Ann Atkinson
Ann has 30 years experience in the management and delivery of social research projects, Most recently she has been working at Newcastle City Council as an Information Manager, leading the management, collection, analysis and reporting of data and information. This has included the development of the council’s local information system and integration of research and information to support analysis of of need, policy development and improvement.
Ann has worked for Newcastle City Council for 24 years and for the majority of that time has been involved in research, undertaking policy analysis and original research. She has been responsible for managing and delivering a wide range of research projects across the council using both quantitative and qualitative research techniques. Projects have including surveys e.g. statutory Place Survey, Tenants surveys, staff surveys, focus groups, needs assessments, audits and evaluations. She was responsible for setting up a Residents Panel of 1000 residents from across the city and for setting up a Tenants Panel. She has also commissioned research and undertaken research in collaboration with other public and community and voluntary sector organisations. Ann was responsible for improving the coordination and management of research and consultation across the Council having a key role in the development and responsible for the governance of the Council’s Community Engagement Strategy. She was also responsible for the development of a toolkit to assist staff undertaking consultation activities.
Ann supported researchers in local government for ten years as a member of the Local Authorities Research and Intelligence Association (LARIA) Steering Group and led the Training and Development Group for four years.
Prior to working in local government, Ann was involved in academic research, four years as a Research Associate at the Health Care Research Unit, Newcastle University and two years as a Research Assistant at the Psychogeriatric Research Section, University Hospital of South Manchester. As a Research Associate she was responsible for the day to day management of a DHSS funded study to evaluate long stay accommodation (NHS Nursing Homes) for elderly people. This involved coordinating the workload of three field workers in three cities in England as well as working on all stages of the research project. This included the production of articles for academic journals and presenting the findings of the research at conferences. Work as a Research Assistant in Manchester involved data collection, analysis and report writing on the disabilities of elderly people in hospitals and residential homes and exploratory research for the Equal Opportunities Commission.
Ann has a B.ScEcon (Hons) in Geography and Social History from the University College of Swansea and a Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Lancaster.