EUKN - United Kingdom - Evaluation of the Neighbourhood Wardens Scheme

Evaluation of the Neighbourhood Wardens Scheme

Introduction

The Neighbourhood Wardens Scheme funds and oversees the management of local neighbourhood warden initiatives, which are designed to provide a reassuring presence, promote community safety and tackle graffiti, vandalism and low level disorder in communities throughout England and Wales.

Problem

There is no typical wardens programme. Initiatives vary in the problems they aim to tackle, their objectives and the way in which they are managed and operate. Most, however, have reduction of crime, fear of crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) and environmental improvements as core objectives.

Description

This report:

summarises the findings of the national evaluation of the Neighbourhood Wardens Scheme;
introduces the Neighbourhood Wardens Programme;
looks at Wardens' impacts in seven objective areas: improvement in quality of life, reductions in fear of crime, crime, anti-social behaviour, environmental improvements, reduction in housing voids and impacts on community development/community cohesion;
considers key influences on wardens' impacts in terms of wardens themselves, scheme management, partnerships and residents' involvement;
covers cost and benefits of the programme; and
explores implications for policy and practice from the findings presented.

Approach

Neighbourhood wardens are a neighbourhood level, uniformed, semi-official patrolling presence. Initiatives are located across England and Wales and predominantly in deprived urban areas. The majority of programmes are located in areas that are subject to other neighbourhood renewal initiatives, for example, Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF), Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) and Drug Action Teams (DATs), providing opportunities for wardens to work with and complement other programmes.

Results

Wardens have a unique role to play in neighbourhood renewal. There is considerable variation in achievements across initiatives with most having some degree of success. The overriding message from the evaluation is that in successful initiatives, wardens can and are having an impact nationally. Initiatives that are working well have a number of common features. Neighbourhood wardens initiatives represent value for money, they are effective and their further promotion should be encouraged.

Beneficiaries

Those living in communities patrolled by neighbourhood wardens will directly profit.

Resources used

Each neighbourhood wardens scheme is different, and therefore each requires different resources. Each initiative, however, employs a number of staff to work as local neighbourhood wardens. Neighbourhood warden staff must be able to work effectively in partnership with the local community.

Contact info

Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Phone: +44 870 1226 236
neighbourhoodrenewal@odpm.gsi.gov.uk

Project start date

01/01/2000

Planned end date

01/03/2004

Links

Neighbourhood Renewal Unit Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now Department for Communities and Local Government)

Neighbourhood Warden Scheme evaluation (PDF, Eng, 923KB)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Security & crime prevention > Tackling crime

Keywords

Enforcement & civil intervention