Document Category: UK

This Trussell report presents a comprehensive assessment of hunger in the UK in 2024. It finds that food insecurity has increased to 16% of households, affecting 14.1 million people, despite falling inflation and no reduction in food bank use. Hunger is driven primarily by low incomes, debt, insecure work and an inadequate social security system, disproportionately affecting disabled people, families with children, renters and marginalised groups. Drawing on large-scale surveys and lived experience research, the report shows why food banks remain widely used and sets out policy changes needed to reduce severe hardship and end the need for emergency food.

A Growing Health Tool Kit is a practical guide produced by Garden Organic and Sustain to help community food growing projects work with the health and social care system. It explains how health commissioning works, how to develop and present food growing activities as health services, and how to gather evidence and measure impact. The toolkit brings together research on the physical, mental and social benefits of gardening, alongside product examples, evaluation tools and case studies of commissioned projects. It is designed to support community growers to secure funding, build partnerships and contribute to public health outcomes.

July 25 House of Commons Library research briefing – an evidence-based overview of food poverty in the UK, covering household food insecurity, food bank use and free school meals. Latest national statistics, trends over time and disparities by income, region, ethnicity and family circumstances. It also examines the impact of the cost of living crisis and food price inflation, outlining current government policy and funding arrangements. It is designed as an impartial reference to support understanding, analysis and decision-making, drawing on official government data and major charity datasets, including Trussell food bank figures and Department for Work and Pensions statistics.

This document gives practical insights into cradle-to-career (C2C) models and community-based approaches for improving social mobility. It provides actionable steps, case studies, and 15 innovative practices that can be adopted to support under-resourced children and families. By reading, VCFSEs will gain strategies for partnership, community engagement, and sustainable impact, helping them drive joined-up, relational support and systemic change in their local areas. Holyrood School in Chard is one of the case studies

The Nelson Trust 2025 Impact Report highlights a year of growth, connection, and transformative support for individuals facing addiction and multiple disadvantages. ​ Key achievements include the opening of new Women’s Centres, impactful recovery services, innovative training programs, and successful fundraising events. The report celebrates their 40th anniversary, showcasing milestones like the Coronation Meadow event, the One Wales service expansion, and partnerships with HRH The Duchess of Gloucester. ​ With a focus on holistic, trauma-informed care and community collaboration, the report demonstrates the Trust’s commitment to making meaningful change and outlines its vision for an even greater impact in 2026.

The Nowhere to Turn 2024 report by Women’s Aid highlights the critical role of the No Woman Turned Away (NWTA) project in supporting survivors of domestic abuse facing barriers to safe accommodation. ​ It provides insights into systemic inequalities, inadequate refuge spaces, and failures by statutory services to meet their legal duties. ​ The report shares data and case studies, revealing the challenges women and children encounter, including financial hardship, unsuitable temporary housing, and further abuse. ​ It emphasizes the need for sustainable funding, improved statutory support, and specialized training to ensure survivors can access safety and recover from abuse.

This document outlines the evaluation protocol for the SOS+ embedded mentoring programme, developed by St Giles Trust and evaluated by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen). The programme aims to reduce violent offending among children and young people involved in criminal activity, youth violence, or exploitation by embedding mentors with lived experience in schools. It details the study’s rationale, methodology, target group, intervention design, and evaluation components, including impact, implementation, process, and cost analyses. The document also emphasizes equity, diversity, and inclusion, ethical considerations, and data protection measures, providing a comprehensive framework for assessing the programme’s effectiveness and scalability.

This report, “Stigma in the System,” explores how stigma is embedded in the UK social security system, impacting claimants’ financial security, mental health, and trust in the system. ​ It examines public perceptions, institutional practices, and internalized stigma, revealing how these factors discourage people from claiming benefits they are entitled to. ​ The report highlights the emotional toll of navigating the system and offers recommendations to humanize, simplify, and better resource social security, aiming to reduce stigma and improve outcomes for claimants. Essential reading for policymakers, advocates, and anyone interested in creating a fairer, more supportive welfare system.

