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Liz joined CRSP in 2001. She has worked on a range of qualitative research projects exploring the lifestyles and living standards of vulnerable groups. Her research interests lie in social exclusion and inequality particularly in relation to children, young people and families. Liz also has a burgeoning interest in the relationship between disadvantage and children and young people's risk taking.
In the past year, Liz has expanded her interests to include the living standards of older people, having been involved in a longitudinal qualitative research project exploring the needs and resources of older people as they move through later life. Liz is currently project leading a qualitative project exploring the link between disadvantage and road safety. This research is particularly concerned with children and young people's perceptions and experiences of risk and safety in disadvantaged areas.
Current Research
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.
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.
Recent Research
Planning and Deploying Resources in Later Life
This project provides a detailed understanding, through a series of qualitative in-depth interviews with a range of older people, of how and why people perceive, define and adapt their needs and resources in later life. This project was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation as part of the 'Resources in Later Life' Programme.
Publications
Hill, K. and Sutton, L. (2010) Housing Transitions: Older people's changing housing needs. Loughborough: Centre for Research in Social Policy.
Hill, K. and Sutton, L. (2010) Managing Finances in Later Life. Loughborough: Centre for Research in Social Policy.
Sutton, L. and Hill, K. (2010) Transport and Getting Around in Later Life. Loughborough: Centre for Research in Social Policy.
Hill, K., Sutton, L., and Cox, L. (2009), Managing Resources in Later Life, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
A Child's-Eye View of Social Difference
This research funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation with support from Save the Children (SCF), aimed to explore different children’s perspectives of their own lives. It compared and contrasted different children’s views and experiences of social difference, inequality, social exclusion and inclusion. Forty children, aged between eight and thirteen, consisting of separate groups of girls and boys, participated in eight small groups. The children came from contrasting backgrounds: twenty lived in a disadvantaged area and had participated in services provided by Save the Children; twenty children attended a fee-paying, independent school.
Related Publications
Sutton, L. (2007) A Child’s Eye View in Poverty, Issue 126, Winter 2007. London: CPAG. www.cpag.org.uk/info/Povertyarticles/Poverty126/Pov126_childseyearticle.pdf
Sutton, L., Smith, N., Dearden, C. and Middleton, S., (2007) A Child's-Eye View of Social Difference, York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
National Youth Agency Briefing Papers
The National Youth Agency (NYA) commissioned a series of five briefing papers on the Every Child Matters core outcomes for children and young people - one for each theme.
The five outcomes are:
- to be healthy;
- to be safe;
- to enjoy and achieve;
- to make a positive contribution; and
- to achieve economic well-being.
CRSP, drawing on the expertise of Professor Alan France, was responsible for writing two of the papers: Staying Safe (Book 3) and Making a Positive Contribution (Book 5). These papers focus on the making a positive contribution and staying safe strands of Every Child Matters. The papers also provide an overview of relevant Government policy, draw on academic research evidence and consider the contribution youth work makes to delivering services for young people across the local authority. The papers will also be used to raise awareness of youth work.
Sponsor
National Youth Agency
References
France, A., Sutton, L. (April 2007) Staying Safe: the implications of youth work of Every Child Matters. Leicester: National Youth Agency, Book 3.
France, A., Sutton, L., Sandu, A. and Waring, A. (April 2007) Making a Positive Contribution: the implications for youth work of Every Child Matters. Leicester: National Youth Agency, Book 5.
The remaining papers are available, under the Research Programme Series, on the NYA website.
Articles
Sutton, L. (2009) 'They'd only call you a scally if you are poor': the impact of socio-economic status on children's identities, Children's Geographies, Volume 7, Issue 3, pp. 277-290.
Sutton, L. (2008) The State of Play: Disadvantage, Play and Children's Well-Being in Social Policy and Society, Volume 7, Issue 4, pp.537-549.
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