Our early years are critical in forming the behaviours that will influence our lifelong health and well-being. Rapid social and technological changes mean we now have to think differently about how we create a positive environment in which children and young people can develop.<br>Our particular research expertise falls into four broad categories:<br>Health and Welfare, investigating factors influencing the welfare of children and young people such as health care provision, child abuse and neglect, learning disabilities, play, and homelessness. Recent research projects carried out by students cover children's free play choices in the school and home, teaching approaches with the Foundation Phase, and looked after children.<br>Child and Youth Identity, exploring the interactions between young people as individual agents, their social environments, and wider social structures that inform their choices and opportunities.<br>Child Development, addressing the range of factors influencing how children learn and develop from early years through to later adolescence, and the ways in which the effects of these factors can be monitored in the play of children.<br>Health Psychology, examining the psychological factors in promoting good health and developing interventions to encourage children, young people, and pregnant women to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviours.<br>As a student at the School of Health and Social Care, you will benefit from a dynamic and supportive research environment with many opportunities to make connections across disciplines and develop links with organisations and policymakers both in the UK and globally. As such, you can be confident that your research will inform and be informed by the wider health and social care environment.