Current and Recent Research

These are the main areas of recent and on-going research carried out by SPIU.

Access to Leisure and Social Activities.

January to March 2005. A three month study mapping existing and planned national government initiatives designed to increase access to leisure and social activities for children living in poverty. Contact John McKendrick.
J.McKendrick@gcal.ac.uk

Money Advice Projects for Vulnerable Groups.

July 2004-6 A two year project evaluating local authority and voluntary vector projects funded under a new Scottish Executive initiative. Contact Morag Gillespie. Morag.Gillespie@gcal.ac.uk

Service User Involvement in the employability field.

July 2005-7 A two year project examining how disadvantaged groups views are accessed and used by policy makers and service deliverers EQUAL ACCESS: Service User Project

Benefits Advice in the Transition to Employment.

May 2003-5 A two year research and training project examining the role of advice services for marginalised groups during transitions to employment. Funded: EQUAL Theme A: European Commission and Scottish Executive. Contact Gill Scott or Morag Gillespie.
J.M.Scott@gcal.ac.uk
Morag.Gillespie@gcal.ac.uk

Mentoring and employability.

June 2003-5 An evaluation of mentoring supporting disadvantaged groups moving toward employment. Funded: Scottish Executive and EQUAL. Contact Gill Scott.
J.M.Scott@gcal.ac.uk

Gender and Ethnicity Impact Assessment.

September 2004-February 2005 An action research project based in Govan, developing community researchers capacity to carry out a gender and ethnicity impact assessment of social inclusion partnership and community planning activities. Funded: Oxfam. Contact Kate Lindsay. Kate.Lindsay@gcal.ac.uk

Working For Families – Rosemount HNC Pilot.

October 2004-June 2005. An evaluation of an integrated support project for mothers entering full time HNC course. Funded: Glasgow City Council. Contact Gill Scott.
J.M.Scott@gcal.ac.uk

Occupational segregation in the Modern Apprenticeship scheme (part of an Equal Opportunities Commission General Formal Investigation).

January – December 2004 Contact Ailsa McKay.
A.McKay@gcal.ac.uk

School grounds in Scotland.

June 2003-4 Funded: Grounds for Learning, Play Scotland and sportscotland
Contact John McKendrick.
J.McKendrick@gcal.ac.uk

Enlarging Justice for all.

A critical appraisal of developments in one community based pluralist project to inform a national developmental scheme to reduce polarisation at local level. Funded: Community Development Project
Contact Gill Scott.
J.M.Scott@gcal.ac.uk

Community perspectives of health and well being.

2004 A qualitative study examining commonly excluded views of health and well being. Funded: Kirkcaldy and Leven Health Board. Contact Gill Scott or Elizabeth Frondigoun.
J.M.Scott@gcal.ac.uk
Liz.Frondigoun@gcal.ac.uk

Childcare in Western Scotland.

This project examined how the Western Scotland Objective 2 Programme supports interventions around childcare and extended an earlier investigation of childcare and the labour market carried out for Glasgow City Council and Scottish Enterprise Glasgow. Funded: Strathclyde European Partnership.
Contact Gill Scott or Jim Campbell.
J.M.Scott@gcal.ac.uk

Transitions to paid work amongst low-income mothers.

Over three years collaborative research between Rosemount Lifelong Learning and the Scottish Poverty Information Unit examined barriers to re-entry to work for women with children. Funded: Rosemount Lifelong Learning. Contact Morag Gillespie.
M.Gillespie@gcal.ac.uk

Sandyford Initiative.

A three year study evaluating an integrated sexual and reproductive health service based on a social model of health. Funded: Greater Glasgow Health Board. Contact Gill Scott or Elizabeth Frondigoun. J.M.Scott@gcal.ac.uk
Liz.Frondigoun@gcal.ac.uk