Public Services

Why this research matters 

Our research on public services matters. This is because services paid for from the public purse like health care, education, criminal justice and policing, make an important contribution to ensuring people get what they need, and thrive as a consequence. 

Our vision and approach 

Our vision is simple. We want public services to work in ways that help everyone to thrive. Our three research aims are:

• To develop the capacity of public services to improve opportunities and quality of life for all. This is through policy, practice and system change, and in the context of democratic principles and processes
• To develop the public services workforce through improved models or professional education and through raising the skill level, status and agency of professionals
• To lead theorisation, critical thought and critical commentary on public services (e.g. hegemony, capitals, market dynamics and social justice) so as to push at the boundaries of current thinking. This so we can change things for the better.

Our research in public services also enriches learning and teaching in our professional programmes, including: 

• Education
• Health and Nursing
• Psychology, wellbeing and therapeutics
• Social work and social care
• Criminal justice and rehabilitation
• Policing 

Our research

Discover our current research on public services to find out more about how our vision is being applied to real-world change: