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Welcome to the Local Futures Group website
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Latest News
New Developments over the Past Year
In the past year, we have made exciting changes to Local Knowledge that can directly help your work - and help you beat the recession to the best of your abilities - using knowledge that is relevant to your local area.
One development we are particularly excited about is the fact we have now embedded the Output Area Classification (OAC) into Local Knowledge. The OAC typologies enable you to easily summarise the characteristics of differing local neighbourhoods. They can for example help you identify areas that are extra vulnerable to worklessness or possible lower income streams as a result of the downturn. The OAC typologies can therefore help you target your limited resources and relevant services more effectively.
The feedback we have received so far is very positive and we are proud to say we have the support of the OAC usergroup, which includes high level academics, data experts and policy makers alike. One of the main advantages of OAC is that it is free and completely transparent. We will shortly be launching training to allow you to make the most of OAC in Local Knowledge.
Following your feedback, we have also added new geographies such as NUTS3 (County level), and our team is constantly sourcing and creating new indicators that can help you in your work e.g. in creating Local Economic Assessments. Our most recent addition is the child and wellbeing index which you can read about in the latest newsletter.
MapTube
We're pleased to announce that all future maps featured in our monthly barometers are now available to view on UCL's Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis MapTube website. MapTube is a free resource for viewing, sharing, mixing and mashing maps online. Created by CASA, users can select any number of maps to overlay and view. To view Local Futures' latest maps visit here
Recession Pack - The Impact of an Economic Slowdown
To help local authorities and partner organisations assess the likely impact of the recession on their own area, Local Futures has developed a customised workshop offer. To do this we have joined forces with economics consultancy Volterra and consumer research specialists The Trajectory Partnership. Together with our own geographical perspective we offer a unique insight into the implications of the recession for businesses, communities and for local authorities and partners themselves. Please click here for more information.
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Place Profiles service. Place Profiles are electronically created reports that provide a high-level analysis of an area. Reports can be generated at a sub-regional, district and ward level, on a range of economic, social and environmental themes. In combination, they providing a comprehensive assessment of local conditions and provide a cost effective way of informing local strategies. More
Delivering the Sub-National Review
Thank you to everyone who attended our ‘Place Shaping and the Sub-National Review’ conference, held jointly with the Local Government Association. We were delighted with the level of interest generated by the event and, not least, the recognition that ‘geography matters’!
For those of you who were unable to join us on the day, copies of the conference presentations and workshop content are now available here.
Local Economic Assessments
Local Futures has developed a unique approach to preparing Local Economic Assessments. In addition, our Place Profiles provide a cost effective means of generating a high level analysis to underpin your assessment, while our Local Knowledge on-line system provides all the data, tools and resources you will need to prepare the assessment yourself.
The Geography of Unemployment
Our latest Barometer focuses on the topic of unemployment, in the context of the current "credit crunch". By analysing labour market data, in conjunction with data on the industrial structure of an area, we are able to measure the rate of growth in unemployment at a district level, rank these districts nationally, and then discuss the potential causes of disproportionatley high growth in the worst affected districts. This report is now available in the SocietyGuardian. >>
Research on Data Sharing within Local Partnerships
During 2008, Local Futures collaborated on a project on data sharing with the Office for Public Management on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The Project involved qualitative interviews and workshops looking at the costs and benefits of data sharing within Local Partnerships. The reports have now been published. For more information please see this link here.
For more news, go to the 'What's New' homepage or check out our news archive.
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For all the very latest local government news from around the country, click here
The new version of our Local Knowledge online system contains a range of new services, including Census Output Area data and Output Area Classification based typologies. More
Place Profiles provide a cost effective analysis of local conditions. More
Local Futures has developed a unique approach to preparing Local Economic Assesments. More
Our Local Futures Network offers a number of new services. More
If you are interested in our work and would like regular updates:
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