An updated annual review was published of progress on tackling poverty and social exclusion. It said that poverty was continuing to decline: but while fewer families and pensioners were living on low incomes, the number of childless working-age adults below the poverty line had increased.
Source: Guy Palmer, Jane Carr and Peter Kenway, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2004, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: Report (pdf) | Findings | JRF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
An in-depth study of some of the poorest neighbourhoods explored how young people's earlier experiences of disadvantage continued into adulthood. As they grew older, young adults faced considerable personal change in social networks, family and housing: but earlier experiences of low quality work and low income persisted.
Source: Colin Webster et al., Poor Transitions: Social exclusion and young adults, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings D54
Date: 2004-Dec
A report contained new indicators that revealed concentrations of child poverty, poor housing, school underachievement and crime. It said that the indicators should be used by government to intensify the struggle against deprivation and social exclusion.
Source: Donald Hirsch, Strategies Against Poverty: A shared road map, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Dec
A report said that although the causes, consequences and definitions of poverty had altered during the previous 100 years, the low incomes of a substantial minority still excluded them from the fruits of growing prosperity enjoyed by the majority. The poverty line of 60 per cent of median household income was much higher in simple purchasing power terms than the measure devised by Rowntree (based on the minimal costs of food and housing needed to maintain physical efficiency ): but as a measure of poverty relative to what most people were currently earning or can afford, the two measures were surprisingly similar.
Source: Howard Glennerster, John Hills, David Piachaud and Jo Webb, One Hundred Years of Poverty and Policy, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF press release
Date: 2004-Dec
A study examined indicators of poverty and social exclusion in Scotland. While the percentage of both children and pensioners in low-income households was falling, the percentage for working-age adults without dependent children was rising.
Source: Guy Palmer, Jane Carr and Peter Kenway, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Scotland 2004, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings N104 | JRF press release
Date: 2004-Nov
The Social Exclusion Unit announced two projects to examine why disadvantaged adults - including disabled people and those with long-term health conditions, people with poor basic skills, and some ethnic minority groups - were least likely to benefit from the services that could help them; and to identify how the barriers could be overcome.
Source: Press release 12 November 2004, Social Exclusion Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 8133) | Press release 22 November 2004, Social Exclusion Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Links: SEU press release 12/11 | SEU press release 22/11
Date: 2004-Nov
A toolkit was published which was aimed at bringing people experiencing poverty and social exclusion into the official debate about tackling poverty. It was developed through a partnership of: people with direct experience of poverty; voluntary and community sector organizations involved in the fight against poverty; and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Source: National Action Plan on Social Inclusion 2006 - Participation Toolkit, Oxfam on behalf of Social Policy Task Force and Department for Work and Pensions, available from UK Coalition Against Poverty (0161 272 9111)
Links: Toolkit (pdf)
Date: 2004-Nov
A new book examined the meaning and experience of poverty in the contemporary world. It explored the relational, cultural, symbolic, as well as material, dimensions of poverty; and it made links between poverty and other concepts such as well-being, capabilities, social divisions and exclusion, agency and citizenship.
Source: Ruth Lister, Poverty, Polity Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2004-Oct
A think-tank report said that a new approach was needed to developing life skills as a way to tackle social exclusion. Attempts to help people develop life skills should start from the actual experiences of their lives, rather than attempting to teach life skills in a formal setting.
Source: Hannah Lownsbrough, Gillian Thomas and Sarah Gillinson, Survival Skills: Using life skills to tackle social exclusion, Demos and Crisis, available from Central Books (020 8986 5488)
Links: Report (pdf) | Demos press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Oct
The government announced two new in-depth projects looking at how mainstream services could work better to meet the needs of socially excluded people. The Social Exclusion Unit would investigate the barriers faced by young adults with severe or multiple problems during their transition to adulthood, and the problems experienced by socially excluded older people.
Source: Press release 21 October 2004, Social Exclusion Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 8133)
Links: SEU press release
Date: 2004-Oct
The government published a set of seven linked reports providing a detailed picture of progress in tackling social exclusion. The government highlighted 'significant progress' in: tackling the causes of social exclusion, with 1.8 million people brought into work since 1997; investing in children to break the cycle of disadvantage, with financial support for children increased by 10 billion since 1997; and reversing deep-rooted social problems, with a 70 per cent reduction in rough sleeping. An analysis of the British Household Panel Survey found that working age individuals were generally better off in 2001 than in 1991, whether defined in terms of income or in terms of other indicators of disadvantage: but there were a number of dimensions in which improvement was less evident - poor health, social isolation, and living in a workless household (which improved only marginally relative to unemployment). Qualitative research into how
government policies had affected families at risk of social exclusion since 1997 found that six problems were common to all groups poverty and debt; barriers to employment and long-term worklessness; educational difficulties; neighbourhood or community difficulties; poor mental or physical health; and housing instability or inadequacy. Campaigners expressed 'outrage' over the poor record of the government on pensioner poverty.
