Please note that some of these will take you to other websites. We take no responsibility for the content of these.
Community regeneration
Fairer Scotland Fund
Questions and answers on the Fairer Scotland Fund.
Single Outcome Agreements
Scottish Government briefing on Single Outcome Agreements (SOAs).
How do we change the way people feel and think about places?
SCR Learning Point looking at what action can be taken to change negative perceptions into positive ones as part of the wider regeneration of neighbourhoods.
Successful regeneration: the practitioner's view
SCR Learning Point records the views of practitioners working at project level in the regeneration field on what makes regeneration effective, and what factors helped or hindered them in the establishment of good practice.
Income inequality and poverty
Child poverty in Scotland: taking the next steps
This study from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation discusses progress made in Scotland to end child poverty, and suggests what the Scottish Government needs to do to reach the 2020 target.
Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland: 2007-08
Key statistics on the number of children, working age adults and pensioners in low-income poverty. It presents annual estimates of the proportion and number of children, working age adults and pensioners living in low income households in Scotland and the distribution of household income across Scotland.
Achieving Our Potential
A framework aimed at tackling poverty and income inequality in Scotland was launched by the Scottish Government in November 2008. Supported by funding of £7.5 million, Achieving Our Potential sets out the joint approach of the Scottish Government and COSLA in the fight against poverty.
Poverty Alliance Briefing 9 - Tackling Poverty, Inequality, and Deprivation in Scotland
A summary of the Scottish Government discussion paper.
Poverty Alliance Briefing 8 - Different in Scotland? Public Attitudes to Poverty A Discussion paper
A summary of the Scottish Government discussion paper.
Institute for Public Policy Research - Nice work if you can get it: achieving a sustainable solution to low pay and in-work poverty
This report makes the case for a coherent strategy to deal with the twin challenges of low pay and in-work poverty that emphasises job quality and career progression and recognises the needs of different families.
Review of Evidence on the Impact of Economic Downturn on Disadvantaged Groups
This research reviews the evidence on the impact of the recessions of the early 1970s, 1980s and 1990s on eight disadvantaged groups.
Building public support for eradicating poverty in the UK
A look at different ways of building public support for tackling UK poverty by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Poverty Pathways: Ethnic minority women's livelihoods
A report on why ethnic minority women as a group experience considerably higher rates of poverty than White women in the UK, as part of Fawcett's Seeing Double campaign on ethnic minority women.
Below the breadline: a year in the life of families in poverty
Barnardo's pioneering research project into the experiences and events that shape the lives of families living in poverty. The study spent a year following 16 families from across the UK who were living below the poverty line. The aim of the study was to find out what it's really like to live in poverty in the UK today and to examine some of the pressures families experience as a result of poverty.
Employability
Equal access - full employment for all
This SCR Learning Point is about how the EQUAL initiative, funded by the European Commission, worked in Scotland. It gives details about lessons from the EQUAL Access Development Partnership which was established in 2002 to bring together policy makers, practitioners and academics with a common interest in the labour market and inclusion.
Is work good for your health?
This SCR Learning Point is about the links between health and employment. It is based on the learning from a Scottish Government event for senior staff involved in health, social work and employability sectors. This event was the first of its kind in Scotland to share best practice, and find better ways of working together to improve health through employment.
Working together to create ways to employment
This SCR Learning Point is about joint working in health, social care and employment services and draws lessons from the Re:Focus Development Partnership. The partnership of 98 organisations was set up in 2005 to pilot 22 Glasgow projects on new ways that health, social care and employment services could jointly support people into work.
A case management approach in tackling employability issues
This SCR Learning Point is about the work of the EQUAL Access Development Partnership which brought together policymakers, practitioners and academics with a common interest in the labour market and social inclusion. The partnership tested new ways of joint working between employment and health services that can help individuals facing barriers such as ill health, disability and caring responsibilities improve their chances of finding work.
Young people, early years and education
The Early Years Framework
This framework, published by Scottish Government, is about giving all our children the best start in life and the steps the Scottish Government, local partners and practitioners in early years services need to take to start us on that journey.
Connecting schools, young people and community regeneration
This SCR Learning Point explores how education and regeneration professionals can better work together by identifying common areas of interest and sharing examples of good practice.
Health and wellbeing
Evaluating community and voluntary health improvement
Evaluation Support Scotland (ESS) and NHS Health Scotland briefing paper for people commissioning, funding or evaluating community-led health projects and programmes. Summarises key evaluation challenges such as understanding outcomes of community-led health and funding and evaluation.
Equally Well Implementation Plan
The plan, produced in partnership with COSLA, identifies who is responsible for taking forward the recommendations contained in Equally Well - The Report of the Ministerial Task Force on Health Inequalities. Describes how the Scottish Government and community planning partnerships can and will turn Equally Well's recommendations into action.
Equally Well
This is the report of the Ministerial Task Force on Health Inequalities.
Equally Well Test Sites
This provides detail on the test sites which are a key part of implementing the health inequalities Task Force report.
Making sense of smoking cessation
The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) for Local Government in England has published information that shows that smoking continues to be a major issue for public bodies in their efforts to improve population health. This has been reflected in the local area agreement (LAA) process and this document reviews existing knowledge about the issues, provides information on what works.
Health and regeneration: shared premises
SCR Learning Point looks on how health and other regeneration partners share premises (a way of working together sometimes called 'co-location') to provide better and more integrated services. Considers the different ways, the challenges and the lessons of sharing space.
How can mainstream health services contribute to regeneration?
