Policy Leeds October signpost
12 new policy projects commence, plus the launch of Yorkshire’s climate action plan, a new crime toolkit, a report to fix children’s oral health, and more.
Announcing our policy projects for 2024–25
Twelve new projects plus two policy placements have begun, marking the start of a 9-month program of research and collaboration.
Covering thematic areas including climate, sustainability, food, health and wellbeing, crime, justice, economics, democratic engagement, and broadcasting, the projects will work with policy professionals in pursuit of local and national impact.
Each of the projects, excluding the placements, will run until July 2025 and all initiatives are supported by the Research England Policy Support Fund.
You can find out more about this year’s projects in our announcement article on LinkedIn or on our Policy Support Fund webpage.
Action plan to tackle climate crisis has support from Yorkshire’s leaders
A new plan proposes a regional response to the climate and nature crises in Yorkshire and the Humber. It has received unanimous support from leaders of the region’s 15 local authorities and mayors of combined authorities.
The 96-page ‘Climate Action Plan’ presents a holistic perspective, highlighting how whole-society, whole-place actions can enable a fast, fair and resilient decarbonisation transition.
It states seven objectives that understand the challenge and opportunity, what good change looks like, and the actions required to get there.
The plan tells a positive story about how Yorkshire and the Humber can achieve these ambitions, including reaching net zero by 2038 (the regional target) and generating billions in co-benefits for people, nature, and the economy, a message that resonates with the Yorkshire Leaders Board of the Yorkshire and Humber Councils.
Read the ‘Climate Action Plan’.
Anti-cuckooing toolkit and blog published
The new ‘Preventing & Disrupting Cuckooing Victimisation: Practitioner Toolkit’ is an important output of the 2023–24 policy project led by Drs Laura Bainbridge and Amy Loughery. The toolkit was created collaboratively with partners (West Yorkshire Police, Horton Housing, West Yorkshire Combined Authority) to tackle cuckooing — the criminal occupation and use of vulnerable people’s homes as a base for illegal activity. The new toolkit provides resources to those striving to tackle cuckooing and comprises the following:
- Cuckooing Information Booklet for Professionals
- A Cuckooing Risk Identification Tool
- The Cuckooing Safeguarding Process (including West Yorkshire specific version)
- Key Contacts (West Yorkshire)
- Know the Signs Poster (in A3 and A4)
- Leaflet — versions for public and professional audiences
This development is announced in a new blog that reveals the impact achieved by the research team to date. Read ‘The fight against cuckooing’.
A new report finds children’s oral health can be improved through educational settings
Tooth decay is the most common reason for hospital admission in 5-to-9-year-olds, with overall, fewer than four out of ten children in England have good oral health.
The latest Child of the North report highlights the impact of poor dental health on the lives of children and young people.
‘An evidence-based plan for improving children’s oral health with and through educational settings’ is the eighth in a year-long series of reports that seeks to deliver a country that works for all children and young people.
The authors recommend that “the new Government develops and implements a national child oral health improvement strategy to improve children’s oral health and reduce social inequalities, particularly those experienced by children and young people in the North of England.”
Read the new Child of the North oral health report.
How politics, place, and people shape policy
In a blog published in September, we reflect on more of the insights shared by panelists at our July ‘Policy projects showcase’ events.
In this piece, we unpack how different contexts affect policymakers and policymaking — revealing key considerations for those looking to engage with the process.
Read ‘How politics, place, and people shape policy’.
This blog follows on from a previous, reflective piece that offers advice on improving policy engagement. Read ‘What skills do researchers need to engage effectively with policymakers?’
Events
Healthy Buildings Network launch
16 October, 10am — 3:45pm, University House
Join the Healthy Buildings Network for its in-person launch. This new Horizons Institute-supported interdisciplinary research network aims to address our built environments and how to make them work better for human and planetary health.
Water@Leeds Confluence
21 October, 10am — 2pm, School of Earth and Environment
Learn about the research occurring across water@leeds, share in project presentations and develop new interdisciplinary collaborations.
The Resilient Coastal Communities and Seas Network launch
6 November, 9:30am — 5am, University of Hull
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Join the launch of the UKRI and DEFRA funded COAST-R Network — an inclusive and collaborative community of practice working to build knowledge, action and resilience for UK coastal communities and seas. Policy professionals and members of the Yorkshire and Humber Policy Network (Y-PERN), of which the University of Leeds is a part, are welcome.
