The Just Futures Research Centre is an internationally renowned centre of excellence for innovative research that seeks to make a difference in response to contemporary social problems affecting children, young people, their families and communities. Established for over 25 years, the Centre is a dynamic space for innovating thinking and practice and enabling learning for change in organisations and communities.

The Centre comprises a multi-disciplinary team of highly regarded academics from across the University drawn from areas including social work, health, social policy, sociology, geography, political science, psychology and education. The Centre hosts a vibrant postgraduate research community including students from overseas in fully equipped state of the art facilities.

We are committed to collaborative research that seeks to make a difference, which means that our work is participant-focused, practice-based, policy relevant and has real-world impact.

We seek to involve professionals, as well as children, youth and families as research partners using innovative, creative and participatory methodologies to support learning for change. Through our work we create opportunities for dialogue, learning and reflection as well as theoretical and methodological development to build capacity for change in organisations, communities and public service systems.

Our aim is to enhance understanding and generate new knowledge and evidence-informed changes in policies and practices in order to promote just, equitable and sustainable lives for children, young people in their families and communities.

The Centre has expertise in service evaluation and improvement projects, knowledge exchange and public engagement working with local authorities, NHS trusts, community and voluntary sector organisations, schools and government policy initiatives, using knowledge effectively to inform developments in policy and practice. Centre staff are experienced in coproduction, participatory action research and public engagement for maximizing impact from research.

Thus, our vision is located very firmly in a commitment to work together to understand the challenges and co-produce the solutions that will be needed to bring about more just futures.

Just futures - Official Website