Deborah Platts-Fowler | Victoria University of Wellington (original) (raw)

Papers by Deborah Platts-Fowler

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Dec 14, 2012

Welsh Government, Nov 3, 2011

Reporting Resources, information and ideas Case Studies Potential Signs and Signals of Community ... more Reporting Resources, information and ideas Case Studies Potential Signs and Signals of Community Tension Capturing and pooling information about community tensions The legal framework and information sharing Glossary Useful Links Contents Community Mapping and Tension Monitoring Part 1 Community mapping and Profiling Reporting Timing Output Evidence How often are you going to review and revise your profiles? Step 1: Agreeing Responsibilities This first step focuses on agreeing who will be take the lead in generating the profiles and what help they should expect from colleagues across the local authority. The first step is to identify who in the local authority will be responsible for developing the community profiles. If your local authority has a central research team it will probably make sense for them to take the lead. If information management and research activities are dispersed across the local authority, a decision will need to be taken about who is best placed to take the lead. Either way, you should ensure that key departments are consulted about what profiles should be generated, and that systems are in place for them to feed in information and intelligence to help ensure that the profiles are as informed and comprehensive as possible.

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Feb 1, 2012

Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University were commissioned by the Castle Vale Endowment Trust... more Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University were commissioned by the Castle Vale Endowment Trust to study the drivers and forms of aspirations of young people in Castle Vale and to map their outcomes. This report summarises the study's key findings and recommendations.

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Feb 26, 2016

British Society of Criminology, 2013

The article looks at current explanations for the 2011 English riots. It critiques one dominant v... more The article looks at current explanations for the 2011 English riots. It critiques one dominant view that, beyond the micro-political protest in Tottenham, people primarily participated to loot lifestyle items they could not afford to buy. Empirical data is used to challenge the extent and nature of the looting in 2011, concluding that the proportion of riot events that were not focused on looting, directly contradicts the argument that criminal acquisition and consumerism were primary drivers of the unrest. Social disorder is more likely to manifest as looting in commercial areas, but it does not naturally follow that participants originally set out to loot, and economics may not be their primary motive. The article moves on to explore the role the police may have played in promoting 'contagion' and to reflect on the role of policing in preventing and limiting unrest, even where foregrounded by other precipitating factors.

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Oct 1, 2012

How to use this guidance This is not a step-by-step guide. It provides a framework to guide effor... more How to use this guidance This is not a step-by-step guide. It provides a framework to guide efforts to mainstream community cohesion and spotlights key success factors. Local authorities are encouraged to use the guide in different ways. Some will already be mainstreaming community cohesion and might only dip into the guide for new ideas or to refresh practice. Others with less experience of mainstreaming might want to work through all sections of the guide. The guide is organised into three distinct parts: Part 1 outlines why it is important to mainstream community cohesion and the benefits that can flow from doing so. It introduces and defines mainstreaming and community cohesion in Wales and highlights the close ties between the community cohesion agenda and the responsibilities of local authorities under the Equality Duty. Part 2 provides a guide to mainstreaming community cohesion across the local authority. It is organised into four sections: • committed and motivated leadership Mainstreaming Review Embedding Cohesion Understanding Cohesion Leadership on Cohesion Barriers to Mainstreaming Evidence from the Evaluation of Getting on Together

Welsh Government, Apr 30, 2013

Community Cohesion in Wales Key Findings • the level of cohesion within Wales has varied through ... more Community Cohesion in Wales Key Findings • the level of cohesion within Wales has varied through time, dipping in 2005 and falling again in recent years • there is currently no obvious measure of community cohesion at the local level in Wales • proxy measures of cohesion at the local level can be generated using administrative data • it is possible to identify four types of local authority in Wales based on cohesion factors: Rural Wales, Penurban Fringes; Large Towns and Cities; and Welsh Valleys 2.1 Getting on Together-A Community Cohesion Strategy for Wales Key Findings • Getting on Together, the community cohesion strategy for Wales, was launched in December 2009. • Getting on Together provides an understanding of community cohesion that is distinct and different to the agenda in England. • A Community Cohesion Unit was established in the Welsh Government and charged with overseeing delivery of the strategy. • the work of the Community Cohesion was guided by an action plan that accompanied Getting on Together, which prioritised efforts to provide a framework to support the local strategic approach to promoting community cohesion; mainstreaming cohesion across Welsh Government; and the provision of guidance on community cohesion. • local authorities were recognised as the agency best placed to take the lead on promoting community cohesion at the local level • local authorities annually received an allocation from the Community Cohesion Fund to support local efforts to promote cohesion.

