This research explores why affluent neighbourhoods tend to have higher levels of street cleanliness than deprived neighbourhoods and how local authorities can narrow this gap and achieve desired standards in all areas. Key points • More affluent neighbourhoods tend to have higher levels of street cleanliness than deprived neighbourhoods, but this difference is smaller in some local authorities than others. • Some neighbourhoods need higher levels of service because of their social or physical characteristics, particularly those with low-income households and high-density housing. Many of the risk factors associated with deprived neighbourhoods affect street cleanliness wherever they occur. • The three case study authorities included in this research all spent more money in deprived neighbourhoods but they did this in different ways. The targeting of routine or programmed services appeared to be more effective and offer better value than reliance on special initiatives or responsive services. • Efforts to produce more equal outcomes sometimes received weak political support, with service providers facing substantial demands from less needy areas. Therefore, covert approaches to targeting need may be necessary, as well as strategies that ensure standards in more affluent areas are not compromised. • Front-line operational staff are a key source of intelligence about the needs of different neighbourhoods and this information can be used to allocate workloads more fairly. This can have a real impact on outcomes. • Effective targeting also involves identifying inappropriate or inefficient forms of service. By doing this, more equal outcomes can be achieved within existing budgets.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 14:55:37 +0000