SCR Learning Point about how mainstream, or day-to-day, health services provided by general practitioners (GPs) and other primary care staff in local health centres can contribute to regeneration. Suggests ways they can be a catalyst or a partner in change.
Service delivery
Using Evidence to Mainstream Equalities in Regeneration
Communities Scotland published a report in 1996 which includes sources of information and tools for analysis. This gives information about the (then) legislative framework, suggests ways of gathering evidence and provides tools to help develop an evidence base.
EQUAL Social Economy Scotland - Business development
SCR Learning Point about four Social Economy Scotland (SES) pilot business development projects. Describes the lessons learned.
Equal Social Economy Scotland - Public social partnerships (PSPs)
SCR Learning Point about the lessons learned from two Social Economy Scotland pilot schemes developed in partnership by social economy and public sector agencies.
Equal Social Economy Scotland - Measuring social added value
SCR Learning Point looking at the lessons learned from a number of Social Economy Scotland pilot projects which looked measuring the impact of their work on the community.
Using evidence to help plan regeneration
SCR Learning Point summarising discussions at an event which showcased how evidence has been used in planning four Scottish examples of regeneration work.
Making the best use of evidence in outcome agreements
Learning Point drawn from an SCR event for monitoring and evaluation officers who had been involved in developing regeneration outcome agreements (ROAs). To be effective must be supported by good information, identified need for activities, and demonstrate progress towards outcomes.
Integrating health and employment services in tackling employability
SCR Learning Point about the work of the EQUAL Access Development Partnership which brought together policy makers, practitioners and academics with a common interest in the labour market and social inclusion. The partnership tested new ways of joint working between employment and health services to help people improve their chances of finding work when they face barriers such as ill health, disability and caring responsibilities.
Service user involvement in employability
This SCR Learning Point describes how the EQUAL SUI project carried out a literature review about engaging service users and the benefits to them. It then shared the lessons from other sectors that employability partners could use in the management, design and delivery of their services which could give clients a stronger role in improving service quality.
Creating pathways to work
SCR Learning Point about how the EQUAL Employability Development Partnership worked locally, nationally and internationally to try out new ways of supporting people into work. It focused on helping people who need the most training and support to find work.
Developing Business Juggler as part of a continuous improvement approach within the voluntary, housing and social economy sectors
SCR Learning Point about the challenges of introducing continuous improvement to organisations working in the voluntary, social economy and housing sectors across Scotland.
Social economy organisations and successful partnerships
SCR learning point about how social economy organisations can work in partnership with other organisations to help disadvantaged communities. Social economy organisations combine a businesslike approach to delivering services with one or more explicit social objectives.
Involving the arts in community regeneration
SCR learning point developed from two events in early 2005 targeted at partner organisations but also involving those working in the arts. The events aimed to give some background and context to arts and regeneration and offer some examples through case studies, finishing with discussion and debate on shared experiences and knowledge.
The arts and regeneration: working in partnership
SCR learning point about ensuring that culture is integrated at every stage of community planning and development. Cultural planning is an approach to making communities better places for residents to live, putting people and culture at its centre.
Equalities in community regeneration: making it mainstream
SCR Learning Point looking at raising awareness of equalities issues and tackling them within the context of regeneration. Explores racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia and ethnocentrism, and the responsibility we all share for illuminating and eliminating them. Presents principles for raising awareness and changing perceptions and practice, with the aim of getting these views into the mainstream.
Community engagement and empowerment
Community Empowerment Action Plan
Jointly developed with COSLA and colleagues in the third sector and announced in March 2009, this action plan encourages people in both rural and urban areas to participate in the running of their neighbourhoods. A range of best practice examples from across Scotland are set out. There is also information on the variety of grants that are accessible to community groups, providing potential investment of around £180 million from a range of government sources.
Joint Statement of Commitment to Community Empowerment
Published in April 2008 by the Scottish Government and COSLA to establish a long-term path to ensuring community empowerment.
National Standards for Community Engagement
Launched in May 2005, they set out best practice principles for the way that government agencies, councils, health boards, police and other public bodies engage with communities. The idea for developing the standards came from people on the front line of community engagement.
Better Community Engagement: A Framework for Learning
Sets out a framework of competencies designed to enable the planning of learning in community engagement, and to test models for delivering effective learning for community engagement. Published by Scottish Government
Developing buildings as community assets
SCR Learning Point capturing the key lessons from our Masterclass, 'Delivering Buildings as Community Assets.' Focuses on issues that are important if agencies are to help communities successfully take on the challenges involved.
Involving communities in Scotland with an ageing population
SCR Learning Point about 'active ageing', a term used to describe an ideal, integrated and aware community that offers choice to the older person. Looks at how we could develop our communities to support an older population that has very different expectations from previous generations.
Appreciative inquiry: from vision to action
SCR Learning Point about taking a vision for regenerating a community and putting it into action using appreciative inquiry methods. Appreciative inquiry highlights the most positive aspects of a community organisation. It encourages people to imagine the best that their community or organisation can be and then translate these possibilities into action.
Asset based community development: making the most of a community's strengths
SCR Learning Point discussing the work of the Asset Based Community Development Institute in Chicago, and in particular the work of John McKnight and his colleagues there, to examine how public sector organisations look at communities and how communities look at themselves, and how bringing these two elements together leads to effective community development.
Rural issues
Rural Development in the Highlands and Islands
SCR Learning Point captured at the 'Rural development in the Highlands and Islands' - a practice event in Inverness in September 2005. The event brought together partners from across north Scotland to exchange information about what works for community regeneration in remote rural areas.