Local Authorities In Scotland Research Articles

Using collaborative action research to identify and support young people at risk of becoming NEET

AbstractThis paper outlines a collaborative project in partnership with Careers Scotland, involving four educational psychology services and four schools in separate local authorities in Scotland. The project aimed to explore how young people at risk of ending up in negative post-school destinations, not in education, employment or training (‘NEET’), could be identified and supported. This was done by exploring what supports might have been available in school, and asking young people (N=34) what they remembered accessing and what was useful. Whilst many of the findings were specific to each school and young person, issues were identified in relation to the generic personal and social education programme provided in schools and success with work experience in school. The challenges and opportunities of collaborative action research involving educational psychology services, schools and other agencies in developing post-school psychological services are discussed.

Towards a Comparison of Public and Private Insurance Responses to Flooding Risks

This paper considers the problems of flood risks in the context of public and private insurance responses with a particular focus on residential property. The role and take-up of insurance is demonstrated with examples from OECD countries. The importance of insurance as a tool to implement sustainable flood management policies is highlighted and the ways in which insurance has influenced local authorities in Scotland is described.

Behavioral Determinants of Household Participation in a Home Composting Scheme

This article investigates the factors that influence the decision made by individuals to participate in home composting schemes promoted by two local authorities in Scotland. The research considers eight potential determinants of home composting behavior and applies logistic regression data analysis to assess the significance of these specific determinants. The results suggest that the most important variables for predicting whether individuals choose to participate in the home composting scheme include (a) having a favorable attitude toward what home composting involves, (b) being knowledgeable about home composting, (c) and the stage of the household in terms of the family life cycle. Variables such as general environmental concern, participation in other proenvironmental behaviors, social norms, social diffusion, and being a “gardener” were not significant predictors of the decision to participate. The implications of these findings for the promotion of home composting schemes are discussed.

Pupil guidance: An integral part of teacher education and development in Scotland?

Many schools throughout the UK are experiencing challenging behaviour from pupils and high levels of absence and exclusion as they seek to implement initiatives aimed at raising pupil attainment [National Audit Office (2005). Improving school attendance, London: The Stationery Office]. These initiatives often presuppose that pupils will receive adequate levels of guidance and support to help them make curricular, personal, social, and health decisions. However, little is heard from teachers and students undertaking initial teacher education courses on how they have been prepared for this extended role of supporting increasing diverse student populations; nor do we know how they define guidance/pupil support and integrate this with their concept of the professional role of a teacher. This article presents evidence from a one-year study of pupil support in Scotland commissioned by the Scottish Executive Education Department. The study provided evidence for The National Review of Guidance Provision in Scotland [Scottish Executive (2003). The national review of guidance. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive; Scottish Executive (2005). Happy, safe and achieving their potential. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive]. The study explored the views of all 32 local authorities in Scotland, a sample of students in training in two universities and teachers, headteachers and pupils in eight case study schools, and also a sample of their parents. This article focuses specifically on the findings relating to teachers and students in training. It identifies the ways in which they support pupils and how well they think they have been prepared for that task. Two dominant models of pupil support emerge from these data: an embedded and a specialist approach, and these vary according to school and education sector. Primary school teachers were more likely to embed pupil support into their concept of being teachers, whereas secondary teachers perceived it to be a separate, specialist function, which many were reluctant to undertake. Some implications for teacher education are highlighted.

The Potential Impact of Reforms to the Essential Parameters of the Council Tax*

AbstractCouncil tax was introduced in Britain in 1993 and represents a unique international property tax. There is a growing belief that it is time to reform the number and structure of council tax bands, but such views have a minimal empirical base. This paper sets out to assess the impact of changing the bands on personal and local government finances, and extends the analysis to the role of the tax multipliers linked to each band. The research is based on the experience of a representative sample of local authorities in Scotland. A statistical revaluation for 2000 is estimated for the existing eight‐band system, and from this base a 10‐band system is calculated. Financial implications are then simulated for each local authority, taking account of central resource equalisation mechanisms. The results indicate that increases in the number of bands will have little impact on the burden of the council tax compared with regular revaluations. Changing the tax multiplier range has the greatest impact on local authority finances and council tax payments.

