An article examined community assets and identified a need to understand better the influence of the different spatial contexts and political frameworks in which they operated. The article called for a more nuanced understanding of links between the motivations, trajectories, and policy environments of community asset organizations and of the geographies of their social impact.
Source: Tom Moore and Kim McKee, 'The ownership of assets by place-based community organisations: political rationales, geographies of social impact and future research agendas', Social Policy and Society, Volume 13 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Sep
A report said that Wales was affected at above average levels by welfare reform and that, within the Valleys, there were some communities where the average financial loss from the reform was estimated to be £1,000 a year per adult of working age. Overall, the report estimated that welfare reform would remove almost four times as much, per year, from the Welsh economy as was received in European Union funding for regional development. The report said that policy aimed at economic growth and job generation had the potential to deliver financial savings, and pointed to Jobs Growth Wales (which provided job opportunities for unemployed 16-24 year olds for a six month period, paid at or above the national minimum wage) as a good example of what could be achieved.
Source: Christina Beatty and Steve Fothergill, The Impact of Welfare Reform on the Valleys, Centre for Regional, Economic and Social Research (Sheffield Hallam University)
Links: Report | Sheffield Hallam University press release | BBC report
Date: 2014-Sep
An article examined the role of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in England. Drawing on an in-depth study, it said that PCSOs were uniquely placed in policing to build social capital that could be used to resolve community problems, prevent crime, and gather intelligence. It said that PCSOs should not be viewed as expendable under austerity and, for their full impact to be realized, they needed to be fully integrated and supported members of neighbourhood policing teams.
Source: Megan O'Neill, 'Ripe for the chop or the public face of policing? PCSOs and neighbourhood policing in austerity', Policing, Volume 8 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Sep
A think-tank report examined the possibilities for the disposal and use of public land to support economic growth, increase the housing supply, and provide a catalyst for the reform of local public services.
Source: Alex Thomson and Peter Wilkes, Public Land, Public Good: Getting maximum value from public land and property, Localis
Links: Report | Localis press release
Date: 2014-Sep
A report examined the experiences and concerns of segments of the majority population in Higher Blackley, a ward in north Manchester (a city in the north of England). It said that Higher Blackley had significant pockets of deprivation alongside areas of relative affluence, a majority white working class community, and a history of far-right political activity. The report focused on seven areas of policy (employment, education, health, housing, political participation, policing, and the media), as well as broader themes of belonging and identity. The research was part of a six-city research series that also examined the lives of people in Aarhus, Amsterdam, Berlin, Lyon, and Stockholm, and the report was published alongside an overarching report covering all six cities.
Source: White Working Class Communities in Manchester, Open Society Foundations
Links: Report | OSI press release
Source: Europe's White Working Class Communities: A Report on Six EU Cities, Open Society Foundations
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jun
A report examined community assets, their social value, and their impact on individuals and their communities in Wirral, in the north west of England. Community assets were said to include community associations (such as gardening groups, arts groups, physical activity groups, and churches), institutions (libraries, schools, and hospitals), and the people living within communities. The report said that all assets, regardless of initial aims and objectives, had a marked impact upon health and well-being, and particularly on mental health. The social value created by five community assets was calculated to range between £4.89 and £8.58 (that is, for every £1 input into the asset, a total of at least £4.89 was generated in social value), and the potential impact of assets was said to extend to a wide range of people and beyond the geographical boundaries of the Wirral.
Source: Gayle Whelan and Hannah Timpson, Exploring the Social Value of Community Assets in Wirral, Centre for Public Health (Liverpool John Moores University)
Links: Report
Date: 2014-May
A report examined the role of local communities in tackling crime and disorder, how this was viewed by government and members of local communities, and the extent to which government aspirations for 'community justice' resonated with the general public. The report made recommendations.
Source: Jessica Jacobson, Oonagh Skrine, Amy Kirby, and Gillian Hunter, Crime and 'Community': Exploring the scope for community involvement in criminal justice, Institute for Criminal Policy Research (Birkbeck, University of London)
Links: Report | ICPR press release
Date: 2014-May
A report said that, while the city of Manchester in the north of England had enjoyed recent economic success, the economic and social life of the city, as well as its international standing, could be enhanced through the public, social, and commercial sectors working better together to collaborate as 'one Manchester'. The report discussed the effect of long-standing inequalities in the prosperity and welfare of different communities and how this might be better addressed through the development of the 'civil economy'.
Source: A Civil Economy for Manchester: A new vision of an economic framework for the city, Centre for Local Economic Strategies/Macc
Links: Report | Summary | Public sector summary | CLES press release
Date: 2014-May
A think-tank report examined the demographics, geography, life experiences, attitudes, and socio-economic status of the five largest minority ethnic groups in the United Kingdom (Indian, Pakistani, Black African, Black Caribbean, and Bangladeshi). It said that Black and minority ethnic communities would continue to increase (making up almost one third of the UK population by 2050), that the communities were geographically concentrated in a few, very large cities (especially London, Birmingham, and Manchester), and that there were differences between the communities that were important for policy-makers and politicians to understand. Drawing on data from existing survey sources (the 2011 Census, Understanding Society, and the 2010 Ethnic Minority British Election Study), the report chapters covered: community origins; population; geography; citizenship and identity; religion; household composition; economic activity; health; education; media; and politics and civic engagement.
