The Citizen Network Research, formerly the Centre for Welfare Reform is a Sheffield-based think tank which works globally on advancing citizenship for all.[1] It was launched in 2009, changed its name in 2022, and has published a range of materials offering progressive innovations in welfare reform. It is not linked to any particular political party but is aligned with progressive politics in the UK and also works internationally.[2][3] The Director and founder is Dr Simon Duffy.[4]

History

The Centre for Welfare Reform was founded by Dr Simon Duffy in 2009 and was registered as a private limited company on 18 May 2010. Much of the initial work of the centre was rooted in the reform of health and social care services and the implementation of self-directed support and innovations such as personal budgets.[5] However the work of the Centre extended in to most areas of social policy along with the centre's growing number of Fellows, who are independent contributors with a background in innovation, independent research or campaigning.

In 2010 the incoming UK Coalition Government introduced an austerity programme which included the biggest cuts in funding to the public sector since the creation of the welfare state and a series of changes in policy to social security systems and disability benefits.[6] The Centre became known as one of the most vocal critics of the Government's policies.[7][8] In particular the Centre published a number of reports which argued that the austerity programme was targeting cuts on disabled people and was in breach of the UK's human rights obligations.[9][10][11][12][13][14] In particular the Centre carried out a cumulative impact of the impact of the cuts and also proposed that the UK government should have carried out a similar impact assessment before beginning its austerity programme.[15][16] It was involved in a number of campaigns including the Campaign for a Fair Society, the Learning Disability Alliance and was one of the founders of Learning Disability England.[17]

in 2016 the centre launched the global cooperative Citizen Network and it began to work on establishing interconnected communities of people and organisations that are working on social innovations that advance citizenship for all. The centre is an advocate of Universal Basic Income and was one of the co-founders of the UBI Lab Network which connects people advocating for basic income.[18][19][20] The centre has also been the host for the Chronic Illness Inclusion Project which works to advance the interests of people with energy-limiting impairments.[21][22][23] In 2020 the centre launched the Neighbourhood Democracy Movement to advance grassroots democratic citizen action.

Research

The principal areas of research and action for the Centre for Welfare Reform have been reform of health and social care systems,[24][25] peer support,[26] the advance of inclusive education, basic income, austerity,[27] local government and constitutional reform.[28]

Publications

The centre's website includes over 1,000 publications in various forms. Some of the most important of its publications are:

  • A Fair Start (2010) - Possible reforms of care and support for disabled children from birth onwards
  • Personalised Transition (2010) - An innovative model for children leaving special education based on work in Sheffield
  • Personalisation in Mental Health (2010)
  • Positively Local (2011)
  • Women at the centre (2011)
  • Dying with Dignity (2011)
  • Peer Power (2012)
  • Local Area Coordination (2013)
  • Whose Community Is It Anyway? (2013)
  • No Going Back (2013)
  • The Unmaking of Man (2013)
  • Counting the Cuts (2014)
  • Who Cares? (2015)
  • People, Places, Possibilities (2015)[29]
  • Citizenship and the Welfare State (2016)
  • Love and Welfare (2016)
  • Heading Upstream (2017)
  • Cumulative Impact Assessment (2018)
  • UBI and Health (2018) Second Class Citizens (2019)
  • Know Your Place (2019)
  • Stories of Our Lives (2019)
  • Basic Income Plus (2020)
  • Closer to Home (2020)
  • Energy Impairment and Disability Inclusion (2020)

Funding

The Centre for Welfare Reform is funded by donations and by carrying out paid work for statutory and civil society organisations. Its outputs are published free of charge and much of its activity is carried out pro-bono.

References

  1. ↑ "A citizen thinktank working to create a world where everyone can be an equal citizen". Centre for Welfare Reform. Centre for Welfare Reform.
  2. ↑ Kelly, Fran (28 June 2013). "Disability care in the UK". ABC.
  3. ↑ McCullagh, Cassie (20 May 2016). "Are we NDIS ready?". ABC.
  4. ↑ Campbell, Lucy (2 March 2021). "Tory London mayor hopeful says basic income would be used for 'lots of drugs'". The Guardian.
  5. ↑ Duffy, Simon (30 January 2014). "Personalisation was supposed to empower vulnerable citizens. It failed". The Guardian.
  6. ↑ Pring, John (17 October 2019). "'Definitive' account of austerity decade 'provides evidence of government's shame'". Disability News Service.
  7. ↑ O'Hara, Mary (16 November 2015). "Austerity cuts are causing mental distress and are linked to rise in suicides professionals warn". The Independent.
  8. ↑ Fenton, Siobhan (31 August 2015). "UN investigating British Government over human rights abuses caused by IDS welfare reforms". The Independent.
  9. ↑ Duffy, Simon. "Counting the Cuts". Centre for Welfare Reform. Centre for Welfare Reform.
  10. ↑ Williams, Zoe (19 February 2014). "It's the cumulative impact of benefit cuts that is shocking". The Guardian.
  11. ↑ Duffy, Judith. "UN launches investigation into 'grave' violations of disabled people's human rights over welfare reforms". The Herald.
  12. ↑ O’Hara, Mary (16 September 2015). "The disability activist who called in the UN". The Guardian.
  13. ↑ "Welfare Reform and Work Bill". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 17 September 2015. col. 255–256.
  14. ↑ "UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 20 June 2018. col. 2105WH–106WH.
  15. ↑ "Welfare Reform (Sick and Disabled People)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 27 February 2014. col. 424–474.
  16. ↑ "Disability Support". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 19 December 2018. col. 923–947.
  17. ↑ McNicoll, Andy (25 February 2015). "Learning disability survey paints damning picture of coalition's track record". CommunityCare.
  18. ↑ "Shaun Bailey: Tory mayoral candidate says universal income would be used for drugs". BBC News. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  19. ↑ Bloom, Dan (2 March 2021). "People would blow Universal Basic Income on 'lots of drugs', top Tory claims". The Mirror.
  20. ↑ Evans, Albert (13 May 2019). "'Go to a food bank and tell them that': Tory MEP Dan Hannan challenged over poverty in the UK". The i.
  21. ↑ Pring, John (13 July 2017). "Project aims for inclusion and a collective voice for 'spoonies'". Disability News Service.
  22. ↑ Pring, John (5 July 2018). "Project offers new bridge between chronic illness community and disability movement". Disability News Service.
  23. ↑ Pring, John (30 April 2020). "'People with chronic illness face hostility and isolation', says pioneering report". Disability News Service.
  24. ↑ "ME Treatment and Research". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 21 June 2018. col. 204WH–205WH.
  25. ↑ Donovan, Tristan (10 August 2015). "'Core social work' approach offers better outcomes at reduced cost, says report". Community Care.
  26. ↑ O'Hara, Mary (12 June 2012). "'I wanted to ask: "What is it you want from social work?"". The Guardian.
  27. ↑ "Disabilities, Poverty and Inequalities". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 24 February 2016. col. 145WH–146WH.
  28. ↑ "Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield Combined Authority (Functions and Amendment) Order 2020". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Lords. 24 July 2020. col. 2504–2505.
  29. ↑ Donovan, Tristan (10 August 2015). "'Core social work' approach offers better outcomes at reduced cost, says report". Community Care.
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