C22: Social Work and Social Policy

The OU’s research expertise in social work and social policy focuses on issues of social importance, responsible management and widening participation.

Research specialisms

• Innovative and participative research methodologies
• Ageing and later life
• Theorising and researching care relations transnationally and across gender and generations

Headline results

• 73% of OU research was assessed as 4* or 3* for impact
• 75% of the OU environment for research in Social Work and Social Policy was assessed as 4* or 3*

Research highlights

OU research into ageing has influenced the UK’s Equality Act 2010, and initiated new guidance on toilets in public spaces, user-friendly extra-care housing, age-friendly kitchen design, and an exemplary training programme on end-of-life care in care homes.

OU researchers using pioneering 'life history' methods is giving voice to people with learning disabilities by working alongside to enable them to tell their stories of being institutionalised, for the first time. This approach has been adopted by many other organisations.