The Annual Audit 2025 by Women’s Aid provides a comprehensive overview of domestic abuse services in England during 2023-24. ​ It highlights key findings on service demand, provision, funding, and systemic challenges, including a significant shortfall in refuge spaces, underfunding, and barriers faced by marginalized groups. ​ The report also addresses the impact of rising living costs, international conflicts, and the need for sustainable funding and specialist support. ​ It offers insights into the state of the sector, identifies gaps, and advocates for meaningful change to better support women and children affected by domestic abuse.

PECIAL EDITION #3 Childhood Trauma and Domestic Abuse
This document is a comprehensive research roundup on the impact of trauma and childhood domestic abuse, highlighting key factors that influence children’s mental health and recovery. It explores the emotional and psychological effects of domestic abuse, factors that exacerbate harm, protective elements fostering resilience, and evidence-based interventions like group therapy, art, and play. It emphasizes the importance of supportive relationships, tailored approaches, and intersectionality in addressing diverse experiences. Practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can use this resource to better understand and support children and young people affected by domestic abuse.

This report explores the role and impact of Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs) in the Big Local programme, which empowers residents in 150 areas in England to lead community transformation. LTOs manage funding, provide governance, and support resident-led decision-making. The research highlights the dynamic and complex relationships between LTOs, Big Local partnerships, and Local Trust, emphasizing the importance of trust, clear communication, and effective governance. Recommendations include improving induction processes, regular relationship reviews, and sharing transferable learning to support resident-led change beyond Big Local.
The report advocates for sustained policy and infrastructure support for community-led initiatives

The Big Local programme uses key service providers, known as Locally Trusted Organisations. Their main role is to manage Big Local funding on behalf of volunteer-led partnerships. This paper sets out what Local Trust knows about Locally Trusted Organisations in general and in relation to resident-led decision making and control. It identifies gaps in knowledge and questions to explore through research. This is mostly focused on instances where the relationship does not work.

A complete toolkit that explores what co-production is, information on 5 key themes – collaboration, diversity, respect, empowerment and involvement. This document has links to further documents and resources that may be useful for those who are exploring their co-production journey and how to include people from their community within their organisation(s) or service(s).

A learning guide for anyone involved in commissioning or funding decisions who wants to apply a co-governance approach. Includes examples and links to further resources to learn more.

A learning guide for anyone wanting to use a co-production approach within research or evaluation activities. Includes key recommendations, an example and further resources that may be useful

A learning guide for anyone who wants to ensure their co-production work involves a diverse range of voices where everyone can participate

A learning guide for growing sustainable groups, designed for anyone who wants to support a community group to grow and develop in a way that is sustainable and not reliant on external funding

A learning guide to create a co-production culture. If you’re part of an organisation that wants to foster a culture of co-production – where people’s lived experiences are listening to and valued – this is the guide for you. An explanation of what it means to create a co-production culture and examples of how this has been achieved elsewhere

A learning guide exploring the key principles of co-production. For anyone looking to move beyond the definition of co-production and dig deeper into the principles and values that underpin the approach.

A learning guide from Stronger Together about co-production. It provides an overview of co-production and the benefits of using the approach, with resources and examples provided

A co-production toolkit from Ageing Better. This toolkit user guide outlines the different tools available for co-producing work in communities and is designed for those completely new to coproduction or those who wish to gain confidence. With different resources available for different audiences, this document outlines what co-production is, the values and principles, who benefits and what topics are covered by the resource library.

A learning guide for Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), for anyone looking to support others in your community to set up activities using their existing skills, strengths and networks. Especially useful for those working in service delivery or development roles, or those who are part of their local community or have lived experience.
Outlines what ABCD is, examples of how it can be applied, top tips and links to other, relevant learning guides.

Understanding Integration: How to Listen to and Learn From People and Communities is a practical framework that can be used to help support systems listen to and learn from people and communities about their experiences of integrated care. Designed for anyone working within a local health and care system, it is intended to encourage NHS, local authorities and other local partners to work, listen and learn together.

A document from 2021, outlining the 8 principles and implications of place based working, in the context of the emerging Integrated Care Boards (at the time). The document is a practical framework to help partners embed community development with strong links to community cohesion. It emphasises the importance of the lived experiences of people in communities, co-production and place-based delivery. It offers a variety of tools, case studies and prompts that VCFSEs can adapt to improve community outcomes.

