‘Neighbourhood’ The International Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal is pleased to announce that it is holding its Annual Conference for 2023 in London on the 16th and 17th November.  This two day event is an ideal opportunity to hear of a range of key developments and research in the field of urban regeneration and neighbourhood and community renewal.  There will be up to 20 informative speakers for the Conference and up to 20 organisations showcasing their work in this field of policy.  If you would like to attend please email here Registration fees to attend are as follows:

£295 Standard rate.

£145 for Voluntary Organisations and Community Groups

£95 for Students

If you want to submit a presentation or paper to present to the Conference please send in a proposal, draft paper or title here  All Papers presented at the Conference will be featured in the December 2023 Edition of the Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal.   In addition all attendees at the Conference will receive a free annual subscription to the Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal. 

If your Organisation would like to showcase your urban and neighbourhood regeneration work at the Conference we do have 20 spaces available as these are priced at:

£795 Standard rate.

£295 for Voluntary Organisations and Community Groups.

If you require a Display Space please just drop us an email here

Details of the Conference will appear as the weeks progress on its website.

Website  IJNR The International Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal – neighbourhood renewal urban planning research policy practice (wordpress.com)

 

 

 

Tuesday, June 13th 2023
9:30 AM — 1:00 PM

There was an estimated 14.1% of households where no member of the household was in employment in the period April to June 2022, unchanged compared with the same period last year. In 2021, 1.1 million children (8.9%) lived in long-term workless households, up 1% on the previous year. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimated that 5.0% of adults (6.9% women and 3.0% men) aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2022. The number of police recorded domestic abuse-related crimes in England and Wales increased by 7.7% compared with the previous year, to 910,980 in the year ending March 2022.

The government’s Supporting Families programme – formerly the Troubled Families programme – is a targeted government intervention for families with multiple problems including crime, anti-social behaviour, truancy, unemployment, mental health problems, and domestic abuse. It aims to provide help to vulnerable families with multiple and complex problems to prevent them from escalating into crises.

The first phase of the Troubled Families programme ran from 2012 to 2015, during which period the Government claimed to have “turned around” 99% of the 117,910 families that had been identified as the target. However, subsequent independent evaluation analyses questioned the validity of these claims and the methodology underpinning them. The second and last phase of the programme covered the period 2015-2021 and introduced a range of new tools, including a new financial framework that took effect in 2018. A total of £1.1 billion was invested from 2012 to March 2021. In March 2021, the government launched its Supporting Families programme as a replacement for the Troubled Families programme, providing a whole-family focus and practical, holistic support. The new programme received £165m for 2021-22. This phase of the programme focussed on building the resilience of vulnerable families to help them thrive, and on enabling system change locally and nationally. For 2022-2023, over £200 million was made available to local authorities to improve key local services to help families combat problems such as unemployment, financial insecurity, risk of homelessness and educational inequality. The government has committed a total of £695m planned investment across the three years to March 2025.

Whilst the Troubled Families and Supporting Families programmes have achieved significant progress in transforming service provision and the lives of thousands of people, huge societal challenges remain, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. Critics argue that much more needs to be done to address the structural issues in the UK that lead to the cycle of deprivation and disadvantage. The family-intervention approach employed by the programmes has also been criticised by experts Stephen Crossley and Michael Lambert, who say the evidence suggests the approach does not work well.

This timely symposium will provide practitioners across local authorities, the police, social services, education, welfare and the housing sector with an invaluable opportunity to examine the Supporting Families Programme and discuss how to effectively galvanise a range of local services around families in order to support them.

Programme

  • Assess the progress made in the Troubled Families Programme and Supporting Family Programme
  • Review findings from the ‘Earned Autonomy’ model
  • Assess the role of Family Hubs and the impact of the ‘hub’ model
  • Evaluate the impact that the Supporting Families Programme and the Data Accelerator Fund has had on collating better data and improving how councils use data to support vulnerable families
  • Examine ways to enhance multi-agency working to transform the health, social and financial circumstances of vulnerable families
  • Discuss how the Supporting Families Programme can be improved to meet the challenges created by the cost-of-living crisis
  • Share best practice and discuss innovative strategies to improve the lives of families with complex disadvantages
  • Consider ways to support families in navigating services and find practical pathways to employment
  • Explore how to deliver an effective whole family intervention approach
  • Identify ways to improve educational attainment and child welfare  
  • Examine the underlying factors leading to high levels of deprivation and social breakdown in the UK

To register for the briefing, please click here.

Our popular Antisocial Behaviour Conference returns online this September. Attend Westminster Insight’s Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour Digital Conference to hear from senior stakeholders, policy makers and practitioners who are currently tackling ASB:

Wednesday 20th September 2023
09:00 – 13:00


During 2022, England & Wales’s police forces received 1,039,579* crime reports about anti-social behaviour. Anti-social behaviour cannot be left unchallenged. With the launch of the new Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, it is vital that agencies know how to tackle ASB and how to work together to prevent these crimes. Attend Westminster Insight’s Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour Digital Conference to hear theRt Hon Chris Philp, Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, and responsible for ASB. He will discuss next steps for implementation and explore the implications of the ASB plan for multi-agency partners.

