Category Archives: Research

Participatory Action Research Hub Training Event

14th October 2015Young People & Society Study GroupTony Chapman

Would you like to develop a participatory research project with partners from theuniversity and/or other community groups, but are wondering where to start? Thisfree training responds to feedback from those who have joined the Hub so far thathas indicated a high level of interest in participatory research, but a need for morepractical training on how to make their own projects happen. This training will:

– Help you develop a practical resarch question for your project.
– Work through key steps for turning a research idea into a researchproject, including a plan for making it happen.
– Enable you to consider what methods are best, and how to overcome challenges you may face (e.g. obtaining funding).
– Provide opportunities to meet others interested in being partners in similar research, from other organisations/university.
– Provide opportunities for academics and community members to learn from each other, through practising participatory approaches.

Programme
2.30 Arrival, tea and coffee (10 mins)
2.40 Introduction
2.45 Framing and refining the research question
3.15 Methods
3:45 Tea/coffee & pastries (10 mins)
3.55 Overcoming issues, challenges and barriers (incl. ethical issues in carrying out the research)
4.25 Funding and follow-up
4.55 Conclusion

We have a number of people who have expressed a particular interest in youth and community related topics, and Investing In Children will be joining us on the day to share their research experience and expertise. We hope that this might be a way of supporting research to develop in these areas. To book your free place, please email c.l.alexander@durham.ac.uk, with brief details of any topic/s on which you might be interested in developinginto a participatory research project.

Young People & Society Participatory Research Hub Training

7th October 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

On the fringes of the “Northern Powerhouse”?

5th October 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

Tackling the challenges facing rural & remote areas in Northern England: A seminar organised by the Institute for Local Governance
Kirkley Hall Campus, Northumberland College, Ponteland, Friday 16 October 2015 9.30 – 1.00

This seminar will explore the economic, social and environmental challenges facing rural and remote areas of Northern England and consider the role the public, private and voluntary sectors must play to address them. Confirmed speakers include Professor Mark Shucksmith, Newcastle University; Professor Frank Peck, University of Cumbria; Graham Haywood, Director, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership; David Sharrod, Director, Yorkshire Dales Millennium trust, Doff Pollard and Rita Lawson, Chief Officers, Tees Valley Rural Community Council; and, Professor Keith Shaw, Northumbria University. The seminar will be opened by Councillor Allan Hepple, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Northumberland County Council.

The timing of the seminar is important, following the recent publication of the Government’s wide-ranging 10 point plan for boosting rural productivity. So, to achieve a strong regional focus, the seminar’s debate will centre on one key question – how will rural and remote areas be affected by proposed devolution to “Northern Powerhouse” Local Enterprise Partnerships (six of which work in or across the boundaries of Cumbria, North East England and North Yorkshire ).

The seminar will draw on policy analysis and case studies from across Northern England to explore how rural and remote areas are faring in a period of public sector austerity. But this is not merely an opportunity for people to complain or sympathise about the difficult social and economic situation people can face in rural areas. What we want to do is to debate what people in rural and remote areas should do about it and how to get their voices heard.

Below this top-line issue, we want people to discuss a range of themes including: business and finance, housing and community wellbeing, young people’s education and routes to the labour market, transport and communications, and maintaining a strong civil society. There’s also room for analytical depth, by discussing, for example: the difference between rural rich areas (where affluent urban commuters and retirees generally live) and rural poor areas (with a focus on housing, work, transport and health issues); the situation of isolated industrial towns and villages in rural areas (such as Barrow and Workington, Ashington, Loftus and Skinningrove); and, issues surrounding business and enterprise development in more isolated areas.

The debate needs to be wide ranging, so we’re interested in welcoming attendees with different perspectives: political, local authority, business and the voluntary sector. The seminar is free to attend, but places are limited and they tend to book up quickly, so please register your attendance via: Janet Atkinson, Institute for Local Governance, Durham University janet.atkinson@durham.ac.uk.