This toolkit was developed through the work of Common Ambition Bristol (CAB), a community powered co-production project.
•The toolkit shares the learning from the first three years of Common Ambition Bristol’s co-production process.
• It will be of use to teams who want to co-produce health service improvement with minoritised communities.

An overview of the ‘spinning out’ process – statutory services becoming their own entity, including examples of why that might happen and what may need to be considered. May be useful considerations for VCFSEs when looking at wider system planning. Important to note this is a presentation and not full detail is provided and it appears to be an older document. Intended to provoke general thinking rather than be a step by step guide

Official detailed CIC annual report form example, to demonstrate what the CIC regulator is looking for from a report to demonstrate public benefit. Also includes a link to gov.uk website for further guidance and support completing the form

Official simplified CIC annual report form example, to demonstrate what the CIC regulator is looking for from a report to demonstrate public benefit. Also includes a link to gov.uk website for further guidance and support completing the form

Trends, approvals, dissolutions and case studies of CICs – useful context for VCFSEs weighing CIC structures for traded income.

Explains how social value is evaluated in public procurement and includes award criteria and metrics. May be useful to help VCFSE organisations see how they can demonstrate outcomes or align with government processes.

Mixed‑methods evaluation showing reductions in depression, anxiety and PTSD; highlights value of integrated veteran staff and social support.

Ten council case studies; practical learning on governance, pathways and commissioning to support local Armed Forces communities.

National achievements and commitments; useful context for Somerset AFC partnership planning and VCFSE engagement.

Post‑adoption support initiative with proactive, targeted calls and referral pathways; evidence on reducing returns and improving welfare.

People-centred neutering model addressing barriers, partnership working and behaviour-change to improve cat welfare in priority communities.

Plain‑English UK GDPR explainer for charities (roles, lawful bases, DPIAs, breaches); handy as a board/manager primer.

Short tips for small charities: KPIs, training, incident plans, retention/erasure and transparency; links to ICO charity hub.

A comprehensive resource which explores the ‘why, what, who, when & how’ of involving children and young people in consultations for service development. While the intended audience is Local Authorities, there is lots of information, activities, practical guidance and case studies which will be useful to the VCFSE sector.

The toolkit is intended for use with Key Stage 2 aged children, in order to support them to conduct a research and action project in their school to make changes on things within their school or local community which matter to them.

This workbook is for anyone interested in community based research. It is for someone new to research as well as someone who has more experience. Each page takes you through a step in the research cycle. So, it starts with what your community needs and ends with how community members can get the best of out of the research project.

The fundamental concept of the Dementia 100: Pathway Assessment Tool is to provide a mechanism for capturing and understanding the characteristics and specific requirements that are considered key to the development and delivery of service and care needs for people living with dementia and their carers. The Dementia 100 extracts and combines pertinent information from multiple sources into a single, consolidated tool for self-assessment. Completed at Place level, it provides a holistic and integrated view of service provision. At system level it aids strategic planning and sharing best practice.

‘The World Turned Upside Down’ is a play that was staged in Exeter in January 2022. This film shows both the play itself and the process of creating it. We hope that many different types of people will be interested in ‘The World Turned Upside Down’. This guide is designed to help you set up and run your own screening in your local community. Inside are suggestions for how to set up and facilitate a screening event, but everyone’s set-up and audience will be unique. Pick and choose what will work best for you.

The Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project (DEEP) have produced guidelines for journalists, organisations and communications departments to inform why language about dementia matters. It allows people to use words and descriptions which was accurate, balanced and respectful. The language used to talk about dementia influences how people with dementia are views and also how they feel about themselves

How is research reducing health disparities? The UK Dementia Research Institute published this report in 2022. It looks at the statistics of dementia research and considers how health inequalities may play a role in understanding the true impact of dementia. They explore how dementia research may help to understand how and why different groups are affected differently by the same diseases, in order to target nterventions where they are most needed to maximise their benefit. “We must reject longstanding biases in scientific research, and instead innovate in the name of inclusivity”

Supporting South Asian carers of relatives with dementia in Rochdale – an Evaluation Report
An evaluation of the Dementia Dekh Bhaal (meaning ‘to care for dementia’) project, set up by tide (together in dementia everyday). The project was commissioned to address the needs of South Asian carers by developing and delivering a training package for professionals, campaign to increase awareness and use the power of stories to change perceptions. The project used an Asset Based Community Development approach and used ‘Lived Experience’. It was seen as successful and was recommended to be embedded in other community engagement projects

