Local Authority Provision Research Articles

Local authority provision of environmental planning guidelines for event management in Ireland

This paper discusses the environmental impacts generated by hosting events. More specifically it focuses on the case study of assessing the provision of environmental planning guidelines by Local Authorities to manage the environmental impacts of events in Ireland. In order to determine which Local Authorities provided environmental planning guidelines, a quantitative methodology in the form of a content analysis approach was utilised to investigate every Local Authority in the Republic of Ireland. Analysis has revealed that few Local Authorities are providing planning guidelines for event management, which focus on environmental concerns. As such, the realization of the need to provide environmental planning guidelines to manage the environmental impacts of event management within Local Authorities has not been recognised nationwide. As a result the need for coherent guidelines and policies with sustainable indicators within Local Authorities is vital to further develop, grow and advance the event sector in Ireland. This paper concludes that while the low levels of environmental sustainability in Local Authorities for event management is worrying; it offers an opportunity to be improved by adopting and utilising best practice indicators in environmental policies and guidelines for event management.

Autonomy and Governance in Local Authority Provision for Children and Young People

The role of local government in addressing issues of social equity is undergoing significant reconstruction in current educational policy reforms in England. The current conceptualisation of social provision places individual rights at the centre of policy, and social responsibility is represented as the work of individuals. Drawing upon a partnership project in Plymouth, England, and the analytical lens of refraction, the authors suggest that the ‘autonomy’ of local authority workers is embedded within systems of governance, including both traditional forms of centralised control, albeit obscured, and the new modality of networked governance.

Working together through sport? Local authority provision for ethnic minorities in the UK

Ethnic minority participation in sport or physical activity has been the subject of recent sociological debate but has received relatively limited empirical analysis. This article assesses the extent to which two local authorities in the UK, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and East Staffordshire Borough Council, had developed strategies to increase participation rates for ethnic minorities. It draws on 16 semi-structured interviews with ethnic minority community leaders, local authority employees and a selection of active ethnic minority participants involved in projects in both areas. The results highlight projects established by both local authorities to engage with ethnic minorities and although this is acknowledged as a step forward, racial inequalities and other barriers to participation remain. The article concludes by suggesting that there are still many opportunities for local authorities to work more closely with ethnic minorities to reduce racial inequalities and barriers to participation.

Adult education between the wars: the curious case of the Selborne Lecture Bureau

‘Independent’ lecture agencies are a neglected element in the history of education. Between 1918 and 1939, the Selborne Lecture Bureau was a significant national provider of adult education in Britain, both in its own right and as a supplier of lecture(r)s to Women's Institutes and other bodies, and it pioneered the use of films in schools. For a brief period, it was an ‘educational’ vehicle for the Empire Marketing Board with a programme of over 2400 lectures in 1929. The Bureau originated in the early twentieth century split between the conservative (and male) traditions of natural history and the radical (and female) campaigning (anti‐) plumage movement that produced the RSPB. The interwar history of the Selborne Lecture Bureau provides a counterpoint to conventional accounts of adult education between the two world wars, part of an influential ‘third stream’ alongside the ‘liberal tradition’ and growing state and local authority provision.

The Autism Bill 2008/2009: implications for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families, carers and professionals, and the need to differentiate between differences and disabilities

The first autism‐specific piece of legislation in England and Wales, the Autism Bill, put forward by Cheryl Gillan as a private member's bill, has now gone forward to House of Commons committee stage, after attracting almost universal support among MPs, charities and the media. It seeks to redress the widespread lack of local authority provision for the needs of people with autism (defined in the Bill as including all autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger's Syndrome): children, adults (defined as those over 18) and their families. Currently, despite legislative and policy provision for the disabled, many autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children are without appropriate education or assistance before, during and after the transition to adulthood. At least a third of adults with ASD were estimated in the National Autistic Society's report I Exist to be suffering from serious mental health difficulties as a result of lack of support, while families and carers of adults with ASD have been found to be frequently unable to obtain assistance (Rosenblatt, 2008). This article will provide details of the Bill before considering its implications for ASD children, adults and their families.