The Institute for Local Governance is a North East Research and Knowledge Exchange Partnership established in 2009 comprising the North East region’s Universities, Local Authorities, Police and Fire and Rescue Services. Further information about the content of the event can be obtained by contacting:- tony.chapman@durham.ac.uk or john.mawson@durham.ac.uk.

The Power Point slides from this successful event can be downloaded here: Frank Peck, Graham Haywood, Keith Shaw, Doff Pollard & Rita Lawson, Mark Shucksmith.

A Northern Echo leader article discussed the outcome of the seminar which can be found here.

Developing digital capability in small and medium sized businesses

5th October 2015PRG NewsTony Chapman

Policy Research Group and BMG recently published research on Digital Capabilities in small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). The digital economy is increasingly important to the UK; that means that all UK businesses, particularly small ones, should be able to confidently use technology, and trade online in the modern interconnected world. But a lot of small businesses are not making the most of the opportunities that are open to them, and the country risks falling behind in the global marketplace.

The research found that a quarter of SMEs do not possess basic digital skills; and there is a clear, positive link between digital skill levels and growth in sales. Not only do many lack the skills, however, but there is an attitudinal barrier amongst a large minority of SMEs towards developing an online presence; a lack of awareness about the benefits and opportunities available; and a lack of understanding about online security threats.

The rollout of superfast broadband is helping things, as long as small businesses get the training ad skills they need to get the most out of it. That means delivering courses locally through existing networks, and finding out what works well – to date, there has been a lot of activity in developing digital skills but very little evaluation of the impacts in business, or which delivery methods work best.

At the sharp end of small business growth

5th October 2015PRG NewsTony Chapman

The Policy Research Group recently presented their research on growth dispositions of small business owners at a mini-conference organised by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills at the Shard. The research, conducted in conjunction with the prestigious Enterprise Research Centre at Aston University, analyses why some owners want to grow their business while others don’t – ‘why many businesses fail to become more productive and fail to grow despite having the potential to do so’, as the research brief outlined.

A buoyant small business sector is vital to the success of the UK economy, but most small businesses never grow or, at best, achieve only modest growth. So, understanding the factors that drive and shape small business performance is a key concern for not just academics but also policymakers, helping them to devise more effective ways to overcome barriers to growth.

PRG researchers, Paul Braidford, Gordon Allinson and Maxine Houston contributed by focusing on the way in which the owners presented narratives about themselves, their backgrounds and their important life events, giving insights into the sociological reasons lying behind their attitudes and behaviours. In particular their research suggests ways to try and shape more positive attitudes towards business growth – for example, by better informing the way in which business support is targeted and delivered, or developing ‘social spaces’ to promote networking between growth-inclined owners and those who want less growth. The full report is now available here: BIS-15-482-sociology-of-enterprise

In search of Middlesex

24th September 2015Current and Recent Research Projects, Research NewsTony Chapman

Fred Robinson and Richard Else are undertaking an intriguing collaborative project about Middlesex. They’ve worked together on all kinds of things in the past, but nothing quite like this. They wanted to explore a place that’s important but usually ignored –and decided they would focus attention on the North West London suburbs, the area covered by the old County of Middlesex.

Many people think of this area as a boring, monocultural suburbia: Metroland. But actually it’s a complex set of communities. It is home to more than two million people and is, in many ways, a successful part of London. It’s ‘multicultural’ and economically vibrant; it includes Heathrow and Wembley, and also Southall and Enfield. Middlesex may not feature in travellers’ tales, but it actually has a lot going for it.

Fred and Richard want to celebrate the vitality, diversity and importance of this area in a book of photographs (by Richard) and accompanying text (by Fred). They’ve tramped around the area a good deal and gathered a lot of material.

Fred says: ‘We want to show people what the area is really like and why it is worth looking at and thinking about. We hope that the book, and perhaps an exhibition too, will appeal to a wide audience. We want people to think about changing cities and suburbs, geographies and cultures. And we’d like people to find Middlesex as interesting as we do’.