Source: Breaking the Cycle: Taking stock of progress and priorities for the future, Social Exclusion Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 8133) | Ann Buchanan et al., The Impact of Government Policy on Social Exclusion among Children Aged 0-13 and their Families: A review of the literature, Social Exclusion Unit | John Bynner, Mary Londra and Gill Jones, The Impact of Government Policy on Social Exclusion among Young People: A review of the literature, Social Exclusion Unit | Chris Hasluck and Anne Green, The Impact of Government Policy on Social Exclusion among Working Age People: A review of the literature, Social Exclusion Unit | Chris Phillipson and Thomas Scharf, The Impact of Government Policy on Social Exclusion among Older People: A review of the literature, Social Exclusion Unit | Mark Taylor, Richard Berthoud and Stephen Jenkins, Low Income and Multiple Disadvantage 1991-2001: Analysis of the British Household Panel Survey, Social Exclusion Unit | Kandy Woodfield, Jenny Graham, Alice Mowlam and Josie Dixon, Making a Difference to Disadvantaged Families?: Qualitative case studies, Social Exclusion Unit | Press release 13 September 2004, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | Press release 13 September 2004, Help the Aged (020 7278 1114)
Links: Breaking the cycle (pdf) | Breaking the cycle summary (pdf) | Children report (pdf) | Children summary (pdf) | Young people report (pdf) | Young people summary (pdf) | Working age people report (pdf) | Working age people summary (pdf) | Older people report (pdf) | Older people summary (pdf) | BHPS report (pdf) | BHPS summary (pdf) | Case studies report (pdf) | Case studies summary (pdf) | ODPM press release | Help the Aged press release | CPAG press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Sep
An article cast doubt on the weight which should be placed on the use of consensual deprivation indicators to measure poverty.
Source: Stephen McKay, 'Poverty or preference? What do consensual deprivation indicators really measure?', Fiscal Studies, Volume 25 Number 2, Institute for Fiscal Studies (020 7291 4800)
Links: IFS press release (pdf)
Date: 2004-Jun
A government report called for a major cultural shift in attitudes towards people with mental health problems. It outlined an action plan to address the full range of issues affecting people with mental health problems, rather than focusing solely on medical needs.
Source: Mental Health and Social Exclusion, Social Exclusion Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 14 June 2004, columns 17-18WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf) | Hansard | SEU press release | Mind press release | RCPsych press release | Rethink press release | SCMH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2004-Jun
An article argued that, although they were similar in their vision for a healthy society, the concepts of social capital and social inclusion adopted different perspectives. This was illustrated by reference to services for people with learning disabilities.
Source: Peter Bates and Fabian Davis, 'Social capital, social inclusion and services for people with learning disabilities', Disability & Society, Volume 19 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2004-Jun
The government published a review of the literature on drivers of social exclusion.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw, Peter Kemp, Sally Baldwin and Abigail Rowe, The Drivers of Social Exclusion: A review of the literature, Social Exclusion Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 8133)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
A discussion paper examined the contribution of poor literacy skills to social exclusion. It identified the key drivers that would have the greatest impact on improving the literacy skills of those of all ages at risk.
Source: Viv Bird, Literacy and Social Inclusion: The policy challenge - Discussion paper, National Literacy Trust (020 7828 2435)
Links: Report (Word file)
Date: 2004-Apr
A report presented an interim evaluation of pilot 'information sharing and assessment' projects, designed to ensure that all children at risk of social exclusion were identified early, referred to appropriate services, and monitored through improved information sharing between agencies, professionals and supporting operational processes.
Source: Hedy Cleaver, Julie Barnes, David Bliss and Deborah Cleaver, Developing Identification, Referral and Tracking Systems: Evaluation of the processes undertaken by trailblazer authorities - Interim report, Research Report 521, Department for Education and Skills (0845 602 2260)
Links: Report (pdf) | Brief (pdf)
Date: 2004-Mar
A discussion paper from the Social Exclusion Unit said that, since 1997, the government had halted and even begun to reverse some deep-rooted and powerful trends in social exclusion. It identified the trends that would shape future policy, and highlighted particular areas where sustained effort was needed to reduce the scale of social exclusion. Campaigners expressed disappointment that the document made no mention of transport issues.
Source: Tackling Social Exclusion: Taking stock and looking to the future - Emerging findings, Social Exclusion Unit/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 8133) | Press release 30 March 2004, Transport 2000 (020 7613 0743)
Links: Report (pdf) | Transport 2000 press release | Guardian report | Guardian article
Date: 2004-Mar
A report said that a number of serious tensions and concerns need to be addressed if gated communities were to be reconciled with wider governmental aims relating to social cohesion, mixed neighbourhoods and the promotion of affordable housing.
Source: Rowland Atkinson, John Flint, Sarah Blandy and Diane Lister, Gated Communities in England: Final report of the Gated Communities in England New Horizons Project, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
A study used data from the British Cohort Study to examine the relationships between childhood background experiences and a variety of indicators of adult well-being. There was evidence of inter-generational transmission of certain outcomes. Cohort members who lived in social housing as children were more likely to live in social housing as adults. Those with fathers who were manually employed were more likely to be manually employed themselves, and those whose families were poor were more likely to have low incomes. Academic test scores and parental housing tenure stood out as two of the strongest and most consistent correlates of adult disadvantage. For males, in particular, evidence of childhood aggression was also a consistent and fairly strong predictor of poor outcomes.
Source: Wendy Sigle-Rushton, Intergenerational and Life-Course Transmission of Social Exclusion in the 1970 British Cohort Study, CASEpaper 78, Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/London School of Economics (020 7955 6679)
Links: Paper (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
A volume of essays reviewed a range of social issues and concerns associated with the 'social network perspective' - the idea that attachment to a network may be vital in securing employment, in promoting good health, in maintaining positive relationships, and in supporting people in transitions through the life course; and that, equally, lack of access to networks may lead to problems of various kinds, such as poverty, lack of support in old age, and social isolation.
Source: Chris Phillipson, Graham Allan and David Morgan (eds.), Social Networks and Social Exclusion: Sociological and policy perspectives, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2004-Jan