Migration and Border Analysis (MBA) to fulfil the European Commission's funding requirements. The... more Migration and Border Analysis (MBA) to fulfil the European Commission's funding requirements. The opinions expressed are in no way an official view of the Home Office; neither should they be considered an indication of Home Office policy.

Sheffield Hallam University, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Dec 31, 2012

This document presents interim findings from the impact evaluation of myplace. myplace was launch... more This document presents interim findings from the impact evaluation of myplace. myplace was launched in April 2008 and has made 63 capital grants of between £1m and £5m each for high quality youth centres which offer young people access to a wide range of activities and support services. The programme aims to place young people in the lead in the planning and delivery of projects and is based on partnership working across sectors to develop centres that respond to local needs and priorities and are sustainable. The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) is delivering myplace on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE). ii The evaluation is addressing three questions:  what are myplace centres and other youth centres/ facilities achieving and what is best practice in measuring impact?  what are the ongoing costs of provision and how should this inform future investment decisions by local authorities and others considering establishing youth centres?  how are myplace centres and other youth centres/ facilities generating income and what are the lessons for revenue planning in the future by local authorities and others considering investment in youth facilities? Methods include baseline and follow-up surveys of grant holders, and young people attending myplace centres (the participant group) and a 'comparator' group of young people living in areas that have not had myplace investment. These surveys will be used to identify relationships between provision and outcome change for young people. In addition, 10 case studies are being carried out to explore aspects of implementation and the ways in which young people benefit from myplace centres. The interim report presents data from baseline surveys of grant holders and young people, along with emerging evidence from case study myplace centres. The baseline data provides information on what myplace centres are offering to young people and on the characteristics, attitudes and behaviours of young people who are, and are not, attending myplace centres. Follow-up surveys, to be conducted in late 2012, will provide evidence of change. Differences in outcome change between the participant and comparator groups of young people will be used to identify the impact of the myplace investment.

Local Government Studies, 2016

In many countries local government has been a prime target of austerity measures. In response, lo... more In many countries local government has been a prime target of austerity measures. In response, local authorities are exploring a new repertoire of policy approaches in a bid to provide more with less. In England, local authorities have been drawn to community resilience as a pragmatic response to the challenge of deploying shrinking resources to support communities exposed to social and economic disruption. This application of resilience thinking is not without its challenges. It demands a working definition of community resilience that recognises the potential for communities to prove resilient to shocks and disruptions, but avoids blaming them for their predicament. There is also the practical challenge of developing and targeting interventions to promote and protect resilience. This paper sets out to explore these issues and establish the potential utility of community resilience as a policy tool through case study analysis in the city of Sheffield.

Population, Space and Place, 2015

This paper seeks to inject an appreciation of place into analysis of refugee integration. A frame... more This paper seeks to inject an appreciation of place into analysis of refugee integration. A framework of integration sensitive to interactions between people and places is operationalised to facilitate the systematic comparison of the refugee integration process in different places. In particular, this paper explores variations in key indicators of integration within a cohort of refugees arriving into the UK from the same country of origin (Iraq), at the same time, granted the same legal status and afforded a similar package of support and assistance but settled in two different cities in England (Hull and Sheffield). Distinct differences in the integration experiences of refugees in the two cities are spotlighted and related to the contextual, compositional and collective aspects of the places into which they were settled. The findings highlight the importance of recognising that refugee integration is grounded and embodied in space and place and that despite proceeding under the same general operative processes can evolve differently in different places.