Operationalizing the concept of resilience in child neglect: case study research

There is a considerable amount of interest in resilience as a concept for child care and protection practice. This paper describes an exploratory project that drew on a set of case studies to explore the extent to which the concept of resilience can be operationalized for use with neglected children in the context of statutory social work. The study was carried out within a local authority in Scotland and focused on the value of the concept as an aid to assessment and planning. The study built on a published workbook that provides a structure for the assessment of potential areas of resilience and gives detailed suggestions for intervention in six domains of a child's life. Eight neglected children aged between five and 11 were recruited. Six training days on the concept were held. Questionnaires were used to gather information about the theoretical frameworks already being used. At the end of the study, semi-structured interviews were carried out with the social workers about the value of the concept. Assessment reports completed before and after the training were analysed. Findings indicated that participants were familiar with the concept of resilience and that the training helped enhance their understanding of the concept. Training assisted with the provision of a more structured approach to assessment and planning. Respondents reported that the approach enhanced their knowledge of the child and they were able to identify areas for development in the six domains. The study indicated that the concept of resilience can be operationalized for use with neglected children. Further, the case studies raised the issue of the extent to which the need for a secure base underpins other domains. The domain of positive values was also highlighted as an important area for further exploration.

Insurance with Rent Schemes: An Empirical Study of Market Provision and Consumer Demand

In the U.K., home contents insurance is widely available, with a reduction in the number of “traditional” insurance companies offering cover being offset by a growth in the availability through “non-traditional” providers such as supermarkets, motoring organizations and even energy providers. Research suggests that while around 80 per cent of all households are covered by home contents insurance, only around 50 per cent of people living in rented or local authority housing insure their contents. The low uptake is undesirable for two reasons. Firstly, financial exclusion is a phenomenon whereby individuals or sectors of society are deliberately, or effectively, denied access to financial services products, including home insurance, and it is commonly government policy to reduce such exclusion. Secondly, possession of contents insurance by householders minimizes the possibility that after a catastrophic loss such as flooding, uninsured persons will seek emergency assistance and temporary housing at the expense of their local authority. Studies and government reports exist that shed light upon the reasons behind the low purchase of conventionally marketed insurance. Special schemes exist to encourage purchase of insurance by enabling home contents insurance for local authority tenants to be paid for along with rent. Governments support such schemes. There appears to be little published research to indicate the extent to which such schemes are used by tenants. We survey local authorities in Scotland to determine the availability of “insurance with rent” schemes and their take-up rate by tenants. We find that many schemes exist, providing average market cover at typically average or lower cost and that there is no evidence of highly selective underwriting and pricing. Despite this easy availability of competitively priced, good policy cover, we find that the take-up rates by tenants are low. We consider reasons why apparently effective insurance products are not more popular. We conclude that local authorities and government need to promote the schemes with greater vigour.

Exploring the generalisability of the association between income inequality and self-assessed health

A growing between- and within-country literature suggests that the association between income inequality and health reflects individual- or area-level characteristics with which income inequality is associated, rather than the effects of income inequality per se. These studies also suggest that the association between income inequality and health is country-specific. Unresolved methodological issues include the geographical level at which to model the effects of income inequality, and the appropriate statistical methods to use. This study compares the results of single-level and multi-level logistic regression models estimating the association between income inequality and self-assessed health in local authorities in Scotland. The results suggest that there is a significant positive association between income inequality and health across local authorities in Scotland, even after adjusting for individual-level socio-economic status. They also suggest that there is significant local authority-level variation in self-assessed health, but this is small compared to the variation at the individual level. Income and other measures of individuals’ socio-economic status are more strongly associated with self-assessed health than income inequality. This study provides further evidence that the income inequality:health association is place-specific. It also suggests that methodological choices regarding the ways of estimating the association between self-assessed health, individual-level socio-economic status and area-level income inequality may not make a substantive difference to the results when contextual effects are small. Further work is required to test the sensitivity of these conclusions to alternative levels of geographical aggregation.

Local Initiatives in Scotland, UK

The Scottish Network for Able Pupils (SNAP) has been working closely with a number of local authorities in Scotland for some years. In partnership with these authorities we have established a network of Associate Tutors who coordinate and act as a focus for staff development, policy and provision at a local level. These tutors are part of an ongoing and collaborative programme of staff development with SNAP staff at the University of Glasgow. We are particularly proud of the work that this group has achieved and this article celebrates what has been developed thus far at a local level.

