Migrant workers in Rochdale and Oldham

This research focuses on the needs and experiences of Central and Eastern European migrants living and working in Rochdale and Oldham. It was commissioned by Oldham Housing Investment Partnership, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder and Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council in January 2008 and was conducted by a team of researchers from the Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit (SHUSU) at the University of Salford

Examining veterans’ interactions with the UK social security system through a trauma-informed lens

This paper uses the principles of trauma-informed care – safety, collaboration, choice, trustworthiness, and respect – to reflect on the quality of veterans’ treatment within the UK social security system. Drawing upon new data from qualitative longitudinal research with veterans in four geographical locations across England, UK, it explores their experiences within the social security system, highlighting specific issues relating to their interactions with the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) but also the conditionality inherent within the UK benefits system. Overall, it is evident that there is a lack of understanding of the impact of trauma on people’s psychosocial functioning and, as a result, veterans are treated in ways which are variously perceived as disrespectful, unfair or disempowering and in some cases exacerbate existing mental health problems. We propose that the application of trauma-informed care principles to the UK social security system could improve interactions within this system and avoid re-traumatising those experiencing on-going or unresolved trauma. The paradigm of trauma-informed care has been used internationally to examine health, homelessness, prison and childcare services, but ours is the first exploration of its application to the delivery of social security

Central and Eastern European migrants in Daventry and South Northamptonshire : Developing a profile : Final report

This report presents the findings of a study exploring Central and Eastern European migrants in Daventry and South Northamptonshire. The study was commissioned by Daventry and South Northamptonshire Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) Migration Impact Funding and was conducted by researchers from the Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit (SHUSU) at the University of Salford. The study was managed by a steering group composed of officers representing Daventry District and South Northamptonshire Councils

Migrant Roma in the United Kingdom and the need to estimate population size

Within the political framework of the European Union (EU), there has been long standing recognition that the on-going exclusion of Roma represents a key challenge for human rights, justice and social inclusion agendas. By introducing a requirement for Member States to produce National Roma Integration Strategies (NRIS), the European Commission hopes that Member States will work in partnership with the EU and key stakeholders to achieve inclusion objectives in respect of housing, health, education and employment. The form and content of the United Kingdom’s (UK) NRIS submission has been criticised in a number of key areas; notably its ‘migrant blind’ approach (Craig, 2011; 2013). This article draws on recent research undertaken by the authors (Brown, Martin and Scullion, 2013), which aimed to estimate the size of the recently arrived Roma population in the UK and document some of the local level responses as a result of this migration. It provides an overview of the context giving rise to the research, and how previous population estimates have been attempted, both across the EU and in the UK. The paper considers whether conventional methodologies can be fit for purpose when attempting to assess the population size of a transnational and highly mobile ethnic group, or whether more experimental approaches might yield a fresh approach. More specifically, it examines the strengths and weaknesses of adopting a place typology approach (Lupton et al., 2011). Finally the paper looks at the publication of research about Roma populations in a highly politicised arena in the wake of ongoing national and international attention on Rom

The limits of inclusion? Exploring the views of Roma and non Roma in six European union member states : Executive summary

This research forms part of the Roma SOURCE (Sharing of Understanding Rights and Citizenship in Europe) project. Roma SOURCE involved eight organisations from six European Union Member States (i.e. Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom). The research aimed to consider the extent to which Roma and majority communities in the six identified Member States lead integrated lives by conducting empirical research with Roma and non Roma populations. This summary is based on analysis of data generated in 24 focus groups with members of Roma and non Roma communities in the six EU Member States listed above. The focus groups were convened in 2012. A total of 180 respondents (92 men, 88 women), took part in the focus groups, with representatives from 14 nationalities

Precarious lives: exploring lived experiences of the private rented sector in Salford

Research report focusing on the experiences of residents living in the private rented sector in Salford

The limits of inclusion? Exploring the views of Roma and non Roma in six European union member states

This final research report for the Roma SOURCE project presents an analysis of new qualitative data generated in 24 focus groups with members of both Roma and non Roma populations resident in the six Member States in which the Roma SOURCE partners are situated (i.e. Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom). It builds on the literature and policy review previously presented in an earlier interim report which combined contextual discussions on the general situation of Roma in Europe with more specific information (drawn from the ‘country reports’ compiled by Roma SOURCE project partners), about the particular circumstances of Roma populations in those six Member States (rf. Brown, Dwyer and Scullion, 2012). A key aim of the fieldwork which underpins this final report was to access, and make sense of, a range of views and opinions about the extent to which Roma and non Roma people believed they routinely led segregated or integrated lives

The impact of conditionality on the welfare rights of EU migrants in the UK

This paper highlights and explores how conditionality operating at three levels (the EU supra-national level, the UK national level and in migrants’ mundane ‘street level’ encounters with social security administrators), come together to restrict and have a negative impact on the social rights of EU migrants living in the UK. Presenting analysis of new data generated in repeat qualitative interviews with 49 EU migrants resident in the UK, the paper makes an original contribution to understanding how the conditionality inherent in macro level EU and UK policy has seriously detrimental effects on the everyday lives of individual EU migrants