Welcome to the School of Social Policy, where our mission is to 'understand the world – but also to change it'. 

Fulfilling our mission means doing high quality, world-leading research, and then using this to make a practical difference to policy, to practice and to people’s lives.  We do this in different ways - through our teaching; through professional training and CPD for practitioners, managers and leaders; through policy advice and work in front-line services; through raising public and media awareness; and through working directly alongside local people and communities – but it’s this commitment to changing the world that drives us on.  It also fits with Joe Chamberlain’s vision of Birmingham as the first civic University, and to our current campus-wide commitment to ‘research that matters.’

Our contributions change over time as the policy context evolves, but we are playing a key role in: 

  • Equipping future public service workers and leaders with the skills to face new challenges and opportunities
  • Providing evidence to support health services management and organisation, and to enhance the quality and effectiveness of healthcare
  • Improving the leadership of the NHS and social care, and creating more compassionate, joined-up, person-centred services
  • Creating a sustainable system of adult social care, and helping to keep children safe
  • Reducing inequality and ending fuel, food and child poverty
  • Reducing the harms caused by criminal justice policy
  • Celebrating diversity and creating more cohesive communities
  • Intervening early to improve youth mental health
  • Valuing and supporting the work of charities and community groups

Also in 'College of Social Sciences'