Building quality housing services

Repair and maintenance play a key role in housing management and tenant satisfaction. In the UK, local authority housing departments have traditionally had these services carried out in‐house by local authority building services departments. For more than a decade, such departments have been under pressure to improve their efficiency and effectiveness from public policy initiatives such as compulsory competitive tendering and, more recently, best value. Within some authorities the transfer of housing stock from local authority control to housing associations with non‐profit‐making status is also adding to pressure for quality improvement by raising tenant expectations. Presents a case study of a total quality management initiative implemented within a local authority in Scotland facing precisely these pressures. The success of the quality improvement programme is examined, comparing the perceptions of the tenants and employees with key performance indicators. The pressures to succeed are high since, following an initial five‐year period of grace, the contract for the delivery of building services will only be renewed if the newly‐appointed housing association is satisfied with the efficiency and effectiveness of services delivered. The findings highlight the importance of managing the quality chain across organisational boundaries.

Learning with Care: The Education of Children Looked after Away from Home by Local Authorities in Scotland

This article by Kirstie Maclean and Morag Gunion outlines the findings of a recent inspection in Scotland of the educational experiences of looked after children. It considers assessment, care planning and review; attendance arrangements; progress, attainment and support for learning; personal and social development; carers' support for learning; working in partnership; and policies, management and quality assurance. The methodology of the inspection was influenced by previous research and comparison is made between the inspection's main findings and the broader research evidence. Conclusions are drawn about the need for further development.

Developing Positive Values: A case study of Holocaust Memorial Day in the primary schools of one local authority in Scotland

Many schools and local authorities saw the initial Holocaust Memorial Day as an important stimulus to develop lessons and events in Holocaust history amongst young people of vital importance for today. The focus of this paper is to examine the potential for Holocaust education in the primary curriculum in Scotland and whether the instance of Holocaust Memorial Day and the undertaking of a serious commitment to it by a local authority had an impact on the teaching and raising of Holocaust issues in the primary schools in that area. The authors previously argued (Maitles & Cowan, 1999) that there needed to be a major commitment from the Scottish Executive and/or local councils to encourage teachers and schools to coordinate or introduce Holocaust education in the schools. To test this, the field research for this survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire to every primary school in the local authority and achieved a 91% response rate. Strong national commitment to Holocaust educational activities, backed up by commitment from the local authority in terms of staff development and teaching materials, ensured a quality of experience as well as the quantity. Linked to this was an effective structure in the schools, with a designated Holocaust education coordinator and the involvement of the wider community. This led teachers in schools to imaginatively develop pupil skills, knowledge and understanding and informed attitudes in Holocaust history which potentially has a resonance in the wider citizenship area.

Beyond residential care: Evaluating an outreach project

According to Scottish Executive statistics approximately 1000–2000 young people over the age of 16 cease to be looked after by local authorities in Scotland; research over the last 20 years has indicated that the majority of those ceasing to be looked after can face poverty, loneliness and isolation (Scottish Executive, 1999a). Further evidence of the potential fate of young people leaving care is revealed in a press release on rough sleeping reporting that 26% of those sleeping rough in Scotland had been in care (Scottish Executive 1999b). The Children (Scotland) Act of 1995 requires local authorities to provide aftercare for young people previously in their care, but the forms of aftercare available can vary (HMSO, 1995). This article focuses upon one such provision arrangement made between Dundee City Council and the Carolina House Trust.

The emergence of public sector risk management: The case of local authorities in Scotland

The 1980s saw an increase in the extent of academic interest and research into local authority management. A specific aspect of local authority management practice which has, however, been grossly under‐researched is that of risk management. This is something of a paradox, given the fact that significant changes in the local authority insurance market have brought about a culture within authorities whereby a more pro‐active approach to risk management is necessary. This paper discusses the findings of both survey and case study research* into the current risk management situation within Scottish local authorities. In particular, the methods of budget calculation, the levels of budgeting and the means by which these budgets are expended are analysed. Finally, suggestions are offered as to how local authority risk management strategies could be improved.

Playing the part

Considers the various roles that public relations practitioners play and the implications of those roles for the status of public relations within the organisation. Within the context of local authorities in Scotland, considers the organisational constraints within which public relations practitioners operate and the extent to which the practitioner’s role is affected by the expectations of those within the organisation responsible for determining public relations policy. The results indicate that chief executives and politicians have very definite perceptions of public relations and expectations of practitioners and that even practitioners themselves have a limited view of the role that public relations can play in decision making within local authorities. This implies that they are not, nor likely to be, part of the dominant coalition, with consequent implications for the development of excellence in public relations.

