Social Exclusion
Breaking the Breaking the cycle of disadvantage and social exclusion cycle of disadvantage and social exclusion
This is a summary of the report published by the Social Exclusion Unit, on the government's agenda to break the cycle of disadvantage and provide opportunity for all. The agenda largely aims to tackle child poverty and long-term unemployment.
Title: Breaking the cycle: Taking stock of progress and priorities for
the future
Author: Social Exclusion Unit
Date published: September 2004
Number of pages: 178 (Summary 16)
What is Social Exclusion?
Social exclusion is about more than income poverty. It is a term for what can happen when people or areas face a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, discrimination, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown. These problems are linked and mutually reinforcing so that they can create a vicious cycle in people's lives.
Social exclusion is often linked to the disadvantage children face at birth. It can be passed from generation to generation. For instance, having parents who did not gain qualifications or who suffer from unemployment has an impact on a child's life and affects their opportunities in life.
The governments' programme, which included setting up the Social Exclusion Unit aims to break this cycle.
Initiatives implemented by the Government
These include:
Tackling key economic causes of social exclusion such as unemployment and poverty, particularly child and pensioner poverty.
Promoting equal opportunities for all.
Supporting communities particularly in deprived areas.
Reintegrating some of those who have experienced more extreme forms of social exclusion, like rough sleeping.
Improving access to advice and services.
Progress so far
Reduction in child poverty - 700,000 fewer children living in poverty in 2002/2003 than in 1996/97.
Sure Start Local Programmes - large-scale expansion of nursery education and childcare services.
Reduction in pensioner poverty - 500,000 fewer pensioners living in relative poverty in 2002/3 than in 1997, and 1.8 million fewer living in absolute poverty.
Reduction in unemployment - There are now 1.85 million more people in work than in 1997, and there have been faster than average increases in employment among some disadvantaged groups (e.g. lone parents, people with disabilities and those over 50 years old). Long-term unemployment amongst those aged 18–24 halved between 1997 and 2003.
Educational attainment - Improvements for most ethnic minority groups, and progress in schools in the most disadvantaged local authority areas has been even faster than elsewhere.
Homelessness - The number of homeless people sleeping rough has fallen by 70% and there has been a 99.3% decline in the use of Bed and Breakfast accommodation for housing homeless families with children since March 2002.
Crime - Youth offending has reduced and juvenile reconviction rates fell by a fifth between 1997 and 2001. There has also been a reduction in crime and the fear of crime, including among older people.
Teenage pregnancy - The conception rate for girls under 18 has fallen by 9.4%.
Remaining Challenges
The government still has following problems to meet:
There are 5 key problems that continue to drive social exclusion, and that need to be made priorities over the next few years:
Low educational attainment among some groups
Economic inactivity and concentrations of unemployed
Health inequalities
Concentrations of crime and poor quality environments in some areas
Homelessness.
Ensuring those people that have made progress do not slip back into a state of vulnerability.
Constant monitoring and review of polices is needed to reduce the gaps between different social groups.
To provide more support to children and families in the early years and at key transition points throughout their journey to adulthood.
To improve service design and delivery to extend the reach of what works to the most disadvantaged groups.
There are currently 3 main groups of people for whom policies consistently seem less effective:
People with physical or mental health problems.
Those who lack skills or qualifications, both formal qualifications and broader basic and life skills.
People from some ethnic minority groups, including asylum seekers and refugees.
What to expect in the future?
Poverty and unemployment are declining and this trend looks set to continue into the next two decades.
The ageing population is likely to present new risks for social exclusion.
The number of single person households is also increasing rapidly, and social isolation may also rise as a result.
Inward migration looks set to continue. There exists a minority of unskilled migrants who face very poor prospects in the labour market and are of concern from a social exclusion perspective.
The UK will continue to become more ethnically diverse and the pattern of persistent and multiple disadvantages among some ethnic groups may continue.
Projections suggest that there is likely to be a continued growth in demand for skilled labour and therefore an increasing premium placed on formal qualifications.
There is growing pressure on housing.
The Governments next steps
To sustain the progress already made
Provide more equal opportunities for people so that inherited disadvantage does not continue
Innovate in service design and delivery in order to benefit a greater number of multiply disadvantaged people
Anticipate and plan for the challenges and risks, which might be posed by future economic, technological and social trends.
Last update: 11 October 2004