Bulletin: March 2009

Welcome to this Government Social Research bulletin covering GSR and other government research news. Please use the links below to navigate to sections of interest to you.

On this page:

GSR news
Government research outputs
Website of the month

Visit the Homepage and Research news pages for more recent items.

GSR news

GSR website now on Civil Service website

The current content of the GSR website has been copied to the new, improved Civil Service website which aims, eventually, to bring together all the contents of all websites aimed at civil servants. The current GSR website will not be updated after the end of March, although it will still be available. Our new pages will initially have the same content and structure as you are used to, but if you have thoughts on what you would like to see, please let us know by contacting the GSR web team. The new pages will have one important difference - we will not be featuring job vacancies as the Civil Service website, of which our new pages are a part, has a dedicated section for jobs and all GSR vacancies will be featured there. So there is no need to have them featured twice on the same website.

GSR pages on Civil Service Website

Annual conference diary date

A reminder for GSR members that the annual conference is at the University of Warwick on Thursday and Friday the 9 and 10 July. The call for papers will be issued during March, with details of when and how members can book announced shortly afterwards.

Head of GSRU moves on

Teresa Williams has announced she is leaving her post as Head of GSRU to take up a job-share role with fellow GSRU member Catriona Mirrlees-Black at the Office of Criminal Justice Reform. As Head of Evidence & Analysis they will jointly lead a multi-disciplinary analysis programme in this GSR organisation. Teresa leaves GSRU after four and half years, having been head of the unit for the last 18 months. Catriona joined GSRU to provide cover for Siobhan Campbell’s post whilst Siobhan was on maternity leave, from which she returned last month.

Government research outputs

DWP

Attitudes towards investment choice and risk within the personal account scheme: report of a qualitative study
A report on research conducted with individuals who would be eligible for automatic enrolment of the personal account scheme. The Pensions Act 2008 sets out the Government’s reforms introducing, from 2012, a duty on employers to automatically enroll all their eligible employees into a qualifying workplace pension scheme.
The cost of services and incentives in the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration: preliminary analysis
Presents a preliminary cost analysis of Britain’s Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration, which is being carefully evaluated through a large-scale randomised control trial.
Making decisions about work in on-earner couple households
Designed to improve understanding about two-parent families with children living in poverty where only one parent works, and to focus particularly on the work decisions of the non-working parent.
Exploring a Distance Travelled approach to WORKSTEP development planning
Part of a broad range of programmes and schemes funded by the DWP, which aim to help disabled people find and retain work.
The Impact of Disability Benefits – A feasibility study
Commissioned to examine the practical operations of claiming and assessing benefit. It is obvious that disabled people are better off with their benefit than without it, and some surveys have recorded their reaction when they start to receive it. But remarkably little is known about the impact of these benefits – exactly what difference they make to claimants’ care and mobility arrangements, to their overall standard of living, and to their social inclusion and sense of identity.
Reporting changes in circumstances: factors affecting the behaviours of benefit claimants
Investigates the motivations and propensity of people receiving various types of benefits.

Food Standards Agency

Update of Mini survey on consumers' views
Confidence in the food safety measures of all organisations significantly increased from the previous tracking survey in September 2008, with 60% of respondents feeling confident about actions being taken to protect health. A sample of 2097 UK adults were interviewed for this latest wave of tracking research.

Ministry of Justice

The Impact of Bad Character provisions on the courts
A report on bad character applications at six court centres during 2006. The new provision provided a systematic way for bad character evidence to be admitted at criminal trials.
Enhanced Thinking Skills programme: Outcomes and implementation of a randomised controlled trial
Research was conducted to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of the HM Prison Service Enhanced Thinking Skills Programme, run in prisons in England and Wales with the aim of reducing reoffending.

Welsh Assembly Government

Equalities evidence guides
Part of a series commissioned by the Office of the Chief Social Research Officer (OCSRO) to support the Welsh Assembly Government’s mainstreaming equalities strategy to develop an accessible and comprehensive evidence base.

Website of the Month

Standing Conference for the Arts and Social Sciences

SCASS is the most widely representative body speaking for the Arts and Social Sciences in Higher Education. Formed in 1984 by Deans of Art and Social Science Faculties in Universities in response to increasing threats to these disciplines, its reputation is well established and its views are sought and respected by the profession, the public and the press. Membership includes over 50 Subject Associations and Institutions.

Standing Conference for the Arts and Social Sciences

Visit the Bulletin Archive to view the contents of previous Bulletins.

Copy deadline for next Bulletin is noon Monday 20 April 2009

Government Social Research

The content of this GSR website can now be found on the Civil Service website. This site is no longer being updated.

Main navigation

GSR bulletins

Related Links

Feedback