Disadvantaged social groups in rural England – a survey of their access to services
This study, commissioned by Defra, was undertaken by Malcolm Moseley in association with Chris Bowden and his colleagues at ADAS Consulting. It involved a telephone survey of some 800 disadvantaged people living in rural England and, for comparative reasons, of a similar number in urban areas. The samples included carers, lone parents, 16 to 25 year-olds without a car, disabled adults, ethnic minorities and migrant workers. The services under scrutiny included primary health care, food retailing, public transport, training and further education.
The research focused on: behaviour (i.e. how do such groups actually access the services they need?); their preferences regarding how services might be accessed; and their relative valuation of service quality and accessibility. Useful conclusions were drawn in relation to, for example, the value of ICT in service delivery (it varies greatly between services and between groups) and to the need for face-to-face service delivery.
