My research has largely been concerned with homelessness and has involved working with local agencies on contract research projects.  The agencies that I have worked with in this manner include Your Homes Newcastle, Durham County Council, Changing Lives, Youth Homelessness North East, Home Housing Group (twice) and Newcastle City Council (on several occasions).  The research has frequently been undertaken in collaboration with Dr Adele Irving and other colleagues.  The output for this research has taken the form of reports with recommendations for action, many of which have resulted in practical improvements to services for homeless people.  This work was selected as an impact case study for the 2014 Research Excellence Framework.

I have also undertaken research that takes a more conceptual view of homelessness, which has been published through numerous academic journal articles and two monographs.  The most recent of these was entitled Post-war Homelessness Policy: Making and Implementation and was published by Palgrave MacMillan).  It was based on research that involved searching physical archives and Hansard online, and interviewing former ministers and others who have played a role in the development of policy in this area.

There are a number of new research areas that I am currently developing.  One is the situation of asylum seekers and refugees, a topic on which I have recently completed a piece of contract research for Newcastle City Council.  The other is the practice of policing; I am in the process of writing a book, and creating a documentary, about the evolution of the police response to domestic violence.  I am also looking to explore the public health implications of social problems such as homelessness and domestic violence, and of the police response to them.

Dr Jamie Harding joined Northumbria University in 1995, achieving his PhD in 2001.  He was initially employed to deliver professional housing courses, reflecting his background of working for social housing organisations.  Jamie transferred to the Division of Sociology and Criminology (now the Department of Social Sciences) in 2004 and has since been programme leader for the MSc Social Sciences, the BA Criminology and Sociology and the MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice.  Departmental PGR co-ordinator is another role that he has enjoyed fulfilling.  He is currently programme leader for the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship and is delighted to be working in partnership with Northumbria Police. 

Jamie’s main teaching interests are in the area of research methods; he enjoys teaching both quantitative and qualitative methods to undergraduate and postgraduate students.  He has written two methods textbooks.  He also enjoys teaching in the areas of criminal justice, social exclusion and homelessness.