Pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 Previous Next

Bryncynon Strategy breathes life into ex-mining community
A forming mining community decided to arrest its decline by tackling its own health and social problems after residents felt abandoned by the public sector, reports Andrew Mickel
01 April 2011

Research: towards a sustainable future with social care
Robin Miller and Helen Dickinson investigate the case for protecting social and environmental resources with new approaches to delivering social care
04 March 2011

Regeneration
What is regeneration? Regeneration, broadly, involves policies to improve social and economic conditions and the physical environment in a particular area. Typically, the area, which can range from a housing estate to a whole region, will be relatively deprived, and so regeneration is bound up with tackling geographical inequalities. As such it differs from, though often complements, policies that tackle individual deprivation, such as benefits, tax credits and social care. As the name suggests, regeneration is often associated with restoring areas that have suffered decline, for instance former industrial heartlands. It is sometimes divided into three categories - physical, economic and social – though the distinctions between them are not always clear. Physical regeneration, for instance, can refer to housing projects, city centre revamps and large infrastructure projects. But all of these have an economic as
13 June 2008

An asset-based approach to community building
Professor Bob Hudson explores the idea of an asset approach to community building and how it ties in with the concept of the Big Society but says that its development should not be seen as a way of cost cutting
11 June 2010

Watchdog finds child protection system is still failing to safeguard
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Father arrested after two children found dead in Manchester; Adult autism sufferers 'cast adrift'; NHS review to 'prevent any more Baby P deaths'
15 October 2009

New Deal for Communities
As the other New Deal programmes assist individuals, this one is collective. Key to the government’s strategy to tackle multiple deprivation in the most deprived neighbourhoods, NDC about giving local people resources to tackle their problems in what the government emphasis is “an intensive and co-ordinated way”. Like some other initiatives it grew out of the work of the Social Exclusion Unit and, specifically, its report, Bringing Britain Together: A National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal. In launching the New Deal for Communities, Tony Blair said it was “a massive and desperately needed investment programme”. Local partnerships through which the New Deal works must address five key issues: unemployment and poor prospects; improving health; tackling crime; raising educational achievement; and housing and the physical environment. The partnerships ar
30 July 2009

Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chests
Part of the government’s strategy for neighbourhood renewal and within the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (qv), the community chests are to stimulate and support community activity in deprived areas so that people become more involved in the regeneration of where they live. The government’s New Commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal: A National Strategy Action Plan aimed to ensure that in 10-20 years no one would be seriously deprived by where they live and that community participation should be a key part of the plan. The community chests can be used to fund local work like parent and toddler groups, children’s playgroups, sports, youth and social clubs, residents’ associations, black and ethnic minority community groups, women’s and victim support groups, and activity-based groups like art, drama or music societies. The programme is spending £50 million over three years by using fairly modest sums as top-up money to back community activities
30 July 2009

Neighbourhood Renewal Unit
The unit came directly from the government’s document New Commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal: A National Strategy Action Plan , launched by the Prime Minister at the beginning of 2001. The strategy says that within 10 to 20 years no one should be disadvantaged by where they live. The unit is about delivering economic prosperity, safe communities, high quality education, decent housing and better health in the poorest parts of the country. The unit works across Whitehall but also at regional level through its neighbourhood renewal teams. At local level the emphasis is very much on attacking poor schools and weak local economies, harnessing all sectors, focussing existing services and resources explicitly on deprived areas, and giving local residents and community groups a central role in making better neighbourhoods. Director-general: Joe Montgomery Address: 6th Floor, 6/69, Eland House, Bressenden Place, Lond
30 July 2009

Local strategic partnerships
These are seen as central to the neighbourhood renewal strategy along with Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chests (qv). The aim is to draw key local providers into a single partnership in which the community is actively engaged. LSPs have to develop a local neighbourhood strategy; prepare and implement a community strategy; bring together local plans, partnerships and initiatives; and work with local authorities to develop a local public service agreement. The first strategy is concerned with more jobs, better education, improved health, reduced crime and better housing. The second strategy identifies the most important things that need to be done locally and to keep track of progress. The partnerships are essentially co-ordinating and umbrella agencies that draw together the private, business, strategy and voluntary sectors. Webs
24 July 2009

Cabinet Office: Low aspirations not inevitable in deprived areas
Young people in deprived areas tend to have lower than average aspirations, however those in certain disadvantaged communities have relatively high expectations, Cabinet Office research has found.
16 December 2008

Green Man on the virtues of reuse, repair and recycle
Buying and consuming goods is a large part of our carbon footprint, so make things last longer, says John Cossham
24 November 2008

News round up: Launch of controversial child database delayed
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Elderly face paying billions more for home help; House price plunge fuels recession fear; North-South divide under Labour 'is the widest for 60 years'
29 August 2008

Launch of controversial child database delayed
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Elderly face paying billions more for home help; House price plunge fuels recession fear; North-South divide under Labour 'is the widest for 60 years'
29 August 2008

News round up: Interview with Gaynor Arnold, social worker novelist
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Families fight for legal aid at inquests; Cameron advised to abandon poor cities; Payout review in drink-related rape cases ruled out
13 August 2008

Interview with Gaynor Arnold, Booker nominated social worker
Other headlines in today's papers include:- Families fight for legal aid at inquests; Cameron advised to abandon poor cities; Payout review in drink-related rape cases ruled out
13 August 2008

News round up: Jersey inquiry - police focus on care home cellar
Other headlines in today's papers include: Scientists: Prozac does not work; Councils need £1bn to care for the elderly; Manchester offered deal to soften supercasino blow
26 February 2008

Will Commonwealth Games regenerate Glasgow?
Glasgow emphasised community renewal in its successful bid to host the Commonwealth Games 2014. Derren Hayes reports
17 January 2008

Department for Communities and Local Government urges councils to sell disused public buildings to community groups
Disused public buildings, including swimming baths, pubs or hospitals, should be sold off to the community for as little as £1, a government-commissioned report recommends today.
15 May 2007

New agency will deliver regeneration and housing
The government announced plans yesterday to create a new agency to deliver regeneration and housing in England.
18 January 2007

Down by the riverside
Last year, the government unveiled plans to radically transform a 40-mile stretch of land along the Thames Estuary, from London Docklands to Southend, Essex, and Sheerness, Kent, through a series of sustainable new communities to be built over the next 10 years.
11 May 2006