Resources

What is the research about?

We are asking separated parents, who are not the main carer but look after one or more of their children some of the time, to take part in online discussion groups to talk about what people in this situation need in order to have an acceptable standard of living.

We have been doing research on living standards since 2006 looking at the needs and costs for different household types. So far, our work has focussed on the needs of adults living on their own or parents who have children living with them all of the time.  However, we know that there are a lot of households where a ‘non-resident’ parent may have responsibility for their child or children on a regular basis including overnight stays, which involves extra costs. We would like to find out about their needs and the costs associated with having caring responsibilities in this situation.

We are aware that parents in this situation are not necessarily recognised in policy or research where parental costs are often looked a from the point of view of the parent with primary care. We think it is really important to ground this research in the views of people with experience of being a non-resident parent. Your participation in this study will enable you to make a direct contribution to our understanding of what people think is needed for households in this situation, helping to produce evidence about this overlooked issue.

For more information about our main research programme on “ minimum income standards”  please visit our website http://www.minimumincomestandard.org 

Who is doing this research?

The research is being carried out by the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP), an independent research centre based at Loughborough University.  You will meet researchers from CRSP when you attend the discussion group.  The research is funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, an independent social change organisation working to solve UK poverty.

Who can take part?

You have been asked to take part in a discussion group because you represent the kind of person would like to include in the research. For this study we are looking for people who have some responsibility for a child including overnight stays but are not the main carer, and they have the child for less than half the time, as we will be discussing the needs of someone in this situation.  We are not able to include more than one person from the same household or family or people who work for Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

What is involved?

The discussion group will be online and made up of between six and eight members of the general public and led by two researchers.  The group will take a maximum of three hours. If you are happy to take part we will ask you to complete an Informed Consent Form and send you details about the group. You do not need to do anything to prepare for the group.

The groups will take place via Zoom. You will be provided with the link to the meeting before the start of the group. It would be helpful if you are able to find a quiet space, but we understand that this is not always possible. In order to take part you will need either a phone, tablet or computer that has a camera, a microphone and access to broadband (or 4G if you are using a mobile phone). Almost all smartphones will have both a camera and a microphone. You may wish to use headphones to help you hear everyone better, but this is not essential.  If you would like some support we can arrange for a member of the team to call you and help you practice using Zoom in advance of the group. 

We will make an audio recording of the groups, so that we have an accurate record of the discussion. However, the discussion is confidential, and is not shared outside of the research team. You will not be identified in any reporting.

Taking part in a discussion group is nothing to worry about. There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers, we’re interested in your views. You do not need to be an ‘expert’ in anything to take part and discussions are general so you will not be asked about your own personal circumstances.  In fact, people usually find these groups enjoyable! 

Can I change my mind?

Taking part is completely voluntary.  If at any time before, during or after the group you wish to withdraw from the research, please contact Saros (who recruited you) or Katherine Hill (contact details below). You will not be asked to explain your reasons for withdrawing. 

Once the results of the study are published, it may not be possible to withdraw your individual data from the research, however you will not be identifiable from the transcripts and any contributions from participants included in the research reports will be anonymised so no one will be able to tell that you took part. 

What are the possible benefits of participating?

Everyone taking part will receive a payment to thank them for taking the time to help us with this research. This is seen as a gift and will not affect your entitlement to any benefits that you may receive. Taking part in discussion groups gives people the opportunity to share their views, and hear what others have to say which people often find interesting, and to be part of research that aims to benefit society – in this case raise awareness about the needs and costs experienced by non-resident parents.

Are there any disadvantages or risks in participating?

There are no anticipated risks or disadvantages involved in participating.

Ethical and Data Protection information

Loughborough University operates under strict ethical and legal codes.

Data Protection Privacy Notice

Loughborough University will be using information/data from you in order to undertake this study and will act as the data controller for this study. This means that the University is responsible for looking after your information and using it properly. 

What personal information will be collected from me and how will it be used?

For the purposes of recruitment, to ensure that we have included a range of people we will be collecting details about you and your household – this could include your household composition and care responsibilities, your current or most recent employment, your main source of income (e.g., employment, benefits, pension), your housing tenure, which age bracket you are in, your highest educational qualification and your ethnicity. This is only collected to make sure that we have recruited people with a range of characteristics to our study and will not be reported except in broad terms (e.g., total number of participants in the study). We will also send a summary of the research findings (via Saros) when they are published later this year. We will delete any data we hold about you as soon as this has been done. 

What is the legal basis for processing my personal information?

Personal data will be processed on the public task basis. For further details on data protection legislation see: https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), some of the personal data which will be collected from you is categorised as ‘sensitive data’. The processing of this data is necessary for scientific research in accordance with safeguards. This means that our study has gone through an ethical committee to ensure that the appropriate safeguards are put in place with respect to the use of your personal data. 

How long will my personal information be retained?

The university standard for keeping data is 6 years for electronic copies and 10 years for hard copies. We will only keep your contact details until we have sent you a summary of the research findings in late 2023. 

Will my personal information be shared with others?

Your personal information will be kept within the research team.

Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential?

Only members of the research team will have access to any information you supply. Your details will not be given to anyone else or used for any marketing purposes. Loughborough University operates under strict ethical and legal codes. The legal basis for processing your personal data is that the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest – that is, for research purposes, as laid out in the Loughborough University Charter. We will always have in place appropriate safeguards to protect your personal data. Your personal data will be held securely on University servers, or where on paper, held in locked cabinets. 

The transcriber types up the audio recording made in the group but does not identify individual speakers in the transcript. You will not be identified in any reporting and any contributions that you or other participants make that we use in the report will be anonymised so no one will be able to tell that you took part. 

How will the anonymised data/results collected from me be used?

The information we collect in the discussion group will be used to identify what people need in order to have an acceptable standard of living.  We will use the information to calculate Minimum Income Standard budgets to reflect these different/additional costs.  

How long will the anonymised data/results be retained?

The transcripts will be retained and kept securely on University servers as part of the Minimum Income Standard dataset. This project is part of a programme of research that has been ongoing since 2006 and data may be used to write academic journal articles and research reports in the future. 

I have some more questions; who should I contact?

If you wish to discuss this project or have any questions, please contact Katherine Hill: (K.R.Hill@lboro.ac.uk)

What if I am not happy with how the research was conducted?

If you are not happy with how the research was conducted, please contact the Secretary of the Ethics Review Sub-Committee, Research & Innovation Office, Hazlerigg Building, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough, LE11 3TU. Tel: 01509 222423. Email: researchpolicy@lboro.ac.uk  

The University also has policies relating to Research Misconduct and Whistle Blowing which are available online at https://www.lboro.ac.uk/internal/research-ethics-integrity/research-integrity/.   

If you require any further information regarding the General Data Protection Regulations, please see: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/privacy/research-privacy/.

Research team details

Katherine Hill, Senior Research Associate. K.R.Hill@lboro.ac.uk
Donald Hirsch, Research Consultant.
Lisa Jones, CRSP Administrator.  L.J.Jones@lboro.ac.uk

Centre for Research in Social Policy, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU
Tel: 01509 223619
Email: CRSP@lboro.ac.uk
Website: www.crsp.ac.uk