Professor Vikki McCall

Professor of Social Policy

Housing Studies Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Professor Vikki McCall

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About me

Dr Vikki McCall is a Professor of Social Policy in the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling. Professor McCall teaches the Postgraduate MSc/Diploma of Housing Studies at the University of Stirling and has won the RATE award for excellence in teaching in the Faculty of Social Sciences in 2016, 2019 and 2023.

Professor McCall’s work includes leading projects focusing on housing, ageing, stigma, co-production the role of front-line workers, service users, volunteers and the policy process. Professor McCall is Principal Investigator on UK-wide projects including Intersectional Stigma of Place-based Ageing (ISPA) project funded by the ESRC (2022-2027) and the Inclusive Living support for older people in residential care (INVITE) project funded by the Longleigh Foundation (2020-2023). She is also Co-I on the UKRI funded Designing homes for healthy cognitive ageing: co-production for impact and scale (DesHCA) project (2020-2024).

Vikki is Honorary Secretary for the Social Policy Association Executive Committee and Editorial Board member of Social Policy & Society.

Award

Finalist for Most Innovative Teacher of the Year

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/…challenges-ahead
Finalist for Most Innovative Teacher of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards (2024)

‘Best Newcomer Award’ Journal of Poverty and Social Justice

Nominated for an Inspirational Women Award 2023
https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/…ds-2023-Results/
Nominated for an Inspirational Women Award 2023 and attended the University of Stirling award ceremony to support staff and student achievements.

RATE Award - Runner up in ‘Excellence in Feedback’

RATE award - Runner up on Excellence in Teaching in Social Sciences

RATE Award - Winner in ‘Most Innovative in e-learning’
University wide award

RATE award - Winner of ‘Excellence in Teaching – School of Applied Social Science’

RATE award - Winner up on Excellence in Teaching in Social Sciences


Community Contribution

Director of the Scottish Federation of Housing Assocations (Co-Optee)

Steering Group Member of the Housing and Dementia Forum (Scottish Government)

Board member of the TAPPI 2 Steering Group.
Housing LIN

https://www.housinglin.org.uk/…ng/tappi/tappi2/
Board member of the TAPPI 2 Steering Group. TAPPI2 is taking forward the UK government's recent white paper on adult social care placing emphasis on how technology can advance sector transformation and the allocation of funding to support the delivery of innovative new models of care

Member of the Accessible Housing Network
Horizon Housing Association


Event / Presentation

Presentatin for the Social Policy Assocaition conference

Presentation at the Housing Studies Association Conference

Presented at seminar at SFHA Annual conference
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

Guest speaker for the CIH young professionals conference – on expert panel

Keynote at Age Scotland conference

Keynote ‘inspirational speaker’ at the Women in Housing annual event

Inspirational speaker

Presenting at Scottish Housing Innovation Event

Presented at HSA Conference

Guest speaker for the Scottish Borders older people’s forum

Presenting Housing and Aging research

Guest speaker for Bield Housing Association away day

Presentation of the Housing and Ageing programme and Serious Game

Attended the Scottish Government logic modelling workshop as presenter
Scottish Government - General

Keynote for HSA annual lecture on Older people’s Housing: A vibrant offer?

SFHA Chairs conference keynote
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

Presenting the concept of Inclusive Living

Presentation of Inclusive Living the HAPPI Hour event for Housing LIN
Housing LIN

/…at-our-disposal/
HAPPI Hour – Designing for Inclusion: ensuring we have the right tools at our disposal Listen here: https://www.housinglin.org.uk/Events/HAPPI-Hour-Designing-for-Inclusion-ensuring-we-have-the-right-tools-at-our-disposal/

Presentation of Inclusive Living Toolkit at SHN Asset Management forum

Presentation for the Scottish Housing Network (SHN) asset management forum on Inclusive Living

TIS online conference opening keynote

Powering Digital: Online Communication and Tenant Engagement Wednesday 19th August 2020, Virtual event via Zoom

Keynote at Care and Repair conference

SFHA Development Virtual Conference

Launching the Inclusive Living Toolkit Date: Thursday 17 September 2020

HAPPI Hour presenter on Inclusive Living

Speaker for the Housing LIN

Speaker at the Healthy Ageing Conference

Speaker at the Accessibility Summit

Invited speaker to the Housing LIN Conference

Speaker for the SPA Conference round-table on Housing

Keynote at SHARE annual Conference

Saturday 27th March 2021

Shakespeare Martineau Scottish Housing Speaker

Speaker for the Scottish housing webinar 19th Nov 2021

Chair for International Conference of Social Governance and Social Policy in the Mega City’ conference

Chairing on the Chinese ‘International Conference of Social Governance and Social Policy in the Mega City’ conference for Beijing University of Technology (Nov 2022).

