Some of us in the @spaemploysocsec.bsky.social have written an article on Labour's employment and social security policies post 2024 for a Special Issue. Open Access here: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

📢 Applications are open for the University Policy Engagement Network’s (UPEN) Participation Fund! For further information and how to apply, visit: www.bath.ac.uk/announcement... #PolicyEngagement #PublicPolicy #ResearchImpact #KnowledgeExchange

Pushed into the wrong job? Assessing the link between conditionality and poor quality employment @neweconomics.bsky.social www.rightsnet.org.uk/now/post/69993

A reminder that nominations are welcome for the SPA awards. A hard deadline this year of 5pm on Monday 2nd March.

Social Policy Association@socialpolicyuk.bsky.social · 6mo ago

📣Nominations are open for the SPA 2026 awards for these categories: • Outstanding Achievement • Public Understanding • Outstanding Teaching • Richard Titmuss Book Prize social-policy.org.uk/what-we-do/a... Deadline closes at 5pm on 02/03/2026. Info: social-policy.org.uk/what-we-do/a...

Liverpool Hope University is hosting the SPA 2026 conference, taking place from 1st to 3rd July. Registration is now open, and the deadline for abstract and symposia submissions is Monday, 16th March 2026. Vew all information on our conference webpage ⬇️⬇️ social-policy.org.uk/what-we-do/c...

SPA Annual Conference 2026 - Social Policy Association

Liverpool Hope University, Creative Campus, Shaw Street, Liverpool, L6 1HP The Social Policy Association is pleased to announce that Liverpool will host the 2026 event, [...]

social-policy.org.uk

31st March, University of Edinburgh: “Understanding & shaping a digital welfare state in Scotland" with research presentations, practice discussions, & an aim of co-producing some principles for digital welfare in Scotland. We've a great line up, free but places limited, sign-up here edin.ac/4qFme9S

Understanding and shaping a digital welfare state in Scotland

A collaborative event to discuss digital and technological approaches to the design & delivery of welfare services in Scotland and the UK

edin.ac

University of Edinburgh is experiencing prolonged cuts, our 3rd round of VR, no job replacements when people leave, some colleagues likely to be put on compulsory redundancy soon. But hey ho, the business school & economics school are externally advertising for permanent academic jobs 🤔

a man says who 's managing this in a blurry photo

ALT: a man says who 's managing this in a blurry photo

media.tenor.com

I enjoyed reading this, for a full range of reasons (including various snippets where I thought "have I already sat with Sue and ranted after a glass of wine on these double standards"!).

Sue Marsh@suey2y.bsky.social · 6mo ago

This will need a boost today from my working class friends who dared to fly too high. Or clever people who research it. Social mobility discrimination is a v niche audience. @haylesben.bsky.social @paulbernal.bsky.social @steveakehurst.bsky.social @jdportes.bsky.social @duncanweldon.bsky.social

📣New blog: "The Hidden Cost of Italy’s Care System: Pension Gaps and the Precarious Future of Ukrainian Care Workers" By Maria Izzo, Doctoral Researcher in Health and Social Policy, University of Glasgow. ▶️ social-policy.org.uk/news/the-hid...

The Hidden Cost of Italy’s Care System: Pension Gaps and the Precarious Future of Ukrainian Care Workers - Social Policy Association

By Maria Izzo, Doctoral Researcher in Health and Social Policy, University of Glasgow. — Nina, a Ukrainian woman in her mid-seventies, lives and works in [...]

social-policy.org.uk

For months, we have been digging into a big myth — that strong social protection holds back economic growth.🔍 Spoiler: it doesn’t.💪 We launch our findings tomorrow in our report 'More than a Safety Net'. Stay tuned.🚀 For now, hear it from @stephenboydippr.bsky.social ⤵️

Meanwhile, in the UK: "More than half of households in poverty now contain a working person, report finds" www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home... The politics of failure have failed.

Britons ‘working harder for less’ as living standards see historic slowdown

More than half of households in poverty now contain a working person, report finds

independent.co.uk

ASAP UK webinar: 'Social Security & Poverty reflecting on the post General Election period & looking ahead to the Devolved Parliament elections'. ASAP UK manifesto audit & the anti-poverty challenges in the lead up to the Scottish & Welsh elections: 26.2.26 2:30-4pm docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

ASAP UK February Seminar: Social Security and Poverty reflecting on the post General Election period and looking ahead to the Devolved Parliament elections.

26th February 2026 2:30-4pm This webinar will bring together one of the ASAP UK election auditors with two academics from Wales and Scotland to discuss the current housing challenges in relation to ...

eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com

Explore the latest Quarterly Highlights Collection and read about the research on our blog @samwarner.bsky.social @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social @profdaverichards.bsky.social @clemmiehilloconnor.bsky.social @haylesben.bsky.social @catherineneedham.bsky.social policyandpoliticsblog.com/2026/02/02/q...

