PhD Candidate: Reflexive Regulation Using Narrative Methods of Service Provision for Vulnerable...

Recent failures in listening to and helping citizens in a vulnerable position (think of the child benefits scandal or violence in youth care) have shown the complexity as well as necessity for governmental agencies to better protect and listen to citizens. This also goes for regulatory agencies like the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate or the Justice and Security Inspectorate that are responsible for ensuring the quality and safety of public services. To enable such a shift, users should become the touchstone of regulatory policies. The aim of the RUN study is to develop reflexive regulatory arrangements, using narrative methods, putting service users centre stage and enhancing accountability and dialogue.
As a PhD candidate, you will contribute to the subproject at Radboud University and focus on children and young adults with mental disorders and behavioural problems and their parents and, in collaboration with stakeholders, co-produce innovative reflexive arrangements for regulation, based on narrative methods. The project aims to innovate and enhance connections between service users, providers and regulators. In addition, it is meant to develop a regulatory toolkit to enhance accountability and dialogue based on the use of narrative methods by networks of multi-sectoral service providers.

The PhD project comprises an action-oriented mixed method approach in which the researcher develops innovative regulatory arrangements together with stakeholders, including service users, service professionals and inspectorates. You will closely work together with stakeholders and researchers, including PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers from the other universities involved. In addition to research, you will participate in our teaching programmes.