Publications

Read our recent publications and submissions from Nottingham Civic Exchange and associates.

Nottingham Civic Exchange aims to be the place to influence debate and discussion, we co-produce research and expert comment with NTU academics on a wealth of topics and share this information here.

Reports

Car Wash Code of Practice Project Report: Home Office Modern Slavery Prevention Fund

Working alongside the Responsible Car Wash Scheme (RCWS) the Work, Informalisation and Place Research Centre undertook a research project to explore how the Code of Practice developed by the RCWS could make a difference to hand car wash sites in three distinct areas across the United Kingdon in partnership with a selection of agencies. The full report and summary are available here.

Teresa Sayers, Nidhi Sharma, Jack Barratt, Rich Pickford and Ian Clark
October 2022

Non-compliance, informal working and the Covid-19 pandemic: Implications for modern slavery in the UK

This report written as part of a research grant from the Modern Slavery & Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre/AHRC explores the links between labour market regulatory non-compliance and the impacts of Covid-19.

James Hunter, Ian Clark, Rich Pickford, Jack Barratt and Nidhi Sharma
July 2022

Can hand car washes be improved? An Intervention Evaluation with the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority and Responsible Car Wash Scheme

This report and summary bring together learning from an evaluation of intervention approaches to non-compliant practice across four local authority areas in England.

Rich Pickford, Nidhi Sharma, Jack Barratt, Ian Clark and James Hunter
July 2022

Making Votes-at-16 Work in Wales

This research report led by Christine Huebner provides a comprehensive look into how the pioneering generation enfranchised to vote at age 16 in Wales experienced the 2021 Senedd election and analyses what can be learnt for young people’s engagement in future elections and youth political engagement in Wales.

Christine Huebner, Katherine A. Smith, Tom Loughran, Andy Mycock and Jan Eichhorn.
November 2021

Technical Breakthrough: Delivering Britain's Higher Level Skills

Edward Peck argues that most of the renewed investment in technical skills should be delivered by universities and especially new universities like his own, Nottingham Trent. He makes an imaginative pitch for a repurposing of parts of higher education and for something like the reinvention of “applied universities”, the old polytechnics in new form.

Edward Peck, Rich Pickford and Will Rossiter
November 2020

Decent and Good Work in the Platform Economy: Private Hire and Taxi Work in Nottingham

This report by the Work Futures Research Group identified a complex set of insecurities and vulnerabilities facing drivers, including a lack of protection and rapid changes driven by the growth of online platforms. The research took place in Nottingham and involved in-depth interviews with individuals from four local drivers’ organisations, the City Council, and an organisation supporting students on nights out which relies on the use of taxis.

Tom Vickers, David Dahill and Dominic Holland with Daniel King, Sharon Hutchings, Laura Garius and Jack Rendall (supported by Nottingham Civic Exchange)
June 2020

The Value of Breaks for Ordinary Working Families: an exploratory study

This report brings together in-depth interviews, a literature review and policy recommendations to look at the value of access to holidays for Ordinary Working Families. Written as part of the Out of the Ordinary programme it helps to understand the lived experience of Ordinary Working Families.

Paula Black, Rachel Harding, Jason Pandya-Wood and Atif Shafique
June 2019

Setting the foundations for healthy work and workplaces

The authors believe that if the foundation principles of healthy work and workplaces are in place, any specific initiatives and activities to enable workplace wellbeing have stronger chances of succeeding. This working document explores these foundations for healthy work and workplaces.

Maria Karanika-Murray, John Hudson, Nadine Mellor, Rich Pickford, Tom Vickers, Zara Whysall, Sarah Pass and Emileigh Horton
May 2019

Laying the Foundations of a Good Work City: Mapping Nottingham's Employment

This report – Laying the Foundations of a Good Work City – provides a clear, contemporary and regionalised understanding of employment. Written as part of the Good Work Nottingham programme it helps to set the scene for further debate and discussion.