📣 Call for special issues 📣 If you'd like to guest edit a special issue of Policy & Politics submit your proposal by 30 April! Learn more here bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journal... #PublicPolicy #PolicySky #PolicyStudies

With many thanks to @uoe-cahss.bsky.social for funding, I'm delighted that the Network for the Study of Work (NSW) is launching in February: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cahss-netw... With help from @haylesben.bsky.social, @ibalilebali.bsky.social and @tomoshea.org

CAHSS Network for the Study of Work

With funding from the CAHSS Interdisciplinary Fund, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Network for the Study of Work (NSW).

eventbrite.co.uk

Nominations are open for the SPA awards

Social Policy Association@socialpolicyuk.bsky.social · 7mo ago

📣Nominations are open for the SPA 2026 awards for these categories: • Outstanding Achievement • Public Understanding • Outstanding Teaching • Richard Titmuss Book Prize social-policy.org.uk/what-we-do/a... Deadline closes at 5pm on 02/03/2026. Info: social-policy.org.uk/awards/the-s...

📢 Job Vacancy📢 City-REDI is hiring for a full time Policy and Data Analyst, fixed term contract up to September 2027. Find out more and apply by 4th February. https://ow.ly/k9AH50Y0vHO

Apply to be the new Head of Research at L&W! In this role, you would lead innovative, impactful research and evaluation projects across our focus areas of employment and skills. 🔍 Think you'd be the right fit? Find out more and apply by 20 February. 📬

Head of Research: Qualitative Methods and Evaluation - Learning and Work Institute

learningandwork.org.uk

I don't really read the Evening Standard but they had an article "why don't we take free transport off older people and give to the young". Actually we don't to limit policy making to pitching ppl against each other (e.g. in Scotland there's free or discounted travel for both age groups).

I'll be contributing to the Academics Stand Against Poverty Webinar on 26th February 2026 (2:30-4pm) discussing social security and Welsh and Scot Elections alongside Richard Machin and @rodhick.bsky.social eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...

Academics Stand Against Poverty UK | Manifesto Audit

ASAP UK brings together a range of academics who have carried out a review of 9 key topics to consider the effectiveness of the public policy platforms in reducing poverty.

eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com

The SPA awards are now open for nominations in the categories below. Please get in touch if you have questions.

Social Policy Association@socialpolicyuk.bsky.social · 7mo ago

📣Nominations are open for the SPA 2026 awards for these categories: • Outstanding Achievement • Public Understanding • Outstanding Teaching • Richard Titmuss Book Prize social-policy.org.uk/what-we-do/a... Deadline closes at 5pm on 02/03/2026. Info: social-policy.org.uk/awards/the-s...

Join the Australian Social Policy Association at the University of Queensland for the 2026 Australian Social Policy Conference, 30 September — 2 October! Abstract deadline: Monday 2 February 2026 For more information, including the call for papers, please see their website: www.aspc2026.com.

Australian Social Policy Conference 2026

aspc2026.com

This is worth a read by Polly Mackenzie. It would be a useful teaching resource to kick off for a public policy seminar discussion: howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/there-aren...

There aren't any levers

A dead metaphor is killing the government's ability to get things done

howtorunacountry.substack.com

Good that UK govt wants to lift 550,000 children out of poverty. BUT 16m people, including 5.2m children, live in poverty. 24m people live below socially acceptable living standards. Can't end child poverty without tackling parental poverty. Can't do that without reforming capitalism.

To tackle child poverty the government must deal with parental poverty

Labour's child poverty strategy offers some welcome measures, but it won't address the factors keeping families trapped in poverty

leftfootforward.org

You can do this right now: Think of a person who wrote a paper you love, whose work influenced or helped you, or has made your professional life better. Search up their email address. Shoot them a quick email of thanks. It means so, so much. This is a rough time of year, share some joy.

There are 54 pieces in a Jenga set. Instead of picking just one as being the problem (staff strikes), what about the other 53? Some of which will be about underfunding, or the inefficiency of private providers and quasi-markets, or ineffective managerialism, or out of date training pathways

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 8mo ago

Christmas strikes could be ‘Jenga piece’ that collapses NHS, says Wes Streeting

Private equity curse. Company on Burnley bought by PE to cut staff by 90%. Loyalty counts for nothing. Typical PE business model - cut staff/wages, high debt, asset stripping, price hikes, sweat assets, profit shifting, tax abuse, extract high returns, move on to the next victim.

Exertis UK 'to cut 90% of its staff' in distribution business | AV Magazine

The move comes amid reports of issues with maintaining credit insurance just a month after the completion of a sale to private equity buyer Aurelius.

avinteractive.com

Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252: Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email. Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk

How getting home from work felt tonight #Edinburgh

a black and white photo of a man crawling in the mud

ALT: a black and white photo of a man crawling in the mud

media.tenor.com

The folks at the @uoe-sps.bsky.social "Centre for Doctoral Training in Designing Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world NLP" made me into a little supervisor flyer: media.licdn.com/dms/image/v2...