Policy & Practice: Briefing - The story so far on helping excludedyouth

Propaganda or genuine evaluation? Politics being what it is, the reports that form Breaking the Cycle come full of spin about Government achievements. But the reports themselves are prepared by independent academics with a genuine research pedigree and there are, after all, significant achievements to celebrate. The evaluations do not shirk criticisms where they exist.

Good. What's the background to these reports? They form a progress report on the social policy initiatives introduced following the work of the Social Exclusion Unit. The unit was set up after the election victory of 1997 to research problems and find solutions. Initial reports from the unit's various "policy action teams" contributed to the new agenda of joined-up solutions and the PAT 12 report that focused on young people set the tone for the more holistic, interdepartmental approach to youth policy we've seen in recent years.