CIRCLE Projects Completed 2006-2008
Equality Statistics in Practice at a Local Level
funded by EQUALITIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
This study was commissioned by the Equality and Human Rights
Commission (EHRC) and carried out by CIRCLE working in
collaboration with the Policy Evaluation Group (PEG). It reported on
case studies of 11 locally based public sector organisations, and
investigated what equality statistics they collect and use, and the
specific uses they make of statistical data in their policies and practices
relating to equality, diversity and human rights. The study was
developed to support the work of the EHRC, established on 1 October
2007 to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good
relations between people and promote and protect human rights.
The study involved telephone interviews with representatives of public
sector organisations and a review of their documentation relating to
equality and diversity activities. The project was completed in Spring
2009 and the report was published by the EHRC in August 2009.
Report: Equality Statistics in Practice at a Local Level
Key Findings:
The Public sector organisations studied had:
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Made good progress towards addressing equality, diversity and
human rights, with much activity already underway in relation to
gender, age and race. Religion or belief and sexual orientation
was less well implemented into existing policy, largely on account
of sensitivities relating these strands and a lack of appropriate
statistical data sources.
Attributed responsibility for equality and diversity issues to
particular staff, or teams of staff.
Undertaken equalities impact assessments (EQIAs) of policy
developments, services and projects (often with considerable
reliance on statistical evidence).
Undertaken statistical monitoring of the profile of their own
workforce, often to ensure it was reasonably representative of the
local resident population, in terms of race and disability.
Sought to ensure that their suppliers and providers of goods and
services had appropriate equalities policies in place.
Checked that services were being used by, and were delivering
appropriate levels of support to, their customers, clients and
users from different groups.
Drawn on statistical evidence at local, regional and national level
to enhance their understanding of equality and diversity issues.
Researchers involved: Dr Gary Fry and Professor Sue Yeandle
(CIRCLE) in collaboration with Dr Andrea Wigfield and Dr Royce Turner
(Policy Evaluation Group).
Review of Local Authorities’ Use of Carers Grant
funded by DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Commissioned by the Department of Health, this project reported on a
study of local authorities in England, designed to review what use they
had made of their Carers Grant budget (an annual sum made available
to support the provision of services for carers) in the years 2004-06. The
study involved a questionnaire requesting key documents relating to
Carers Grant and a number of telephone interviews with Carers Lead
Officers employed by local authorities. In a second phase, the original
study (conducted in 2007-08) was extended to try to capture information
from those local authorities which had not responded to the original call
for documentation. The project was completed in April 2009 and a full
report has been made available to the Department of Health.
Key Findings:
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Carers Grant has been crucial for many local authorities in
enabling them to develop and deliver services for carers in
flexible and innovative ways.
Carers Grant has been an effective mechanism in some localities
for promoting partnership working between local authorities,
voluntary organisations, PCTs and other health bodies.
The short term nature of Carers Grant funding had created some
problems with staff retention and the longevity of pump-primed
projects; lack of financial ring-fencing remains an ongoing
concern.
There are particular challenges in reaching carers in certain
groups (Black and Minority Ethnic, those combining work and
care, and some other groups).
Researchers involved: Dr Gary Fry, Christopher Price and Professor
Sue Yeandle.
Cross National Comparison of Child Care Policy Options and
Implementations
funded by BRITISH ACADEMY Collaborative International Study
Scheme with Australia
Completed March 2008
This collaboration concerned Child Care, Welfare Reform and Women's
Labour Force participation. The project was the first part of a crossnational comparative study of Australia and the UK.
Its aim was to produce a scoping study of child care policy choices and
trajectories. A conference was held in Sydney at UNSW, 'Building an
International Research Collaboration in Early Childhood Education and
Care', in February 2008 at which all grant holders presented papers.
This work is being continued through PASEC.
With the increased participation of women in paid work across the globe,
the question of who will care for children, frail or disabled family
members has become more central to governments, to working parents
and people who need care and support. The need for care has
intensified in Western societies with the ageing of the population. Added
to this is the question of how should care be paid for and provided. The
research identifies the different ways welfare states in the industrialized
world are providing support for care, how far they use the public, private
and/ or voluntary sectors, what choices are open to people, the quality
of the provision on offer and who carries the costs. The work is focusing
on the UK, Australia, Canada and Sweden and the research has found
that increasingly states are using a migrant workforce to cut their costs
in care provision.
Researchers involved: Professor Fiona Williams and Professor Sue
Himmelweit from the UK and Professor Deborah Brennan and
Professor Bettina Cass from Australia.