Local authority anti-poverty strategies in Scotland

This study examines the management and development of Scottish local authority anti-poverty strategies. Whilst studies of anti-poverty strategies have been carried out within England and Wales, nothing of the same depth has been conducted in Scotland. The study was carried out immediately prior to local government reorganization in order to understand key issues and gain lessons for good practice. The research involved the distribution of a postal survey to the chief executives and leaders of each of the then 65 local authorities in Scotland. In addition to the postal survey five case studies of anti-poverty strategies were carried out. This involved conducting semi-structured interviews with members and officers within five local authorities which were known to operate such strategies. The findings of the research illustrated that 25% of the responding local authorities operated anti-poverty strategies. The study identified and discussed a number of common themes generally associated with such strategies. These included the corporateness of the strategy, social inclusion, decentralization, partnerships, differences between rural and non-rural areas and differences between statutory and non-statutory services. The study also investigated and reported on, strategy development, member and office support, resource targeting and budgeting, monitoring and evaluating strategic and likely implications of local government reform.

The development of Park and Ride in Scotland

The provision of Park and Ride services is one of the principal means of addressing problems caused by traffic congestion in urban areas. Bus-based Park and Ride schemes are intended to attract motorists from outside an urban area to park at a peripherally located car park and travel by bus to the town centre. A number of local authorities in Scotland have been developing such schemes. These will introduce a new form of land use on the fringe of Scotland's towns and cities. In addition, the provision of Park and Ride is also likely to influence the catchment areas of retail and tourist centres and the residential location of employees in towns thus served.

Crossing Boundaries: An Exercise in Partnership Provision

SUMMARY The international movement to develop school enhancement strategies in secondary schools recognizes the important relationship between school, family, and community as a crucial medium for assisting disadvantaged children (Crowson and Boyd, 1993). These children are equally the responsibility of social work and other public services. Many local authorities in Scotland throughout the 1980s established what have become known as 'youth strategies' to improve formal co-operation between education and social work, health and police services. This was an attempt to ensure early identifica tion of young people's difficulties in the expectation of promoting social welfare, enhancing educational attainment, and preventing, among other things, school absent eeism and the difficulties associated with school failure. In recent years, the ambition of such strategies has been to focus on primary-aged children and their families, as a preventive and protective approach to the damaging effects of multiple disadvantage. This paper reports on an innovative project which was established to assist pre-school children experiencing multiple disadvantage to make a successful transition from home to primary school. The importance of good collaborative service provision is high lighted, together with an exploration of parents as educators, the provision of social services in an educational setting, and issues of multi-disciplinary provision.

British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering in Scotland—Scottish Medical Advisers' Survey

Children in local authority care (The survey was conducted before the term ‘in care’ was replaced by ‘looked after’ on The Children (Scotland) Act coming into force in October 1996) come from backgrounds of high incidence of mental illness, substance abuse and learning difficulties and have often suffered from neglect and/or abuse. They have a high incidence of medical problems affecting both physical and mental health. The Committee of the Scottish Section of the Medical Group of British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) were concerned about the provision and co-ordination of medical services for children in local authority care. The aim of the survey was to identify the current and evolving practice among medical advisers across Scotland. Questionnaires were returned from 40 Medical Advisers representing each of the local authorities in Scotland. The responses highlighted a variation in the implementation of practice in clinical services provided to children in care and by whom. It confirmed that difficulties in follow-up did exist and revealed widespread confusion surrounding co-ordination of medical services, absence of procedures and ignorance of legal requirements. The study confirms that involved medical practitioners need to have a pro-active role in co-operating closely with social work colleagues to provide a well co-ordinated service of medical supervision providing a comprehensive assessment of health care needs as part of the overall child care plan.

British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering in Scotland—Scottish Medical Advisers' Survey

Children in local authority care (The survey was conducted before the term ‘in care’ was replaced by ‘looked after’ on The Children (Scotland) Act coming into force in October 1996) come from backgrounds of high incidence of mental illness, substance abuse and learning difficulties and have often suffered from neglect and/or abuse. They have a high incidence of medical problems affecting both physical and mental health. The Committee of the Scottish Section of the Medical Group of British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) were concerned about the provision and co-ordination of medical services for children in local authority care. The aim of the survey was to identify the current and evolving practice among medical advisers across Scotland. Questionnaires were returned from 40 Medical Advisers representing each of the local authorities in Scotland. The responses highlighted a variation in the implementation of practice in clinical services provided to children in care and by whom. It confirmed that difficulties in follow-up did exist and revealed widespread confusion surrounding co-ordination of medical services, absence of procedures and ignorance of legal requirements. The study confirms that involved medical practitioners need to have a pro-active role in co-operating closely with social work colleagues to provide a well co-ordinated service of medical supervision providing a comprehensive assessment of health care needs as part of the overall child care plan.