Graduate Student, Department of Social and Policy Sciences
Thesis Title: An analysis of the treatment of informal care as a social risk in England
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Dr Emma Carmel
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About
Current research
I am a second year PhD student at the University of Bath, studying in the social and policy science department. The focus of my PhD is on the treatment of informal care by states, specifically in relation to the care of older people. The majority of dependent older people rely on informal care to meet their care needs. For many informal care-givers the activity of providing care to their family members and friends can place them at risk of experiencing poverty and welfare loss. However, the extent to which they experience these risks can be affected by their age, income level and the level of care which they provide.
In my study I will be analysing the long-term care policies found in England. The objective of my research is to consider two issues which will require me to use a mixed methods approach. Firstly, I will analyse how the welfare state treats the needs of different types of informal care-givers through their care policies. I will undertake quantitative research using a policy simulation tool which I have developed in order to analyse which informal care-givers are eligible to receive state support in the form of cash transfer schemes, care services and employment related measures, together with their level of entitlement. By analysing care policies and their associated governance arrangements in this way I hope to assess the adequacy and equity of long-term care policies across different types of informal care-givers. The research tool I am developing is based on a comparative design and could subsequently be applied to other national contexts. Secondly, I will seek to consider how far and in what ways these policies reveal the state to recognise informal care-giving as a social risk which requires public support and protection. In order to achieve this I will conduct interpretive policy analysis using the qualitative research tools of document analysis and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders.
Background
I completed my BA Social Work and DipSW degree in 1998. I spent the next ten years working as a social worker in various local authorities in England, including in community care teams for older people and younger adults with disabilities and mental health problems. I also worked for several years as an Education Welfare Officer working with children and their families. In 2009 I completed an MSc in International Social Policy at the University of Bath. Prior to starting my PhD in 2010, I undertook two internships. These involved providing research assistance to the Social Policy and Development Research Co-ordinator at UNRISD, Geneva, and the Policy and Evidence Team at HelpAge International, London.
