Independent Review Service  for the Social Fund   Journals and Digest of   Decisions    Homepage   Publications and   Leaflets     Journals and Digest of Decisions The Journal is published three times a year and contains the Digest of Decisions. These are distributed to Social Security Offices and organisations who advise and represent our customers. It is also distributed to others who have an interest in matters relating to the discretionary Social Fund, including some libraries. Click here to be taken to the list of IRS Journal and Digest of Decisions available to download.These date back to Winter 1999/2000. For earlier copies, or if you would like to be added to the mailing list for future IRS Journals and Digest of Decisions, please contact Justine Bird on 0121 606 2133, or at jbi@irs-review.org.uk The articles in the Journal cover a wide range of topics that are written to help us share our experience of current issues. The Digest of Decisions contains case studies highlighting individual parts of Social Fund law and practice. Each case study is based on an actual case reviewed by a Social Fund Inspector, though all personal details have been changed. Inspectors' decisions do not form any kind of precedent and each case is decided on its own merits, taking the particular circumstances into account. However, Inspectors do aim for consistency of approach in making their decisions and from time to time the IRS produces Social Fund Commissioner's Advice and Support Notes on various issues. These are normally included with the Digest of Decisions. The IRS welcomes comments and feedback about the Journal and Digest of Decisions. Please contact Karen Manuel, the editor at kjm@irs-review.org.uk Previous editions of Journals and Digest of Decisions are available to download in Adobe PDF format. Please click on the link to open the publication in its own window. If you do not have Adobe PDF reader, it is available to download for free. Please click on the link at the bottom of the page to be taken to the Adobe website. Please note that the contact details in the older copies of the Journal and Digest of Decisions may be out of date: For current contact details please click here. Date Summary Journal Digest of Decisions Autumn 2007 Communicating with our Customers. Journal - 37 irsj37.pdf (253kb) Digest of Decisions - 37 irsd37.pdf (115Kb) Spring 2007 Priority in Community Care Grants; Helping people apply, the Rep's perspective; New Style Decisions; Access to the Fund Myths. Journal - 36 irsj36.pdf (238kb) Digest of Decisions - 36 irsd36.pdf (136Kb) Autumn/Winter 2006 The Social Fund Research Report, published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation; Looking at the amounts of awards; Accessing Crisis Loans and Community Care Grant Myths Journal - 35 irsj35.pdf (262kb) Digest of Decisions - 35 irsd35.pdf (134Kb) Summer 2006 Applying for an Inspector's Review; The Family Fund; Crisis Loans for Items and Crisis Loan Myths Journal - 34 irsj34.pdf (399Kb) Digest of Decisions - 34 irsd34.pdf (140Kb) Spring 2006 Applying to the Social Fund, Repeat Applications and Changes to the Budgeting Loan scheme Journal - 33 irsj33.pdf (1.9Mb) Digest of Decisions - 33 irsd33.pdf (394Kb) Winter 2005/2006 Looking at access to the review process Journal - 32 irsj32.pdf (761Kb) Digest of Decisions - 32 irsd32.pdf (394Kb) Summer 2005 Articles on 'Help with clothing expenses', 'An update on Human Right Issues' and 'Cases involving representatives' Journal - 31 irsj31.pdf (243Kb) Digest of Decisions - 31 irsd31.pdf (97Kb) Spring 2005 The 30th edition of the Journal focuses on issues that are topical in 2005, and looks at how the review process has changed over the past eleven years. Journal - 30 irsj30.pdf (512Kb) Digest of Decisions - 30 irsd30.pdf (152Kb) Winter 2004 Setting up home - Direction 4(a)(v) Journal - 29 irsj29.pdf (596Kb) Digest of Decisions - 29 irsd29.pdf (118Kb) Autumn 2004 Looking at making the right decision and quality at the IRS Journal - 28 irsj28.pdf (1.2Mb) Digest of Decisions - 28 irsd28.pdf (128Kb) Spring 2004 Access and Justice Special Issue Journal - 27 irsj27.pdf (1.6Mb) Digest of Decisions - 27 irsd27.pdf (537Kb) Winter 2003/2004 Looking at Directions: Direction 4(a)(ii); Direction 4(a)(iii); Direction 7 Journal - 26 irsj26.pdf (2Mb) Digest of Decisions - 26 irsd26.pdf (530Kb) Summer 2003 Articles on amounts to award; telephone applications and judicial reviews Journal - 25 irsj25.pdf (167Kb) Digest of Decisions - 25 irsd25.pdf (74Kb) Spring 2003 Looking at Budgets, Budgeting Loans and Direction 7 Journal - 24 irsj24.pdf (116Kb) Digest of Decisions - 24 irsd24.pdf (74Kb) Autumn 2002 Looking at how subjects of refugees and asylum seekers, human rights, exclusions, shared parenting and Direction 4(a)(v) interact with the Social Fund Journal - 23 irsj23.pdf (377Kb) Digest of Decisions - 23 irsd23.pdf (74Kb) Summer 2002 Looking at the use of evidence within the Social Fund scheme. Journal - 22 irsj22.pdf (312Kb) Digest of Decisions - 18 irsd18.pdf (159Kb) Spring 2002 Looking at the issues of access to the Social Fund. Journal - 21 irsj21.pdf (412Kb) Digest of Decisions - 17 irsd18.pdf (165Kb) Winter 2001/2002 Looking at the role of the Inspector. Journal - 20 irsj20.pdf (457Kb) Digest of Decisions - 16 irsd16.pdf (163Kb) May 2001 Looking at the issues surrounding community care grant priority. Journal - 19 irsj19.pdf (323Kb) Digest of Decisions - 15 irsd15.pdf (183Kb) February 2001 Looking at the issues of access to the Social Fund review. Journal - 18 irsj18.pdf (257Kb) Digest of Decisions - 14 irsd14.pdf (161Kb) October 2000 Looking at the potential problems faced by customers to the Social Fund. Journal - 17 irsj17.pdf (240Kb) Digest of Decisions - 13 irsd13.pdf (177Kb) July 2000 Articles on the Independent Review Service's approach to Customer Service. Journal - 16 irsj16.pdf (256Kb) Digest of Decisions - 12 irsd12.pdf (224Kb) Winter 1999/2000 Featuring an article on changes to the Social Fund scheme. Journal - 15 irsj15.pdf (336Kb) Digest of Decisions - 11 irsd11.pdf (166Kb) PDF files can be downloaded and viewed by using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have a copy of Acrobat Reader, it can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website at http://www.adobe.co.uk/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. Just click on the icon to the left, or the link above, to be taken to the Adobe site.