The term 'neighbourhood warden' can encompass a multitude of activities, but most schemes were meant to cover all tenures of housing in residential areas and centre around the appointment of individuals as wardens or caretakers whose functions might include any or a mixture of the following elements: security patrols, environmental improvements, tenant liaison, information provision, response to neighbour disputes or anti-social behaviour.

Schemes vary in terms of their particular objectives, the methods they use, the size and type of the neighbourhoods they cover, their costs, funding and management, but there are areas of overlap and purpose. Most schemes are run by social housing providers, with partnership working key to their success - partnerships with the police, funding bodies, tenants and residents, the health and employment services.

The Government has announced a further injection of match funding to support new street warden schemes or expansions to existing ones - bidding process to be announced imminently - and current ongoing research aims to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of those already established.

This event will contribute to the debate; it will look at the concept and examine the workings of different schemes to illustrate examples of good practice and Best Value; it will consider the way organisations should plan schemes to suit their ethos and aims, and it will examine how schemes might be developed and funded to cope with future needs.

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