*White Rose Social Science Doctoral Training Centre* Universities of Leeds, Sheffield & York * * *ESRC funded PhD Studentship* * * *Project:* *Working Across Agency Boundaries: Parents with learning disabilities* *Network:* Social Work and Social Change: Crossing Boundaries *Supervisors:* Dr Kathy Boxall, Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield Dr Angharad Beckett, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds *Award** begins:* October 2012 *Contact details for further information on project:* Dr Kathy Boxall Tel: 0114 222 6413 Email: [log in to unmask] *Background* This project is part of an ESRC<http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding-and-guidance/funding-opportunities/looking-for-funding/index.aspx>funded White Rose Doctoral Training Centre<http://whiterose-social-science-doctoral-training-centre.ac.uk/>Social Work Network<http://whiterose-social-science-doctoral-training-centre.ac.uk/content/white-rose-esrc-networks>of three studentships, each of which will address an issue where citizens and service users encounter boundaried responses by the state. The *Working Across Agency Boundaries: Parents with learning disabilities* studentship will be based in the Department of Sociological Studies<http://www.shef.ac.uk/socstudies>at the University of Sheffield and will involve working in Leeds with CHANGE <http://www.change-people.co.uk/> (an organisation of people with learning disabilities campaigning for equal rights) as well as with social workers across the region. The PhD student will participate in White Rose Doctoral Training Centre core training in foundations of research and quantitative and qualitative methods at the University of Sheffield and will also be able to enrol on social work related modules such as Children, Families and Welfare States, and Critical Perspectives on Childhood and Youth. In addition, the student will also be a member of the Centre for Disability Studies <http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/> at the University of Leeds and will be able to ‘audit’ existing modules on the MA Disability Studies. *The PhD project* Working with an Advisory Group of parents with learning disabilities at CHANGE, the PhD student will develop a range of participatory and qualitative methods and skills to explore – *from the standpoint of parents with learning disabilities – *the perspectives and practises of social workers when undertaking joint work across the boundary between children’s and adults’ services. The studentship will develop conceptual and theoretical approaches to understanding the perspectives of parents with learning disabilities and social workers from children’s and adults’ services and will make recommendations in this increasingly important area of social work policy and practice. Thus the studentship will contribute to the theoretical and practical knowledge-base in both social work and disability studies. *The successful applicant will probably have a social work qualification and some experience of working with or supporting adults with learning disabilities.* * * Before applying for a studentship, you must first apply for a PhD with the Department of Sociological Studies<http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/socstudies/ppr/applying/apply>, University of Sheffield. Once you’ve received an Application Number, you can then apply for the *Working Across Agency Boundaries* studentship via the University Scholarships Application Process<http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/scholarships/process>. * * *Both applications must be submitted by 5:00pm 3rd February 2012*. -- Kathy Boxall Department of Sociological Studies University of Sheffield Elmfield Northumberland Road Sheffield S10 2TU Tel: 0114 222 6413 Email: [log in to unmask] ________________End of message________________ This Disability-Research Discussion list is managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds (www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies). Enquiries about list administration should be sent to [log in to unmask] Archives and tools are located at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html You can VIEW, POST, JOIN and LEAVE the list by logging in to this web page.