Families and Neighbourhoods

C James and S Gimson; Family and Parenting Institute

This report is based on a YouGov survey of parents across England. The results indicate a strong relationship between income and families' access to a pleasant well-maintained green space, feeling safe in their neighbourhood at night, and feeling that their neighbourhood can provide the best opportunities for their family

When asked to choose the one thing that would improve their area most, tackling crime and anti-social behaviour was the most popular option, especially in more urban areas. In rural areas, in contrast, a quarter of parents chose better public transport. More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall).

The report is available from the FPI website.

October 2007

local environment, community

Neighbourhood play and community action

H Kapasi; Joseph Rowntree Foundation

This report describes the experiences and learning of five local community groups in developing and piloting the Neighbourhood Play Toolkit. This set of resources sought to bring together 'play development' and 'community development' in improving public neighbourhood play spaces and services for children and young people.

The report can be downloaded from the JRF website.

November 2006

play, local environment, community

Intergenerational practice: outcomes and effectiveness

National Foundation for Educational Research (nfer)

The National Foundation for Educational Research, with the National Youth Agency (NYA) and National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), was commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) to examine what works in intergenerational practice. Intergenerational practice refers to activities that bring together older adults and young people or children. Five intergenerational projects were selected to cover a range of foci and target groups, focusing on football, arts, knife crime, living history, and personal and social education. Key findings included:

• The most fundamental outcome for all participants is that they enjoy the activities. They also develop friendships, gain increased understanding of the other age group, gain confidence and develop new skills.
• Specific outcomes for young people include positive benefits for academic work and improved relationships with grandparents. Additional outcomes experienced by older people relate to their well-being. More general outcomes include greater community cohesion. There is some evidence of potential negative outcomes, if stereotypes are reinforced through activities.
• Challenges centred on recruitment and selection of both young and older people, the activities provided, and the organisation and logistics of intergenerational work.
• A range of key factors of effective intergenerational practice were also identified.

The report can be downloaded from the nfer website.

June 2010

community

Seen and heard: Reclaiming the public realm with children and young people

J Beunderman, Demos

This report draws on six in-depth case studies to explore the everyday experiences of children and young people in public places. It makes the case for the needs of children and young people as part of the community being taken into account in planning public spaces, and the need to move beyond playgrounds and provide safe spaces for unstructured play, and for young people to meet friends without being automatically seen as 'antisocial'.

The report is available from the Demos website.

November 2007

local environment, community, play, young people

Millennium Cohort Study Second Survey: A user's guide to initial findings

K Hansen and H Joshi (eds); Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Institute of Education

The second survey of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) collected information from 15,590 families of children born in 2000-02 across the United Kingdom. This was done when the children were aged three, between 2003 and 2005. Headline findings included:

• On 'school-readiness' tests, children of the most highly educated parents were on average about 12 months ahead of those whose parents had no qualifications. Children from families with income over the poverty threshold were, on average, about 10 months ahead of those below it.
• One-quarter of the cohort children were either overweight or obese (5 per cent obese).
• Around one in four families receives some form of childcare from at least one grandparent and almost all families report some financial help from grandparents.

Briefing papers have been published on the issues of parenting, child behaviour, parental health and wellbeing, employment and education, family demographics, grandparents, poverty, childcare, cognitive development, housing, neighbourhood and community, and child health and childhood obesity.

The report and papers can be downloaded from the Institute of Education website.

June 2007

poverty, inequality, educational achievement, children's health, grandparents, family trends, childcare, community

Living with hardship 24/7: the diverse experiences of families in poverty in England

C Hooper, S Gorin, C Cabral and C Dyson; Frank Buttle Trust

This report from The Frank Buttle Trust, University of York and the NSPCC looked in depth at the experience of families living on a low income in both affluent and deprived neighbourhoods.

The challenges for families living on a low income were aggravated by other experiences such as domestic violence, relationship breakdown, bereavement or mental health problems. Families in deprived areas had worse housing conditions and greater worries about crime and unsafe neighbourhoods. Families in affluent areas had less access to affordable activities for children and other amenities, and children's experiences of bullying were often clearly related to poverty.

The report is available on the Buttle Trust website.

November 2007

poverty, community

A child's-eye view of social difference

L Sutton et al; Joseph Rowntree Foundation

This research into how children experience poverty, wealth and 'social difference' in their everyday lives used a participatory approach, which enabled the children to lead the research focus. The study was conducted with 42 children aged between 8 and 13. Of these, 19 were from a disadvantaged housing estate and 23 attended a fee-paying independent school.

The children did not see themselves in terms of being 'rich' or 'poor', but discussed social difference in terms of 'chavs' and 'posh' children, usually in critical or disparaging terms.

The private schoolchildren had a much more intensive school life, and a more positive attitude towards education. Outside school, they were involved in clubs and organised activities, and visited friends at each other's houses, being escorted on most journeys by adults. For the estate children, free time was dominated by 'street play' – games and socialising, unaccompanied by adults, in the streets and open spaces across the estate.

