Children, Families and Neighbourhoods in the Bray Area

This report draws together the key findings from a study on children, families and neighbourhoods which was funded by the Bray Community Consortium in 2007. This consortium provides services to individuals and families at the more disadvantaged end of the social spectrum, and the study aimed to identify the extent of special needs in the Bray area and to identify the factors that contribute to these difficulties. Three dimensions of need were considered: social need, personal well-being and social capital. The study was based on a sample-based survey, which was administered to 350 people in 17 estates, using a questionnaire which uses a range of measurement instruments which have been tested internationally. The sample includes a range of different neighbourhoods, included both disadvantaged and advantaged areas. In addition, interviews were carried out with two special sub-populations: Travellers and homeless people. Analytical techniques include descriptive statistics, regression analysis and multi-level modelling.