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Sara Long

Dr Sara Long

Research Fellow, DECIPHer

School of Social Sciences

Overview

I am an inter-disciplinary researcher interested in health, wellbeing and education outcomes of children and young people. Adopting a range of  qualitative and quantitative methods, I work across projects spanning policy evaluation and epidemiology.

I have have worked on a range of externally funded research projects since completing my doctoral studies in 2013, and funding sources include the ESRC, HCRW, NIHR, Public Health Wales, and Welsh Government, as well small awards from a private sector company and others from the South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner.

 

Over time I have increased capacity from co-investigator to principal investigator.  I am co-investigator on grants to the value of circa £1.7 million, of which I am principal investigator to the value of circa £600,000. Substantively, one of my main projects over recent years I served as principal investigator on a full-time Health and Care Research Wales fellowship (£315,999), which adopted a mixed methods design to explore the aims, objectives, and operationalisation of Wales-wide school reform.

I have also recently completed a term as principal investigator on a Wales-wide data linkage study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (£192,230) that explored the link between adverse childhood experiences and health and education outcomes, and the mediating role of local authority care and social services intervention. I have a background in psychology and public health, and my methodological interests include, but are not limited to, qualitative methods, surveys, and policy evaluation.

Publication

2024

2023

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2013

2011

  • Long, S. J. and Benton, D. 2011. Depression and suicide.. In: Benton, D. ed. Lifetime Nutritional Influences on Cognition, Behaviour and Psychiatric Illness. Food Science, Technology and Nutrition Woodhead Publishing

Articles

Book sections

  • Anthony, R., Young, H. and Long, S. J. 2021. Early pregnancy risk and missed opportunities to plan for parenthood. In: Roberts, L. ed. The Children of Looked After Children: Outcomes, Experiences and Ensuring Meaningful Support to Young Parents In and Leaving Care. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 15-40.
  • Long, S. J. and Benton, D. 2011. Depression and suicide.. In: Benton, D. ed. Lifetime Nutritional Influences on Cognition, Behaviour and Psychiatric Illness. Food Science, Technology and Nutrition Woodhead Publishing

Conferences

Monographs

Research

Please see below for selected funded research projects.

Funded

1.     Nov 2023-Dec 2024: £15,000, Public Health Wales. Long SJ (PI). Advancing knowledge in the use of health and wellbeing data and evidence: A package of training for Healthy Schools Co-ordinators (ADEPT – HSC 2).

2.     Oct 2019-Dec 2023: £315, 999, Health and Care Research Wales Health Fellowship Scheme. Long SJ (PI), Moore G. The role of schools in improving health, well-being, and reducing inequalities: a mixed-methods investigation of curriculum reform in Wales.

3.     Jan 2023-Jun 2023: £10,004, Public Health Wales. Long SJ (PI). Advancing knowledge in the use of health and wellbeing data and evidence: A package of training for Healthy Schools Co-ordinators (ADEPT - HSC).

4.     Jan 2023-Jul 2023: £29,749 Public Health Wales. Hawkins J (PI), Long SJ, Morgan K. Healthy Working Wales Evaluation toolkit – the developing of a national benchmarking tool.

5.     Nov 2022-Aug 2023: £34,450, Welsh Government. Long SJ (PI), Young H, Churm A. Peer-on-peer abuse (POPA) in Wales colleges across Wales: Awareness and confidence in reporting procedures, and management of POPA by colleges and college staff.

6.     Oct 2019-Jul 2022: £192,230, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). Long SJ (PI), Farewell D, Fone DF, Lyons R, Moore G, Scourfield J, Taylor C. Does local authority care make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children? Longitudinal analyses of a retrospective electronic cohort.

7.     2020-2023: £600,000, NIHR Public Health Research, Howarth E, Moore GF, (mentor to first-time PI), Feder G, Spencer A, Evans R., Berry V, Stanley N, Bacchus L, Humphrey A, Buckley K, Littlecott H, Long S, Burn A. Family Recovery after Domestic Abuse (FReDA): A feasibility trial and nested process evaluation of a group-based intervention for children exposed to domestic violence and abuse.

8.     Feb 2018-Feb 2019: £85, 777, Social Care Wales (SCW). Williams A, Evans RE, Long SJ, Elliot M, Young H. Understanding outcomes for Welsh children who are placed in secure accommodation.

9.     Dec 2017: £2,100, International Credit Mobility Programme: Erasmus Plus. Long, SJ (PI). Travel grant to strengthen links and promote research collaborations with universities abroad.

10.   Oct 2017-Jan 2021: £70,000, ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership PhD Studentship Award. Moore GF (PI), Long SJ, Murphy S.

11.   Jul 2017-Apr 2018: £23,000, The Thrive Approach. Long SJ (PI), Evans R, Moore G (co-PIs). An evaluation of the impact of a primary school-based socio-emotional intervention on education outcomes at key stage 2.

12.   May-Nov 2017: £49,718, Welsh Local Government Association. Morgan K, Moore GF (co-PIs) Hawkins J, Littlecott H, Long SJ. and McConnon, L. An evaluability assessment of the Food & Fitness Summer Holiday Enrichment Programme in Wales.

13.   Jun 2017: Long SJ (PI) £2,000 School of Social Sciences international conference fund. Travel grant to present work at the International Society for Child Indicators Conference.

14.   Jan-Jun 2016: £20,000, South Wales Police and Crime Commissioners’ Office. Long SJ (PI), Ashton KA, Bellis M, Gray B. Exploring the impact of transportation on public safety and health, social and well-being outcomes among users of the night-time economy (NTE).

15.   Oct 2014-Mar 2016: £135,000 South Wales Police and Crime Commissioners’ Office. , Bellis M (PI), Long SJ, Barton E. Development of a multi-agency routine surveillance and analysis system to develop understanding, intervention and prevention of violence in Wales.

 

Teaching

Contributions to teaching:

>Child and Youth Policy, School of Social Sciences (SOCSI), Cardiff University.

>Undergraduate Social Sciences and Research Methods, SOCSI, Cardiff University

>Masters of Public Health (MPH), MEDIC, Cardiff University

>Masters of Social Work (MASW), SOCSI, Cardiff University

>Undergraduate Psychology, Swansea University

2014/present – supervision of undergraduate and MSc students; experience of marking undergraduate and MSc projects

Contact Details

Email LongS7@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29225 10098
Campuses sbarc|spark, Room Room 1.18, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
Changes to how schools are assessed and improved professional learning critical to the success of education reforms in Wales, a study concludes

Changes to how schools are assessed and improved professional learning critical to the success of education reforms in Wales, a study concludes

18 May 2023

Health and wellbeing of children in Wales under the spotlight

Health and wellbeing of children in Wales under the spotlight

04 February 2020

Substance misuse and binge drinking higher in young people in foster care

Substance misuse and binge drinking higher in young people in foster care

02 March 2017