The ninth in a series of annual monitoring reports of indicators of poverty and social exclusion provided a comprehensive analysis of trends over time, and differences between groups. Although the government had managed to put both child and pensioner poverty on a firmly downward course, serious problems remained in tackling the root causes of future poverty. Anti-poverty strategies risked being undermined by the continuing large numbers of people who were low-paid, and the seeming acceptance of gross inequalities in rates of pay.
Source: Guy Palmer, Tom MacInnes and Peter Kenway, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion 2006, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release | CPAG press release | NCH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Dec
A new book examined how far and in what way social inclusion policies were meeting the needs and rights of children and young people.
Source: Kay Tisdall, John Davis, Malcolm Hill and Alan Prout (eds.), Children, Young People and Social Inclusion: Participation for what?, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Nov
An annual monitoring report said that income poverty in Northern Ireland was around the Great Britain average: but it compared unfavourably on many indicators. Adverse trends included rising proportions of people on welfare benefits due to mental ill-health, and a rise in homelessness.
Source: Peter Kenway, Tom MacInnes, Aveen Kelly and Guy Palmer, Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Northern Ireland 2006, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | JRF press release
Date: 2006-Nov
The Northern Ireland Executive announced an anti-poverty and social inclusion strategy. It included a commitment to work to eliminate poverty and social exclusion in Northern Ireland by 2020.
Source: Lifetime Opportunities, Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Strategy | Hansard | NIO press | NICVA press release release
Date: 2006-Nov
An article examined how the dynamics of social exclusion could be modelled. It proposed a toolkit that brought together qualitative and quantitative modelling techniques.
Source: Graham Room with Nick Britton, 'The dynamics of social exclusion', International Journal of Social Welfare, Volume 15 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
A new book examined a number of key aspects of social work - including social work values and knowledge; empowerment and choice; judgment and decision-making; and evidence-based practice and reflective practice - showing how they reflected an underlying concern with social exclusion.
Source: Michael Sheppard, Social Work and Social Exclusion: The idea of practice, Ashgate Publications (01235 827730)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Oct
An article examined two national data sets (for Britain and Australia) that allowed the income poverty profile to be compared with the incidence of deprivation and social exclusion, measured using data that directly reflected experience. Britain had a higher income poverty rate; and, although the incidence of both deprivation and exclusion were higher in Australia, Britain still had more 'validated' poverty.
Source: Peter Saunders and Laura Adelman, 'Income poverty, deprivation and exclusion: a comparative study of Australia and Britain', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 35 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
The 2006 edition was published of an annual cross-government report on tackling poverty and social exclusion, focusing on child poverty. It consisted of two parts - the strategy document presented an overview of the government's life-cycle approach, setting out how it would achieve both its short- and longer-term targets, while the indicators document monitored the progress of the government s strategy to tackle poverty and social exclusion. In 2004-05 there were 2.4 million children in Britain living in poverty (700,000 fewer than in 1997). Just over half of children in poverty lived in households where no one worked. Campaigners said that existing policies and resources would not enable the government to reach its aim of halving child poverty by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020.
Source: Opportunity for All: Eighth Annual Report 2006 - Strategy document, Cm 6915, Department for Work and Pensions, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 17 October 2006, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: Report | Indicators Document | Hansard | DWP press release | CPAG press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Oct
An article said that targeted policies for example, local regeneration initiatives faced intrinsic difficulties as vehicles for social inclusion. In order to promote greater equality of access to opportunity, they needed to be supported by a wider commitment to distributive justice.
Source: Nick Ellison and Sarah Ellison, 'Creating "opportunity for all"? New Labour, new localism and the opportunity society', Social Policy and Society, Volume 5 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Sep
The Prime Minister said that early intervention in 'hard to reach' families was more effective in rooting out social exclusion than throwing money at the problem. Where it was clear that, at a young age, children were at risk of being brought up in a 'dysfunctional' home with multiple problems, early action should be taken to provide the right help, support, and discipline framework.
