Government Social Research
ESRC has confirmed funding for two new research centres working on population change and climate change. Also continued funding for micro social change.
The trials compared the effect on patients taking the drugs with those given a placebo or sugar pill. Concludes that patients had improved but those on placebo improved just as much as those on the drugs.
requires free registration to access.
SNaP is focused on day centres and accommodation based services for single homeless people and couples. Finds that the majority of homelessness agencies estimate that most of the people they work with have multiple problems, such as drug and alcohol issues, mental health problems, benefits and debt problems.
Survey of Needs and Provision: Summary of findings - pulls together the key findings and recommendations of the research
Survey of Needs and Provision: Full report - gives greater detail on the different types of service provision in England, regional breakdowns of provision and the full results of the survey.
Growing Up in Scotland (GUS) is a longitudinal study of Scottish children. Launched in 2005, the Study is following around 8,000 children and their families from infancy through to adolescence. The aim of the Study is to describe the characteristics, circumstances and experiences of children in the early years and to improve our understanding of how conditions and experiences in early childhood might affect chances in later life.
Three reports were produced from this analysis:
The annual report of ISER which incorporates the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-Social Change and the ESRC United Kingdom Longitudinal Studies Centre.
Taking the long view: the ISER report
The Research Unit in MOJ has started work on a new cross-cutting and strategic programme of work about the Court Experiences of Vulnerable People (CEVP).
Court Experiences of Vulnerable People
Contents include:
Mathematica semimonthly update
The publication is an assessment of the future strategic challenges for Britain. Drawing on an analysis of trends and drivers of change, future projections and scenarios from inside and outside government and a detailed analysis of Britain's strengths and weaknesses, the resulting assessment provides a comprehensive review of the long term challenges and opportunities for Britain, covering:
Concludes that promoting the skills and talents of the people of Britain, improving opportunities to succeed from early years through to adulthood, will be crucial in responding successfully to the competitive pressures global changes will place on Britain over the coming years.
Realising Britain’s potential: future strategic challenges for Britain
Prime Minister's questions in the House of Commons included questions on 52 policy reviews which he has set up, including those on affordable housing and cannabis.
The publication combines four surveys conducted over a forty year period, and looks at international comparisons including UK.
Intergenerational mobility in Australia (PDF, 267KB)
The site contains information and descriptions of the Department for Transport's strategies and research programmes and how they are managed.
Department for Transport: Science and research
Fellows and Full Members may nominate candidates. Full details of the criteria for eligibility are available on the MRS website.
Call for nominations for MRS Fellowship
Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) publish:
Public Health Information News (previously entitled 'Prevention News') . Contents include:
- Updates and publications
- Information bulletins
- Events and conferences
- World Health Organisation reports
The National Learning and Skills Assessment (NLSA) - a series of policy papers covering a range of learning and skills-related themes. They provide a succinct summary of the issues in key areas for policy makers.
Barriers to learning among selected communities - investigates the barriers to learning amongst Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali and African Caribbean communities in South Wales.
Individual Learning Account (ILA) Wales: fourth main evaluation report - the evaluation programme has involved consultations, surveys and reviews of management information system outputs at prescribed intervals over the four-year period.
Evaluation of the Learntrain Access Repository for National Learning Network materials - focuses on the effectiveness and impact of Learntrain, as well as the future need for and sustainability of an e-learning repository. It is intended to inform future access to the materials via an access portal.
An evaluation of the Regional Support Centre for Adult and Community Learning - provides an assessment of a pilot exercise launched in 2006 to expand the remit of the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) Regional Support Centre into the adult and community learning sector.
Evaluation of the All Wales Ante-Natal Domestic Abuse Pathway - a legal record of care provision which provides Midwives and Health Visitors with an evidence-based, structured approach to encourage disclosures of domestic abuse and to assess the level of risk faced by the woman and unborn child.
Joint working for inclusion in housing - aims to learn from current thinking and examples of good practice in joint working in Wales and elsewhere in the UK. In particular it looks at the arrangements in Cardiff for joint working to plan for housing inclusion, such as the Common Exclusion Policy and Exclusions Panel.
A study of models of accommodation and support for young single homeless people - aims to provide information which will equip local authorities and other agencies with the evidence base and strategic framework for planning an appropriate spectrum of medium to long term provision for young single homeless people.
A review of Welsh social landlords' approaches to increasing choice in letting accommodation - provides a review of lettings systems currently in use by social landlords in Wales, which are either choice based or in which choice is an important component part.
Evaluation of the Communities First Support Network - research commissioned to evaluate the support that the Communities First Support Network (CFSN) has provided and the effectiveness of the network, in the context of meeting the objectives of the Communities First Programme. It identifies several principles as likely to lead to good practice in supporting local partnerships and suggests further consideration of options for providing support to Communities First in the future.
Evaluation of four anti-social behaviour projects in Wales - presents the findings of an independent evaluation of four pilot anti-social behaviour projects in Wales.
Steps to success - a good practice guide to community design - aims to aid the delivery of excellent projects, to show what you should expect from your professional advisors, and to show that communities can benefit from the value that good design can bring.
Partnerships in Powys - aims to investigate the levels of partnership working in Powys, identify areas of informal local networking, identify how these partnerships operate, the benefits that they bring and what barriers exist to partnership working. It also identifies how these local networks link to the more formal networks.