Linda Milbourne, BA, MSc, PhD

Head of Department, Social Policy and Education
Assistant Dean, School of Social Science, History and Philosophy
Programme Director Youth, Voluntary and Community Studies

Contact details

Department of Social Policy and Education
Birkbeck, University of London
26 Russell Square
London WC1B 5DQ

email: l.milbourne@bbk.ac.uk
tel: 020 3073 8373

Employment history

Linda is the current Head of Department for Social Policy and Education and an Assistant Dean in the School of Social Sciences, History and Philosophy. She is also responsible for programmes in Voluntary and Community Sector and Youth Studies and related research in those fields. She previously worked with the Centre for Public Policy Research, at Kings College London completing studies on social exclusion and the effectiveness of voluntary sector programmes aimed to support disengaged young people. She has extensive experience of education work with young people and adults in post compulsory education, is a trained teacher and was a further education college Principal. Linda previously taught on Social Policy, Management and Lifelong Learning programmes at Kings College London and Birkbeck.

Recent research

Among recent studies, Linda has undertaken independently commissioned research for public and voluntary sector agencies, exploring the effects of social policy initiatives on community based organisations working with children and young people, youth engagement and participation. She has contributed to research on the implementation of recent funding cuts and to studies on collaboration between local government and the voluntary sector agencies.
She has also undertaken an area based study of organisations working with ‘hard to reach’ groups of people, including refugees and asylum seekers, and travellers. She is particularly interested to explore ways in which shifts in markets, regulation and performance demands from funders have affected the nature and possibilities of community based work, and the roles and values of workers. Previously, based at Kings College, Linda also completed an ESRC funded study on inter-agency work in relation to young people at risk of school exclusion.
Linda has collaborated nationally and internationally on research, recently presenting material on youth policy and politics in Paris, and co-presenting a panel on leading edge third sector research with the Institute of Voluntary Action Research. Throughout her research she has been concerned with issues of power and participation, and is interested in research projects which will benefit research participants in practical ways.

Teaching and Supervision

Programme Director: PG – MSc Voluntary and Community Sector Studies
PG teaching includes Voluntary and Community Sector in the UK, Youth in Society: Reading the Research, Introduction to Research Methods and PG dissertation supervision.
Currently co-supervising MPhil/PhD student studying ‘Resilience in young people at risk of exclusion’ and a second concerned with experiences of community based lifelong learning in relation to first generation African Caribbean women.
Supervision interests include research related to cross-sector, inter-agency and collaborative working; recent changes in the voluntary and community sectors; and recent youth initiatives.

Areas of research supervision

Currently with Dr Paul Watt co-supervising MPhil/PhD student studying ‘Resilience in young people at risk of exclusion’.
Interested to supervise research related to inter-agency and partnership working; changes in the voluntary and community sectors; and youth and educational initiatives.
If you are considering applying for MPhil/PhD research in any of these areas, you are advised to contact Dr Milbourne about your research plan before making an application.