Chris Lawton, Rich Pickford, Jack Rendall and Daniel Wheatley
March 2019

Addressing Economic Insecurity

This report makes the case that economic insecurity is a political, economic and societal challenge that public policy must understand and address. This report develops the policy background surrounding our Out of the Ordinary programme of work and helped to inspire our Good Work programme.

Atif Shafique
January 2018

D2N2 Inclusive Growth Plan: Considerations for the Strategic Economic Plan

With NTU's Economic Strategy Research Bureau and the RSA, we produced a report highlighting the potential of taking an inclusive growth model for the LEPs new Strategic Economic Plan.

Paula Black, Jonathan Schifferers and Will Rossiter
November 2017

The technicalities of Out of the Ordinary income and earnings data

Following the publication of our first report from Out of the Ordinary, we are publishing a more detailed technical paper which showcases the detail behind this first reports work on income and earnings.

Chris Lawton and Rich Pickford
August 2017

Out of the Ordinary

Exploring the lives of ordinary working families. Our first report sheds light on the circumstances families face.

Paula Black, Sarah Burton, James Hunter, Chris Lawton, Rich Pickford and Daniel Wheatley
June 2017

Parliamentary Evidence

E-Scooters: follow-up

This submission responds to an additional inquiry by the Transport Select Committee into E-Scooter use in the UK. Dr Petya Ventsislavova shares research insights responding to the Terms of Reference from this inquiry.

Dr Petya Ventsislavova, Dr Grace Harvey and Rich Pickford
Transport Select Committee - January 2023

Supporting Vulnerable Adolescents

This submission outlines the response to the PACs inquiry into vulnerable adolescents in the UK based on research by Dr Frances Howard with and about young people which challenges deficit models of provision and challenges a number of narratives expressed in the inquiries terms of reference.

Dr Frances Howard and Rich Pickford
Public Accounts Committee - November 2022

Access to emergency services

This submission shared experiences from over 290 years of bluelight research alongside reflections from secondments through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Rowena Hill and Rich Pickford
Public Services Committee (HoLs) - October 2022

Public opinion and understanding of sentencing

This submission outlines the response to an inquiry into sentencing in the UK. The evidence presented to the committee shared expertise on life sentencing by Mr Scott. It was developed with support from Grace Harvey and Rich Pickford.

Simon Scott
Justice Committee - September 2022

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

This submission outlines the views of Dr Wardle and Dr Gee building on their expertise in careers research at NTU. It provides a response to a selection of the inquiries questions alongside a set of recommendations for developing CEIAG in the UK.

Dr Lisa Wardle, Dr Ricky Gee and Rich Pickford
Education Select Committee - March 2022

Public Transport in Towns and Cities

This submission outlines the research on taxi and private hire vehicles and their role in transport in Uk towns and cities. It has a specific focus on the experiences of drivers and local authority staff.

Dr Tom Vickers and Rich Pickford
Built Environment Committee (HoLs)- March 2022

Critical National Infrastructure and Climate Adaptation Inquiry

This submission outlines the research and policy engagement work of Hill and Pickford relating to bluelight and civil contingencies work in the UK related to climate adaptation.

Dr Rowena Hill and Rich Pickford
The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS) - January 2022

Risk Assessment and Risk Planning Committee

This submission focusses on the argument to widen the assessment of risk to incorporate the interaction and cascade of impacts in aggregation rather than in isolation. Steps to successfully widen the assessment, planning and management of risk is considered, including a review of practitioners' perspective that emergencies are increasing in frequency and complexity, are becoming protracted in length, more cascade impacts are resulting from risks, and consequentially the capability of critical infrastructure is being significantly challenged.

Dr Rowena Hill and Rich Pickford
Lords Select Committee - November 2021

Mental Health in Prisons

This submission outlines the work of Professor Karen Slade relating to the support and screening of individuals in and out of custodial sentences with singular or multiple mental health conditions written from her academic experiences.