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Childcare reform in the UK and Australia
The Carers, Employment and Services Study (CES)
funded by CARERS UK (via EU EQUAL ESF, ACE2)
This major project was undertaken in partnership with Carers UK, via its
Action for Carers and Employment (ACE2) project, funded through the
EU EQUAL Community Initiative Programme. CIRCLE was the main
research partner in ACE2, which included local authorities, a wide range
of voluntary organisations, independent providers of care and
government agencies.
The study included a survey of over 1900 carers in England, Scotland
and Wales, face-to-face interviews with 134 carers in 10 localities,
extensive analysis of the 2001 Census and mapping of local support for
carers in 10 local authorities. The study's main outputs were published
in fourteen reports in autumn 2007, supported by a major programme of
dissemination activities via the CIRCLE CIC in Social Care.
The CES study highlighted the fact that caring is a valued and desirable
part of normal, everyday life, affecting most people at some stage in the
life course, although (unlike parenthood) it is rarely planned and can be
associated with sadness or distress. Carers in the CES study
emphasised the many difficulties they had experienced in obtaining the
information and support they needed.
Among ‘working carers’ in the study:
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Most felt that they could rely on some support from their family and
friends
Only about half said their employer was ‘carer-friendly’, with
significant numbers experiencing some problems at work
The majority – almost three-quarters of working carers – considered
they did not have adequate support from formal social and public
services to enable them to manage their dual work and caring roles
Some felt they were discriminated against by ‘the system’
The CES study demonstrated that an effective infrastructure for care is
crucial for social and economic wellbeing. It concluded that carers and
those they care for need:
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Supportive family, friends and neighbours, properly sustained by
health and care services which offer carer support
Local care services which are accessible, flexible, affordable and
reliable for users and carers
Housing, transport, leisure, education and employment systems
which take care/caring into account
Workplace support which is universally available
Equal treatment to prevent discrimination against carers
Financial security, through access to employment, benefits,
allowances, tax credits and pensions provision
Recognition, inclusion, dignity and respect for the contribution they
make
The study concluded that to achieve a caring society in the 21st century
it was important to:
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Keep care by family/friends at the core, through support and respect
for carers
Design services in ways which assist carers, treating them as equal
partners
Harness expertise and technology to maximise independence and
choice
Legislate to ensure carers cannot be discriminated against at work or
elsewhere – prioritising flexible working arrangements for carers
With employers and trade unions, develop systems of information
and support for carers
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Compensate carers for the extra costs of caring, through social
transfers
In Report 6 of the CES report series, we call for a new Social Contract
for Care, comprising:
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Effective national legal and fiscal frameworks, ensuring both equal
treatment and financial security for carers
An agreed set of core ethics, values and beliefs, guaranteeing dignity
and respect as well as recognition and inclusion for carers
Well organised local infrastructures of support for carers
Shared responsibility between the state, employers, families and
communities
This is needed to: sustain the care of families and friends; engage
health and social care providers; mainstream workplace and employer
support for carers; and link effectively with other services, such as
housing, transport, leisure, and inclusion.
Researchers involved: Professor Sue Yeandle (study director), Dr
Cinnamon Bennett, Dr Lisa Buckner; Dr Gary Fry; Leah Harris;
Christopher Price; Amanda Rodney
The study findings have been widely disseminated in 2008-9 throughout
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and have also been
presented internationally in Brussels, Paris, New York, Toronto,
Stockholm, Helsinki, Slovenia and Italy.
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Carers, Employment and Services (CES) study
Carers, Employment and Services (CES) reports
Other work and publications on care and employment
Gender and Employment in Local Labour Markets (GELLM)
funded by EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND and 12 co-funding partners
The Gender and Employment in Local Labour Markets research
programme, directed by Sue Yeandle and based in Sheffield Hallam
University's Centre for Social Inclusion, was co-funded through a major
European Social Fund award and in collaboration with twelve English
Local Authorities, the Equal Opportunities Commission, and the TUC.
The programme comprised a major programme of statistical analysis,
reported in a series of Gender Profiles, six new Local Research Studies
(each producing a series of local reports and a synthesis report), and an
extensive programme of dissemination and gender mainstreaming
activities.
All reports produced during the lifetime of the project are available
electronically, and a new book based on the programme, Policy for A
CHANGE: local labour markets and gender equality, (2009) edited by
Sue Yeandle, is available from the Policy Press, Bristol: Policy for A
CHANGE: local labour markets and gender equality.
For a summary of the findings of the GELLM Research Programme:
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Gender and employment in local labour markets (GELLM)
research programme and reports
Further reports on gender and employment
Dissemination and gender mainstreaming activities