London

Useful links

To help with understanding more about the social need in an area, data sets are available from the Office for National Statistics. These can be searched by local authority, ward or postcode.

Focus on London - facts and figures publications
GLA's Intelligence Unit, 2010-11
A series of reports based on wide range of demographic, social and economic data, providing a statistical portrait of some of the key issues facing the capital.
Current reports are:

External publications
After the riots
A report from NCVO, following a summit convened in late 2011, which brought together people from charities, community groups, young people’s services and government to reflect on the causes of the disturbances and the best ways to respond. The report makes recommendations to government, the sector and the media to lessen the risk of repeat events. 

Driving change: leadership, trust and money - Lessons from the first year of the Tri-Borough Project 
This report explores a project to share council services across Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham and Westminster.

A Fairer London: The 2011 Living Wage in London
GLA Economics has published the seventh annual report on the living wage. Among the good news there are now over 3,000 employees working for companies with contracts from the GLA Group benefitting from the London Living Wage and 12 major employers are newly signed up to paying it. The broader context, however, is that one in six of the capital's workers are still paid less than the new LLW rate.

Housing: A Growing City
This 2011 report in the Focus on London series, by James Gleeson, GLA Housing Unit, looks at housing trends in London, from the demand/supply imbalance to consequences for affordability and housing need. The report looks at how supply needs to increase significantly to meet housing needs and reduce housing costs to more affordable levels. 

A presentation that examines the pressure on London’s housing, with related data, maps and interactive charts, is available on the London Datastore – Focus on London. This provides access to a wealth of resources including an interactive histogram that shows a selection of borough data and helps to highlight areas for comparison based on different indicators.

Investing in London London Councils report on economic development
Report from London Councils on the pros and cons of various funding options for new infrastructure projects and local economic development, including Tax Increment Financing, Local Asset Based Vehicles, and Local Authority Bonds.

London Advice Watch
Trust for London and Legal Action Group (2012)
Report which finds that the majority of Londoners believe that legal advice should be free for everyone earning on or below the national median income of £25,000.

Londoner’s Plan
London Civic Forum, 2012
Since autumn 2011, London Civic Forum (LCF) has been investigating the priorities of Londoners and what they mean for the Mayoral administration and London Assembly members to be elected in May 2012. Following policy-themed roundtable meetings with voluntary, community and charitable organisations, they have now published their manifesto for a more participative London, presenting priorities and recommendations in seven major policy areas.

London Skills and Employment Board Legacy
The LSEB’s final report on its achievements, with recommendations for action, including targets on reducing employment and skills gaps for disadvantaged groups. London Voluntary Service Council convenes the London Employment and Skills Policy Network and will challenge the new Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and mayoral candidates to adopt these targets. 

Making Work Pay-The Childcare Trap
Save the Children and the Daycare Trust have published a London briefing on the impact of high childcare costs on parents ‘ability to work, train and study in London.

Report of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel
The independent, four-person panel, chaired by Darra Singh, presented its interim report to government at the end of November 2011. The report includes the panel’s initial findings and recommendations; and sets out the themes of the next stage of its work.

Riots aftermath: London response to government
2011
The London Assembly’s Economy, Culture and Sport Committee wrote in December to Secretary of State Eric Pickles to urge the government to provide revenue funding alongside capital support to ensure that post-riots regeneration can deliver social as well as physical improvements in the affected areas. The committee confirmed a broad range of support, including London boroughs, for long-term resources for schemes to tackle high levels of deprivation and worklessness. Read the committee’s letter here and London Councils’ response to the Riots Communities and Victims panel.

Updated cuts report
LVSC, 2012
Analysis suggests that London's voluntary and community sector was disproportionately cut in 2011-12 compared with national government cuts to London's local authorities, in breach of current Best Value Duty guidance.