Policy Leeds February signpost
This month sees the launch of a report series on children and young people, updated food security index, modern slavery research, and more.
Report series launches on how Government can support children achieve their potential
A major new report series has launched, setting out practical, evidence-informed ways in which government can improve the lives of children and young people, investing in the future of our country. The series is produced jointly by the N8 Child of the North partnership, including University of Leeds, and the Centre for Young Lives.
The first report focuses on the crisis in children’s autism assessment, revealing that more than one in four parents have waited over three years to receive support for their autistic child. It warns that the failure to provide the right autism support can lead to poor long-term outcomes for autistic children, including a greater risk of school exclusion or not attending school and poor mental health.
The report makes three evidence-informed recommendations:
- Build partnerships between health and education professionals to deliver assessment and support in schools and nurseries before and after diagnosis is made.
- Extend continuing professional development training on recognising autism and creating “neurodiverse friendly” environments.
- Create new formal local partnerships between schools, health, voluntary services, and universities to oversee a prioritised local approach to addressing the autism crisis.
Read the University news article: Tackling crisis in care for autistic children.
Read the report on the Child of the North webpage: An evidence-based plan for addressing the autism assessment and support crisis.
To follow the series, see the Child of the North Child First Government report series webpage.
Priority Places for Food Index updated
The Priority Places for Food Index has been relaunched, providing the most up-to-date picture of food insecurity risk at neighbourhood level.
Using openly-available data, the Priority Places for Food Index allows food insecurity risk to be mapped at a local level across all devolved nations.
Updated data includes new area socio-demographics, foodbank, and food retailer location data. Data relating to Free School Meal eligibility has also been updated to reflect the changing policy landscape and to address regional inconsistencies in policies. Finally, in England and Wales, the Index has been updated to reflect the latest 2021 census neighbourhood boundaries.
The team have also made upgrades to the dashboard to improve map navigability, accessibility, and give more detailed ‘how to’ guides.
Explore the updated Priority Places for Food Index
Find out more about what has changed in the updated version.
The Index was developed in 2022 as a collaboration between the Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC) and Which?
Food for thought with Global Food webinars
You can now book places for two upcoming Global Food and Environment Institute webinars.
Concentrating oligopoly in global food sectors: How to measure it and what it means. 28 February 2024, 12:00–12:40pm. Food-related sectors of the global economy are dominated by mergers and acquisitions, resulting in limited competition. In this webinar, Dr Owain Williams will look at what this means for global food, politics and regulation, farmers and consumers. Register on Ticketsource for ‘Concentrating oligopoly in global food sector’ webinar.
Food waste law and policy — Fit for purpose? 20 March 2024, 12:00–12:40pm. In this webinar, Dr Carrie Bradshaw from the School of Law will provide an overview and evaluation of the law and policy on food waste, with a particular focus on developments in England. Register on Ticketsource for ‘Food waste law and policy’ webinar.
Workshop on funding and the future of high growth start-ups in the Leeds City Region
Register now for a workshop on 29 February 2024, 12:00–16:30 hrs, looking at solutions to build and scale up place-based funding support for high growth start-ups in West Yorkshire.
Substantial funding gaps across UK regions are hindering start-ups from scaling up their operations, creating further barriers to entering foreign markets, and contributing to the productivity conundrum facing the UK. This workshop will focus on how start-up funding gaps might be tackled and what policies are needed to support local start-ups.
The event will be of interest to business leaders, investors, policy professionals supporting regional economic growth and productivity, and researchers interested in the entrepreneurial landscape within West Yorkshire.
The workshop will be held in person on the University of Leeds campus. Register for ‘Funding and high growth start-ups’ workshop (Office 365 signup form) by Monday 25 February.
Focus on modern-day slavery and trafficking research
In recognition of Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the School of Law is highlighting research across the University of Leeds that explores the causes and solutions to modern-day slavery and contributes towards ending it. It covers research into policing modern slavery, the criminalisation of modern slavery, County Lines ‘cuckooing’ victimization, human organ trafficking, the role of faith-based organisations in anti-trafficking, asylum seekers and refugees’ experiences of forced labour, and modern slavery in the fashion and textile industry.
Read the article on the School of Law’s website.