Additional support needs and approaches to dispute resolution: the perspectives of Scottish parents

This paper draws on data from an ESRC funded project (RES-062-23-0803) which explores the use of dispute resolution mechanisms in the field of special educational needs in England and additional support needs in Scotland. Here, we present findings from a survey of Scottish parents’ perspectives on the management of disagreements about additional support needs (ASN) in the wake of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (the ASL Act). One of the aims of the ASL Act was to increase parental rights in relation to the education of children with additional support needs. Amongst other measures, the new legislation puts in place a range of mechanisms, specifically formal mediation, adjudication and the Additional Support Needs Tribunal, to facilitate the resolution of disputes between the parent and the school or local authority. Evidence from the survey suggests that, although a significant minority of parents are highly dissatisfied with local authority provision, only a minority have used the new formal dispute resolution procedures. Parents were generally dissatisfied with negotiation at school level as a way of resolving disputes, but also had reservations about the new ways of resolving disagreements, particularly mediation. The implications of these findings are discussed, including the possibility that, over time, parents may be able to use the dispute resolution procedures to improve provision generally, rather than as a means of maximising their individual share of educational resources.

Provision for youngsters with autistic spectrum disorders in mainstream schools: what parents say — and what parents want

Relatively little research has focused on parental perceptions and experience of educational provision in mainstream settings for children and young people with autism. Much of that which has been undertaken (and certainly that which is most widely cited) has tended to rely on samples which may not be sufficiently representative. In the study reported here, Philip Whitaker, of the Children and Young People's Service in Northamptonshire sought the views of every parent or carer of a child with an autistic spectrum condition living within one English county. Almost half the parents of the 350 children attending mainstream schools responded to a questionnaire exploring their experiences, views, attitudes and levels of satisfaction. The analysis looks at the differences and similarities between the experiences and views of the ‘satisfied’ and ‘dissatisfied’ groups of parents.Overall, 61% of respondents reported themselves satisfied with the provision being made for their children. The extent to which parents felt that school staff understood (and empathised) with their children's difficulties, and the perceived flexibility of the schools’ responses to the children's needs were the factors which most sharply differentiated the two groups of parents. The extent and quality of reciprocal communication between home and school also seemed strongly associated with levels of satisfaction. The two groups of parents shared many concerns, with the schools’ role in promoting social development and social relationships emerging as a high priority. Philip Whitaker discusses the implications of these findings for schools and for the development of local authority provision founded in mainstreaming.

Claims for the cost of care: local authority provision

Claims for the cost of care: local authority provision

Rurality discourses and the role of the social enterprise in regenerating rural Scotland

Social enterprises are businesses with primarily social objectives that reinvest their surplus in the community rather than seeking to maximise profit for shareholders. However, there is a debate regarding the drivers and the role of the social enterprise, the outcome of which is expected to have serious implications for the future of the institution [Brady, C., 2003. Social Enterprise development and the Role of the Social Economy in Scotland. CBS Network, Edinburgh]. A ‘reformist’ view supports the position that social enterprises are simple extensions of existing economic systems, whereas a ‘radical’ stance sees them as the embodiment of an alternative vision of running local economies. Development Trusts (DTs) are social enterprises that focus on community regeneration. Our research explored DT stakeholder views regarding the role of DTs in regenerating rural Scotland. Using Q methodology [Barry, J., Proops, J., 1999. Seeking sustainability discourses with Q methodology. Ecological Economics, 28, 337–345], we drew on ‘rurality’ discourses [Frouws, J., 1998. The contested redefinition of the countryside. An analysis of rural discourses in The Netherlands. Sociologia Ruralis 38(1), 54–68] expressed by DT stakeholders in order to investigate how these discourses informed their views. Radical positions were mostly associated with a hedonist rurality discourse and were split into three sub-discourses, whereas reformist positions mostly reflected a utilitarian rurality discourse. There was consensus between discourses in rejecting a primary DT contribution to rural regeneration by substituting state and local authority functions in rural Scotland. Results suggest that stakeholders prefer that DTs develop their own agendas and activity rather than try to substitute unsuccessful state or local authority provision of rural services. Social enterprise strategies and support policies promoting a service-providing role for DTs in rural Scotland should consider this issue if they are to avoid stakeholder objection and contribute to the success of DTs in becoming active vehicles of rural regeneration.