Keynote for Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) annual conference

Speaker for the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) annual conference, London, November 2022

INVITE Project knowledge exchange event

Knowledge exchange event with over 100 housing practitioners in Stonewater Housing Association, June 2022.

Social Science employability event

Created and led an employability event for the Faculty of Social Sciences 26th Oct 2022. Shared my own academic learning journey to inspire students.

Kingdom Graduate Trainee Presentations

Kingdom Graduate Trainee Presentations Guest speaker to support the Kingdom Graduate Trainee's. Synopsis: The event will include an overview of the programme from a KHA perspective, the perspective from University of Stirling (who supported Grant and Eilidh through Post graduate qualifications); and the main focus will be presentations from Grant and Eilidh themselves, reflecting on their experiences and development through the programme

Speaker for HAPPI Housing (Housing LIN) on the INVITE Project
Housing LIN

https://www.housinglin.org.uk/…tive-Technology/

Invited Lecturer for the Beijing Social Governance Research Centre, Beijing University of Technology (2022)

I am an invited Lecturer for the Beijing Social Governance Research Centre, Beijing University of Technology (21 Nov 2022)

Speaker for Housing 2022 (CIH Conference, Manchester)

Presenting findings from the INVITE Project, Chaired by Jeremy Porteus

Presentation to adaptations forum (SHN)

Follow on from guest lecture to present also to the Scottish Housing Network adaptations forum (Sep2022)

Presentation at the Housing Studies Association Conference

Presentation to the Accessible Housing Network

Ongoing membership to teh Accessible Housing Network, presenting on the adaptations projects

Presentation at SFHA Annual Conference
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

SFHA annual conference led a session on adaptations and inclusive living

Presentation to the Disabled Research Forum
Sheffield Hallam University

Dec 2022, invited speaker to present the ISPA Project to the Disabled Research Forum

Opening keynote for the National Healthy Housing Awards

https://www.foundations.uk.com/…-housing-awards/
Was invited as keynote speaker to the Healthy Housing awards (hosted by Foundations) December 2022 to present and inform on the ISPA project. There were over 200 people from Home Improvement agencies in attendance. Impact is wider awareness of the project and connections for people to participate and be involved.

INVITE Project launch

Presentation of the findings of the INVITE Project as Principal Investigator September 2022 to policy makers and practitioners.

Presentation to the ESRC Inclusive Ageing network

Presentation to the new ESRC Inclusive Ageing Group on teh ISPA Project (Nov 2022). Introduction to the project.

Guest Lecture for Scottish Housing Network

Guest Lecture presenting to the Scottish Housing Network. Presentation on adaptations and technology.

Speaker for the Care and Repair Connections Conference

11th May 2022 Final speaker to round up the conference

Invited member for special Round Table on Housing and Later Living (Housing 2022)

https://www.shma.co.uk/…ound-table-2022/
Invited to a special round table by Shakespeare Martineau

Hosted international visit from ALONE

Hosted visit at teh University of Stirling with ALONE a charity developing housing to combat social isolation in older people in Ireland

Presentation to the Scottish Intergenerational Network

Introduction of the project and looking for people to join the Inclusive Living Alliance.

Speaker for the Housing LIN Virtual Summit 2023 - Smart About Ageing - An Inclusion Revolution
Housing LIN

https://www.housinglin.org.uk/…stival-of-Ideas/
Housing LIN Virtual Summit 2023 - A Festival of Ideas EVENT DATE 27/02/2023 10:00am till 03/03/2023 4:00pm Invited speaker for the session Smart About Ageing - An Inclusion Revolution with 348 people registered to attend.

Presentation to the Housing Studies Association Annual conference 2023

https://www.housing-studies-association.org/…-conference-2023
Abstracts accepted and face-to-face presentations to the Housing Studies Association conference. This includes three separate presentations 29-31 March 2023 in Sheffield. Projects presented include: INVITE Project ISPA Project DesHCA Project

Keynote at SHARE Chairs conference

Keynote speaker at the annual Housing Studies Association lecture

Keynote speaker at the Rural housing Conference

Keynote speaker for the annual Women in Housing awards


Examining

Internal Examiner, FSS

Internal examiner, FSS

Internal examiner, arts and humanities

Internal Examiner, FSS


External Examiners and Validations

External examination, University of York
University of York

External Examiner, Heriot Watt University
Heriot-Watt University

External Examiner, University of St Andrews
University of St Andrews

External PhD Examiner, University of York
University of York

External Examiner for MSc in Social Policy at Ulster
Ulster University

External Examiner for Ulster University
External examiner for the MSc in Social Policy, Ulster


Other Academic Activities

Won the Sociological Review Prize for Outstanding Scholarship 2017

Won the Sociological Review Prize for Outstanding Scholarship 2017 for our paper in the Sociological Review "Place revisited: class, stigma and urban restructuring in the case of Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games".

