Published 31st January 2022

Two Unit research projects have been successful in the University's annual MVLS Engagement Awards. 

Equally Safe at School (ESAS) is an intervention developed for secondary schools to help them take a whole school approach to preventing gender-based violence (GBV). The intervention was designed collaboratively by the Unit and Rape Crisis Scotland and and co-produced with schools. The team did evaluation research during the ESAS pilot and turned the findings into public engagement tools: an animated film, and interactive map of school challenges. The tools promote awareness and understanding of GBV in school, facilitate classroom discussions, and support engagement with the ESAS intervention.

The assessors described ESAS as an impressive, well-structured, and resourced engagement project. They commended the way the young people were involved in the co-design and the rigorous evaluation adopted by the team. The outputs including videos were powerful and likely to offer wider public impacts and benefits.

Creative Insights is an ESRC and AHRC-funded project which explores young people’s perspectives on health inequalities and produces creative outputs to inform engagement with policymakers. It brings together Unit researchers with diverse groups of young people, and creative partner organisations Impact Arts, Opera North, and Leeds Playhouse. The project involves exploring evidence around the causes and consequences of health inequalities and discussing potential policy solutions, pursuing those issues which young people prioritise as most important to their lives, communities, and peers.

The assessors said this project was well designed with good partnerships and clear outcomes offering young people an opportunity to comment on polices around health inequalities. They applauded the project’s rigorous evaluation and well evidenced impacts. It offers a good case study on nurturing partnerships for long term benefits.

 

First published: 31 January 2022

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