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Using local areas data to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and families

Jack, Gordon

Authors

Gordon Jack



Abstract

Because economic and social opportunities are unevenly distributed across England, the places in which children and young people are born and grow up can have significant influences on both their current well-being and their future life chances. Data now available confirms the expected finding that the level of child well-being found in an area tends to reflect its overall level of disadvantage. However, there are a number of exceptions to this general rule – local areas where child well-being is either significantly better or worse than would be expected given the levels of advantage which exist there. Some of the possible explanations for these exceptions are considered, using additional data available from the mapping of children's services, particularly in relation to the provision of child and adolescent mental health services. It is argued that continued analysis of these different streams of data as they develop and mature over the coming years had an important role to play in assisting policy-makers, service providers and local people, working collaboratively, to promote the well-being of disadvantaged children and young people.

Citation

Jack, G. (2011). Using local areas data to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and families. Child & Family Social Work, 16(1), 61-70. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2010.00708.x

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Feb 1, 2011
Deposit Date Nov 2, 2010
Journal Child and Family Social Work
Print ISSN 1356-7500
Electronic ISSN 1365-2206
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 16
Issue 1
Pages 61-70
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2010.00708.x
Keywords Child well-being, Children's services, Multiple deprivation.