Reforming the public sector: personalised activation services in the UK

This paper highlights the degree of flexibility and personalisation in the UK’s welfare to work programmes. The Labour Government’s New Deals as originally designed were meant to provide personalised and tailor-made services and to meet the needs of individuals. The programmes have evolved and become more personalised and promote flexible service delivery. The chapter explores the Personal Adviser model and focuses on the development of New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 Plus. In recent years a number of factors appear to have encouraged the development of more personalised activation services in the UK.

Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response

This paper outlines the key findings from a recent study of statutory service responses to young people with learning disabilities who show sexually inappropriate or abusive behaviours, with a particular focus on the involvement of criminal justice agencies. The study found that although inappropriate sexual behaviours were commonplace in special schools, and that serious acts of abuse including rape had sometimes occurred, education, welfare and criminal justice agencies struggled to work together effectively. In particular, staff often had difficulty in determining the point at which a sexually inappropriate behaviour warranted intervention. This problem was frequently compounded by a lack of appropriate therapeutic services. In many cases this meant that no intervention was made until the young person committed a sexual offence and the victim reported this to the police. As a consequence, young people with learning disabilities are being registered as sex offenders. The paper concludes by addressing some of the policy and practice implications of the study’s findings, particularly those which relate to criminal justice.