Professor Karen Slade and Rich Pickford
Justice Select Committee - May 2021

National Security Machinery Inquiry

This submission outlines our reflections on the questions posed by the joint committee on national strategy and systems through our work before and during a secondment to the C19 National Foresight Group in 2020 related to Covid-19 and other civil emergencies.

Dr Rowena Hill, Rich Pickford and Adam Potter
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee) - February 2021

Biosecurity and National Security Inquiry

This submission outlines the main themes and overall findings from our range of work developing foresight for the UK Government and Civil Contingencies Community. It was submitted to the biosecurity and national security inquiry (Joint Committee). Evidence from this submission was quoted in the final report from the committee in December 2020.

Dr Rowena Hill and Rich Pickford
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee) - September 2020

Coronavirus Impact on Transport Inquiry

This submission outlines the impacts of Covid-19 on taxi and private hire drivers exploring how employment and working conditions have aligned to the challenges of the pandemic to cause distress and suffering. The insights of this submission are based on interviews with drivers, Union officials and Council workers and is part of wider work on precarity, the future of work and the platform economy.

Dr Tom Vickers and Rich Pickford
Transport Select Committee - September 2020

Sub-Saharan Africa - Prosperity, Peace and Development Co-operation Inquiry

In partnership with Makerere University, this submission highlights the value of deep partnership working for the prosperity of the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa but sharing some key findings from the relationship between both universities to explore community and public health programmes and research.

Dr Linda Gibson, Deborah Ikhile, and Rich Pickford
House of Lords Food, Poverty, Health and the Environment Committee - January 2020

Food, Poverty, Health and the Environment Inquiry

Furthering academic research on foodbanks, stigma and social identity this submission aims to share our academic view on food, hunger and insecurity for foodbank users

Dr Mhairi Bowe, Dr Juliet Wakefield and Rich Pickford
House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee - January 2020

Holiday Poverty Inquiry

Building on our report exploring the experiences of Ordinary Working Families and short breaks this submission sets out a series of recommendations to improve families access to short breaks.

Family Holiday Association and Rich Pickford
The Work and Pensions Committee - September 2019

Electronic Waste and the Circular Economy Inquiry

This submission argues for the need to develop more circular methods of production and re-use including tax reform for repairing, improved labelling, collection business model development and consideration of more circular build models for products

Professor Tim Cooper, Dr Matthew Watkins, Tung Dao and Rich Pickford
The Environmental Audit Committee - September 2019

Road Safety Inquiry

This submission highlights a vulnerable often under-represented road users and identified the needs of these users for road safety. Our submission to the Road Safety Inquiry argues for a national framework to explore mobility scooter user training and for enhanced governmental guidance and legislation.

Dr Duncan Guest and Rich Pickford
The Transport Select Committee - April 2019

Welfare Safety Net Inquiry

Building on our report on to the UN Special Rapporteur this submission shares insights of research into foodbanks across Nottingham. It calls on the Government to record and monitor foodbank use and outlines the four main reasons people visit foodbanks. This submission also showcases the stigma associated with foodbank use and shares that users visit foodbanks as a last resort.

Dr Mhairi Bowe, Dr Juliet Wakefield and Rich Pickford
The Work and Pensions Committee - April 2019

The Mental Health of Men and Boys Inquiry

This submission highlights a number of key considerations surrounding the mental health of men and boys. Notably, males are more likely to talk about emotions if they are supporting others, females partners act as a support for vulnerable males, men in the criminal justice system are at an increased risk of suicide and self-harm than the general population. CBT and mindfulness can be effective tools. Finally, there are no agreed approaches, pathways or interventions systems within the Police and Court systems to support individuals.

Dr Karen Slade, Dr Sarah Seymour-Smith and Professor Carrie Paechter
Women and Equalities Committee - March 2019

Welfare Safety Net Inquiry

Dr Machin's submission based on his research highlights that systemic failings in the current welfare system are a significant factor in the hardship and deprivation experienced by benefit claimants.