Source: Speech by Tony Blair MP (Prime Minister), 5 September 2006
Links: Text of speech | Downing St press release | PMOS statement | CPAG press release | JRF press release (1) | JRF press release (2) | Barnardos press release | NCH press release | YMCA press release | Mind press release | Childrens Society press release | MHF press release | Shelter press release | Conservative Party press release | BBC report | Observer report | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2006-Sep
A paper drew attention to three broad groups affected by social exclusion: people who failed to reach minimum educational standards, at 16-19 and beyond; people unable to find independent, affordable housing; and people living alone, people who were disabled (including mental health), and people who were in workless households.
Source: Peter Kenway and Guy Palmer, Social Exclusion: Some possible broader areas of concern, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Sep
A report to the European Commission set out the government s strategies and programmes for tackling poverty and social exclusion in the period 2006-2008. It highlighted the key challenges that needed to be addressed, and outlined action proposed in four key policy areas - eliminating child poverty; increasing labour market participation; improving access to quality services; and tackling discrimination.
Source: Working Together: UK National Action Plan on Social Inclusion 2006 08, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | Annexes (links)
Date: 2006-Sep
A paper said that income poverty and social exclusion needed to be tackled together. The most important effects of contemporary poverty involved exclusion from social participation, which in turn fed future poverty. The consequences of harm caused by poverty to children's development appeared to be growing in the long term. Policies needed to address particular features of childhood that made children who lived in poverty feel like 'outsiders' among their peers.
Source: Donald Hirsch, Where Poverty Intersects with Social Exclusion: Evidence and features of solutions, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Links: Paper
Date: 2006-Sep
The first of an annual series of reports to the European Commission outlined the most important social policy issues for the United Kingdom in the period 2006-2008. It included sections on social inclusion issues (consisting of a report on the UK National Action Plan), developments in pension policy, and policies on health and long-term care.
Source: UK National Report on Strategies for Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2006-2008, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8176)
Links: Report | Annexes (links)
Date: 2006-Sep
A new edition of a book provided a comprehensive introduction to the analysis of poverty and social exclusion - covering the definition, measurement, distribution, and causes of poverty, together with the policies developed to combat it.
Source: Pete Alcock, Understanding Poverty (3rd Edition), Palgrave Macmillan (01256 329242)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Sep
The government published an action plan on social exclusion, guided by five principles: early intervention; systematically identifying what works better; co-ordination of the many separate agencies; personal rights and responsibilities; and intolerance of poor performance. There would be a more targeted approach to teenage pregnancy 'hot-spots'. There would also be schemes aimed at helping families with 'complex problems', children in care, families suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and people with mental health problems.
Source: Reaching Out: An action plan on social exclusion, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Plan | Cabinet Office press release | Hansard | NCH press release | Save the Children press release | Mind press release | NFPI press release | ADSS press release | BBC report | Community Care report | Young People Now report
Date: 2006-Sep
The Prime Minister said that it was possible to identify the families whose circumstances made it likely their children would grow up to be a 'menace to society'. He said that teenage mothers and 'problem families' could be forced to take help to head off difficulties; that the government had to intervene much earlier (even before children were actually born) to prevent problems developing when children were older; and that there could be sanctions for parents who refused to take advice.
Source: BBC interview with Tony Blair MP (Prime Minister), 31 August 2006
Links: Transcript | BBC report | Guardian report | NCH press release
Date: 2006-Aug
A paper examined issues concerning the derivation of deprivation scales.
Source: Lorenzo Cappellari and Stephen Jenkins, Summarizing Multiple Deprivation Indicators, Working Paper 2006-40, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Aug
An article examined the relationship between social exclusion and bus provision in England in a marketized environment, and outlined the complexities of involving socially excluded groups in local transport decision-making.
Source: Pauline Dibben, 'The "socially excluded" and local transport decision making: voice and responsiveness in a marketized environment', Public Administration, Volume 84 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
A think-tank report sought to identify those groups in society who were most in need, and whose needs were not being met. It highlighted the victims of globalization, the rising importance of psychological needs, and the continuing problems of young people making the transition to adulthood.