The report is available from the JRF website.

September 2007

play, out-of-school activities, community, experience of poverty

Poverty, wealth and place in Britain 1968 to 2005

D Dorling et al.;Joseph Rowntree Foundation

This research looks at how poverty and wealth have been geographically distributed in Britain over the past 30 to 40 years. The authors conclude that Britain is moving back towards levels of inequality in wealth and poverty last seen more than 40 years ago. Households in already-wealthy areas have tended to become disproportionately wealthier and that many rich people live in areas segregated from the rest of society. At the same time, more households have become poor over the last 15 years, but fewer are very poor. 'Average' households (neither poor nor wealthy) have been diminishing in number and gradually disappearing from London and the south east.

The report can be downloaded from the JRF website.

July 2007

poverty statistics, community, housing

Segregated neighbourhoods and mixed communities: A critical analysis

P Cheshire; Joseph Rowntree Foundation

This summary of research on mixed neighbourhoods concludes that creating mixed communities is not an effective way of reducing deprivation and social exclusion. The author states that trying to create mixed neighbourhoods treats a symptom of inequality, not its cause and that it takes substantial resources which could be used directly to relieve poverty.

The report can be downloaded from the JRF website.

July 2007

poverty, community, housing

Consultation: Guidance on the Duty to Promote Community Cohesion

This consultation from the Department for Education and Skills seeks the views of schools on the content of guidance on the new duty to promote community cohesion under the Education and Inspections Act 2006. The final version of the guidance will be published in July 2007. Examples of good practice in supporting community cohesion are invited.

The consultation can be downloaded from the DfES website. The deadline for responses is 3 July 2007.

May 2007

ethnic diversity, community

Community cohesion for children, young people and their families: a rapid review of policy, practice and research in local authorities

M Hetherington, A Lines and M Shuayb; National Foundation for Educational Research

This review provides an overview of guidance, policy and practice in community cohesion. It highlights research, best practice and current initiatives as well as gaps in knowledge.

The report can be ordered from the NFER website.

March 2007

ethnic diversity, community

Positivity in practice: approaches to improving perceptions of young people and their involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour

National Foundation for Educational Research (nfer)

There is a mismatch between perceptions and reality about the scale of young people's involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour. This research corroborate this finding from previous research and government policy. It also notes that such negative perceptions are detrimental to both young people and their communities. It highlights the range of approaches that local authorities (LAs) and their partner organisations are undertaking to improve how young people are perceived in their communities, especially in relation to crime and anti-social behaviour. It also describes the methods used by LAs to measure the impact of activities on perceptions. The study raises a number of issues that can be taken forward by policy makers and strategic leads at both national and local level. These include the need to:

• undertake a local audit of current activities designed to impact positively on perceptions. This will support future strategic planning and co-ordination.
• measure the impact of activities more systematically.
• ensure systematic and ongoing communication of positive activities involving young people and the impacts achieved.
• develop the skills and knowledge of operational staff with local or regional training activities, toolkits, and guidance documents.
• provide a policy steer that is specific to addressing negative perceptions about young people.

The report can be downloaded from the nfer website.

June 2010

community

Attachment to place: Social networks, mobility and prospects of young people

A Green and R White; Joseph Rowntree Foundation

This study was based on case studies of three deprived neighbourhoods in England. Where young people live affects the availability of education, training and employment opportunities, their access to these opportunities, and their perceptions and horizons. Locally based social networks give some young people strong advantages in the labour market, with family and friends providing valuable support. In other cases, reliance on family support can reduce ambition and limit choices to familiar options and locations.

The report concludes that policy-makers need to be aware of local circumstances and that it is important that young people are aware of and can access opportunities beyond their immediate neighbourhood.

The report can be downloaded from the JRF website.

October 2007

young people, community

The use and impact of dispersal orders: Sticking plasters and wake-up calls

A Crawford and S Lister; Joseph Rowntree Foundation

This report investigates police use of dispersal orders under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003. It finds that these are most commonly used in relation to groups of young people. In many localities, dispersal orders shifted problems to other places, and were described as 'sticking plasters', providing localised respite but failing to address the wider causes of perceived anti-social behaviour. They could also antagonise and alienate young people. However, when allied with long-term problem-solving responses they could be a useful tool.

A summary of the research is available on the JRF website.

October 2007

anti-social behaviour, community

An evaluation of two initiatives to reward young people

J Hirst et al; Joseph Rowntree Foundation

This study looks at two projects in Bradford and York that aimed to promote and reward the positive contributions young people could make to their communities. It concluded that the nature and amount of any reward for positive activities should be carefully considered and will not generally on its own be enough to keep young people engaged. Broader strategies for dealing with inter-generational tension would also be needed

The report is available from the JRF website.

October 2007

young people, community