The work of Dr Laura Bainbridge on cuckooing is further covered in the University news article: Conference calls for cuckooing to be criminalised
In addition, Ying Zhang and Professor Chee Yew Wong share an update on Modern Slavery trends in the UK, based on analyses of UK National Referral Mechanism (NRM) statistics. Read the article on the Leeds University Business School website.
Universities Policy Engagement Network Conference heads north
The Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) conference will be hosted at the University of York this year, on 21 May.
UPEN is a community of UK universities and policy professionals committed to increasing the impact of research on public policy. The theme of this year’s conference will be around connecting and collaborating across the UK academic-policy landscape.
Two associated side events will also be hosted in the north of England:
- 9 May — Diversifying and democratising knowledge in academic-policy engagement. Liverpool University.
- June, date to be announced — Academic-policy engagement and the future of devolution. Leeds Beckett University.
To keep up to date as programme details are confirmed, please visit the UPEN Conference 2024 webpage. You can also sign up to the UPEN weekly newsletter to receive updates to your inbox.
Professor Andrew Brown, from the University of Leeds Business School, is one of the current Co-Chairs for UPEN, along with Sarah Chaytor at UCL, and Chris Hewson from the University of York. Policy Leeds acts as the University of Leeds registered contact for the network.
Leeds hosts health workforce expert panel debate
On 18 January the University of Leeds was pleased to welcome Lord Nigel Crisp, founder and former chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health, Fatima Khan-Shah from West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership, Professor Mark Kearney, University of Leeds, and NHS Workforce Plan director Barny Leavers, to debate on the crucial topic of how we can ensure a sustainable health and social care workforce fit for the future.
Read University news article ‘Leeds hosts health workforce expert panel debate’ and watch a recording of the health workforce debate on YouTube.
The debate is one of a series of talks exploring key topics in the levelling up agenda, sponsored by the Royal Society of Arts and the N8 Research Partnership. You can sign up to other events on the N8 Up North events page.
My First 1000 Days project launch
The My First 1000 Days project has now officially launched. The ambitious research project aspires to have a positive impact on the health and outcomes of children and their families in Leeds. It will focus on four themes: food and nutrition; physical activity; early language and cognitive development; and co-producing a disability inclusive model of group care.
The work will be done in collaboration with TNO, and a range of regional partners, including Leeds City Council, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and representatives from the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector.
Anne Longfield CBE, Chair of the Commission on Young Lives, delivered the keynote talk at the launch, highlighting the importance of looking at ways to support children and families in those early days to give children the best start in life. The meeting also heard from the research theme leads and Leeds City Council, who set out the Leeds context for the work.
Read more on the launch event and watch videos of the talks on My first 1000 days website.
Business of Policy making podcast
Leeds University Business School has launched a new podcast series aimed at researchers to demystify the world of policymaking, debunk myths about the evidence-based policymaking process, and shine a light on the impact academic research can have on policy.
In this first series, Dr Jana Javornik speaks to guests from across the world of policy to explore different areas of policy work, and to ask advice on how academics can collaborate with policy professionals and inform policy agendas. She is joined by experts from a variety of policy fields — from the European Commission to local government, and from governmental organisations to national charities campaigning for workers.
In the latest episode Jana speaks to Petra Petan, a policy assistant in the cabinet of Paolo Gentiloni, the European Commissioner for the Economy.
You can find the series on:
Soundcloud: Business of Policymaking series
Spotify: Business of Policymaking podcast series
Apple Podcasts: Business of Policymaking podcast series
Appointments and awards
Mark Wilcox has been awarded an OBE for services to healthcare. Professor Wilcox, who joined the University in 1995, is the National Clinical Director for Infection Prevention and Control at NHS England, chaired the SAGE Sub-Committee on Hospital Onset COVID Infection, and is an expert advisor to the Department of Health and Social Care on healthcare associated infections.
He was joined in the New Year Honours list by colleagues Professors Paul Emery and Peter Giannoudis, who were also recognised for ground-breaking work in the health sector around arthritis and trauma treatment respectively. Read the University news article ‘New Year Honours at the University of Leeds’.
