Researchers set out how the official indices of deprivation for England (produced in 2004) had been updated for 2007. They described how the index was constructed, which indicators had been included, and provided a quick overview of the results.
Source: Michael Noble et al., The English Indices of Deprivation 2007: Summary, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | New Start report
Date: 2007-Dec
A new book examined the impact of neighbourhood conditions on family life, and explored the prospects for families from the point of view of equality, integration, schools, work, community, regeneration, and public services.
Source: Anne Power, City Survivors: Bringing up children in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary | LSE press release
Date: 2007-Nov
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on post office restructuring. It said that in addition to the restructuring of the network to align better demand for post office services with supply, the Post Office management continued to seek new products and services for the network 'with some success'.
Source: Restructuring the Post Office Network: Government Response to the Committee's Eighth Report, Seventh Special Report (Session 2006-07), HC 1083, House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2007-Oct
An article described a small-scale qualitative study of work-life balance as it was experienced within a low-income neighbourhood. It highlighted the powerlessness experienced by many working parents seeking to accommodate family life with paid employment. Policy-makers should tip the balance of the work-life equation from the existing preoccupation with business interests in favour of wider social responsibility concerns.
Source: Hartley Dean, 'Tipping the balance: the problematic nature of work-life balance in a low-income neighbourhood', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 36 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Oct
A report examined the factors behind the very low rates of participation in higher education in four selected parliamentary constituencies. It said that universities and colleges needed to continue to develop a strong understanding of the wider communities in which they operated, in order to develop more focused and relevant interventions which would reach young people from lower social class backgrounds.
Source: Lynn Reed, Peter Gates and Kathryn Last, Young Participation in Higher Education in the Parliamentary Constituencies of Birmingham Hodge Hill, Bristol South, Nottingham North and Sheffield Brightside, Higher Education Funding Council for England (0117 931 7317)
Links: Report | HEFCE press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Oct
A survey found that how much parents earned had a significant effect on how they viewed their neighbourhood, and whether they believed they were able to do the best for their families. Only 35 per cent of those on the lowest incomes felt confident that their neighbourhood could provide the best opportunities for their family, compared to 73 per cent of the richest.
Source: Claire James and Sally Gimson, Families and Neighbourhoods, Family and Parenting Institute (020 7424 3460)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Oct
An article examined associations between local socio-economic context and perceptions of neighbourhood quality of life. Social renting per se was not necessarily associated with greater dissatisfaction, although there was an association between private renting and greater satisfaction, probably reflecting the age and social profile of private renters. In respect of ecological indicators, increased levels of deprivation were associated with a raised probability of expressing neighbourhood satisfaction.
Source: John Mohan and Liz Twigg, 'Sense of place, quality of life and local socioeconomic context: evidence from the Survey of English Housing, 2002/03', Urban Studies, Volume 44 Number 10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Sep
A study found that the communities hardest hit by recent post office closures were in outer urban areas on large housing estates around the outskirts of smaller cities, where banks and supermarkets were thin on the ground. The people in these neighbourhoods tended to be younger, on a low income, and often unemployed. Many were lone parents, and few had access to a car. With high dependency on state benefits and lack of access to a bank account and mainstream credit, they were heavily reliant on their local post office branch, and were acutely disadvantaged when it closed.
Source: Nicola O'Reilly and Richard Webber, Post Office Closures 2002 to 2006: Lessons for 2007 to 2009, National Consumer Council (020 7730 3469) and Dr Foster
Links: Report | NCC press release
Date: 2007-Sep
A report examined the geographical distribution of poverty and wealth in Britain. The analysis was based on five household groupings: the 'exclusive wealthy' – able to exclude themselves from the norms of society; those who were rich but not exclusively so; those who were neither rich nor poor; the 'breadline poor'; and the 'core poor' – who experienced a combination of severe income poverty, material deprivation, and subjective poverty. The report said that Britain 'was moving back towards levels of area inequality in wealth and poverty last seen more than 40 years ago'.
