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Dynamic Impacts of Welfare Conditionality on Vulnerable Groups: Insights from Qualitative Longitudinal Research

This study delves into the effects of welfare conditionality on vulnerable populations through in-depth qualitative longitudinal research. Examining the intersections of sanctions and support, the efficacy and ethical implications of conditional welfare practices are explored. The methodology involves extensive fieldwork, including interviews with policymakers, focus groups with practitioners, and multiple interviews with service users over a three-year period. Reflections from previous research on employability in homeless resettlement provide valuable insights into longitudinal study design, ethical considerations, participant access, power dynamics, safety protocols, and strategies for maintaining participant engagement and rapport. The study also contemplates challenges in capturing and analyzing changes over time in participants' lives. Reflexive practices and flexibility in research approaches are highlighted for the ongoing phases of the project.

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Dynamic Impacts of Welfare Conditionality on Vulnerable Groups: Insights from Qualitative Longitudinal Research

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  1. Tracking change in the lives of ‘vulnerable’ groups: Reflections on doing Qualitative Longitudinal Research (QLR) Jenny McNeill

  2. Research Context • Combinations of sanctions and support- what, if any, impact on changing behaviours? • Welfare increasingly conditional on behaving in certain ways (eg job-seeking) • What is the efficacy and ethicality of welfare conditionality?

  3. Fieldwork plans • 40 interviews with policy makers • 24 focus groups with practitioners • 1440 interviews with 9 groups of service users in 9 cities in England and Scotland over 3 years (480 participants each interviewed 3 times)

  4. Reflections from PhD research (2007-2011) “The role of employability in the resettlement of single homeless people” • Longitudinal design: Interviews with 30 homeless/formerly homeless people. • Interviewed twice with 9 month gap between interviews. • Revisited research diary- methodological & ethical challenges faced.

  5. ‘Access’ issues • Use of gatekeepers in recruitment. Obligation? • Gaining informed consent over time. Consent as a process- needing renewal (Neale, 2012) • How to maintain contact with participants? • Intrusion and neglect (Neale, 2011; 2012) • ‘Collateral contacts’ (Hobden et al, 2011) • Using social media to sustain contact?

  6. ‘Power’ issues • Building relationships over time most effective means of minimising attrition (Killien and Newton, 1990) • Building rapport- concern when life for participants doesn’t go as well as they had hoped (account for attrition? Thomson & Holland, 2003) • Therapeutic value of interviews • Control over interview structure by participants (Thomson & Holland, 2003)

  7. ‘Safety’ issues • Lone working protocols • Dealing with the unexpected • Confidentiality & ‘Safeguarding’- disclosure of harm to themselves or others- how and when to report? • Ensuring de-briefing & support available after interviews

  8. Thoughts for next stages of project • Research team- poses challenges & opportunities. Reflexive practice (Pillow, 2003; Henwood, 2008) • Flexibility- change to sample & analysis • Analytical difficulties of capturing change over time (Corden and Millar, 2007). Interviewees rarely recount life events chronologically (Smith & Ravenhill, 2004). How to capture change? Timelines?

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