Adults with multiple needs and exclusions: the challenges for government and public services
The Institute for Government hosted a roundtable discussion at which the lessons from this important initiative were presented for the first time.
About adults with multiple needs and exclusions
The past decade has seen significant policy and service innovation across the public sector to tackle 'social exclusion', a broad term covering a multitude of issues from long-term unemployment to chronic ill-health and addiction.
While progress has been made, government still struggles to address effectively the challenges faced by adults with multiple needs and exclusions, such as the long-term drug user with mental health problems, or the former prisoner with learning disabilities who finds himself sleeping on the streets.
These adults often deal with a number of government and voluntary agencies concurrently or consecutively without their problems ever being addressed in a coordinated and holistic manner, leading to significant costs for the public purse and 'chaotic' lives for the individuals concerned.
In recognition of this problem, in 2006 the government launched 12 'Adults Facing Chronic Exclusion' (ACE) pilot projects to "test new approaches to tackling chronic social exclusion amongst the most marginalised people in society".
About this event
The government's ACE pilot projects are now coming to a close. On 25 February, the Institute for Government – in partnership with the Making Every Adult Matter coalition of charities and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation – hosted a roundtable discussion at which the lessons from this important initiative were presented for the first time.
Other speakers at this event discussed the challenges faced in forging a coherent joined-up approach to this problem and the lessons that can be drawn from the development of the Every Child Matters strategy.
Speakers
- Dr David Halpern, Research Director, Institute for Government – Introduction & Problem Definition
- Nick O’Shea, Communities and Local Government & Miles Rinaldi, New Directions Team, South West London & St George's Mental Health NHS Trust – Lessons from the ACE Pilot Projects
- Ann Watt, Deputy Director Social Exclusion Taskforce – Social Exclusion Policy:Lessons from PSA16
- Ann Gross, Department for Children, Schools and Families – Learning from the Every Child Matters strategy
- Open discussion chaired by David Halpern, Institute for Government – Multiple Needs and Exclusions: Towards a solution
- Topic
- Public services
- Keywords
- Health Social care Welfare
- Publisher
- Institute for Government