For the second year running, Understanding Society launched the Research Voucher Scheme and two charities, Mind and the Family and Childcare Trust, have been selected to work in collaboration with the Study.
The Scheme was initiated to help charities further their mission and drive social change through the development of a research base to inform policy, support social innovation or improve services.
What are the research projects?
Mind: Housing and mental health
A growing area of policy concern is how the changing nature of housing is affecting those with mental health conditions. In particular little is known about the circumstance of people living in the private rented sector, which has grown enormously over the last decade.
Using Understanding Society data, Mind wants to examine the effects of different housing conditions on worsening mental health and/or well-being for people in private rented sector. It also wants to look at whether poor mental health is associated with higher likelihood of moving house frequently amongst people living in this sector. The research will inform the charity’s campaign and support work on housing.
Family and Childcare Trust: Childcare and mothers’ employment
Many parents use formal childcare in order to work but the accessibility and affordability of childcare varies across the country. Childcare costs can not only reduce the financial gains to parents but problems with childcare provision can be a significant barrier to employment, especially for women. On the other hand childcare subsidies by the Government have the potential to reduce poverty and the gender pay gap.
The research project with Understanding Society aims to aid understanding on how local-level availability and price of childcare affects mothers’ decision to return to work. The project will seek to combine Understanding Society data with annual information on accessibility and price collected by FCT.
In previous years, Understanding Society has also supported the Child Poverty Action Group, Young Women’s Trust, The Children’s Society and Barnardo’s. Read about these projects.
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