Youth Community and Education

A strong track record of research

The group has a strong track record of research and evaluation into issues affecting the lives of young people and youth services. Our work is focused on the application of knowledge and research to build evidence about the challenges facing young people today and about effective and creative approaches to working with them. We work with public sector, voluntary, faith-based and community-based organisations, national and local government departments and research bodies that have an interest in the lives of young people.

Members of the group also have links with the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain.

Notable areas of expertise include:

• Young people’s aspirations and transitions to adulthood
• NEET young people and social exclusion
• Young people and social capital
• Youth justice and citizenship
• Globalisation and global youth work
• Working with Black young people
• Youth work and youth policy
• Young people, disability and chronic illness  (especially Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia)
• Evaluation of youth services and evidencing impact
• Participation, empowerment and young people.

Our work helps to:

• Improve our knowledge of young people, their social worlds, identities and experiences
• Better understand approaches to working with young people including what can be learnt from innovative and creative ways of addressing social problems
• Better reflect the voice of the participants in academic and policy arenas, including young people and practitioners.

Notable projects include:

• Studying the effects of family-based early intervention for children of people with mental illness. In collaboration with Leicestershire Partnership Trust and funded by East Midlands Health Innovation and Education Cluster.
• Evaluating the impact of creativity in education and work with young people in the East Midlands, funded by The Mighty Creatives.
• Research into skills development and aspirations of A8 migrants in Leicestershire, funded by The Learning and Skills Council.
• Evaluating the impact of Community Development Workers in challenging mental health and racial inequalities for the National Mental Health Development Unit.
• Investigating innovative approaches to youth participation in museums, funded by The British Museum.
• An evidence and policy review for the DfES 10 year youth strategy, commissioned by The Department for Education and Skills.
• A national study into the impact of the Connexions service on young people at risk, funded by The Department for Education and Skills.
• Reviewing and evaluating a Beacon Councils youth participation programme, funded by The Cabinet Office.