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, May 1, 2009

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, May 1, 2009

For four days in August 2011 there were widespread public disturbances in 66 locations across the... more For four days in August 2011 there were widespread public disturbances in 66 locations across the country. Known as the ‘2011 English Riots’, they were estimated to have involved 15,000 participants, cost half a billion pounds and were associated with five deaths (Bridges 2012). The Prime Minister described them as ‘criminality, pure and simple’ (Cameron 2011). Consequently, there was no major official inquiry. An academic literature emerged, but this was theoretically driven and London-centric. The lack of an empirical evidence-base provided the rationale for this study. The aims were to understand why the riots occurred in some places outside London, but not others; to explore the role of police and partners in preventing and containing unrest; and, recognising that policing rarely takes place in a vacuum, to identify other contextual factors undermining and promoting social order at local levels. The case study method was selected for its ability to capture context. Cases include...

The article looks at current explanations for the 2011 English riots. It critiques one dominant v... more The article looks at current explanations for the 2011 English riots. It critiques one dominant view that, beyond the micro-political protest in Tottenham, people primarily participated to loot lifestyle items they could not afford to buy. Empirical data is used to challenge the extent and nature of the looting in 2011, concluding that the proportion of riot events that were not focused on looting, directly contradicts the argument that criminal acquisition and consumerism were primary drivers of the unrest. Social disorder is more likely to manifest as looting in commercial areas, but it does not naturally follow that participants originally set out to loot, and economics may not be their primary motive. The article moves on to explore the role the police may have played in promoting ‘contagion’ and to reflect on the role of policing in preventing and limiting unrest, even where foregrounded by other precipitating factors.

If policy is to promote a cohesive society it needs to know what factors explain variations in co... more If policy is to promote a cohesive society it needs to know what factors explain variations in cohesion. There is therefore interest in the predictors of community cohesion. A series of questions about community cohesion have been inserted into national surveys and a number of studies have used these nationally representative data to explore the relationship between community cohesion and a range of variables. Important insights have been provided, but an important gap in understanding remains regarding the predictors of community cohesion among young people. This is despite young people and schools being a key concern within the community cohesion agenda since its emergence in 2001. This report helps fill this gap in understanding by presenting findings from analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE). Using multi-level statistical modelling, it examines the demographic, experiential and attitudinal predictors of community cohesion at the individ...

The paper draws on an empirical study of the 2011 English Riots. In the aftermath of these riots,... more The paper draws on an empirical study of the 2011 English Riots. In the aftermath of these riots, the media and political discourse spotlighted ‘contagion’ as the main explanation for the outbreak of disorder across 66 different locations, implying that context was irrelevant. This research used the case study method to explore the role of local contextual factors, especially local policing, partnership relations and community engagement, in promoting and preventing unrest. The paper outlines how the contentious nature of ‘riots’ as a subject-matter for empirical research and the focus on small geographical areas presented particular challenges that affected the research design, the research experience, and possibly the impact of the findings. Methodological challenges included the unwillingness of people to participate in the research; pressures for them to re-write history in particular ways; risks to the anonymity of individuals and neighbourhoods involved in the research, with t...

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research | i Foreword By Councillor Julie Dore, Leader of... more Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research | i Foreword By Councillor Julie Dore, Leader of Sheffield City Council Sheffield is a proud and ambitious city with a track record of prevailing in the face of adversity. We have seen hard times in the past, and the challenges of the current austerity programme bring substantial pressures to Sheffield and its communities. Helping our communities to withstand the tough times ahead is one of the biggest challenges facing us as a city. Sheffield City Council is facing a funding cut of more than £50 million in 2013/14, in addition to a more than £140 million reduction in services already made as a result of this austerity programme. Funding reductions on this scale have inevitably affected our ability to protect local communities against the impact of the social and economic hardship that they are faced with. Resolving problems that are rooted in national policies and global processes will never uniquely be the responsibility of local government. However, promoting the resilience of Sheffield's neighbourhoods may prove to be an important way to help insulate neighbourhoods against the full force of economic decline, public sector reductions and cuts in benefits and tax credits. This report provides a unique insight into neighbourhood resilience and factors promoting neighbourhood resilience. While the report acknowledges that there are clearly limits to the ability of outside agencies to promote resilience, it does highlight neighbourhood features that policy and practice should strive to promote and protect in a bid to nurture resilience. This important research will be key to guiding a discussion within the city about what might be done to help communities be more resilient, and I, as Leader of the Council, am committed to being at the forefront of this discussion.

