Government policy to regenerate our deprived urban and rural communities has evolved and become more sophisticated in recent years. Today’s approach recognises the need to secure the social and economic inclusion of individuals, the need to tackle multiple deprivation with area-based programmes and the importance of regional and sub-regional investments in revitalising local economies and housing markets and building new communities.
SQW has long experience of working with clients at all levels – neighbourhood, district, regional and national – to promote regeneration. In recent years we have developed a particular expertise in neighbourhood renewal. Our work includes:
- Partnerships – building, supporting and reviewing local partnerships and developing local stakeholder involvement, for neighbourhood partnerships and Local Strategic Partnerships.
- Neighbourhood governance and management – working with local authorities and partnerships to explore new ways of improving services and local government at neighbourhood level. SQW has national expertise in the development of neighbourhood management approaches.
- Mainstreaming – developing and reviewing strategies and programmes to tackle area-based deprivation, including the bending of mainstream public services to deprivation objectives, including through Local Area Agreements.
- Evaluation and performance management – strengthening local baselines and performance management frameworks for LSPs and other partnerships, mapping local resource flows and evaluating the impact of interventions. SQW has unrivalled experience of providing clear evidence and intelligence to improve the targeting and management of neighbourhood renewal programmes.
Our neighbourhood renewal experience is also often integrated with our work on promoting local economic development, lifelong learning and physical regeneration.
Examples of SQW projects
Neighbourhood Management – national evaluation
SQW is leading a consortium of universities and consultancies on a long-term evaluation (2002-2008) of the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder Programme, for the Department for Communities and Local Government. The project involves detailed action research in all 35 Round 1 and Round 2 Pathfinders in England, including annual reviews, action learning sets and case studies, together with a national programme of household surveys by GfK-NOP/Ipsos-MORI, as well as the dissemination of findings through papers, websites, workshops and conferences. Complementary research is also being undertaken in a further seven local authorities, looking at alternative approaches to neighbourhood management. For further information and copies of published reports go to the national evaluation team’s website.
Neighbourhood governance study
SQW, in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, LSE and the University of the West of England, were appointed by the Local and Regional Government Research Unit in the Department for Communities and Local Government to develop exemplars of neighbourhood governance. SQW did this by examining the existing evidence of good practice in neighbourhood governance; identifying new case studies; and undertaking national consultations with key stakeholders. The evidence and analysis from this work fed into the preparation of the Local Government White Paper.
Liverpool City Council neighbourhood renewal strategy evaluation
SQW was retained by the City Council and the Liverpool Partnership Group to evaluate the City’s £85million NRF programme from 2001 – 2005. The project assessed the impact of the programme and identified improvements to the resource allocation and appraisal processes, to strengthen the targeting of resources.
Joint working in sport and regeneration
SQW reviewed the nature and extent of joint working between sports and neighbourhood renewal organisations in England. Eight case studies were undertaken, exploring links at national, regional and local levels between a wide range of agencies, organisations and clubs, with key findings on how joint working could be enhanced. The findings were published through national reports and workshops.
New Deal for Communities – national evaluation
SQW has worked as part of the national evaluation team undertaking the long-term evaluation of the DCLG’s NDC Programme. In the first phase of the evaluation, SQW had the lead responsibility for working with five NDC Partnerships in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in London and the South East. Presently, SQW is leading some of the evaluation’s thematic studies. The project has involved detailed action research over a period of several years, evaluating the development, progress and impact of various NDC Partnerships.
Better Neighbourhood Services review
SQW was asked by North Ayrshire Council as part of the Scottish Executive’s national evaluation of Better Neighbourhood Services pilots across Scotland to assess its impact on two communities and on the improvement in public services. The project involved detailed consultations with a wide range of stakeholders. It resulted in recommendations for future regeneration and improvement in public services to disadvantaged communities.