Overview
The School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences (ASPS) is a substantial multi-disciplinary, cross campus centre of research with members working on a wide range of cutting edge methodological, theoretical, empirical and policy related issues. It is distinguished by its applied, interdisciplinary research that draws on national and international comparative methods, to develop innovative and significant impact-centred work which pushes the disciplinary boundaries and promotes important changes within society.
ASPS has developed an international reputation for:
Pioneering theoretical ideas that change the way in which policy, governance, criminology and social work are conceptualised.
Developing cutting-edge research methodologies which produce unique, internationally significant data-sets.
Designing a range of innovative analytical tools that help reform and guide social practice.
Disseminating research outputs to a range of stakeholder groups in order to strengthen, and critically reflect upon, policy and practice. ASPS welcomes applicants interested in researching social policy, criminology and justice, politics, policing, prisons, public policy, social work, poverty, language policy, disadvantage, migration and welfare.
Summary
The strength and rigour of ASPS' research has been registered in successive research assessment exercises. In the most recent research assessment exercise, 'REF 2014', seventy percent of ASPS' research has been graded world-leading or internationally excellent, with a 160% increase in world-leading research since the 2008 assessment exercise. ASPS ranks 12th in the UK for outstanding research impact (4*) and 20th for world-leading research (4*).
ASPS distinguishes itself through a long-standing commitment to researching and shaping governance, policy, and practice in divided societies dealing with the legacies of violence and conflict. This focus is being expanded and enriched through strategic diversification into new applied research streams that inquire into, and confront, challenges presented by racism, inequality, economic marginalisation, institutional reform and the crimes of the powerful. Furthermore, the school aims to address blind-spots and lacunas in governance, policy and service delivery which conflict and transition can create, in areas such as gender, disability, ageing, health, criminal justice, and ethnic minorities. These streams are enhanced through transnational research that draws on growing international linkages to better understand how regional and global distributions of power, wealth, infrastructure, resources, and knowledge, impact on governance, policy, and practice on a variety of scales.
The school's research priorities are supported by a vibrant, aspirational culture that supports scholars to develop and pioneer innovative methodologies, analytical tools, and theoretical concepts that can sensitively and rigorously build evidence based, conceptually rich understandings of the complex processes that shape reform, accountability and service delivery. We embrace interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research that harnesses diverse tools and approaches to enhance our response to field-specific challenges.
The school aims to formulate and execute our research collaboratively, and share our findings through innovative mechanisms that cater to the precise needs of diverse user-group. ASPS has also demonstrated a preparedness, when needed, to confront injustice and significant failures in policy and governance in a robust manner, often with significant effect. This distinctive research agenda is operationalised through five research groups:
Social Policy
Criminology and Justice
Public Policy and Government
Social Work
Youth and Community studies
About
Social work research seeks to provide a knowledge base to support the social work profession in its roles of protecting and supporting the most vulnerable in society. Research applications are welcomed in relation to either of the social work research themes. Mental health problems and positive mental health are key issues in contemporary society. How individuals seek help and the pathways they follow through services is a primary research focus for this cluster. Past research has included social media and the mental wellbeing of young men; statutory mental health social work; community integration of former long-stay hospital patients; loneliness amongst older people; and the mental ill health effects of the Northern Ireland Troubles. Another primary strand within this cluster is on resilience. Past studies have included resilience of child protection social workers and of clergy (in relation to Emotional Intelligence); current studies include resilience of family carers and the development of resilience amongst social work students.
This research cluster undertakes research, teaching and organisation development to support social work and allied human service professions in:
Professional judgement and shared decision making;
Assessment processes and tools to inform decisions;
Risk assessment and management in practice and organisations; and
Creating and using evidence to inform practice and policy.
Research includes studies of professional judgement in child protection, protection of vulnerable adults and the justice sector; developing the Northern Ireland Single Assessment Tool for the health and social care of older people; older people's conceptualisation of elder abuse and neglect; risk communication in dementia and in physical disability services; change processes in intimate partner violence programmes; and supporting the development of the Social Care Governance Workbook, the North-South Child Protection Hub and the Safeguarding Adults at Risk Information Hub.