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Dec 14, 2012

Welsh Government, Nov 3, 2011

Reporting Resources, information and ideas Case Studies Potential Signs and Signals of Community ... more Reporting Resources, information and ideas Case Studies Potential Signs and Signals of Community Tension Capturing and pooling information about community tensions The legal framework and information sharing Glossary Useful Links Contents Community Mapping and Tension Monitoring Part 1 Community mapping and Profiling Reporting Timing Output Evidence How often are you going to review and revise your profiles? Step 1: Agreeing Responsibilities This first step focuses on agreeing who will be take the lead in generating the profiles and what help they should expect from colleagues across the local authority. The first step is to identify who in the local authority will be responsible for developing the community profiles. If your local authority has a central research team it will probably make sense for them to take the lead. If information management and research activities are dispersed across the local authority, a decision will need to be taken about who is best placed to take the lead. Either way, you should ensure that key departments are consulted about what profiles should be generated, and that systems are in place for them to feed in information and intelligence to help ensure that the profiles are as informed and comprehensive as possible.

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Feb 1, 2012

Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University were commissioned by the Castle Vale Endowment Trust... more Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University were commissioned by the Castle Vale Endowment Trust to study the drivers and forms of aspirations of young people in Castle Vale and to map their outcomes. This report summarises the study's key findings and recommendations.

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Feb 26, 2016

British Society of Criminology, 2013

The article looks at current explanations for the 2011 English riots. It critiques one dominant v... more The article looks at current explanations for the 2011 English riots. It critiques one dominant view that, beyond the micro-political protest in Tottenham, people primarily participated to loot lifestyle items they could not afford to buy. Empirical data is used to challenge the extent and nature of the looting in 2011, concluding that the proportion of riot events that were not focused on looting, directly contradicts the argument that criminal acquisition and consumerism were primary drivers of the unrest. Social disorder is more likely to manifest as looting in commercial areas, but it does not naturally follow that participants originally set out to loot, and economics may not be their primary motive. The article moves on to explore the role the police may have played in promoting 'contagion' and to reflect on the role of policing in preventing and limiting unrest, even where foregrounded by other precipitating factors.

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Oct 1, 2012

How to use this guidance This is not a step-by-step guide. It provides a framework to guide effor... more How to use this guidance This is not a step-by-step guide. It provides a framework to guide efforts to mainstream community cohesion and spotlights key success factors. Local authorities are encouraged to use the guide in different ways. Some will already be mainstreaming community cohesion and might only dip into the guide for new ideas or to refresh practice. Others with less experience of mainstreaming might want to work through all sections of the guide. The guide is organised into three distinct parts: Part 1 outlines why it is important to mainstream community cohesion and the benefits that can flow from doing so. It introduces and defines mainstreaming and community cohesion in Wales and highlights the close ties between the community cohesion agenda and the responsibilities of local authorities under the Equality Duty. Part 2 provides a guide to mainstreaming community cohesion across the local authority. It is organised into four sections: • committed and motivated leadership Mainstreaming Review Embedding Cohesion Understanding Cohesion Leadership on Cohesion Barriers to Mainstreaming Evidence from the Evaluation of Getting on Together

Welsh Government, Apr 30, 2013

Community Cohesion in Wales Key Findings • the level of cohesion within Wales has varied through ... more Community Cohesion in Wales Key Findings • the level of cohesion within Wales has varied through time, dipping in 2005 and falling again in recent years • there is currently no obvious measure of community cohesion at the local level in Wales • proxy measures of cohesion at the local level can be generated using administrative data • it is possible to identify four types of local authority in Wales based on cohesion factors: Rural Wales, Penurban Fringes; Large Towns and Cities; and Welsh Valleys 2.1 Getting on Together-A Community Cohesion Strategy for Wales Key Findings • Getting on Together, the community cohesion strategy for Wales, was launched in December 2009. • Getting on Together provides an understanding of community cohesion that is distinct and different to the agenda in England. • A Community Cohesion Unit was established in the Welsh Government and charged with overseeing delivery of the strategy. • the work of the Community Cohesion was guided by an action plan that accompanied Getting on Together, which prioritised efforts to provide a framework to support the local strategic approach to promoting community cohesion; mainstreaming cohesion across Welsh Government; and the provision of guidance on community cohesion. • local authorities were recognised as the agency best placed to take the lead on promoting community cohesion at the local level • local authorities annually received an allocation from the Community Cohesion Fund to support local efforts to promote cohesion.