Source: Rishi Sunak and Saratha Rajeswaran, A Portrait of Modern Britain, Policy Exchange
Links: Report | Summary | Policy Exchange press release | JRF blog
Date: 2014-May
A report examined residents' experiences and views of housing in Tower Hamlets, a borough of London. The report was based on community-led research that was conducted in collaboration with academics. It said that there was a housing crisis in the borough, and discussed issues related to landlords, the condition of housing, affordability, and overcrowding. The report proposed a range of actions.
Source: Tower Hamlets: A report on the housing crisis in one of London's most expensive borough, Tower Hamlets Citizens
Links: Report
Date: 2014-May
A study examined the influence of location on employment for minority-ethnic groups, based on case studies in three areas (Leicester and, depending on the group, Glasgow or Luton) and three ethnic groups (African Caribbean, Indian, and Pakistani). The report said that racism in education and employment varied by locality, contributing to differences in outcome by place, and that these differences were also affected by segregation and migration. It said that there was some evidence that the relative size of minority-ethnic groups in a locality might affect employment outcomes, with local policies likely to serve the largest minority-ethnic group, but the needs of some smaller minority-ethnic groups were being overlooked by local authorities. The report called on providers of educational, careers, and employment services to reduce variations in access to services and to monitor outcomes, and pointed to a need for specialist and mainstream services to address better the specific needs of local communities.
Source: Mumtaz Lalani, Hilary Metcalf, Leila Tufekci, Andrew Corley, Heather Rolfe, and Anitha George, How Place Influences Employment Outcomes for Ethnic Minorities, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2014-May
A new book examined older people as 'assets' in rural communities in Britain, looking at the ways in which they were connected to community and place, their contributions to family and neighbours, and the organizations and groups to which they belonged. It considered issues including financial security, leisure, access to services, transport and mobility, civic engagement, and digital inclusion, and challenged prevailing views of rural ageing.
Source: Catherine Hagan Hennessy, Robin Means, and Vanessa Burholt, Countryside Connections: Older people, community and place in rural Britain, Policy Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2014-Apr
An article examined the concept of safeguarding children being 'everybody's business'. Drawing on a study in one neighbourhood in south Wales, the discussion examined three overlapping spheres of safeguarding (informal, community, and formal) and the enablers and barriers to relationships between them. The article concluded that the community sector's vital role should be recognized and enhanced, and recommended that statutory social workers should be closely located within their local communities.
Source: Sally Holland, 'Trust in the community: understanding the relationship between formal, semi-formal and informal child safeguarding in a local neighbourhood', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 44 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Mar
The government began consultation on proposals to amend the existing legislation governing the setting up of new town and parish councils. It said that the proposed changes to the legislation would make it easier for local communities to initiate the process (known as a community governance review) for setting up a new council. The consultation would close on 22 May 2014.
Source: Consultation on a Proposal to Use a Legislative Reform Order for Making it Easier to Set Up a Town and Parish Council, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Consultation document
Date: 2014-Mar
An article examined the use of health impact assessment as a means of facilitating community engagement in spatial planning.
Source: Chloe Chadderton, Eva Elliott, Nick Hacking, Michael Shepherd, and Gareth Williams, 'Health impact assessment in the UK planning system: the possibilities and limits of community engagement', Health Promotion International, Volume 28 Issue 4
Date: 2014-Feb
A paper examined differences in life satisfaction for minority-ethnic groups, drawing on data from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study. It said that life satisfaction was lower among minorities but greater own group concentration, controlling for area type, was linked to relatively higher levels of well-being among some ethnic groups. Neighbourhood deprivation was found to have a small but significant impact on life satisfactions.
Source: Gundi Knies, Alita Nandi, and Lucinda Platt, Life Satisfaction, Ethnicity and Neighbourhoods: Is there an effect of neighbourhood ethnic composition on life satisfaction?, Working Paper 2014-08, Institute for Social & Economic Research (University of Essex)
Links: Paper
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined how 'community cohesion' and 'equalities' had become the dominant concepts in managing cultural relations in England – replacing race and ethnicity agendas. Local authority and community perspectives in one northern city revealed good local practice being undermined by national discourses stigmatizing British Muslims, creating barriers to integration, resulting in a dual, conflicting process. Although community cohesion de-emphasized 'race', ethnic and religious differences were highlighted in security and immigration discourses.
Source: Hannah Lewis and Gary Craig, '"Multiculturalism is never talked about": community cohesion and local policy contradictions in England', Policy & Politics, Volume 42 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined the concept of inclusive community development and its relevance to the ethnogenesis and empowerment of Gypsy and Traveller communities. Community development could be community-driven, but ideally should be a gradual process, delivered in stages where external and outsider assistance could in fact be of use.