Publications

Milbourne, L., and N. Cushbourne. (2011). ‘Changing the culture or just the old box? Exploring transitions in young adults’ television viewing’. New Media and Society (under review).
Milbourne, L. (2012). 'Les jeunes et la justice sociale: une evaluation des politiques de la participation britanniques'. In Les Politiques de Jeunesse au Royaume-uni et en France: désaffection, répression et accompagnement à la citoyenneté, edited by S. Pickard, C. Nativel and F. Portier-LeCoqc. Paris: Presses de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, pp. tba (in press, January 2012).
Milbourne, L., and U. Murray. (2011). ‘Negotiating interactions in state-voluntary sector relationships: competitive and collaborative agency in an experiential workshop’. Voluntas 22 (1) pp. 70-92.
Milbourne, L., and M. Cushman. (2010). ‘Enabling or Constraining Innovation: Trust, Risk and Control in Third Sector/State relations’. Working paper (available at: http://is2.lse.ac.uk/wp/pdf/wp181.pdf).
Milbourne, L. (2009) ‘Valuing difference or securing compliance? Working to involve young people in community settings’. Children and Society, 23 (5) pp.347-363.
Milbourne, L. (2009). 'Remodelling the Third Sector: advancing collaboration or competition in community based initiatives?' Journal of Social Policy 38 (2) pp. 277-297.
Milbourne, L. (2009). ‘Engaging disaffected young people’. In Making Schools Different, K. te Riele (ed.), Sydney/London: Sage, pp.74-85.
Milbourne L. (2007) Poor sisters or professional partners? The effects of a growing performance culture in mainstreaming voluntary sector alternatives in education (working paper)
Milbourne, L. (2010). ‘Youth and social justice in UK policy: spaces for youth voice and participation or new hegemonic constructions?’ Forum21 European Journal on Child and Youth Research 6 (December 2010), pp 30-39.
Milbourne, L. (2010).‘Youth matters: are recent policies generating new spaces for young people’s voice and participation?’ Research Intelligence 109 (winter issue) pp. 22-23.
Eason, J. and L. Milbourne. (2009). ‘Doing Pedagogy differently in practice: two case studies' . In Making Schools Different , K. te Riele (ed.), Sydney/London: Sage, pp.86-91.
Milbourne, L. (2005) 'Children, Families and Inter-Agency Work: Experiences of Partnership Work in Primary Education Settings', British Education Research Journal, 31 (6), pp. 681-701.
Macrae, S., M. Maguire and L. Milbourne (2003) 'Starting Young: Challenging Exclusion in the Primary School', Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Research Report, London.
Macrae, S., M. Maguire and L. Milbourne (2003) 'Social Exclusion: Exclusion from School', International Journal of Inclusive Education, 7 (2), pp. 89-101.
Maguire, M., S. Macrae and L. Milbourne (2004) 'Early Interventions: Preventing School Exclusions in the Primary Setting', Westminster Journal of Studies in Education, 26 (2), pp. 43-62.
Milbourne, L., S. Macrae and M. Maguire (2003) 'Collaborative Solutions or New Policy Problems: Exploring Multi-Agency Partnerships in Education and Health Work', Journal of Education Policy, 18 (1), pp. 19-35.
Milbourne, L. (2002) 'Unspoken Exclusion: Experiences of Continued Marginalisation from Education among 'Hard to Reach' Groups of Adults and Children', British Journal of Sociology of Education, 23 (2) pp. 287-305.
Milbourne, L. (2002) 'Life at the Margin: Education of Young People, Social Policy and the Meanings of Social Exclusion', International Journal of Inclusive Education, 6 (4), pp. 325-343.

Commissioned work/reports

Milbourne, L. and S. Finch (2007) Review of Voluntary Sector Organisation Feedback on Children and Young People's Block of Lewisham Local Area Agreement Process, 4Children with London Borough of Lewisham.
Milbourne, L. (2001) ‘Best Value’ in Childcare. London: UNISON, June 2001.
Milbourne, L. (2000) Childcare and Needs among Refugees and Asylum seekers in the London Borough of Lewisham. London: Daycare Trust and London Borough of Lewisham.
Milbourne, L. (2000) Building in Childcare: a guide for housing organisations. Daycare Trust with People for Action.
Milbourne, L. (1999) Needs among Hard to Reach Groups in the London Borough of Southwark. London: Daycare Trust with Southwark Children First.
Milbourne, L. and M. Green (1998) Making Learning Support Work, FE Matters, 2 (7), Further Education Development Agency.

Book reviews

Milbourne, L. and K. Hoskins. (2010) Book review on Thomson, R. (2010). Unfolding Lives: Youth, Gender and Change. Bristol: Policy Press, in Journal of Social Policy. 39(4) pp. 664-666
Milbourne, L. (2007) review on Glaister, A., and B. Glaister. (2005). Inter-Agency Collaboration: Providing for Children. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press, in Journal of Education Policy, 22 (1).

External funding

Scoping study for longitudinal research into youth volunteering in collaboration with Institute of Volunteering Research and NatCen (2010), sponsored by V (V-inspired National Volunteering agency)
Research and development – youth undergraduate programmes (2010-11), sponsored by Linking London Lifelong Learning Network.
ESRC Birkbeck/Institute of Voluntary Action (BIVAR) research seminar series (2009-10) on key issues in the voluntary and community sector.
‘Making Connections’ project: knowledge sharing partnership linking HE and regional voluntary and community sector agencies (2008-9) sponsored by Linking London Lifelong Learning Network.

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