Migration and Border Analysis (MBA) to fulfil the European Commission's funding requirements. The... more Migration and Border Analysis (MBA) to fulfil the European Commission's funding requirements. The opinions expressed are in no way an official view of the Home Office; neither should they be considered an indication of Home Office policy.

Sheffield Hallam University, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Dec 31, 2012

This document presents interim findings from the impact evaluation of myplace. myplace was launch... more This document presents interim findings from the impact evaluation of myplace. myplace was launched in April 2008 and has made 63 capital grants of between £1m and £5m each for high quality youth centres which offer young people access to a wide range of activities and support services. The programme aims to place young people in the lead in the planning and delivery of projects and is based on partnership working across sectors to develop centres that respond to local needs and priorities and are sustainable. The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) is delivering myplace on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE). ii The evaluation is addressing three questions:  what are myplace centres and other youth centres/ facilities achieving and what is best practice in measuring impact?  what are the ongoing costs of provision and how should this inform future investment decisions by local authorities and others considering establishing youth centres?  how are myplace centres and other youth centres/ facilities generating income and what are the lessons for revenue planning in the future by local authorities and others considering investment in youth facilities? Methods include baseline and follow-up surveys of grant holders, and young people attending myplace centres (the participant group) and a 'comparator' group of young people living in areas that have not had myplace investment. These surveys will be used to identify relationships between provision and outcome change for young people. In addition, 10 case studies are being carried out to explore aspects of implementation and the ways in which young people benefit from myplace centres. The interim report presents data from baseline surveys of grant holders and young people, along with emerging evidence from case study myplace centres. The baseline data provides information on what myplace centres are offering to young people and on the characteristics, attitudes and behaviours of young people who are, and are not, attending myplace centres. Follow-up surveys, to be conducted in late 2012, will provide evidence of change. Differences in outcome change between the participant and comparator groups of young people will be used to identify the impact of the myplace investment.

Local Government Studies, 2016

In many countries local government has been a prime target of austerity measures. In response, lo... more In many countries local government has been a prime target of austerity measures. In response, local authorities are exploring a new repertoire of policy approaches in a bid to provide more with less. In England, local authorities have been drawn to community resilience as a pragmatic response to the challenge of deploying shrinking resources to support communities exposed to social and economic disruption. This application of resilience thinking is not without its challenges. It demands a working definition of community resilience that recognises the potential for communities to prove resilient to shocks and disruptions, but avoids blaming them for their predicament. There is also the practical challenge of developing and targeting interventions to promote and protect resilience. This paper sets out to explore these issues and establish the potential utility of community resilience as a policy tool through case study analysis in the city of Sheffield.

Population, Space and Place, 2015

This paper seeks to inject an appreciation of place into analysis of refugee integration. A frame... more This paper seeks to inject an appreciation of place into analysis of refugee integration. A framework of integration sensitive to interactions between people and places is operationalised to facilitate the systematic comparison of the refugee integration process in different places. In particular, this paper explores variations in key indicators of integration within a cohort of refugees arriving into the UK from the same country of origin (Iraq), at the same time, granted the same legal status and afforded a similar package of support and assistance but settled in two different cities in England (Hull and Sheffield). Distinct differences in the integration experiences of refugees in the two cities are spotlighted and related to the contextual, compositional and collective aspects of the places into which they were settled. The findings highlight the importance of recognising that refugee integration is grounded and embodied in space and place and that despite proceeding under the same general operative processes can evolve differently in different places.

