Other Social Policy

Families, young people, older people, work, incomes and poverty

The ten most recent research Findings are:

• Local Links - developing active networks in local communities (January 2008)
  A review of Common Purpose’s piloted ‘Local Links’ programme that aimed to improve neighbourhood networking, support, skills development and information sharing for local decision-makers and active citizens in four Yorkshire areas.
• Is poverty in the UK a denial of people’s human rights? (January 2008)
  Failure to incorporate the principles of the UN Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights into UK law has compounded social attitudes that denigrate people who experience poverty and undermine popular support for eradicating poverty, argues Damian Killeen.
• Drinking places: where people drink and why (December 2007)
  This study looks at alcohol consumption across various social groupings and in two contrasting areas.
• Cannabis supply and young people (December 2007)
  This gives a snapshot of how young people obtain cannabis in a large city and a rural village.
• Combating child poverty in Wales: are effective education strategies in place? (December 2007)
  Innovative education policies in Wales aim to combat the effects of child poverty on educational achievement but need to do more to overcome this relationship, argues David Egan.
• Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2007 (December 2007)
  This annual report on the state of poverty and social exclusion in the United Kingdom covers low income, work, education, health, housing, disadvantaged children and exclusion from services.
• The impact of poverty on young children’s experience of school (November 2007)
  This study examines the extent to which poverty impacts on younger children’s experience of school, focusing on life in primary schools in Northern Ireland.
• Street policing of problem drug users (November 2007)
  This study considers the nature and outcomes of problem drug users’ routine interactions with police.
• The impact of heavy cannabis use on young people’s lives (October 2007)
  Looking at 100 heavy cannabis users aged 16-25, this study explores what how they define ’heavy’ cannabis use and how their usage affects their lives.
• Youth poverty in Europe (October 2007)
  This study compares poverty rates among young people aged 16 to 29 across 13 countries of the pre-enlargement European Union and examines the factors associated with being poor.

The JRF also publishes a series of Foundations that bring together related projects in some areas:

• A man's place in the home: fathers and families in the UK - April 2000
• Divorce and separation: The outcomes for children - June 1998
• The Working Families Tax Credit: Options and evaluation - March 1998
• Partnership between government and voluntary organisations - November 1997
• Private lives and public responses lone parenthood and future policy - July 1997