Dr Richard Machin
The Work and Pensions Committee - December 2018

Sustainability of the Fashion Industry Inquiry

This submission builds on research at NTU which identifies that fast fashion is having an impact on consumer demand which is increasing the supply of unwanted garments in other countries harming their clothing industries. Whilst the submission welcomes the use of garment recovery initiatives it calls for a speedier adoption of this practice. It also argues that deeper policy levers are required to enhance the use of circular design and build methods to enhance the lifecycle of clothing.

Professor Tim Cooper, Dr Lyn Oxborrow, Stella Claxton and Rich Pickford
The Environmental Audit Committee - September 2018

Forensic Science Inquiry

Dr Miller's evidence argues for the increased adoption of stomach content analysis to improve forensic science outcomes by greatly improving time of death estimations. Her submission also argues that this technique should become part of the common forensic scientists’ toolkit to help improve forensic outcomes.

Dr Jennifer Miller and Rich Pickford
The Lords Science and Technology Committee - September 2018

The Changing Arctic inquiry

This submission argues the government needs to adopt legislation to reduce plastics production, and improve the management of plastics during their lifecycle and support the development of a mechanism and financial support to facilitate the removal of legacy plastics from the oceans, including the Arctic ocean. The development of a Plastic Fund to tackle the legacy plastic issue in the world's oceans is also explored.

Professor Elizabeth Kirk and Rich Pickford
The Environmental Audit Committee - June 2018

Sustainable seas inquiry

The submission sets out priority pollutants and the impact they are having on the marine environment. It sets out proposals for government-led responses to this pollution. Plastics are highlighted as a key challenge and proposals are laid out for the adoption of further legislation to tackle pollution from plastics.

Professor Elizabeth Kirk and Rich Pickford
The Environmental Audit Committee - May 2018

Sustainable seas inquiry

The researcher proposes that the issue of access and benefit-sharing of marine genetic resources in ABNJ should be dissociated from the future instrument under UNCLOS. They also argue that we need to explore a range of alternative options for the elaboration of an access and benefit-sharing regime for marine genetic resources in ABNJ, including through a non-legally binding instrument in the form of a declaration or protocol.

Oliver Yambo (MERGeR Research Assistant) and Rich Pickford
The Environmental Audit Committee - May 2018

Hand Car Washes

This submission outlines the latest research on informal work in the hand car wash industry. It argues for a place-based licensing scheme for hand car washes and shares a number of routes forward for policymakers.

Professor Ian Clark and Rich Pickford
The Environmental Audit Committee - May 2018

Online abuse and the experience of disabled people

The submission calls for a simplification of reporting of abuse and for the inclusion of incitement to hatred to include disability as a characteristic. We also explore how the government should support the internet to be a safe and supportive space for all.

Dr Loretta Trickett and Rich Pickford
The Petitions Committee - April 2018

Impact of social media and screen-use on young people's health

The evidence calls on a range of support professionals such as teachers, carers and social workers to increase their understanding of social media platforms and to recognise the impact use and abuse of these tools can have especially in regards to cyber bullying. The team also call for more research into social media in regards to mental health and bullying.

Associate Professor Lucy Betts, Dr Sarah Buglass, Dr Eiman Kanjo, Clare Lushey, Professor Carrie Paechter and Ella Worthington
The Science and Technology Committee - March 2018

Sexual harassment of women and girls in public places

Built on two strands of research this submission makes the case for a better understanding of harassment from the victims' perspectives, a more detailed review on criminalising such behaviour and a requirement to better showcase where support can be found for those at risk or experiencing street-based sexual harassment.