A Perspective from Carers of People living with Dementia
tide (together in dementia everyday) conducted some research looking at the experience of carers of people living with dementia, who are often surrounded with support from many services but feel isolated and crowded with responsibility. This full report explores 6 key themes identified, with additional insights and stories shared. Recommendations for national change are provided

A Perspective from Carers of People living with Dementia
Research undertaken in 2021 to look at the experiences of carers of people living with dementia, who are often ‘engaged’ with many support services, but feel isolated and crowded with responsibility.
An executive summary of the report

tide (together in dementia everyday) have created a booklet for anyone working with carers of people with dementia, to help them support those individuals with living grief

The experiences of family carers when the person they have looked after goes into a care home. Tide (Together In Dementia Everyday) sought feedback from carers once the person they cared for had moved into a care home. It was a lack of consistency across care homes and prompted tide to raise awareness of this disparity and make recommendations for future action.

A guide for those living with dementia and their carers and family. The toolkit is arranged in 5 themes – stay safe and well, stay connected, keep a sense of purpose, stay active, stay positive. It was created based on research and co-production with a group of people with dementia and carers. Includes links to research and signposts to further information for resources to help people with dementia. An example of how documents can be made accessible, with explanations about QR codes etc

This document sets out the vision of a group of dementia organisations in the UK who have come together as One Dementia Voice. It outlines how these organisations are thinking differently about their support for those living with dementia, and how wider societal barriers can be overcome with the right support. It addresses frequently asked questions and provides suggestions on how to embed ‘Dementia and Hope’ into your organisation. There are also many personal stories and examples of how ‘reasonable adjustments’ can and should be made for people with dementia.

Good practice in young onset dementia

This document summarises the findings from The Angela Project, a 3 year long Alzheimer’s Society funded research study. Researchers consulted young people living with dementia and their families, international clinical experts and service providers in the largest study of young onset dementia ever carried out in the UK. It aims to raise awareness of inequalities and provide evidence-based recommendations for good practice on areas of diagnosis, patient support, post-diagnostic support and service design and delivery.

In 2022, Innovations in Dementia working with a number of libraries in the UK to explore their experiences of dementia and opportunities for further work and connection. This document outlines some key findings from that research, divided into 4 key sections: Key statistics about digital exclusion, ‘how to’ tips on bidding for and managing funded dementia projects, case study examples and ‘how to’ guides for supporting and encouraging people to access simple technology. Whilst aimed at libraries, findings apply to anyone considering dementia support and digital inclusion

The Labour Party National Youth Strategy, which outlines the actions the government are committing to over the next 10 years to secrure the future that young people have told them that they want

A report commissioned by DCMS’s Secretary of State, highlighting current patterns, challenges, and wants that are shaping young people’s lives. It draws together voices of 14,000+ young people aged 10-21 (up to 25 for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)) who engaged in the National Youth Strategy Survey. It also uses insights collated through policy engagement, qualitative data collection and wider evidence collation. The report is partially based on commissioned research that was led by Savanta and their colleagues at My Life My Say and the #iwill Movement (Volunteering Matters and UK Youth) including their Youth Collaborators.

This manifesto was created ahead of the 2024 General Election, calling on the government to make dementia a political priority. It highlights dementia as the UK’s biggest killer and a growing health and social care challenge, with costs projected to reach £90bn by 2040. Written by 5 organisations in collaboration (Dementia UK, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alezheimer Scotland, UK Dementia Research Institutre & Alzheimer’s Society), the document outlines 5 priority areas for action – prevention, early diagnosis, post-diagnostic support, social care funding and investment in research. Scientific breakthroughs offer hope, but urgent policy and funding commitments are needed to transform care

Recommendations from the Young Dementia Network Steering Group on the diagnosis and support for people with young onset dementia and their families. This document brings together the experience and expertise of people affected by young onset dementia and the people who work with and support them. It highlights that the impact of dementia can be very different depending on your stage of life and that because of this, services must be tailored to meet those needs.