Source: Geoff Mulgan, Alessandra Buonfino and Lilli Geissendorfer, Mapping Britain?s Unmet Needs, Young Foundation (020 8980 6263)
Links: Young Foundation press release
Date: 2006-Jul
A report examined mobility as a driver of disadvantage; the link between exclusion and frequent moving; and the impact of frequent moving on service providers, communities, and vulnerable people. A linked review of literature on the subject was also published.
Source: Moving On: Reconnecting frequent movers, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236) | Ian Cole et al., A Review of the Evidence Base on Frequent Moving Among Disadvantaged Groups, Social Exclusion Unit/Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report | Literature review
Date: 2006-Jul
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion replied to a letter from the Prime Minister (at the time of her appointment in May 2006) outlining key priorities for the department. She said that an action plan would be published in September 2006 on ways of reaching those with complex multiple problems.
Source: Letter from Hilary Armstrong (MP), 19 July 2006
Links: Text of letter
Date: 2006-Jul
A think-tank report said that despite the billions of pounds spent to reduce poverty and expand life chances, Britain was, in many respects, more unequal and less socially mobile than when the Labour government came to power in 1997. Redistribution through the tax and benefits system would not, on its own, deliver lasting results.
Source: Jennifer Moses, Climbing the Ladder: How can Britain become more socially mobile?, CentreForum (020 7340 1160)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jul
A report summarized the views and personal testimonies of people experiencing poverty, who took part in workshops in 2005. The workshops were designed to enable people with first-hand experience of poverty to give their views on government policies designed to combat social exclusion, to inform the National Action Plan on Social Inclusion.
Source: Get Heard! People living in poverty contribute to the National Action Plan on Social Inclusion 2006-2008, UK Coalition Against Poverty (0161 272 9111)
Links: Get heard website
Date: 2006-Jun
The government announced that the Social Exclusion Unit was to be shut and its work transferred to a smaller taskforce in the Cabinet Office. The new Social Exclusion Taskforce would concentrate on identifying those groups most at risk of social exclusion, including children in care, people with mental health problems, and teenagers at risk of pregnancy.
Source: Press release 13 June 2006, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Cabinet Office press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Jun
The Prime Minister reportedly said that both the Sure Start scheme for children under 5, and policies for children in care, had failed socially excluded groups. He said that the government had "not yet found a way of bringing the shut-out into mainstream society".
Source: The Guardian, 16 May 2006
Links: Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2)
Date: 2006-May
Hilary Armstrong MP was appointed as Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster and as the Cabinet Minister for Social Exclusion, based in the Cabinet Office. Her new role was to co-ordinate the government?s agenda to tackle social exclusion. She also took responsibility for the voluntary and community sector. A new office for the sector was created in the Cabinet Office, designed to bring greater coherence to the government?s approach.
Source: Press release 5 May 2006, 10 Downing Street (020 7270 1234)
Links: Downing St press release
Date: 2006-May
A new book examined the forms of social exclusion in contemporary societies; and, in particular, its social and spatial causes, and the role of space in policies to address disadvantage. It sought to demonstrate the similarity throughout advanced capitalist countries of many of the processes that created social exclusion, and the way that spatial patterns constituted and reproduced exclusion.
Source: Jamie Gough, Aram Eisenschitz and Rosemary Sales, Spaces of Social Exclusion, Routledge (01264 343071)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Mar
A report identified ways in which social inclusion and related concepts might be better integrated into the Department for Transport's transport modelling and appraisal techniques.
Source: Mott MacDonald et al., Social Inclusion: Transport Aspects, Department for Transport (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Mar
The Prime Minister announced that a Cabinet minister would be appointed with responsibility for tackling social exclusion.
Source: Speech by Tony Blair MP (Prime Minister), 23 February 2006
Links: BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined how sports and creative activities could benefit young people by increasing social inclusion.
Source: From the Wings: An inquiry into the role of sports and creative activities in tackling social exclusion, Whitbread PLC (01582 424200)
Links: Report | Young People Now report
Date: 2006-Feb
A new book (drawing on a survey carried out in 2000) examined the extent and nature of material and social deprivation and exclusion in Britain, based on the most comprehensive survey ever to be undertaken.
Source: Christina Pantazis, David Gordon and Ruth Levitas (eds.), Poverty and Social Exclusion in Britain: The millennium survey, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jan