Impact at the School of Social Sciences

We believe our research should not only be excellent but also socially useful.

This was reflected in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) with Education placing 3rd in the UK for impact, underlining the standards of our research community.

Our research has a record of impacting upon public debate, policy development and practice based innovations, while our researchers have strong relationships with policy-makers and practitioners. They regularly work with the Welsh Government and other public agencies to enact real-life change for specific social issues and problems.

Highlights

Listening to survivors of child sexual exploitation

Dr Sophie Hallett’s pioneering research has made young people’s views integral to decisions on their care.

Transforming relationships and sex education in Wales, England, and internationally

Professor EJ Renold’s work has made sure the views of young people are central to new legislation and policies.

HateLab: Preventing the rising tide of hate crime and speech through influencing policy and policing

Influencing policy and policing through measuring and countering online hate speech and hate crime.

Evaluating the Foundation Phase curriculum

Reshaping the effective delivery of early years and primary education in Wales.

Protecting children's health through influencing tobacco policy

Our research championed the opinions and experiences of young people in Wales to inform legislation in the UK, Europe and New Zealand.

Improving the police response to domestic violence and abuse in the UK and EU

Our research helped break cycles of abuse by creating tools for more effective frontline policing.

Improving educational experiences for children in care

Our research is enhancing educational experiences for care experienced children and young people in Wales.

Past highlights

Supporting dental practices to make best use of the whole dental team

Developing self-evaluation tools to review skill-mix in dental teams.

School Health Research Network

Improving young people’s health and wellbeing in schools.

Developing measures of poverty

Helping governments monitor progress towards the global Sustainable Development Goals for poverty and nutrition.

Lace Project

LACE: Improving educational experiences and attainment of looked after children.

Improving the response to victims of violence

Our research has contributed to significant changes in the services afforded to victims of domestic and sexual violence.

ASSIST: A stop smoking in schools trial

Our DECIPHer-ASSIST programme is effectively tackling smoking uptake in UK schools.

Improving community policing

Pioneering research by the Universities' Police Science Institute (UPSI) has made police more effective at understanding and responding to crime and disorder.

Improving control over illicit money flows and recovering the proceeds of crime

Research by Professor Mike Levi provides one of the first rigorous empirical analyses of the scale of financial crime.