Associate Professor Lucy Betts, Rachel Harding, Dr Sheine Peart, Dr David Wright and Dr Loretta Trickett, Nottingham Trent University, and Catarina Sjolin, University of Leicester
The Women and Equalities Committee - February 2018

Older people and employment inquiry

Within this evidence, we highlight best practice from academia is shared which highlights that specific older worker approaches are not always required in supporting older works to remain in the workplace. The main focus of this submission revolves around the need to explore and deliver good management practices for all workers. The need to understand and support re-training is also discussed.

Associate Professor Maria Karanika-Murray and Rich Pickford
The Women and Equalities Committee - November 2017

Alternative provision inquiry

The team challenges the inquiry to consider that all alternative education providers are OFSTED assessed and that all staff are supported towards gaining QTS status. They also suggest the Government maps the qualification profile within alternative provision staff Additional evidence is shared on the alternative provision provided within medical settings.

Professor Carrie Paechter, Matt Varley, Steven Sharp and Dr Chris Rolph from Nottingham Trent University, and Eleanor Tweedie from Children's Hospital School Queens Medical Centre and City
The Education Committee - November 2017

Citizens and civic engagement inquiry

The submission sets out the key issues surrounding young people and political engagement and argues for the lowering of voting age to 16. It makes the case against a focus on compulsory voting requirements in the UK and also shares a desire to see enhanced civic education for young people especially at Key Stage 2 level.

Professor Matt Henn, Dr Jason Pandya-Wood and Rich Pickford
Lords Committee on Citizenship and Civic Engagement - October 2017

Future of supported housing inquiry

This submission shares analysis of UK Crime Survey Data highlights that supported housing tenants may suffer increased crime risks. It argues provision for reducing this risk should be considered within the inquiry and specific focus should be made for a number of identified groups.

Professor Andromachi Tseloni and Rich Pickford
The Work & Pensions and Communities & Local Government Committees - May 2017

Policing for the future

This submission highlights gaps in capacity and capability of the police on issues surrounding hate, misogyny, vulnerability and police training and awareness of these issues. It identifies that perspectives of victims and perpetrators should be examined along with reflections from police officers. It also identifies areas of stress we have uncovered and provides a series of recommendations we’d like to see taken forward through reform to training and service delivery for Police Officers

Dr Loretta Trickett, Dr Paul Hamilton and Rich Pickford
Home Affairs Committee Inquiry - May 2017

Oral Evidence Submissions

Following written evidence submissions we have supported NTU researchers who have been invited to provide oral evidence to Parliamentary Select Committees. We work with our colleagues to support them during this process and can help to ensure research and recommendations are presented in the best manner.

Professor Ian Clark

Professor Clark was questioned about research undertaken on hand car washes across the East Midlands. His in-depth research provided crucial evidence to the inquiry and his evidence was extensively quoted in the report from the Environmental Audit Committee. Alongside Social Science colleagues Ian's work has developed a wider impact and is helping to inform additional civil service strategy on the informal economy. The research on hand car washes continues to develop and will hopefully be submitted as an impact case study for REF 2021.

Associate Professor Lucy Betts

Dr Betts was asked to share her expertise with the Science and Technology Committee when they explored the impact of social media and screen use on young people's health. Lucy represented a wide body of research from across NTU during this session. Lucy has gone on to provide a range of research informed insights on cyber bullying to different stakeholders.

Associate Professor Loretta Trickett

Nottingham Civic Exchange has supported Dr Trickett to share her expertise with numerous inquiries relating to her research areas. Most recently she shared her expertise with the Hate Crime and Its Violent Consequences Inquiry from the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Antisemitism Inquiry which was run by the Women and Equalities Committee.

Professor Andromachi Tseloni

Professor Tseloni has extensive experience in providing evidence to parliamentary committees. Nottingham Civic Exchange supported her oral submission to the Policing for the Future Inquiry by the Home Affairs Committee. Professor Tseloni is currently working with the Home Office and her research was recognised by the ONS for its powerful use of research in 2019.