Leading Scottish Parliament reception event
Scottish Government - General

Co-Leader of SPA Housing Policy Group

Honorary Secretary for the Social Policy Association

Board member of the Journal of Social Policy and Society

Editor for Home, Housing and Communities: Foundations for Inclusive Society special edition
https://www.cogitatiopress.com/…rticle/view/3508

Editor of Students Companion to Social Policy
Co-editor in the leading Social Policy student text book

Executive Board member for the Social Policy Association


Other Project

CIH Housing and Education Strategy - steering group member

Member of the CIH’s Housing and Education steering group in Scotland


Professional qualification

Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Housing
Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland

Teaching Fellow of the HEA
University of Stirling


Supervision of Research Assistants

Leading the Talking Health and Housing project team
Wheatley Housing Group Limited, University of Stirling, Talking Mats Ltd and Heriot-Watt University

leading the Housing and Ageing programme team

Leading the ASUME Norway team

Leading the Inclusive living research team
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

Leading the Promoting INclusive liVing vIa Technology-Enabled support (INVITE) Project Team

https://www.stonewater.org/…/invite-project/
Large scale project, working in partnership with Stonewater HA funded by the Longleigh Foundation. https://www.stonewater.org/about-us/thought-leadership/invite-project/

Principal Investigator of the Intersectional Stigma of Place-Based Ageing (ISPA) Project
University of St Andrews, University of Bristol and Newcastle University

This ESRC-funded project will examine inequalities and stigma to develop interventions related to home and environmental modifications that encourage inclusive approaches that support people to age well within homes and communities. This ambitious 5-year participatory mixed method study will include innovative analyses of secondary longitudinal quantitative data, new ethnographic qualitative data, and co-production with disabled community peer-reviewers. A new community peer-research group of disabled adults will be the heart of this project to developing more inclusive approaches to ageing in place that break down the barriers to access and inclusion in key services created by stigma.


University Contribution

Head of housing

Hosted the Chinese delegation 27th November

Deputy leader of Home, Housing and Community programme

Deputy Associate Dean on Teaching and Learning (Faculty of Social Sciences)
Particular focus on employability and online learning

Faculty Champion for online learning
Chair of the FSS Online Pedagogy Group


Research (11)

Social policy, housing, ageing society, third sector, volunteering, communities, dementia, culture, cultural services, museums, governance, the policy process, poverty, inequality, wellbeing, citizenship, social inclusion and gender

Projects

Intersectional Stigma of Place-based Ageing
PI: Professor Vikki McCall
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council

Designing homes for healthy cognitive ageing: co-production for impact and scale (DesHCA)
PI: Professor Alison Bowes
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council

Stonewater - inclusive and assisted living in retirement living schemes
PI: Professor Vikki McCall
Funded by: Longleigh Foundation

Older People’s Experience of Adaptations in Scotland
PI: Professor Vikki McCall
Funded by: Age Scotland

Dementia Activity Toolkit
PI: Professor Vikki McCall
Funded by: Alberta Health Services

ASUME Volunteering and Dementia in Norway
PI: Professor Vikki McCall
Funded by: Nasjonalforeningen for folkehelsen

Talking Technology Enabled Care
PI: Professor Vikki McCall
Funded by: Innovate UK

Quality of Life in Later Years Research Project - Voices of Older People in Scotland
PI:
Funded by: Life Changes Trust

The Role of Volunteers in Dementia Care
PI: Professor Vikki McCall
Funded by: Abbeyfield Society

An Evaluation of the 415 Hub and Cluster Innovation Project
PI: Professor Vikki McCall
Funded by: Wheatley Housing Group Limited

Creating conversations: Activity Toolkit for People with Dementia
PI: Professor Vikki McCall
Funded by: Scottish Funding Council

Outputs (60)

