Working Paper Series

Working Paper Series

The Department of Social Policy multidisciplinary working paper series publishes high quality research papers across the broad field of social policy.

Latest publications

COVID-19 Testing, Tracing and Isolating Strategies in the UK (England)
Anne West

Abstract:

This report focuses on the development and implementation of test, trace and isolate strategies (TTIS) in England during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research comprised interviews with key stakeholders at central and local government levels. The interviews focused on the evolution of test, trace and isolate strategies and associated challenges, aspects that worked well and less well, measures to prepare for future pandemics and what was learned for public health.

As regards the development of testing strategies issues concerned the testing infrastructure, the development of testing technologies, the purpose of testing over time, and the testing process and research. Successes included the mass roll out of testing, and novel innovation regarding the use of testing for different purposes. Issues identified regarding the implementation of testing strategies concerned access to data; asymptomatic testing; test to release; digital exclusion and hard to reach groups; testing and care homes; LFTs and schools; and logistical and funding issues. Key challenges at the outset included setting up a national testing infrastructure, access to data and access to testing for those from low income and certain minority ethnic groups. Successes included the introduction of local testing sites, lateral flow tests and the introduction of daily contact testing.

Turning to contact tracing, issues raised concerned the role played by NHS Test and Trace (NHST&T); NHST&T and local contact tracing; the decentralisation of contact tracing; data and data sharing; outbreaks and contact tracing; contact tracing and vulnerable communities; schools and businesses and contact tracing; and the NHS COVID-19 App. Problems associated with national contact tracing were highlighted by interviewees at the local level including lack of local knowledge and understanding, and limited capacity during surges, with local contact tracing enabling contacts to be identified and reached more effectively.

The research revealed a number of issues regarding isolation strategies including data and information, financial support and accommodation. Initially there was no financial support for those in isolation who were unable to work from home; once central government support was provided the amount was not necessarily sufficient for many households, with some local councils providing additional financial support for self-isolation for particular groups of people. A further issue identified in the interviews which cross-cut test, trace and isolate strategies was that of communication from central government, and communication at a local level particularly in the context of diverse communities.

A range of measures to prepare for future pandemics were proposed including planning (for different levels of government), business continuity and dedicated funding for local authorities. Key themes to emerge regarding learning for public health concerned the importance of national and regional partnership, leadership and partnership at a local level (including with community groups), and the relationship between central and local government.

Keywords: COVID-19, TTI, testing, contact tracing, isolation strategies

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2022

Household Joblessness in US Metropolitan Areas during the COVID19 Pandemic: Polarization and the Role of Educational Profiles
Thomas Biegert, Berkay Ozcan, and Magdalena Rossetti-Youlton
Keywords: 
household joblessness, COVID19, polarization, educational heterogeneity, educational homogamy

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Effects of team diversity on performance, perceptions, and predictions: Experimental evidence of gender composition and language
Valentina Contreras, Chiara Orsini, Berkay Ozcan, and Johann Koehler
Keywords: 
Peer effects, Higher education, Gender, Linguistic diversity

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Hostility of lived environment as a determinant of immigrants’ life satisfaction
Case of England and Wales
Michaela Šedovič
Keywords:
 subjective wellbeing, contact theory, attitudes towards immigrants, immigrants‘ integration

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The impact of centre-based childcare on non-cognitive skills of young children
Greta Morando & Lucinda Platt
Keywords: centre-based childcare, child socio-emotional development, Growing Up in Ireland

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Age at marriage and marital stability: Evidence from China
Jorge Garcia-Hombrados and Berkay Ozcan
Keywords: Age at marriage, divorce, legal age of marriage, China

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Edtech procurement matters: It needs a coherent solution, clear governance and market standards
Velislava Hillman
Keywords: edtech, data privacy, edtech procurement, children, education

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School funding and resourcing policies- Meeting the needs of disadvantaged pupils in France, Poland, UK (England), China, New Zealand, Singapore
Anne West, Sarah Ang, Valentin Calori, Ning Wang, Frederick Waters and Julia Wodzinska
Key words: school funding, resourcing, compensatory funding, needs, disadvantage, equality of opportunity

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2021

Poverty traps and affluent shields: Modelling the persistence of income position in Chile
Joaquín Prieto
Key words: Longitudinal data; poverty persistence; affluence persistence; income mobility; Chile; Latin America.

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2020

How does children’s time allocation affect their noncognitive skills? Evidence from four developing countries
Grace Chang
Key words: Child labour, non-cognitive skills, time use.

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Reporting COVID-19 deaths in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and the UK
Anne West, Thomas Czypionka, Monika Steffen, Stefanie Ettelt, Simone Ghislandi, Céu Mateus
Key words: Comparative health policy, comparative administration, data for policy making, data harmonization, COVID-19, comparable health data.

