Centre for Social and Health Research (CSHR)
The Centre for Social and Health Research (CSHR) is a multi-disciplinary Research Centre based within the University of Salford. Our work seeks to understand the complex challenges facing people, communities, services and places and create innovative responses. We are engaged in work which aims to alleviate health and social injustices and bring about positive change through engaged research and practice.
The CSHR approach is grounded in principles of collaboration, co-production and critical analysis in order to support the development positive changes in health, wellbeing and society.
Clients, commissioners and funders include international and national funding agencies, government departments and agencies, local authorities, charities and foundations, international organisations, and the private sector. We offer research expertise covering a wide range of qualitative, quantitative, digital and experimental methods, evaluation, policy advice and guidance, and consultancy.
For further information on the Centre for Social and Health Research please visit our dedicated website at hub.salford.ac.uk/health-and-society-research/home-page/centre-for-social-and-health-research/.
Contact CSHR
Centre for Social and Health Research (CSHR)
University of Salford
Mary Seacole Building
Frederick Road Campus
Salford
M6 6PU
United Kingdom
Director CSHR: Professor Alison Brettle
E-mail: a.brettle@salford.ac.uk
Our Impact
CSHR works with partners in our local area, within the United Kingdom and from across the globe. We believe in co-producing wellbeing, delivering better health and social care and improving society. We focus on providing evidence-based research and engaging in the transfer of knowledge which helps to ensure a more equitable future for all. Our research also feeds directly into learning through our various programmes, training and CPD opportunities with practitioners.
Collaboration
Our work transcends academia and leads to productive engagement with a wide range of public, private, and third sector organisations, and collaboration with people. We connect with governments, industry, local municipalities, health and welfare providers, the voluntary sector, civil society and other academic institutions. For instance, researchers in the Sustainable Housing & Urban Studies Unit (SHUSU) have been asked by Salford City Council to lead an Anti-Poverty Taskforce to help the local authority better understand the lived experience of poverty and formulate meaningful responses.
Partnerships
We have a number of close partnerships with organisations working in the health sector, housing, criminal justice and digital industries. Partnerships with organisations such as the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, local authorities, health providers, housing organisations and criminal justice agencies all ensure we are grounded locally. In addition, we have major international partnerships in a number of countries including Uganda, Norway, Australia, the United States and South America. We routinely work closely with academic and industry colleagues in Europe.
Transnational research
CSHR achieves global research impact which improves the lives of people across the world. Our globally-respected researchers have developed positive health, social and cultural change at local, regional, national and international levels. For instance, our researchers in Knowledge, Health and Place have been working on improving health care and services in Uganda. One project led to a Ugandan Maternal and Newborn Hub being formed which focused on improving maternal and newborn healthcare in order to reduce the high levels of morbidity and mortality in these areas in Uganda. The programme is also being used to educate local and global students through evaluating scenario-based teaching models to help students develop a holistic, empathetic approach to care.
Funding
CSHR receives funding from a range of funders and donors such as: international agencies, the European Union, the UK Research Councils, British Council, private sector, major charities, the NHS and a range of local and regional partners. We invest our significant annual research income in activities that aim to make a positive difference to health, social, and individual outcomes.
Engaging with policy
Knowledge exchange into policy is a key dimension of our work and is embedded in all our research processes, our research environment and our objectives from the inception of projects and throughout. We engage in the national Making Research Count initiative to link research findings with the challenge of integrated health, housing and social care. Our work has featured in reports by international agencies, the UK government, Hansard and local government. Many of our projects, from the outset, are co-developed alongside policy makers and practitioners. Our experts have been seconded to national government departments, appointed as specialist advisors and routinely asked to present their work to policy actors.