Source: Daniel Dorling et al., Poverty, Wealth and Place in Britain, 1968 to 2005, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | CPAG press release | Shelter press release | Church Action on Poverty press release | Bristol University press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Socialist Worker report
Date: 2007-Jul
An article examined the association between the percentage of green space in an area and levels of self-reported ill-health. Although, in general, a higher proportion of green space in an area was associated with better health, the association depended on the degree of urbanity and level of income deprivation in an area. One interpretation of this was that quality as well as quantity of green space might be significant in determining health benefits.
Source: Richard Mitchell and Frank Popham, 'Greenspace, urbanity and health: relationships in England', Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Volume 61 Number 8
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jul
A report examined social capital in the lives of families in low-income neighbourhoods. It concluded that policy-makers should recognize and protect local social capital; and should devise social policy which helped to build social capital in areas where it was lacking, and not destroy it.
Source: Anne Power and Helen Willmot, Social Capital within the Neighbourhood, CASEreport 38, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs questioned the ability of the Post Office's management to develop new areas of business, and create a commercially viable network rather than one permanently dependent on subsidy.
Source: Restructuring the Post Office Network, Eighth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 593, House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NCC press release | BBC report | FT report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2007-Jun
An article said that the type of neighbourhood in which a pupil lived was a more reliable predictor of a pupil's GCSE performance than any other information held about that pupil on the Pupil Level Annual School Census database. A school's league position therefore bore only an indirect relationship to the quality of school management and teaching. (GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education)
Source: Richard Webber and Tim Butler, 'Classifying pupils by where they live: how well does this predict variations in their GCSE results?', Urban Studies, Volume 44 Number 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jun
A report described the three methods used to derive empirical weights for the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 for England. The three methods produced relatively similar results, leading to the conclusion that it would be best to use the mean weight across the three methods.
Source: Christopher Dibben et al., Investigating the Impact Of Changing the Weights that Underpin the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
The government announced (following consultation) that 2,500 of the existing 14,300 post offices would be closed because of financial losses.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Debate 17 May 2007, columns 753-772, TSO (0870 600 5522) | The Post Office Network: Government response to public consultation, Department of Trade and Industry (0870 150 2500)
Links: Hansard | DTI press release | Consultation response | LGA press release | Help the Aged press release | Age Concern press release | CRC press release | Citizens Advice press release | CPRE press release | NCC press release | COSLA press release | Mayor of London press release | FT report
Date: 2007-May
The government began consultation on proposals for updating the Indices of Deprivation 2004 for England. The intention was to retain the existing methodology and to change indicators only where these were no longer available or where they were significantly out-of-date. A peer review broadly agreed with the approach taken.
Source: Updating the English Indices of Deprivation 2004: Stage Two ?Blueprint? Consultation Report, Department for Communities and Local Government (web publication only) | Pete Alcock, Updating the English Indices of Deprivation 2004: Stage Two ?Blueprint? Peer Review, Department for Communities and Local Government (web publication only)
Links: Consultation document | Peer review
Date: 2007-May
A study examined why residential segregation arose, and how it related to the distribution of incomes. It challenged the belief that mixed communities were an effective way to reduce deprivation and social exclusion. Mixed neighbourhoods treated a symptom of inequality, not its cause: the problem was poverty, not where people lived.
Source: Paul Cheshire, Segregated Neighbourhoods and Mixed Communities: A critical analysis, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
A paper reported findings from a study of work-life balance in low-income neighbourhoods. People supported the idea of work-life balance, but tended to be fundamentally disempowered - by the unpredictability of the labour market, the dominance of a ?business case? rationale, their lack of confidence in childcare provision, and a lack of belief in their employment and benefit rights.
Source: Hartley Dean and Alice Coulter, Work-Life Balance in a Low-Income Neighbourhood, CASEpaper 114, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Paper
Date: 2007-Jan
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the post office network. The Post Office remained an important way of accessing services, and the restructuring proposals recently announced by government would help place it on a stable long-term financial footing.
Source: Royal Mail Group: Government Response to the Committee?s Ninth Report of Session 2005?06, First Special Report (Session 2006-07), HC 230, House of Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2007-Jan