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What’s Left? Political orientation, economic conditions, and incarceration in Greece under Syriza-led government
Leonidas K. Cheliotis and Sappho Xenakis
Key words: Government political orientation; economic downturn; imprisonment; immigration detention; Syriza

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University research engagement around climate knowledge: findings from a small empirical study
David Lewis
Key words: research-policy interface; knowledge brokers; policy engagement; public policy

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The sounds of development: Musical representations as (an)other source of development knowledge
David Lewis, Dennis Rodgers and Michael Woolcock
Key words: Music, protest, representation, development, knowledge

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How uneven is the playing field? Inequality of socio-economic opportunity in the UK, 2009-2017 (MSc Dissertation)
David Flatscher
Key words: Inequality of opportunity, income inequality, social disadvantage 

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Government and NHS reform since the 1980s: the role of the market vis à vis the state, and of political ideas about the ‘direction of travel’
Jane Lewis
Key words: English NHS, NHS reform, political ideas, ideas in policymaking

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Identity, belonging and economic outcomes in England and Wales (Postgraduate dissertation)
Ivelina Hristova
Key words: identity economics, sub-state national and ethnic diversity, progression at work

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Upper and lower bound estimates of inequality of opportunity: A cross-national comparison for Europe
Rafael Carranza
Key words: circumstances; equality of opportunity; equivalized household income; inequality; MLDindex; upper bound estimate.

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Recent trends in religiosity of majority and minority European populations
Ayse Guveli and Lucinda Platt
Key words: religion; religiosity; migrants; second generation; Europe; natives; prayer; attendance.

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Loaded lesbians: how far do negotiations in the private sphere transfer to the labour market? (Undergraduate dissertation)
Liz Searle
Key words: (re/un-doing) gender; domestic labour; sexuality pay-gap; lesbian; housework.

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2019

Neither dupes, not pipers: violent crime, public sentiment and the political origins of mass incarceration in the United States 
Leonidas K. Cheliotis
Key words: mass incarceration, violent crime, public sentiment, politics of criminal justice

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The lasting effects of natural disasters on property crime: evidence from the 2010 Chilean earthquake
Jorge García Hombrados
Key words: Natural disasters; crime; social capital.

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Stalling of mortality in the United Kingdom and Europe: an analytical review of the evidence
Michael Murphy, Marc Luy and Orsola Torrisi
Key words: Life expectancy; UK mortality trends; Europe mortality trends; Influenza; Austerity.

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Female genital cutting and education: theory and causal evidence from Senegal 
Jorge García Hombrados and Edgar Salgado
Key words: Female genital cutting, education, harmful traditions.

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Read the related blog post here.

 

Preterm births and educational disadvantage: heterogenous effects across families and schools 
Anna Baranowska-Rataj, Kieron Barclay, Joan Costa-Font, Mikko Myrskylä and Berkay Özcan
Key words: SEN, disability, social isolation, loneliness, life-course

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Growing up lonely? Exploring the social outcomes of three generations identified with special education needs or disabilities in childhood
Samantha Parsons and Lucinda Platt
Key words: SEN, disability, social isolation, loneliness, life-course

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Read the related blog post here.

 

Reducing Mommy Penalties with Daddy Quotas
Allison Dunatchik and Berkay Özcan
Key words: family policy, gender roles, parental leave, work, work-family issues

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Inter-ethnic relations of teenagers in England's schools: the role of school and neighbourhood ethnic composition
Simon Burgess and Lucinda Platt
Key words: ethnicity, attitudes, contact, children, school context

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Two Become One: Improving the Targeting of Conditional Cash Transfers With a Predictive Model of School Dropout
Cristian Crespo
Key words: conditional cash transfers, targeting, school dropout prediction, machine learning, proxy means tests

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Cash for Grades or Money for Nothing? Evidence from Regression Discontinuity Designs
Cristian Crespo
Key words: cash for grades, regression discontinuity, bono por logro escolar, cash transfers

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Social Policy with Tunnel Vision: The problems of state efforts to curb adolescent pregnancy in Post 1988 Brazil
Beatriz Burattini- MSc Dissertation
Key words: adolescent pregnancy, sexual citizenship, legibility, health indicators, medicalisation

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Social entrepreneurship before neoliberalism? The life and work of Akhtar Hameed Khan 
David Lewis
Keywords: social entrepreneurship; non-governmental organisations (NGOs); community development; public administration; rural development; life history

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A different perspective on the evolution of UK income inequality
A.B. Atkinson and Stephen P. Jenkins
Key words: inequality, tax unit, household, Gini coefficient, income tax data, household survey data, HBA1, SPI

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2018

Perspectives on poverty in Europe 
Stephen P. Jenkins
Key words: poverty, material deprivation, Europe, EU-SILC

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What are the factors that lead to the disengagement in activism over an individual's lifetime in the Global South? 
Daniel Silver
Key words: Activism, social movements, sustainability, civil society

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NGOs and the success paradox: Gay activism 'after' HIV/AIDS in China 
Timothy Hildebrandt
Keywords: NGOs, LGBT, HIV/AIDS, China, development, aid

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