Dr Ana Manzano has been awarded a prestigious Policy Fellowship by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). She will work in the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department for the Economy for 18 months to support the Department’s 10x Innovation Policy by creating an evidence base to understand the impact of innovative, inclusive and green growth, and to aid future decision-making. Read more on the Leeds Social Science Institute website.
Further news in brief
The Wow Park project is piloting creative ways to make parks feel safer and more inclusive for women, girls, and local communities, working with Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Read the University news article ‘Artwork proposed for Leeds park to make it feel safer for women’. Wow Park is one of a number of diverse projects funded by the University of Leeds through the Research England policy support fund, find the other projects on our Policy Support Fund page.
Recent research on Selective Licensing, whereby local authorities can require private landlords to maintain minimum housing standards, suggest that this approach can have a positive influence on mental health and reduce antisocial behaviour in the areas where it’s implemented. Read more in the Consumer Data Research Centre LinkedIn article: Selective Licensing schemes and their impact on mental health and social outcomes in Greater London.
Professor David Hesmondhalgh, School of Music, appeared alongside musician Nile Rodgers at a House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee Select Committee hearing into music creators’ remuneration. As reported in the Guardian’s article on the music industry hearing, Rodgers said that David Bowie would have failed in today’s cut-throat music industry and Professor Hesmondhalgh discussed how artists make little money from streaming platforms. This session followed a previous inquiry on the economics of music streaming, at which evidence was presented from the Intellectual Property Office report co-authored by Professor Hesmondhalgh on Music Creators’ Earnings in the Digital Era (pdf).
New publications and articles
German and UK workers perception on working in a greener economy
A new report, led by Vera Trappmann in the Leeds University Business School, examines how workers in Germany and UK view the challenges associated with the transition to net zero. The report looks at: whether workers feel ready to work in a greener economy; what barriers they face; what solutions they think will be important in the work transition; and what policies have most support from workers in a transition to a low carbon economy. This report is a concise version of two longer versions analysing the countries separately.
Articles and blogs
Food System Transformation at COP28. Rebecca Sarku reflects on COP28 actions and outcomes in relation to food system transformation. Global Food and Environment Institute blog.
Navigating the path to Net Zero: Responding to the UK Climate Change Committee’s consultation. John Barrett responds to the Climate Change Committee’s proposed strategies for establishing total greenhouse gas emissions within the 7th Carbon Budget (2037 to 2042). Energy Demand Research Centre blog.
Decarbonising the world’s industries. New research led by Ahmed Gailani for the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), found that greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial sector could be reduced by up to 85% using existing technologies. University news article.
What role can local government play in the future of warehousing work? Abbie Winton, Charles Umney and Gabreilla Alberti explores how local government can play a more proactive role in shaping the future of warehousing work in Yorkshire, an increasingly significant source of employment for the region. Digital futures at work research centre blog.
Despite the climate crisis, Scotland is burning as much carbon-rich peatland as it did in the 1980s. Dominick Spracklen talks about new research that demonstrates that voluntary guidelines to control burning of peatland in Scotland are not working. Conversation article.
COP28: Water requirements to achieve the Paris Agreement. This Water @ Leeds article summaries key contributions from Leeds to the COP28 event ‘The Critical Role of Water in Achieving Global Climate Goals’.
The role of funding in the ‘performative decarbonisation’ of transport in England explores how councils make most of funding they can access but why this falls short for decarbonisation. Open access research article by Ersilia Verlinghieri, Thomas Haines-Doran, Greg Marsden, and Tim Schwanen, published in Political Geography.
What’s the truth behind the ‘shoplifting epidemic’? Six key questions answered by Graham Farrell and Rachel Armitage fact checks recent claims about shoplifting surge. Conversation article.
First polar bear to die of bird flu — what are the implications? by Alistair Ward discusses the consequences of a failure to respond appropriately to the current strain of bird flu, H5N1, becoming adapted to mammals. Conversation article.
Does the 2024 US presidential primary really matter? US politics lecturer Dr Christine Harlen looks at the forthcoming primary elections and the possible implications for the UK.
Find more information on policy collaborations from across University of Leeds on the Policy Leeds website. If you would like to keep in touch with our work between signposts, please connect with us on LinkedIn, find us on X (formerly Twitter), or you can email us at policyleeds@leeds.ac.uk.