National Youth Agency’s Social Action Journey Fund brings benefits to disadvantaged young people

10th September 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

Young people who completed the National Youth Agency’s Social Action Journey Fund programme reported improved attitude and ability as a result of their involvement in the volunteering programme, a new evaluation has found. The programme which ran from January 2014 to March 2015, was funded by the Cabinet Office to increase the level of social action amongst young people. NYA’s project was delivered in partnership with O2 Think Big, who provided support for young people’s social action ideas.

By the end of the programme young people indicated they had benefitted from their involvement– demonstrating improved levels of cooperation, empathy and problem solving and also wellbeing, educational attainment and grit. The findings, from research carried out by Professor Tony Chapman at Durham University, are significant given the focus of NYA’s SAF project was young people from deprived or socially marginalised backgrounds who do not often engage in voluntary social action.

“Social action brings benefits to both young people and communities but it’s often perceived as being aimed at just a high achieving, middle class group. This evaluation shows that young people from all walks of life can benefit,” said Professor Chapman.

The challenge is that young people from marginalised backgrounds often need more assistance, the report states. “These young people often require more intensive intervention from youth work professionals, who need to compensate for the lack of support young people may receive from families, friends or school,” Professor Chapman continues.

The greater the support required, the more expensive the programme is to resource – but this must not be allowed to mean disadvantaged young people are overlooked in favour of young people who require less help, the report concludes. Amanda Fearn Think Big programme manager at the National Youth Agency said, “Social Action Journey Fund was a great programme because it allowed us to work with the young people who often get overlooked in social action.

“With government targets to increase the number of young people who regularly volunteer it’s important we continue to support social action for all young people not just a privileged few. Otherwise the benefits will only be felt by a small minority and not society wide as they should be.”

The summary report can be found at this website: http://www.nya.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/SAJF-NYA-PROJECT-EVALUATION-REPORT.pdf.

The full report can be downloaded here: SAJF NYA PROJECT EVALUATION REPORT (FINAL) 25th June

Northern Rock Foundation Third Sector Trends study finds that charities in poorer areas are struggling more than in rich areas

7th September 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

The final reports from the Third Sector Trends Study has now been published. This longitudinal study provides a unique insight into the state of the voluntary and community sector in the North East over five years from 2008/09 to 2014. The report, funded jointly by Northern Rock Foundation and the Community Foundation, Tyne & Wear and Northumberland shows that the voluntary sector has in large part managed to sustain its work, despite enormous challenges and funding pressures over the last five years.

However, a key finding, which has significance for all public and charitable funders of the sector, is that although the majority of voluntary organisations are keeping income levels stable and in some cases seeing some rises in income, this isn’t an even picture across the region. Voluntary organisations located in the poorest areas are 4 times more likely to have lost significant levels of income in the last two years when compared with the richest areas – 30% compared to 7%. Medium sized organisations (those with an income of £50,000 – £250,000) are the hardest hit.

At a time when grants are becoming fewer, with the expected closure of Northern Rock Foundation, voluntary organisations are also reporting increasing reliance on grants, and a decrease in their contract income. Only 16% of voluntary organisations are actively engaged in bidding for or carrying out contracts, reflecting the fact that in general only larger organisations are in a position to be involved in delivering public sector contracts.

These findings highlight serious pressures on voluntary organisations working in the most deprived parts of the region and the danger of major contraction and closure of services for vulnerable people. Penny Wilkinson, Chief executive of Northern Rock Foundation said: “The Third Sector Trends Study is a major part of the legacy of Northern Rock Foundation. Our investment in this study provides the evidence to help policy makers and funders make informed decisions about where and how to fund and support voluntary organisations in the future.”

Tony Chapman , author of the report said : “Charities have borne the pressures of austerity better than many expected over the last five years, but those which are based in the poorest areas are definitely struggling more to maintain funding than charities in rich areas: this is a matter of real concern as they generally deliver to the most needy.”

