The SJCP aims to understand and address critical social issues by undertaking research which supports evidence-based policies and interventions to promote social wellbeing and fairness, whilst reducing inequality. These goals are particularly pressing in the context of extreme precarity and instability, which reflects everyday life for under-served groups and communities.
Our research seeks to be impactful through the development of collaborative interventions and approaches which promote cohesion and inclusion. We have extensive experience at working with public, private and third-sector organisations and are research activities are clustered around the following themes:
For further information about the Centre’s activities, contact Sophie Cook at [email protected]
ARCHE is an innovative programme led by Magic Me and funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation that pairs cutting-edge arts organisations with care homes run by Excelcare in Essex to challenge what arts look like in this context.
Prof Carol Munn-Giddings, Prof Hilary Bungay, Dr Ceri Wilson and Dr Anna Dadswell at ARU undertook a ‘responsive’ research evaluation of the programme to enhance knowledge and understanding of the collaboration between artists and care home staff in delivering creative arts experiences for older people.
Find out more about our ARCHE research.
This research was led by Dr Melanie Boyce, Dr Ceri Wilson and Dr Claire Hooks in collaboration with the leading charity Pregnancy Sickness Support, which supports women experiencing severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
Funded by the Health, Performance and Wellbeing ARU research theme, it explored levels of awareness on the treatment and care of hyperemesis gravidarum from the perspective of healthcare students, healthcare lecturers and women with lived experience.
The Creative Journeys research was led by Prof Carol Munn-Giddings, Prof Hilary Bungay, Dr Ceri Wilson and Dr Anna Dadswell, in partnership with Essex County Council Cultural and Community Engagement team and the Older People’s Research Group Essex, and funded by the Arts Council England Research Grants Programme 2016-2018.
It explored the impact of participatory arts on the social relationships of older people in care homes and how this might help to tackle issues of loneliness and social isolation.
This research was led by Dr Melanie Boyce and supported by Dr Anna Dadswell, in collaboration with a London-based charity providing services to women with multiple disadvantages, and was funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. The research explored the role of outreach in supporting women involved in prostitution.
The first phase of the research consisted of evaluating the outreach service, and the second phase involved identifying how outreach can support women involved in prostitution to rebuild their lives.
In partnership with colleagues from Lancaster University and the national charity Law For Life, Dr Melanie Boyce (PI), Prof Margaret Greenfields, Dr Chantal Radley and Sophie Coker undertook a participatory mixed methods study that examined Roma families involvement with Children's Services and the barriers they often face when interacting with Children Services. The study was jointly funded by the Tudor Trust and ARU's Safe and Inclusive Communities research theme.
Read the full report on Roma families' experiences with children's services (PDF).
This research led by Dr Niamh O’Brien took place at the Red Balloon Learner Centre - a charity offering short-term educational and therapeutic support to young people who have been traumatised by bullying or other circumstances.
The findings showed that young people did not feel supported by their schools when they sought help for bullying, and participants described the negative impact that bullying and subsequent self-exclusion had on their mental health.
Findings were presented to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Bullying and sent to all Parliamentarians who have raised questions about bullying.
In partnership with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System and funded by Health Education England, Dr Melanie Boyce (PI), Dr Sarah Burch, Sophie Coker and Sophie Cook are undertaking a mixed methods study to examine the barriers and enablers around strengthening and widening health and social care volunteering in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
O’Brien, N., Boyce, M. and Munn-Giddings, C. (2025) 'Action Research'. In: Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R. and Hedges, L. (Eds.) (2025) Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. 4th edn. London: Sage. (in press)
Doyle, A. and O’Brien, N. (2025) 'Mapping gender bullying through the lens of intra-actions in a private day and boarding school', International Journal of Bullying Prevention. (in press)
Boyce, M., Dadswell, A., Burch, S. and Sandu, A. (2024) 'Delivering trauma-informed outreach to women involved in street-based prostitution: enablers and barriers', European Journal of Social Work. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2024.2354928
Boyce, M., Coker, S., Felja, D., Greenfields, M., Kostka, J. and Radley, C. (2024) 'Come to us in a peaceful way: Improving experiences of Roma families with children’s services in England'. Report.
Kosta, J., Greenfields, M., Boyce, M., Coker, S., Felja, D. and Radley, C. (2024) 'Navigating the Labyrinth: Exploring the experiences of Roma Families with Child Protection Services', Critical & Radical Social Work. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1332/20498608Y2024D000000065
O'Brien, N., Acton, F., Hadjisoteriou, C., Stefanek, E., Echsel, A., Hipp, K., Hahn-Laudenberg, K., Schulze, C., Spiel, G. and Valimaki, M. (2024) 'Student Voices, Migration, and Bullying: A Narrative Review across Six Countries'. In: Fandrem, H. and O'Higgins Norman, J. (Eds) (2024) International Perspectives on Migration, Bullying, and School. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 15-35.
Välimäki, M., Hipp, K., Acton, F., Echsel, A., Grădinaru, I. A., Hahn-Laudenberg, K., Schulze, C., Stefanek, E., Spiel, G. and O’Brien, N. (2024) 'Engaging with immigrant students’ voices in the school environment: an analysis of policy documents through school websites', BMC Public Health, 24(1), pp. 1083.
Azizi, F., Lane, P. and Boyce, M. (2023) 'Afghan women refugees enduring domestic violence despite finding sanctuary in the UK', Journal of International Migration & Integration. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-023-01098-6
O’Brien, N. and Doyle, A. (2023) 'Exploring School Bullying: Designing the Research Question with Young Co-Researchers', Social Sciences, 12(5), pp. 276.
Join Dr Melanie Boyce, Prof Margaret Greenfields, Dr Chantal Radley and Sophie Coker, along with colleagues from Lancaster University and Law For Life, on 4 February 2025 from 4-6pm for the launch of their collaborative research exploring the experiences of Roma families with children's services.
This online event is free and is likely to be of particular interest for those working in child and family welfare, social work, legal advocacy, or policy development. We hope attendees will gain valuable insights and practical strategies to foster inclusive, culturally competent child protection practices.
Sign up for the Improving Experiences of Roma Families with Children’s Services webinar.