Register for the COAST-R Network launch. Find out more about the Coastal Communities and Seas Together for Resilience network.
They’re not clapping now: fixing the social care workforce crisis
20 November, 3:30–6:30pm, online
Join NICHE-Leeds and panellists in discussion around how good practice, collaboration and imaginative solutions can address the ‘perilous situation’ for UK social care.
Sign up for ‘They’re not clapping now’
Delivering a net zero energy system
23 January, 9:30am — 4:30pm, Cloth Hall Court, Quebec Street, Leeds
Delivering new and existing targets on our way to net zero will require rapid change. What role can our research play, and how can University researchers work with stakeholders to deliver a clean, affordable and secure energy system?
Register for ‘Delivering a net zero energy system’
News in brief
The role of cultural strategies in local decision making
In this new research paper, the Centre for Cultural Value’s John Wright highlights the need for inclusive, sustainable and place-based approaches to the development and evaluation of cultural strategies.
This research forms part of the Culture Commons’ ‘Future of local cultural decision making’ open policy development programme, bringing together creative, cultural and heritage sectors, local governments and leading researchers to explore the future of UK devolution and increased local decision making. The Centre for Cultural Value’s participation in this programme was supported by the Research England Policy Support Fund.
Discover John’s key findings or read the ‘Cultural strategies and local cultural decision making’ paper in full (PDF).
Franchising the Welsh bus sector
A new research-briefing by Dr Daniel Johnson, Professor Chris Nash and Professor Andrew Smith, of the Institute for Transport studies, will inform the Welsh Government’s new plans to introduce bus franchising.
Their research briefing “considers the British experience and approaches to [the] governance of the bus sector, how competitive tendering/franchising has been implemented across the world, and available evidence on the performance of different contracting regimes.”
Find out more about ‘Bus franchising: a literature review of international practice’.
New ‘Circular wind guide’ helps to scale sector circularity
A new non-profit partnership between the University of Leeds and ECHT have published a guide looking at circular strategies in the wind sector, showcasing examples and their benefits. Dr Anne Velenturf (School of Civil Engineering) worked in collaboration with stakeholders from Vattenfall, Business in Wind and Sif Group to develop the guide — highlighting to policymakers how circular strategies provide environmental, societal and economic value.
Papers, articles and blogs
- Climate action or delay: the dynamics of competing narratives in the UK political sphere and the influence of climate protest (open access). Cristina Leston-Bandeira (Faculty of Social Science) explores how climate protests influence parliamentary discourse on climate change.
- Universities, Local Authorities and Culture-based Partnerships: Case-studies, reflections and evidence from REF impact case studies. Anna Kime (Centre for Cultural Value) and Pam Johnson (Leeds City Council) contribute a featured paper reflecting on their experiences collaborating on cultural policymaking (pages 58–65).
- Universities have critical role as civic actors says new report. The Place-based Climate Action Network (PCAN) published a report that finds universities are essential in advancing climate action.
- The business of policymaking. A new blog highlights key insights from a podcast series launched by the Business School and Jana Javornik last year.
- School of Law — Spotlight on research videos. Research teams share the impact of their recent projects through a series of short videos covering the recognition of overseas healthcare professional expertise, tackling rural domestic abuse, democratising international law, and reverse mentoring.
- Pay and conditions in gig work. New report by ReWAGE is co-authored by colleagues from Leeds University Business School. It calls for the end of exploitative zero-hours contracts and recommends legislation to guarantee minimum work periods and compensation for cancelled shifts.
Opportunities for researchers
Parliament for researchers — two upcoming sessions with Members of the House of Lords
Event 1: Media and misinformation
9 October, 1pm — 2pm, online
Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle will share insights on the value of academic research in Parliament, informed by her background in media. Plus how research evidence is used in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and how you can work with Parliament as a researcher.
Sign up for the Media and misinformation — Parliament for researchers session.
Event 2: Health
22 October, 1pm — 2pm, online
Baroness Young of Old Scone, who will share insights on the value of academic research in Parliament, informed by her background in health services. Plus, how research evidence is used in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and how you can work with Parliament as a researcher.
Sign up for the Health — Parliament for researchers session.
Do you have Leeds facing policy news, opportunities or events to share? Let us know! Email your updates to policyleeds@leeds.ac.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)
