Social Inclusion - Opening the door to a better Scotland

9. Conclusion and summary

9.1 This report has described the Government's programme to promote social inclusion. This concluding section summarises the report.

9.2 Social exclusion is a term applied to the complex set of linked problems centred around lack of opportunity and diminished life circumstances, including unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime environments, poor health and family breakdown. The Government's programme aims to tackle social exclusion and promote social inclusion by:

promoting opportunities to participate, whether in work, in learning or in society more generally;

tackling barriers to inclusion including family poverty, poor health and homelessness;

helping children and young people get the best possible start in life; and

strengthening communities and regenerating excluded communities.

9.3 The Government's programme is complemented by the social inclusion strategy, a programme of work to be taken forward by the Scottish Social Inclusion Network, aimed at making sure action to promote inclusion is integrated, evaluated and informed by new ideas and existing best practice.

9.4 The principles underlying the Government's approach to promoting inclusion are:

integration: the connected problems of social exclusion need to be tackled in a co-ordinated way, driven by the needs of the individual, the family or the community;

prevention: as well as directly tackling problems of exclusion, there is a need to tackle the long-term causes of exclusion to prevent problems arising, primarily through work with children, young people and families;

understanding: action to promote inclusion should be based on a sound understanding of 'what works', with current action being evaluated and best practice disseminated, and new approaches being tried and tested;

inclusiveness: policies and programmes should be developed and implemented in partnership, and all agencies need to engage with communities in developing and taking forward action;

empowerment: action to promote inclusion should enable and encourage individuals and communities to take up opportunities and take control of their situations.

9.5 Action under the Government's programme includes:

the New Deal for 18-24 year olds the New Deal for the Long-Term Unemployed the New Futures Fund Employment Zone status for Glasgow The Scottish University for Industry 40,000 extra places in Further Education the Millennium Volunteers programme the Working Families Tax Credit increases in Child Benefit the National Childcare Strategy new integrated family centres a guaranteed minimum income for pensioners action to tackle health inequalities the Rough Sleepers Initiative a pre-school place for all 3 year-olds whose parents wish it by 2002 the Early Intervention Programme New Community Schools the Alternatives to Exclusion Grant Scheme the work of the Beattie Committee new Social Inclusion Partnerships investment in New Housing Partnerships support for Local Transport Strategies the Working for Communities programme the Listening to Communities programme support for rural transport the Initiative at the Edge programme

9.6 Action under the social inclusion strategy includes the preparation of:

a report on Excluded young people a report on Inclusive communities a report on The impact of local anti-poverty action a draft evaluation framework a report on 'Making it happen': integration of local action an Inclusion Plan, setting out a cross-agency programme of action.