Community services for high‐risk offenders: Inclusion, access and sustainment

There are a number of factors which make it difficult for high‐risk offenders to find housing. Recent guidance for more flexible housing allocation policies has encouraged the collection of more information on tenants' backgrounds, especially previous convictions. Many housing providers, encouraged by government policies to crack down on anti‐social behaviour, have introduced wider definitions of ‘unacceptable behaviour’, which has served to disqualify many offenders from eligibility. Some have been excluded from local authority provision on the grounds that their criminal convictions constitute ‘intentional homelessness’. This article looks at the problems, the risks and community safety issues, and suggests how improving inclusion, access and sustainment can provide for safe resettlement.

Delivering Public Services—Mechanisms and Consequences: Delivering Public Services Under the New Public Management: The Case of Public Housing

One of the biggest changes in public sector housing practice in recent years has been the introduction of New Public Management techniques. Housing associations, promoted by successive governments to supplement local authority provision of social housing, have readily taken on the new management agendas of performance indicators and business disciplines in service delivery. The author identifies a conflict between the social purposes of public funding for housing and the business practices of housing associations. The limited accountability of housing associations allows for practices that lead to social exclusion. For local authorities, a parallel conflict arises because of government emphasis on ‘what works’ in public housing management, rather than on ‘what matters’.

The Uneven Development of 'Social Rented Housing': Explaining the Historically Marginal Position of Housing Associations in Britain

The first part of this paper is concerned with rethinking the notion of social rented housing, arguing that it is appropriate to refer to a dual social rented sector, both now and in the past, and to set municipal and non-municipal models of provision alongside the dominant consumption side models of mass and residual social housing. The idea of uneven development of social rented housing in Britain refers to the numerical dominance of local authority provision, and the insignificant quantitative contribution of housing associations and their predecessors until the last years of the 20th century. The second part of the paper poses the question of why the voluntary sector failed to thrive after 1918, and examines some historical evidence from four key periods up to the early 1960s. It is argued that the poor performance of these organisations immediately after 1918 led to them failing to overcome local authority opposition and civil service scepticism in the 1930s.

Local Authority Provision versus Club Provision

The main purpose of this paper is to distinguish clearly between local authorities and clubs and to consider the circumstances in which individual consumers would prefer to have services provided by one or the other. We also consider the circumstances in which consumers would prefer individual or central government provision. There are also some hybrid positions between different types of provision. We end with some examples of cases where the mode of delivery in Great Britain has changed, or is changing, from traditional local government provision to other forms. Our model suggests a rationale for these changes.

No truce with the furies

This article will look at some of the unconscious factors involved in the silencing of debate regarding the provision of long-term care for people in later life suffering from dementia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Particular attention will be paid to factors internal and external which led to the decimation of local authority and NHS provision in this area and led to a shifting of care into the private and voluntary sector. The consequences of such malignant mirroring of the deteriorated mental state of the people services are meant to contain is discussed from a psychoanalytic perspective.

Day Care for Children in Need: Universal Provision or a Targeted Service?

This paper is concerned with local authority provision for a particular group of children, those considered to be ‘in need’ and aged under 5, in the context of the debate about universal versus selective services. It explores the provision of early childhood services, in particular day care, within the framework of welfare policies and the concept of need. After outlining the development of day care policy in Britain the paper considers how, within the current policy of targeting day care on children ‘in need’, local authorities might attempt to make provision available to a wider range of families, in line with the messages from current research that more emphasis needs to be placed on services to support families at an early stage rather than intervening later only when their needs are acute. It concludes that local authorities need to adopt a strategic and coordinated approach to early childhood services, working with other agencies and local communities, to ensure that a range of services are available to support children and families at different levels of need.

