My main area of interest is in contributing towards the development of a robust and comprehensive evidence base on the position, experiences and aspirations of disabled people (children, adults, their families and carers) that can help inform future policy development and help professionals deliver services and support that meets the needs and wishes of disabled people. In-so-doing, I view it as critical to ensure that this evidence base is developed in a way that fully and meaningfully involves disabled people in its production and, as well as making a contribution to policy making and service delivery, provides disabled people (and their representative organisations) with the tools they need to determine whether real progress towards equality is being made and, if so, whether this is in a direction which reflects how they wish to live their lives.
Projects
Experiences of using the Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS)
As part of promoting greater independence and well-being in later life, the government wants to make sure that everyone who is entitled to certain benefits actually receives them, and that they are delivered in the most effective way. At present, not all of those who are entitled to benefits for older people are claiming them and little is known about how people find out information about their entitlements. This research is looking at what kind of events in people’s lives may prompt contact with the Pensions, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS), and what people’s experience of service delivery has been. The PDCS hopes this research will help them to make the process easier and more effective for its customers in the future.
Literature Review to Inform the Future Digitisation of Jobcentre Plus Service Delivery
In line with the Government’s ‘Digital Britain’ project, Jobcentre Plus, who sponsors the project, aims to increase the range of services that are delivered online and encourage its customers to migrate to this channel. CRSP was commissioned to undertake a literature review that evaluates UK and international texts covering:
- customers’/clients’ appetite for online use and potential resource obstacles;
- future projections of internet access and technological developments; and
- best practice in online service delivery in both the public and private sphere.
A key aspect of the review is an assessment of the extent to which particular changes may have differential impacts on – or raise different issues for – different parts of their customer base: for example, lone parents, disabled people and people from minority ethnic populations.
The final report was submitted in June 2010. It is anticipated that the report will be published in the summer.
LHA National Roll Out – Tenants and Advisors Early Experiences of the Local Housing Allowance and Money Management
This is a
Department for Work and Pensions funded study to explore (qualitatively) tenants’ and advisors’ early experiences of the LHA national roll out, with a particular focus on issues arising from the direct payment of LHA to tenants and how tenants manage their LHA money. This research forms part of a wider two year review to monitor the impact of LHA at a national level. The project started in June 2009 with the final report submitted in June 2010. It is anticipated that the report will be published in the summer.
Where Does the Money go? Credit and Debt today
The extent of personal debt in the UK and its impacts are key policy issues. However, there is a lack of an in-depth understanding of the interaction between debt and income – and specifically poverty – over time. A dynamic approach is needed to unpack these complex inter-relationships, examining the interplay between debt and poverty over time. This project started in March 2008 and is funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Relevant Publications
Dearden, C., Goode, J., Whitfield, G. and Cox. L. (2010) Credit and debt in low-income families. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Disadvantage and Road User Safety
It is well established that more people are injured on the road in disadvantaged areas than in other areas. For example, in order to meet its target of halving the number of children killed or injured in road accidents, the Government is prioritising a focus on reducing accidents in disadvantaged areas and among children from different social and ethnic groups. What is less clear is why such risks are more pronounced for disadvantaged groups. The Department for Transport has commissioned CRSP, in partnership with
Aecom, to undertake a major study to investigate this and so inform strategies to improve road user safety. The research started in March 2008 and will continue into 2010.
Articles
Harding, R., Whitfield, G. and Stilwell, N. (2010) Service users as peer research interviewers: why bother? In I. Greener, Holden, C. and M. Kilkey (eds.) Social Policy Review 22: Analysis and debate in Social Policy 2010. Bristol: Policy Press. pp. 317-335.
