• You can discover some of the key aspects of the UK social inclusion agenda in the overview below
• Find information on relevant agencies and communities
• Check credible sources for guidance
• Track the social inclusion programme in the UK in the policy section

Overview

"Social inclusion must come down to somewhere to live, something to do and someone to love. It's as simple - and as complicated as that" (Fraser 2003, cited in Grove 2008, p.2 footnote 1).

The United Kingdom, in common with the European Union, is pursuing an agenda aimed explicitly at health equity and the reduction of health inequalities. The strategies are characterised by a growing awareness that health inequalities are not simply a matter of negative lifestyle choices. Inequalities can arise from economic and political exclusion as well as a lack of access to specific information, medical provision, housing and security. Health inequalities also have roots in global factors such as changes in the labour market and the decline of industries (Young 2003).

Understanding these multiple socio-economic determinants of health has led to the realisation that health status cannot be tackled by the health sector alone (DETERMINE 2007). More countries are adopting a "Health in all Policies" approach, integrating health considerations into other policy areas such as employment and social cohesion.

Still there is a lack of scientific evidence showing the impact of this holistic approach on inequalities or in the reduction of health inequalities. Closer co-operation with other policy sectors has so far failed to close the health gap between the better off and less well off. Despite great strides having been made in the health of overall populations the health gap is widening (DETERMINE Framework 2007; Department of Health 2008).

The use of the terms social exclusion and social inclusion and how they are being used by policy makers is also the subject of debate (Levitas 2003; Hickey and Du Toit 2007; Spandler 2007). Of main concern is that social inclusion omits to question "the kind of society into which people are to be included" (Levitas 2003, para 21) and that social inclusion may, paradoxically, become another way in which people are regulated socially and morally (Spandler 2007).

Despite the shifting terminology the value position underpinning the action to reduce inequalities in the UK, the EU and beyond, still holds that "because the factors leading to health inequalities are social and the product of human agency, they are also potentially manageable through human agency" (DETERMINE 2007, p.4).

This year has been designated the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion with a key objective of raising public awareness and a guiding principle: “To inspire every European citizen and other stakeholders to engage with these important issues” (European Commission 2010, para 4). In the UK, the Department for Work and Pensions is acting as the lead Government department in co-ordinating the UK position and activities and the website has details of the UK National Programme (Department for Work and Pensions 2010).

References

The items in this reference list are available online. They were last accessed on 17 February 2010.
Some of them are in PDF format - see how to access PDF files.

Department for Work and Pensions (2010) European Year 2010: UK National programme. DWP website.

Department of Health (2008) Health inequalities: progress and next steps. London: The Department.

Determine (2007) Determine Framework. Determine website.

European Commission (2010) 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion: About the year. European Year website.

Fraser C (2003) Evidence to the MIND Inquiry 'Creating accepting communities', cited in Grove, G (2008) Mental capital and wellbeing: making the most of ourselves in the 21st century: state-of-science review: Factors influencing recovery from serious mental illness and enhancing participation in family, social and working life (PDF 184.45KB).(Commissioned as part of the UK Government's Foresight Project). London: Government Office for Science.
 
Hickey S, Du Tout A (2007). Adverse incorporation, social inclusion and chronic poverty (CPRC working paper 81). Manchester:  Chronic Poverty Resource Centre, University of Manchester Institute for Development Policy and Management.
 
Levitas R (2003). The idea of social inclusion, in 2003 Social Inclusion Research Conference: What do we know and where do we go? Building a social inclusion research agenda, Ottawa March 27-28 2003. Canadian Council on Social Development website.

Spandler H (2007) From social exclusion to inclusion? A critique of the inclusion imperative in mental health. Medical Sociology Online 2(2) November pp.3-16.
 
Young J (2003) Social exclusion. Jock Young.org.uk website

http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/practice/social_inclusion/social_inclu...