Outputs

Article

McKee K, McCall V, Theakstone D, Wilson K, Reid L, Gilroy R, Manley D, Pearce A, Davison L, Lawrence J & Pemble A (2024) Understanding the intersectional stigma of ageing, disability, and place: a systematic literature mapping review. Housing Studies. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673037.2024.2421844; https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2024.2421844


Article

McCall V, Rolfe S, Gibson G, Serpa R & Lawrence J (2024) Housing and Papering Over the Cracks of the Welfare State: Exploring the Role and Impact of Technology as Part of Housing Service Provision in an Era of Multi-level Precarity. Social Policy and Society. https://doi.org/10.1017/s147474642400040x


Research Report

McCall V, Wang Y, Pritchard J, Cooper R, Hodges M & Gibson G (2023) Making Adaptations Work For Older People In Scotland. Age Scotland. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/scotland/our-impact/policy-research-influencing/reports-research/making-adaptations-work/. https://www.ageuk.org.uk/scotland/our-impact/policy-research-influencing/reports-research/making-adaptations-work/


Project Report

McCall V & Gibbs K (2023) The economic and social benefits of housing support. The Housing Evidence Centre (CaCHE). https://housingevidence.ac.uk/publications/economic-benefits-of-housing-support/. https://housingevidence.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Economic-benefits-of-housing-v6.pdf


Edited Book

(2022) The Student's Companion to Social Policy, 6th edition ed. London: Wiley Blackwell. https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Students-Companion-to-Social-Policy-by-Peter-Alcock-editor-Tina-Haux-editor-Vikki-McCall-editor-Margaret-May-editor/9781119744870


Book Chapter

McCall V (2022) Researching Social Policy. In: Alcock P, Haux T, McCall V & May M (eds.) The Student's Companion to Social Policy. 6th edition ed. London: Wiley, pp. 11-18. https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/The+Student%27s+Companion+to+Social+Policy%2C+6th+Edition-p-9781119744870


Book Chapter

McCall V, Rolfe S, Matthews P, Wallace A, Manyika G, Iafrati S, Clark C & Munro M (2022) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK housing policy: how do we rebuild the foundations of the ‘wobbly pillar’?. In: Jolly A, Cefalo R & Pomati M (eds.) Social Policy Review 34: Analysis and Debate in Social Policy, 2022. Social Policy Review, 24. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 71-93. https://doi.org/10.51952/9781447365815.ch004


Project Report

McCall V, Gibson G, Rolfe S, Serpa R & Lawrence J (2022) Promoting Inclusive living via Technology- Enabled support [INVITE Lay Summary]. Longleigh Foundation. Stirling. https://www.stonewater.org/about-us/thought-leadership/invite-project/


Research Report

McCall V (2022) Adapting the Adaptations Process. The Housing Evidence Centre. Glasgow. https://housingevidence.ac.uk/publications/adapting-the-adaptations-process-tackling-the-barriers-within-policy-and-practice/


Article

Robertson J, Gibson G, Greasley-Adams C, McCall V, Gibson J, Mason-Duff J & Pengelly R (2022) 'It gives you a reason to be in this world': the interdependency of communities, environments and social justice for quality of life in older people. Ageing and Society, 42 (3), pp. 539-563. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0144686x20000859


Research Report

Rolfe S, Pusram A, Robertson J, Gibson G & McCall V (2021) Ageing Well With Assistive Technology: Co-producing technology solutions with older people. A scoping review of the evidence.. Longleigh Foundation/Stonewater Housing Association. Stirling: University of Stirling. https://www.housinglin.org.uk/_assets/Resources/Housing/OtherOrganisation/Scoping-review-final-published-version.pdf


Authored Book

Gray C & McCall V (2020) The Role of Today’s Museum. London: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/The-Role-of-Todays-Museum/Gray-McCall/p/book/9780367265090


Research Report

McCall V, Phillips J, Lovatt M, Robertson J, Rutherford A, Woolrytch R, Sixsmith J, Macintyre Z, Porteus J, Ziegler F & Eadie J (2019) Housing and Ageing: Linking future strategy to future delivery for Scotland, Wales and England 2030. Scottish Universities Insight Institute and Social Policy Association. https://www.scottishinsight.ac.uk/Programmes/Scotland2030/HousingOlderPeople.aspx


Research Report

Rutherford A, Bu F, Dawson A & McCall V (2019) Volunteering for All: national framework - literature review. Scottish Government. Social Research: People, Communities and Places. https://www.gov.scot/publications/literature-review-scotlands-volunteering-outcomes-framework/


Teaching

Teaching

Developing the Scottish housing Education Strategy
University of Glasgow and Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland