1. Tracking change in the lives of ‘vulnerable’ groups: Reflections on doing Qualitative Longitudinal Research (QLR) Jenny McNeill

2. Research Context Combinations of sanctions and support- what, if any, impact on changing behaviours? Welfare increasingly conditional on behaving in certain ways (eg job-seeking) What is the efficacy and ethicality of welfare conditionality?

3. Fieldwork plans 40 interviews with policy makers 24 focus groups with practitioners 1440 interviews with 9 groups of service users in 9 cities in England and Scotland over 3 years (480 participants each interviewed 3 times)

4. Reflections from PhD research (2007-2011) “The role of employability in the resettlement of single homeless people” Longitudinal design: Interviews with 30 homeless/formerly homeless people. Interviewed twice with 9 month gap between interviews. Revisited research diary- methodological & ethical challenges faced.

5. ‘Access’ issues Use of gatekeepers in recruitment. Obligation? Gaining informed consent over time. Consent as a process- needing renewal (Neale, 2012) How to maintain contact with participants? Intrusion and neglect (Neale, 2011; 2012) ‘Collateral contacts’ (Hobden et al, 2011) Using social media to sustain contact?

6. ‘Power’ issues Building relationships over time most effective means of minimising attrition (Killien and Newton, 1990) Building rapport- concern when life for participants doesn’t go as well as they had hoped (account for attrition? Thomson & Holland, 2003) Therapeutic value of interviews Control over interview structure by participants (Thomson & Holland, 2003)

7. ‘Safety’ issues Lone working protocols Dealing with the unexpected Confidentiality & ‘Safeguarding’- disclosure of harm to themselves or others- how and when to report? Ensuring de-briefing & support available after interviews

8. Thoughts for next stages of project Research team- poses challenges & opportunities. Reflexive practice (Pillow, 2003; Henwood, 2008) Flexibility- change to sample & analysis Analytical difficulties of capturing change over time (Corden and Millar, 2007). Interviewees rarely recount life events chronologically (Smith & Ravenhill, 2004). How to capture change? Timelines?