Rob Williamson, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation said: “Over seven years, the Third Sector Trends Study has provided invaluable data, and the Community Foundation was pleased to co-finance this last research round. Its findings present challenges for funders, policy-makers and voluntary organisations themselves. With Northern Rock Foundation’s expected closure, the Community Foundation is working with it and others on ways of addressing the sector’s needs. One area of particular focus, especially in the light of these findings, will be continuing to build funder relationships that may result in more resources coming to the region from London and elsewhere. We also hope to be able to enable research on the sector to be maintained in the future.”

The reports are available at this website: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/third-sector-trends.php

Young people and skills in Tees Valley

6th September 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

A seminar run by the Institute for Local Governance, Friday 22nd May 2015, Redcar and Cleveland College, Redcar

Producing a strategy to match the skills and needs of employers in Tees Valley with the skills and aspirations of young people is not a straight-forward issue. Much of the locally-owned institutional support for such an initiative has been eroded with the loss of once generously funded organisations such as Connexions Tees Valley, The Tees Valley Learning and Skills Council and Business Link Tees Valley.

The willingness of Tees Valley to tackle skills issues for young people is, arguably, stronger than ever through the work of its Local Enterprise Partnership, Tees Valley Unlimited, local authorities and the promise of the establishment of a Tees Valley Combined Authority to integrate effort across the areas five unitary local authorities.

This seminar aims to explore the complexities surrounding ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ issues operating in and around the Tees Valley region. Speakers have been brought together to open debate on: projected employer labour demand over the next few years; how employers’ skills needs can be met through local schools, colleges and universities; and, how the potential of young people (especially those from less advantaged backgrounds) can be harnessed.

Marshalling the aspirations and developing the employability of young people (aged 15 – 29) who have experienced significant periods of time not in employment, education or training (NEET) is a controversial and challenging area of discussion. Even when money is available to tackle the issue, solutions are often difficult to produce. Being positive about the prospects of these young people is, nevertheless, vital for the area economically and socially.

This is reflected in the Government’s recent launch of its first calls for Tees Valley projects under the 2014-2020 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF). Projects are being sought to maximise SME job creation, but central to the concerns of this seminar is the Youth Employment Initiative for ESF across Tees Valley.

Shorter term initiatives, however valuable, only provide part of the solution – this seminar also aims to debate the roles of private sector, education sector and third sector organisations in tackling more widely skills challenges in Tees Valley over the next few years. The seminar will seek to engage the views and experiences of participants during the course of the event.

Speakers include: Professor Robert MacDonald, Social Futures Institute, Teesside University; Carl Ditchburn, Community Campus ‘87; John Lowther, Chair of Strategic Planning for the Board of Governors, Redcar and Cleveland College; Kate Roe, Principal, Darlington College; and, Sue Hannan, Employment and Skills Manager, Tees Valley Unlimited

The seminar is free to attend. Please register your attendance via: Janet Atkinson, Institute for Local Governance, Durham University. janet.atkinson@durham.ac.uk. The Institute for Local Governance is a North East Research and Knowledge Exchange Partnership established in 2009 comprising the regions Universities, Local Authorities, Police and Fire and Rescue Services.

Keeping things simple: how to work effectively with the third sector

5th September 2015Current and Recent Research ProjectsTony Chapman

keepingthingssimple In recent decades financial pressures on local authorities (LAs) has resulted in significant changes in the ways their services are provided through, for example, contracting out services, co-production, asset transfer, volunteering and establishing new types of organisation (such as social enterprises and mutuals).

Such developments have presented internal and external organisational, cultural and operational challenges for LAs when forging new relationships between commissioner, producer, and customer/citizen. Building on evidence-based hypotheses from previous academic and action research, this project will help LAs produce new solutions to increase the impact of social policy interventions.

The new two-year project, beginning in September 2015, will work with six local authorities in North East England to do this work, including: Darlington Borough Council, Durham County Council, Gateshead Council,, Northumberland County Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and Sunderland City Council.

