse damage to children and young people's development
• It is cost-effective when current expenditure is compared with estimated expenditure if serious problems develop later
But senior figures in the sector have said the proposals will come to nothing if they are not backed with substantial government funding. You can download the full report from:
http://www.education.gov.uk/munroreview/downloads/8875_DfE_Munro_Report_TAGGED.pdf

Munro Review

Social workers are failing to meet the needs of children because they are too focused on complying with regulations and meeting targets, according to the first instalment of Professor Eileen Munro's review of children's social services in England. The scoping report puts forward initial observations that will be tested by the review over the next months. Read a summary on Community Care at:
http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2010/10/01/115454/munro-review-social-workers-fail-children-due-to-focus-on-rules.htm 
or download the report from:
http://www.education.gov.uk/munroreview/downloads/TheMunroReviewofChildProtection-Part%20one.pdf

 New Barnardo's commissioned report published on children in care

A report on the care system by the think tank Demos, published in partnership with Barnardo's, shows that financial savings can be made if the care system is more proactive and provides positive care experiences for looked after children.
More than 80 key stakeholders and MPs attended the report launch in central London and took part in a Q&A panel discussion chaired by Kim Catcheside, former BBC journalist. The panel, including Martin Narey, Barnardo's Chief Executive, and Councillor Shireen Ritchie, Chair of the Children and Young People Board at the Local Government Association, responded to the report, following a keynote address by Tim Loughton MP, Under Secretary of State for Children and Families (pictured left).
Read the Report in full at:
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/in_loco_parentis_-_web.pdf
or read the summary (50 pages)
http://www.barnardos.org.uk/in_loco_parentis_-_summary.pdf

 

Adolescent Pregnancy

A new report from Barnardo's, Not the end of the story: supporting teenage mothers back into education, says that teenage mothers are being thrown on the careers scrap heap because they face so many barriers in getting back into school. It claims that pregnant teenagers are forced out of education because of "spurious health and safety grounds". Barnardo's is calling for extra support for teenage mothers to help them continue their studies during their pregnancy and as young mothers.  Dowlod the report from: http://www.barnardos.org.uk/12210_pru_teen_report.pdf

 National Children's Bureau

NCB has launched a Voluntary Sector Programme aimed at helping build capacity in the children and young people’s third sector.  This should help them can continue to deliver effective services for children and young people.  The programme focuses on health, faith and black Asian and minority ethnic organisations working with children and young people through strategic projects funded by the Department of Health’s Third Sector Investment Fund and the DCSF’s Young People and Families Fund.  There are a range of services around policy and practice, commissioning and funding opportunities and offers access to core services such as ICT, HR and event management.
http://www.ncb.org.uk/campaigning/media_news/2010/jan_to_jun/ncb_launches_voluntary_
sector.aspx

Understanding the statutory funding environment

A "unique, easy-to-understand analysis of the funding relationship between the two sectors" (public and voluntary) has been published by umbrella body NCVO as part of its Almanac research programme. It has analysis of 16 different themes, including grants and contracts, social enterprise, and expenditure by central government departments. 'The State and the Voluntary Sector: Recent trends in government funding and public sector delivery' can be downloaded or ordered from
http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/policy-research-analysis/policy/relationships-with-government/public-services/shared-aspirations