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, May 1, 2009

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, May 1, 2009

For four days in August 2011 there were widespread public disturbances in 66 locations across the... more For four days in August 2011 there were widespread public disturbances in 66 locations across the country. Known as the ‘2011 English Riots’, they were estimated to have involved 15,000 participants, cost half a billion pounds and were associated with five deaths (Bridges 2012). The Prime Minister described them as ‘criminality, pure and simple’ (Cameron 2011). Consequently, there was no major official inquiry. An academic literature emerged, but this was theoretically driven and London-centric. The lack of an empirical evidence-base provided the rationale for this study. The aims were to understand why the riots occurred in some places outside London, but not others; to explore the role of police and partners in preventing and containing unrest; and, recognising that policing rarely takes place in a vacuum, to identify other contextual factors undermining and promoting social order at local levels. The case study method was selected for its ability to capture context. Cases include...

The article looks at current explanations for the 2011 English riots. It critiques one dominant v... more The article looks at current explanations for the 2011 English riots. It critiques one dominant view that, beyond the micro-political protest in Tottenham, people primarily participated to loot lifestyle items they could not afford to buy. Empirical data is used to challenge the extent and nature of the looting in 2011, concluding that the proportion of riot events that were not focused on looting, directly contradicts the argument that criminal acquisition and consumerism were primary drivers of the unrest. Social disorder is more likely to manifest as looting in commercial areas, but it does not naturally follow that participants originally set out to loot, and economics may not be their primary motive. The article moves on to explore the role the police may have played in promoting ‘contagion’ and to reflect on the role of policing in preventing and limiting unrest, even where foregrounded by other precipitating factors.

If policy is to promote a cohesive society it needs to know what factors explain variations in co... more If policy is to promote a cohesive society it needs to know what factors explain variations in cohesion. There is therefore interest in the predictors of community cohesion. A series of questions about community cohesion have been inserted into national surveys and a number of studies have used these nationally representative data to explore the relationship between community cohesion and a range of variables. Important insights have been provided, but an important gap in understanding remains regarding the predictors of community cohesion among young people. This is despite young people and schools being a key concern within the community cohesion agenda since its emergence in 2001. This report helps fill this gap in understanding by presenting findings from analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE). Using multi-level statistical modelling, it examines the demographic, experiential and attitudinal predictors of community cohesion at the individ...

The paper draws on an empirical study of the 2011 English Riots. In the aftermath of these riots,... more The paper draws on an empirical study of the 2011 English Riots. In the aftermath of these riots, the media and political discourse spotlighted ‘contagion’ as the main explanation for the outbreak of disorder across 66 different locations, implying that context was irrelevant. This research used the case study method to explore the role of local contextual factors, especially local policing, partnership relations and community engagement, in promoting and preventing unrest. The paper outlines how the contentious nature of ‘riots’ as a subject-matter for empirical research and the focus on small geographical areas presented particular challenges that affected the research design, the research experience, and possibly the impact of the findings. Methodological challenges included the unwillingness of people to participate in the research; pressures for them to re-write history in particular ways; risks to the anonymity of individuals and neighbourhoods involved in the research, with t...

Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research | i Foreword By Councillor Julie Dore, Leader of... more Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research | i Foreword By Councillor Julie Dore, Leader of Sheffield City Council Sheffield is a proud and ambitious city with a track record of prevailing in the face of adversity. We have seen hard times in the past, and the challenges of the current austerity programme bring substantial pressures to Sheffield and its communities. Helping our communities to withstand the tough times ahead is one of the biggest challenges facing us as a city. Sheffield City Council is facing a funding cut of more than £50 million in 2013/14, in addition to a more than £140 million reduction in services already made as a result of this austerity programme. Funding reductions on this scale have inevitably affected our ability to protect local communities against the impact of the social and economic hardship that they are faced with. Resolving problems that are rooted in national policies and global processes will never uniquely be the responsibility of local government. However, promoting the resilience of Sheffield's neighbourhoods may prove to be an important way to help insulate neighbourhoods against the full force of economic decline, public sector reductions and cuts in benefits and tax credits. This report provides a unique insight into neighbourhood resilience and factors promoting neighbourhood resilience. While the report acknowledges that there are clearly limits to the ability of outside agencies to promote resilience, it does highlight neighbourhood features that policy and practice should strive to promote and protect in a bid to nurture resilience. This important research will be key to guiding a discussion within the city about what might be done to help communities be more resilient, and I, as Leader of the Council, am committed to being at the forefront of this discussion.