Unmet Needs and Sinking & Swimming

Understanding unmet and emerging needs in Britain has been one of the areas on which the Young Foundation has focused its research. This work culminated in the publication of the influential Sinking and Swimming report and detailed case studies in 2009 and 2010 (available below). The audio slide show gives a 15 minute overview of the Sinking and Swimming report.

Our work is based on new analysis of statistical data, case studies, surveys and hundreds of conversations with people across the country. The study shows where the most acute needs are and how they interrelate. It looks at why some people can cope with shocks and setbacks and others can't. And it draws on the implications for policy, philanthropy and public action.

The welfare state that was build up after the great economic crisis of the 1930s was designed to address Britain's material needs - for jobs, homes, health care and pensions. It was assumed that people's emotional needs would be met by close knit families and communities.

Sixty years later psychological needs have become as pressing as material ones: the risk of loneliness and isolation; the risk of mental illness; the risk of being left behind. New solutions are needed to help the many people struggling with transitions out of care, prison or family breakdown, and to equip people with the resilience they'll need to get by in uncertain times.

Britain is still a rich country - but one with many poor people. And it is a largely happy country - but with many unhappy people. ‘Sinking and Swimming' is a guide to the changing landscape of need - and a guide to how we can reduce the unnecessary suffering around us.

Sinking and Swimming - Understanding Britain's Unmet Needs

This 300 page study is an account of where the most acute needs are in Britain today and which needs may become more pressing in the future. It looks at why some people can cope with shocks and setbacks and others can't, and at the implications for policy, philanthropy and public action. The study combines statistical data, research based on conversations with citizens as well as professionals, case studies and reflections on both past patterns of needs and future possibilities. It has been supported by many of the UK's leading foundations together with the Economic and Social Research Council and a group leading academics.

Sinking and Swimming - Summary document

This short summary provides an overview of the key findings from Sinking and Swimming and details the implications and directions for action that we suggest.

Weathering the storm - negotiating transitions in Britain today (January 2010)

This report looks at how people manage difficult and traumatic transitions such as leaving prison or care, bereavement, unemployment or the end of a relationship. For some, such a transition can trigger a positive change. However, for others a difficult transition can undermine and destabilise their lives, leaving them struggling to adjust to their new situation. By analysing the experiences of those who have been through transitions we explore what helps makes a successful transition and what role the service providers can play in supporting those who are most vulnerable.

Helping or Hindering - Meeting young peoples needs in Bedford (January 2010)

This report looks at the needs of young people in Bedford, particularly focusing on how those who are not in education, employment or training seek assistance and access services. It identifies the lack of skills, opportunities, and qualifications as being common barriers for young people entering the labour market. But it also shows the importance of emotional factors such as confidence, persistence and motivation: in a difficult economic climate there will be an even greater imperative for these young people to be resilient, able to cope with shocks and rebuffs.

Exploring household resilience in Teeside (January 2010)

This report looks at the lives of families living on low incomes in Teesside, exploring how people are meeting their needs in a time of economic recession. It paints a picture of people getting by in challenging circumstances. Despite the difficulties associated with financial pressures, high levels of debt, poor employment prospects and low levels of education, there are few signs that material poverty necessarily means a low quality of life. It shows the importance of informal mutual support to surviving on low incomes and the continued importance, and strength, of families. Those households who can draw on extended families and wider networks of friends are more likely to be resilient to shocks that might push others further into difficulty.