Learn how to manage and utilise available resources as you will hear from housing, local council, and policing and criminal justice sectors on their remit to tackle ASB. Use this conference to gain practical insights on information sharing, case management, and early intervention. Swift intervention can prevent behaviour escalating to a more serious level, and reduce the impact on victims. You will listen to the experiences of victims of ASB including Baroness Newlove, Former Victims Commissioner, and learn what your organisation can do to improve approaches to tackling ASB in the future. Gain practical insights from case studies on how to effectively include victims, communities and perpetrators in solutions and prevent ASB in the long-term. Don’t miss the opportunity to use our digital platform to ask questions to speakers, and network with colleagues.

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The marketing conference of the year is back! The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Your Charity online conference returns on Wednesday 28 June, and this year we have a lot of exciting things in store.

There will be a mix of case studies, panel discussions, breakout sessions and plenty of opportunities to network with fellow attendees, helping you to stay up to date with trends and best-practice in the ever-changing world of charity marketing.

Early bird tickets are currently available from just £69, find out more here.

Keep up to date with the constantly evolving nature of County Lines at our upcoming half-day digital conference taking place on Tuesday 18th July.

Join us online at this well-established biannual event to hear the latest best practice and strategies from leading experts across the country. Find out how your organisation can help prevent county lines activity and provide appropriate support to victims and those at risk of criminal exploitation. Learn about disrupting County Line networks through intelligence-led policing and inter-agency collaboration.

With the rising cost of living, criminals are increasingly exploiting children from families who are struggling to make ends meet.  Over the last six months there has been an increase in the use of social media by county lines gangs. Content resembling professionally produced job adverts have been appearing on Instagram and Snapchat to entice young people into county lines activity.

Gain key insights into the latest models used by perpetators to groom children and young people, and the changing profile of those being targeted.  Hear directly from young people  with  lived experience of County Lines drug smuggling and gang involvement.

With inspiring presentations from  frontline services working with vulnerable young people and adults including schools, youth services, social services and housing, you will learn how to identify exploitation and intervene at an early opportunity to divert young people away from gangs.

Further information & booking

 

Wednesday 3rd May 2023, IStructE, London and Online, 09:00 – 14:00

The UK has seen a significant shift in the number of organisations voluntarily capturing ethnicity pay gap data and appointing executive sponsors on race. Data also suggests Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse staff are reporting higher levels of inclusion at work.*

However, challenges still remain around increasing access to career development and stretch opportunities. This has led to difficulties in mobilising multi-ethnic talent at the top tables across public, private and voluntary sector organisations.

Now is the time to re-think your organisation’s recruitment strategies, re-examine career progression and re-imagine how we hold each other and ourselves to account for racial equality at work.

Hear from a broad range of speakers over the course of the day including:

  • Jiten Patel, Director and Equality & Diversity Expert, Diversync
  • Dr. Doyin Atewologun, CEO and Founder, Delta Alpha Psi
  • Sandra Kerr CBE, Race Equality Director, Business in the Community
  • Ewan Bennie, Director of Communications and Influence, EY Foundation
  • Sally Bucknell, Director of Future of Work Programme, EY UK
  • Lily Kitchen, Diversity and Inclusion Project Specialist, Network Rail 
  • Sobia Afridi, Equality Diversity Specialist, Oxford City Council
  • Sarah Guerra , Head of Culture, Diversity and Inclusion, Bank of England

Further information & booking

Date of Event: Thursday, April 27th 2023

Time of Event: 9:20 AM — 1:00 PM

Place of Event: Webinar

Prior to the start of the pandemic, levels of homelessness were already on the rise. Crisis Homelessness Monitor recorded an increase of around 18% in ‘core homelessness’ in the UK between 2012 and 2019, rising to an estimated 220,000 households. According to government data, 69,180 households in England became homeless or were at imminent risk of becoming homeless between April and June 2022, a 2% increase compared to the year before. This data also show 5,940 households were threatened with homelessness in England as a result of Section 21 no-fault evictions between April and June 2022 – an increase of 76% in a year following the end of the government’s Covid eviction ban in May 2021. As the economic fallout of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis puts more individuals and families at risk, and with short-term measures implemented across the UK having come to an end, there is urgent need for government to take serious action to tackle homelessness. Research from the charity Crisis suggests that homelessness will increase significantly as a result of rising poverty levels, with 6,000 more homeless people in England predicted by 2024.

The UK government invested a total of £750 million in 2020-21 in efforts to address homelessness and rough sleeping, most notably through the £316 million Homelessness Prevention Grant, designed to give local authorities control and flexibility in their management of homelessness pressures. Additionally, the government provided a £65 million rent relief fund for renters facing eviction during winter 2021-22. The government furthermore pledged £433 million for their 2021-24 Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme. This aims to support up to 6,000 rough sleepers into longer term accommodation, where they will subsequently receive specialist assistance and training. In September 2022, the government introduced a £2 billion Rough Sleeping Strategy to end rough sleeping over the course of the current Parliament. The strategy includes the pledge of 14,000 beds and 3,000 support staff to help individuals find work and access mental health services; an extra 2,400 long-term supported homes to be created for those with most complex needs; and an expansion of drug and alcohol treatment services. In response to the cost-of-living crisis, the Scottish government introduced a rent freeze and eviction ban in October 2022, which is expected to last until March 2023.