A few months ago the incoming Government published a 10 Year Health Plan, which sets out the transformational change it believes is needed to put the NHS on an even keel and make it fit for the future. Age UK strongly supports its main thrust, the aim of shifting the emphasis in healthcare ‘from hospital to home’ through the development of a Neighbourhood Health Service. We were pleased and honoured to be able to contribute to the development of this part of the Plan. As the initiative is rolled out ….

The Power Threat Meaning Framework is an over-arching structure for identifying patterns in emotional distress, unusual experiences and troubling behaviour, as an alternative to psychiatric diagnosis and classification. The project team’s aim was to produce a foundational document which sets out the philosophical, theoretical and empirical basis for such a framework and describes how it can serve as a conceptual alternative to psychiatric classification in relation to emotional distress and troubled or troubling behaviour.

This is an overview. A full 400+ page report is available from the British Psychological Society.

In this report, we provide the most detailed ever look at the geography of opportunity and social mobility in England. We closely examine how socio-economic background, geography and opportunity interact, with data looking at both parliamentary constituency and regional level in England. From educational attainment, to opportunities in higher education and employment, the research compares the outcomes of young people across the country, with a particular focus on the chances of social mobility for young people from lower income homes. Alongside the brief, there is an interactive map which can be accessed at: https://www.suttontrust.com/opportunity-indexinteractive-map

The Centre for Young Lives outlines a vision for transforming youth provision in the UK, emphasizing safe spaces, engaging activities, and trusted adult relationships. ​The proposed Young Futures programme includes 1,000 youth centres, year-round activities, and 10,000 trained youth practitioners. This investment, costing £1.46 billion over three years, aims to address challenges like youth crime, mental health crises, and educational disparities. ​Alma Economics estimates a £2.40 return for every £1 invested, with benefits in education, mental health, and crime reduction. The report calls for sustainable funding and a coordinated national strategy to ensure equitable opportunities for all young people. ​

Research exploring the needs and preferences of young people and youth practitioners in England

National Citizen’s Service (NCS) want to understand the latest perceptions, needs and preferences of young people and youth practitioners across England, in relation to youth provision. In January 2024, NCS commissioned UK Youth to undertake qualitative research to explore this topic. Insights were gathered through mixed methods, with a strong focus on an innovative approach to soliciting and analysing audio-recorded testimonies.

As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency exists to champion the value of youth work for young people, for local communities and for society. We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work.

A Youth Evidence Base report by SQW and the University of Warwick for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

This review located and screened over 25,000 studies from across 22 major research databases and repositories. A total of 77 studies met the review criteria for relevance and suitability. Studies were quality assessed, organised within six activity areas, and analysed in-depth by area to better understand the impacts of open access youth activities

A Youth Evidence Base report for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Our research used five datasets to explore the effects of weekly participation in youth clubs on outcomes later in life. Four of the five datasets were longitudinal studies; the fifth was a rolling annual survey. The studies covered different generations of young people from the 1970s to 2000s, and the timing of outcome measurements reflected this.

A Youth Evidence Base report studying the local impact of youth clubs.

The goal of this research was to understand what impact the presence of youth clubs have on local areas. Data sources were predominantly official statistics relating to national and local government. Some data were unavailable for all areas of interest, or were reported inconsistently across different local authorities. We encountered data shortages relating to the numbers of youth clubs, and youth workforce headcount including volunteers, and participants. Interviewees said that the trends revealed in our analysis nevertheless broadly reflected their experiences.

Youth work can transform lives. It provides a safe place for young people to find their place in society and learn practical skills to help them realise their full potential. In these difficult times, this is more important than ever. New research by UK Youth and economics consultancy, Frontier Economics, has found that annual investment in youth work saves the government as much as £3.2 billion.

The results highlighted in this report are the result of the hard work and effort of our team. Their interactions with young people and preschool children would not have been as successful as this report demonstrates, had it not been for their excellent commitment to providing opportunity and challenge to young people and working together to achieve this common objective.

2020 will be forever remembered for two global events. One that changed everyone’s lives and one that needs to. The former, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the latter, the murder of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis and the resulting worldwide calls for change. As a charity these tragic events have shaped and informed our year.

A comprehensive report detailing the work and impact of Mind across the UK