Source: Andrew Ryder, 'Snakes and ladders: inclusive community development and Gypsies and Travellers', Community Development Journal, Volume 49 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined policy and practice on the integration of diverse communities, and the key challenges to building evidence-based approaches, through an examination across four case study countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom). The report suggested that integration involved both process and outcome across four principles: access, empowerment, trust, and belonging. It said that that such integration was best delivered through six mainstream policy areas (legal, welfare, economic, social, political and cultural) and proposed a Practice-Based Integration Framework to encapsulate the core elements of such an approach. The report discussed the need for effective evaluation.
Source: Vidhya Ramalingam, Integration: What works?, Institute for Strategic Dialogue
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Feb
A report evaluated the Community Learning Trust pilots, which ran between August 2012 and July 2013 in 15 locations. The trusts were established to test different approaches to the planning and delivery of community learning, with local people, organizations and providers working together to: shape their own priorities for adult learning; develop local strategies and partnership structures to deliver these objectives; and tailor community learning provision to meet the needs of their communities.
Source: Lucy Evans, Jane Durham, Caitlin Connors, Richard Boniface, and Tricia Hartley, Community Learning Trust (CLT) Pilot Evaluation, Research Report 163, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined the hypothesis that minority-ethnic people resident in neighbourhoods with lower ethnic density did not access health services because of fear of racial discrimination. It was found that health-seeking behaviour did not vary by ethnic density. Lower ethnic density was associated with increased reports of expected discrimination from services, but also with increased satisfaction with services.
Source: Laia Becares and Jayati Das-Munshi, 'Ethnic density, health care seeking behaviour and expected discrimination from health services among ethnic minority people in England', Health and Place, Volume 22
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
An article presented evidence that ethnic residential segregation in England had not increased between 1991 and 2001, and that there was a trend for local authority areas to become more similar at a relatively low level of segregation. It said that, at neighbourhood level, there was little evidence to regard ethnic residential segregation as a problem, despite the policy priority it had come to have.
Source: Katherine Farley and Tim Blackman, 'Ethnic residential segregation stability in England, 1991–2001', Policy & Politics, Volume 42 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Feb
A report examined the influences on the development of Big Local areas in England. Big Local was a Big Lottery funded programme for resident-led community development initiatives in 150 areas around the country, and this report examined how issues such as local history, context, people, and organizations influenced their early development and initial operation. Local Trust also published, alongside this work, its report on the future likely impact of welfare reforms, and its annual learning review.
Source: Kelly Walsh and Sarah Golden, Influences on the Development of Big Local Areas: Final research report, Local Trust
Links: Report | Summary | Annual learning review | Foresight report
Date: 2014-Feb
An article examined the experience of partnerships as a form of local governance in times of austerity. It examined evidence from a range of partnerships, including Local Strategic Partnerships, their constituent 'blocks', and New Deal for Communities partnerships.
Source: Nicola Headlam and Mike Rowe, 'The end of the affair: abusive partnerships in austerity', Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal, Volume 7 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan
A special issue of a journal examined localism, and presented a range of conceptually-informed research from the United Kingdom and Australia.
Source: Policy Studies, Volume 34 Number 5-6
Links: Table of contents
Date: 2014-Jan
A report evaluated the development of four timebank projects in Cambridgeshire, a county in southern England. Timebanking was a community scheme where local people exchanged skills and support through giving and receiving units of time. The report said that three of the timebanks were thriving, with increasing numbers of members and exchanges. The fourth had closed, highlighting the importance of local buy-in and commitment to the success of such schemes. It discussed the range of benefits to the members and evidence of positive outcomes, including reduced social isolation and health benefits. It noted the operational challenges and raised questions around sustainability, were funding to cease.
Source: Gemma Burgess, Evaluation of the Cambridgeshire Timebanks, Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research (University of Cambridge)
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jan
An article examined the role of sport in Northern Ireland in the context of proposals to tackle community divisions.
Source: David Hassan and Rachael Telford, 'Sport and community integration in Northern Ireland', Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics, Volume 17 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on community budgets.
Source: Government response to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee Report: Community budgets, Cm 8794, House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee, TSO
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2014-Jan
A think-tank published a collection of essays from national and local Labour party politicians on localism in England. The essays outlined a range of ideas for a shift of powers from central to local government.
Source: Labour and Localism: Perspectives on a new English deal, Smith Institute
Links: Report
Date: 2014-Jan
An article examined the role of lay researchers within four different approaches to community-based research in South Yorkshire. The article examined the differential roles and types of work, capturing both experiences and outcomes.
Source: Louise Warwick-Booth, 'Using community-based research within regeneration: the role of the researcher within community-based approaches exploring experiences within Objective 1 South Yorkshire', Community, Work & Family, Volume 17 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2014-Jan