PARENTS' VIEWS OF DIFFERENT RESPITE CARE SERVICES

AbstractThis paper focuses on one part of a three‐year study into respite care services to disabled children. Relevant literature in the field is first reviewed and the aims and methods of the research are outlined. The main findings from semi‐structured interviews with 160 parents using different types of respite care—family based schemes, local authority residential homes and health authority provision, including hospitals—are reported and discussed. Certain differences emerged between the characteristics of children using different services, notably in terms of age, weight, and level of dependency. Uneven access to services was identified, with black and low income families apparently having limited choice. Significant variation was found in the perceptions of the various service users. Important features of family based schemes were the child‐centred nature of the service, the good relationships generally enjoyed by parents and carers and the informality of arrangements. Some benefits were reported for children receiving respite care in residential homes but widespread difficulty in obtaining bookings and instances of poor physical care were significant drawbacks. Parents using health authority provision reported a range of dissatisfactions, mostly associated with the institutional nature of the service.

Eastenders on the South Coast

In spite of the moves over the last 20 years towards community care, there remain substantial numbers of elderly people with both physical and mental illness who require residential, nursing home and hospital care. There is evidence to suggest that health service provision of long term care for the mentally ill has been, and continues to be, reduced. In addition there has been reduction in beds for long term care by geriatric physicians and while the nursing home and residential care sectors have expanded, this expansion has been entirely within the ‘independent’ private and voluntary sector, with considerable contraction of local authority provision. Representations have been made about this to the Old Age Section of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and they have reported on this (Benbow & Jolley, 1992). Concern has not been confined to the profession. Over the last year, there has been considerable media publicity about the long term care of elderly people in institutions. Some of this has been very critical [Panorama, 20.1.92] and has provoked debate on the pages of the national papers.

The changing framework and purposes of education authorities

Abstract This paper focuses on the concept of discretion, or scope for choice, in local authority provision of education services. It examines the legislative framework, comparing in particular the differing context and purposes of the 1944 Education Act and the Education Reform Act, 1988, which have set the boundaries for discretion. The argument is put forward that although the use of discretion in the provision of education services has a legal base, the application of choice reflects the style and ethos of individual local education authorities (LEAs). The paper also examines, through interviews and analysis of LEA documentation, how a number of LEAs with differing political values and purposes exercise their scope for choice. It explores, as an example, the exercise of choice within the development and implementation of local management of schools. The findings from the interviews suggest that, as the activities of LEAs become more controlled by central government statute and decentralized decision making in schools, the scope for LEAs to exercise discretion is reduced whilst that of schools is increased. The legislative impact of the Education Reform Act and increasing financial restrictions on local authority spending combine to reduce past differences in how LEAs exercise their discretion. Despite the complexity and force of the changes in education, the paper argues that there is still scope for LEAs to exercise new forms of influence. In order to do this, LEAs will need to reappraise their purposes and role, both in the context of legislative and financial changes and in the context of other such key developments as the Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs). The final part of the paper explores the opportunities for influence and offers a new strategic model for the future, the interactive LEA.

Managing education ‐ the local authority dimension

Abstract Recent legislation embodies different concepts of education that are commonly driven by the market and financial considerations. The Local Management of Schools (LMS) part of the Education Reform Act (ERA) is very similar in concept to recent innovations in the structure of other local government services. The continuing financial incorporation of education within the local government framework has resulted in the education welfare tradition being eroded especially through compulsory competitive tendering. Policy alternatives might be considered that look at structures for education outside the specific education remit and that see schools as a site for broad local authority provision.

Local authority provision for bilingual pupils: ‘ESI’, bilingual support and community languages teaching

Summary This paper outlines the findings of a national survey conducted between 1985 and 1988 into local authority provision for language support for the curriculum learning of bilingual pupils, and for the teaching of the languages of local linguistic minority groups in the schools of England and Wales. The full report, Moving into the Mainstream: LEA Provision for Bilingual Pupils, was published in the autumn (Boume, 1989).