Shelter has called for further government investment, referring to existing measures as ‘sticking plaster’ attempts to mend a ‘gaping wound’. They have suggested that funding only meets a fifth of existing need, failing to meet the scale of the challenge. This is particularly evident in the provision of social housing, with only 7,000 social homes being built in 2021, far short of Shelter’s estimated requirement of 90,000. The government has also received significant criticism for its decision in November 2022 to delay publication of legislation banning no-fault evictions, which campaigners claim would significantly aid the battle to tackle homelessness.

As individuals and families across the UK continue to reckon with the long-term financial consequences of the pandemic and the immediate challenges of the cost-of-living crisis, this symposium provides an invaluable opportunity for policymakers, professionals from the housing sector, charities and specialised homelessness agencies to discuss the latest strategies for tackling homelessness and improve the lives of rough sleepers.

Event Details Website Register to Attend

The number of police recorded child cruelty offences, including neglect, domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation, and child criminal exploitation is increasing.* It is essential that the right systems are in place to protect children and support families to thrive.

Join Westminster Insight’s timely Child Safeguarding Digital Conference as we examine the future of child safeguarding.

Chaired by Lynn Perry MBE, CEO of Barnardo’s, we will discuss the measures announced in the Government’sStable Homes, Built on Love Strategy and Consultation. The strategy, supported by £200 million funding over the next two years, aims to address urgent issues in children’s social care and lay the groundwork for future reform.

You’ll hear from Josh MacAlister, Chair of the recent Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. Hear his recommendations to reform and reset children’s social care and put your questions to our expert panel. What will be the impact of these reforms on child safeguarding?

We will bring together multi-agency safeguarding partners from across children’s social care, child protection, health, family hubs, police, family courts and schools. Explore the latest guidance to improve multi-agency working and information sharing in child protection.

We will explore how to build a joined-up approach to Family Help and discuss the importance of a strengths-based Family Safeguarding model – how can you build a multi-disciplinary workforce to support families and keep more families safely together? You will learn how to unlock the potential of family networks to reduce movement of children from home to home and improve transitional safeguarding outcomes.

We will be reviewing the latest trends in child sexual and criminal exploitation. Gain useful insights into how you can support families and children to recognise and understand harms outside the home, including online.

*NSPCC, December 2021

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Supported housing plays a vital role in delivering better outcomes for older, disabled and vulnerable people, helping them to live independently.

Join Westminster Insight’s annual Supported Housing Conference for timely perspectives on how to improve the availability and quality of supported housing. You’ll hear from our expert speakers with the latest legislative updates and insights into policy and funding for the sector. Explore changing needs, and gain insights on how you can meet the future demand and adapt your services accordingly.

Join us to hear from Bob Blackman MP who will talk through his Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill. Currently making its way through Parliament, the Bill will tackle issues around exempt accommodation, preventing exploitation through the provision of unsafe and inadequate housing.  How do we ensure that reforms close dangerous loopholes in the law, whilst protecting good providers who supply essential support and good quality housing?

Chaired by Neil Revely, Chair, ADASS Housing Policy Network, we will examine good practice and new ways of working. What does good looks like, and what activities deliver the best outcomes and value for money?

Experts from across supported housing, local government, and health will spotlight successful models of provision and schemes for multiple needs, including learning disabilities, mental health, complex needs and for older people.  You will hear useful ideas on how to engage constructively through Integrated Care Systems.

Join us in Central London for our established and highly regarded Supported Housing Conference. Meet with peers and expert speakers to discuss collaborative working with other organisations who commission and deliver supported housing.

Agenda

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The Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill seeks to tackle issues around exempt accommodation.  The new Bill is designed to prevent exploitation through provision of unsafe and inadequate housing and support for vulnerable people.

Much exempt accommodation is well run, however.  So how do we ensure that reforms close dangerous loopholes in the law, whilst protecting good providers who supply essential support and good quality housing?  How de we ensure new regulation is efficient and targeted, not burdensome?

Join Westminster Insight’s timely Supported Housing Conference, and hear from Bob Blackman MP, who will keynote our conference, sharing his insights and updates on the Bill and its intentions.  You will also hear best practice examples from leading supported housing providers, including around housing quality, value for money, and social value.

Experts from across housing, local government, and health will spotlight successful models of provision and schemes for multiple needs, including learning disabilities, mental health, complex needs and for older people. 

Chaired by, Neil Revely, Chair ADASS, Housing Policy Network and LGA, Care & Health Improvement Adviser. Attend to hear how providers are making strategic and financial decisions to ensure compliance in building safety, energy efficiency, workforce development and care quality.

Agenda

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