Journal Articles and Conference Presentations

A ‘place-based’ approach to work and employment: The end of reciprocity for ordinary working families and ‘giggers’ in a place

The authors define ‘place basing’ as the study of work and employment in a particular place. They are interested in understanding the limitations of work opportunities therein and so focus on workers and jobs that are not subject to the threat of off-shoring or relocation elsewhere but which are low paid and insecure. The authors theorize three contributions to new knowledge that flow from a place-based study of work and employment by demonstrating how precarious flexible often zero hour work eschews reciprocity between employer and employees and workers. They focus their research on ordinary working families and the ‘permissive visibility’ of bad work. The research points to an idealized model of individual and family economic functioning that is able to cope with physical and mental challenges individually without burdening the state. As the findings on workers and households demonstrate, this ideal is far from the reality they experience.

Clark, I., Lawton, C., Stevenson, S., Vickers, T. and Dahill, D.
Economic and Industrial Democracy - August 2020

How do licensing regimes limit worker interests? Evidence from informal employment in Britain

Informalized workplaces are a growing presence in the UK: for example, hand car washes frequently house informalized low-wage, precarious workers who are paid less than the minimum wage and who experience other forms of labour market exploitation. These ‘new’ forms of work and the related informalisation of work appear to challenge the embedded interplay between formal institutions and agency. This article advances three areas of discussion. Firstly, what enables informalized workplaces to remain apparently unregulated? Secondly, in contrast to other locations why is there is no collective hybrid form of representation and resistance at car washes in the UK? Thirdly, how do licensing schemes for car washes have the potential to marginalize worker interests?

Clark, I., Hunter, J., Pickford, R. and Fearnall-Williams, H.
Economic and Industrial Democracy - February 2020

Fragmentation but no solidarity! Grey zones of hand car washing across middle England

Ian Clark, Huw Fearnall-Williams, James Hunter, Rich Pickford and Ben Reynolds
37th International Labour Process Conference - April 2019

How do licensing regimes displace labour law and trade unions?

Ian Clark, Huw Fearnall-Williams, James Hunter, Rich Pickford and Ben Reynolds
37th International Labour Process Conference - April 2019

Abandoned spaces and technology displacement by labour: the case of hand car washes

The diffusion of hand car washes is in contradistinction to vogue arguments about automation and new technology. However, what is absent from the literature is a focus on abandoned spaces as a capitalist commodity and the displacement of technology by labour which is particularly associated with the emergence of low- cost informalised areas of work that occupy and self- regulate these spaces. The contribution of this research to new knowledge is a theoretically informed empirical derivation of abandoned spaces which low- cost businesses such as hand car washes occupy to inform two research propositions; one, the spatial dimension to abandoned spaces derives from economic restructuring from above; this restructuring informs restructuring from below rather than as an independent development of migrant- dominated sectors of work and employment such as hand car washes. Two, that the application of new technology can be displaced by, operates in conjunction with or relies on low-cost labour-intensive providers where labour practices tend towards informalisation.

Ian Clark
New Technology, Work and Employment - October 2018

Policy Briefings,Commission and Consultation responses

Alongside engagement with Parliament and Government Departments Nottingham Civic Exchange also coordinates and supports submissions to relevant Commissions and Consultations. We also provide guidance on creating and sharing policy briefings and infographics based on NTU research.

Response to UKIPO Open Consultation Artificial Intelligence: Call for Views

Associate Professor Dr J Denoncourt’s response to UK Intellectual Property Office Open Consultation Artificial Intelligence published on 23 March 2021. She considers the role the patent system plays in encouraging the development of AI technologies. She advocates the UK should aspire to be a leader in ‘ethical safe and inclusive AI’. Dr Denoncourt supports a ‘cautious approach' to designating AI systems as a non-human inventor as the patent law system does not operate in isolation.

Janice Denoncourt
March 2021

If you would like support to share your work with Parliament, engage with a Commission or enhance the difference your research can make please get in touch.

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Nottingham Civic Exchange

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