Our People
The Centre for Local Policy Studies is a diverse team in terms of age, gender, race, disability, religious belief and class based in a university setting. We have a core team of researchers, associates and support staff and can call upon an excellent team of research associates affiliated to the Centre. This enables us to match our resources to your requirements in terms of team size and expertise. A short biography of the core team members is given below.
Stuart Speeden
Stuart Speeden is director of the Centre for Local Policy Studies. He has worked extensively with local government and the voluntary sector in policy development, community involvement, equalities, local economic development and environmental issues. He has been a lecturer in urban policy and local government for fourteen years and is currently involved in post graduate teaching and the development of courses in voluntary sector management.
Stuart has worked extensively on equality issues and his recent work has included: 'Measuring Up: A study of the Race Equality Standard for Local Government' (CRC, 2000) undertaken for the CRE; 'Survey of English Council Performance against the CRE Standard for Local Government - Race Equality Means Quality' (to be publish December 2000); and 'Then and Now: A review of the Commission for Racial Equality' (to be published by CRE in Spring 2001). This includes work with the SEQUAL project that has focused on employment, race and ethnicity and formal assessments and validation reports for local authorities regarding the Equality Standard for Local Government. Stuart is also developing work on equalities auditing and has worked with local authorities to review the implementation of race equality policy including audits for the London Boroughs of Haringey and Ealing. He is currently working on a book looking at institutional racism and management with Julian Clarke.
Stuart has also been involved for many years in community participation and has worked with local authorities and the community sector in the development of consultation. He has experience of the development of citizens' panels, focus groups, citizen's juries and as a facilitator for community organisations. He is currently working on a book on community governance with John Diamond.
Stuart's work at the Centre focuses mainly on equality and diversity policy and practice, social inclusion, participation and regeneration. He is the joint author with Julian Clarke of the Equality Standard for Local Government which is the principle policy framework for mainstreaming equality in local government services.
In the past five years, Stuart has worked extensively on equality themes, including two major reports for the Commission for Racial Equality. His current work involves a number of research projects and policy initiatives around equality and social inclusion. This includes work with the SEQUAL project that has focused on employment, race and ethnicity and formal assessments and validation reports for local authorities regarding the Equality Standard for Local Government.
Julian Clarke
Julian is a Research Fellow within the Centre. He has undertaken extensive work with DIALOG (Employers Organisation for Local Government) the Welsh Local Government Association, and various Local Authorities supporting the Equality Standard for Local Government. This has involved giving presentations, running workshops and projects and contributing to day conferences and designing and running training programmes on implementing the ESLG.
John Diamond
John is a Research Fellow within the Centre and was a joint founder together with Stuart Speeden.
Within the Centre, John has worked extensively on community development themes including capacity building, management and partnerships. He is on the management committee of the Association for Research into the Voluntary Sector (ARVAC) and is co-convenor of the Regeneration Management Research Network.
In the past five years, John has carried out a range of evaluations on behalf of a number of agencies including the NWDA, the Youth Justice Board, Voluntary Action Lewisham, the Cheshire Children's Fund and a number of regeneration activities in Manchester. More recently, he has co-authored the book Managing Regeneration and is working on a companion volume, Managing Cities.
Karen Leeming
Karen is a Research Fellow at the Centre. She has worked in a number of organisations in the public and private sectors and higher education prior to joining the team in 2003.
Within the Centre, Karen has been involved in a range of evaluations commissioned by a number of agencies including central government, local authorities and the Commission for Racial Equality.
She chairs or sits on the management committees of a number of environmental organisations and sustainable development is one of her areas of interest. Others are urban regeneration, social exclusion and the voluntary sector.
More recently, Karen has just completed a long-term evaluation project commissioned by Lancashire County Council, and she is currently working on a number of research projects around equality and diversity.
Mohammed Dhalech
Mohammed is a Partnership Associate in the Centre and joined the team in 2005.
Mohammed has worked at a senior strategic level in the voluntary and public sectors including higher education, criminal justice, local government and the voluntary sector advising on a range of issues related to equality and diversity. He has particular experience of working on equality and diversity issues in rural areas in the UK and Europe, and is currently working on several projects in this area including postgraduate research.
He has been actively involved in youth work at local, national and European level, particularly utilising the medium of outdoor education, and developing and facilitating training and seminars at an international level in Europe with the Council of Europe.
More recently Mohammed has been working with a range of agencies and organisations to develop partnerships to deliver diversity at local, regional, national and European levels. He provides training and support on diversity, equality, training, Equality Standards for Local Government and Equality Impact Assessments, community engagement issues and rural equality issues.
Mohammed interests include the countryside and encouraging ethnic minorities to access the countryside.
Nasreen Kaleem
Nasreen joined the team in 2005 as an Equalities Associate. Nasreen has considerable experience of working in local government having worked in both county and city authorities where she has held senior positions and led on improvements in equality and diversity. Nasreen also has experience of working at European levels with European projects and institutions managing projects, working with a range of EU partners and as a representative at Forums on gender and race. This has given her wide-ranging experience of equality and social inclusion, including employment and economic development, developing equality strategy and policy, gender, disability and race equality, community and social cohesion, and anti-discrimination practices in the EU.
Within the Centre some of her current areas of work include working in an advisory or consultancy capacity with organisations on the Equality Standard for Local Government, formal service audits and the CPA, supporting improvement and performance management, capacity building and providing bespoke training. She also advices on and undertakes formal assessments on the Equality Standard for Local Government. Nasreen has carried out research on the Equality Standard for Local Government, and best value performance indicators.
Jules MacKenzie
Jules also joined the team in 2004 as a research assistant. She has previously worked in a variety of managerial roles in the private sector, has taught in further education and has a particular interest and involvement in issues around disability.
Within the Centre, Jules has worked on a number of projects relating to equalities including Aimhigher - researching good practice in higher education for disabled students.
She has also been involved in a number of evaluations and research projects around policy and diversity.
Carole Brocken
Carole has been the Centre Administrator since 1997. She has worked in both the private and public sectors and is an experienced school governor with an active interest in the community.
Carole supports the activities of the Centre and as she is the first point of contact for all clients it is useful that she is friendly and helpful.
Anne-Marie Cunliffe
Anne-Marie is the Centre's Business Manager and she manages its marketing, finance and administrative systems. She has worked in both the private and public sectors including local government and education in a variety of roles. She has particular expertise in giving advice and guidance on funding, short course provision and conference management.
Anne-Marie organizes conferences and seminars on behalf of the Centre and external clients and is the first point of contact for discussions about this and other client issues.