The project, jointly funded by the ESRC and Institute for Local Governance will be undertaken by Professors John Mawson (ILG), Tony Chapman and Fred Robinson of St Chad’s College, Durham University. The aim of the proposed programme of work is to assist LAs in navigating change in a complex political, social and economic environment which may demand fundamental change in the way that service delivery is conceptualised and effected. Esrc_logo

To do this, LAs need to consider and embed new ‘ways of thinking’ about their working relationships with external organisations. Their ultimate purpose is to reduce the costs and improve the quality of services through new approaches to delivery whilst at the same time engaging more directly community organisations and citizens in the process.

The work will address six areas of policy and service delivery where impact can be achieved by 2019:

1 Outsourcing of local authority services:

Considering different approaches to outsourcing including the establishment of LA wholly owned companies/social enterprises built from former in-house providers, to Third Sector/Private Sector consortia/partnerships, etc. Determining what factors contribute to good decision making on outsourcing – such as knowledge/evidence of good practice/economical delivery in-house or by external organisations. Exploring the factors which make outsourcing possible or not: involving exploration of issues surrounding LA organisational culture/history, configuration of local parties in the council, political climate, attitudes and beliefs of Members, etc.

2 Growing the ‘civic core’ through volunteering

Role and efficacy of current grant funding regimes and LA support for local community organisations. Assessment of the extent of volunteering in the area and recognition of most effective routes to volunteering via the LA, TSOs, faith groups etc. Raising awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of volunteer contribution, knowing where unmet demand currently exists and how to increase supply of volunteers, awareness of how to assess/understand the value of volunteering for the local area. Leverage LA has to contribute towards the civic core through employee supported volunteering schemes, pre-retirement planning, skills-share programmes, etc.

3 Partnership working and co-production

Assessment of LA’s willingness and potential to work as a ‘lead partner’, ‘consortia partner’ or ‘support partner’ in social interventions funded via external sources, shared resources or a mix of shared and external resources. Recognising the scope for and identifying practicable approaches to alternative service delivery models delivered in conjunction with other public sector organisations (particularly health, police and fire services) and Third Sector/Private Sector organisations. Approaches to investment in partnership building and the encouragement of partnership potential amongst TSOs in advance of potential initiatives.

4 Assessing the impact of interventions involving TSOs

Exercising effective judgement decisions on where impact measurement assessment should be employed. Producing transparent and achievable objectives for interventions which are realistically matched with levels of resource invested to achieve them. Knowing when requirements for impact assessment may or may not be achievable and the appropriate technical measures, recognising the need for innovative practice, knowing when calls for interventions to become sustainable are not realistic. Adopting principals and measures which allow for good judgements to be made on the social value of less measurable small-scale interventions.

5 Hearing the ‘voices’ of the Third Sector in the commissioning cycle:

Establishing/maintaining governance protocols and structures to ensure Third Sector representation. Structured engagement and involvement of Third Sector in identifying and setting local and strategic priorities via, for example: area committees, for a representing communities of interest, councils of interest, strategic planning groups (such as an LSP), etc. How to ensure that TSOs can contribute effectively to the design of innovative solutions in service delivery – and especially so when funded through a range of LA or non-LA sources.

6 Strengthening the confidence, capacity and capability of the Third Sector

Maintaining good intelligence on sector structure, dynamics and strengths upon which realistic decisions about investment can be made. Building LA understanding on the limits of Third Sector engagement/compliance with political/procedural preferences to allay expectations of ‘incorporating’ Third Sector organisations into LA policy and practice. Assessing the scope for and benefits to be accrued from investment in Third Sector capability and capacity to contribute to LA initiatives and understanding the limits of such investment. How effectively to communicate LA agreed priorities to the Third Sector, and devising mechanisms for signposting TSOs to other sources of funding and support in areas where the LA cannot/does not want to invest.

The Keeping it Simple report is available to download, together with a summary report – published October 2014:

KEEPING IT SIMPLE How to work effectively with the third sector (October 2014)

Keeping it Simple (Summary Report) October 2014

The final report from this study, and its sister project, Sharing the Responsibility, can be downloaded here: ILG How to work effectively with the third sector discussion paper March 2019