Dr Lindsey Metcalf McGrath
School of Justice Studies
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: L.J.Metcalf@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 231 3281
Lindsey is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology. Lindsey has a particular interest in the stigma and social harms arising from drugs policy, and established the @MedCanProject to explore issues arising from medical cannabis policy - see: https://linktr.ee/medcanproject). Her research has investigated the lived experiences of people being prescribed cannabis in the UK. Her current study examines the experiences of people who self medicate with cannabis without a prescription. She is also interested in broader issues around cannabis policy. Lindsey is interested in public engagement, knowledge exchange and creative approaches to research participation and dissemination.
Other research specialisms include the implications of social policy for socially marginalised groups and voluntary sector organisations. Lindsey's research has examined the relationship between the state and the voluntary sector, the role of volunteer charity trustees, and university-community partnerships.
Lindsey is a member of the Centre for the Study of Crime, Criminalisation and Social Exclusion (CCSE). Her research contributes to both the 'Drug Use and Drug Policy' and 'Voluntary Action/Third Sector responses' research clusters. Lindsey founded and leads the CCSE writing group to support academic writing and publishing.
Lindsey is Employability Lead for Criminology and is committed to developing partnerships with local employers and opportunities for Work-Based Learning and Practice-Based Research. Her teaching interests include work-based learning, the relationships between criminology & practice, and theorisations of stigma and inequalities.
Lindsey previously worked in senior management and policy roles in the civil service. She has been a trustee of charities working with the LGBT community, young people, people living with HIV and women experiencing domestic violence. She is a board member of Interchange, a local charity that links universities with local voluntary and community organisations for research and work-based learning projects.
Degrees
University of Liverpool, UK, PhD in Sociology
University of Liverpool, UK, MA Research Methodology
University of Essex, UK, BA (Hons) Philosophy & Sociology
Highlighted publications
Metcalf McGrath L, Beckett Wilson H. 2024. Stigmatised and stressed: UK cannabis patients living in the context of prohibition Critical Social Policy, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Beckett Wilson H, Metcalf McGrath L. 2023. “It’s a big added stress on top of being so ill”: The challenges facing people prescribed cannabis in the UK. International Journal of Drug Policy, 122 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Book review
Metcalf McGrath L. 2024. Book Review: Gayfriendly: Acceptance and control of homosexuality in New York and Paris by Sylvie Tissot, Polity Press 2023 (this English edition) The Sociological Review Magazine, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Metcalf LJ. 2018. Review: The Logic of Charity: Great Expectations in Hard Times by John Mohan and Beth Breeze People Place and Policy, 12 :50-52 Publisher Url
Metcalf LJ. 2014. Review: Linda Milbourne (2013) The voluntary sector in transition: Hard choices or new opportunities? Voluntary Sector Review: an international journal of third sector research, policy and practice, 5 :147-148
Metcalf LJ. 2013. Review: NPC (2014) Funding impact: Impact measurement practices among funders in the UK Charity Times, December 2013 / January 2014 :13-13
Journal article
Metcalf McGrath L, Beckett Wilson H. 2024. Stigmatised and stressed: UK cannabis patients living in the context of prohibition Critical Social Policy, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Beckett Wilson H, Metcalf McGrath L. 2023. “It’s a big added stress on top of being so ill”: The challenges facing people prescribed cannabis in the UK. International Journal of Drug Policy, 122 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Hardwick L, Metcalf LJ. 2020. Using a situated knowledge lens to reveal knowledge gains for community partners engaged with a university – community partnership. People, Place and Policy Online, 14 :65-78 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Metcalf LJ. 2019. The impact of a changing policy environment on board members in small and medium-sized voluntary organisations Voluntary Sector Review: an international journal of third sector research, policy and practice, 10 :329-346 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Harlock J, Metcalf L. 2016. Measuring impact: prospects and challenges for third sector organisations Voluntary Sector Review, 7 :101-108 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Metcalf L. 2013. The Hodgson Review and trustee remuneration:examining the debate on payment of charity board members Voluntary Sector Review, 4 :395-402 DOI Publisher Url
Internet publication
Beckett Wilson H, Metcalf McGrath LJ. 2023. Living in Limbo: The experiences of UK patients who are prescribed cannabis Publisher Url Public Url
Metcalf McGrath L, Beckett Wilson H. 2023. Prescribed but prohibited: UK cannabis patients face stigma and health inequalities Publisher Url Public Url
Metcalf LJ. 2013. Measuring Impact: how can third sector organisations make sense of a rapidly expanding marketplace of tools? Publisher Url
Film
Metcalf McGrath L, Beckett Wilson H. 2023. "It's a big added stress on top of being so ill": Challenges for UK cannabis patients Publisher Url
Report
Metcalf LJ, Hardwick L. 2020. What types of knowledge do voluntary and community organisations gain from hosting an Interchange student? A summary of research into the experiences and perspectives of voluntary and community organisations (VCOs) who have hosted a student researcher in partnership with Interchange. Publisher Url Public Url
Conference publication
Metcalf LJ. 2017. Third sector boards in an era of austerity The Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference 2017, The Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference 2017 Public Url
Thesis/Dissertation
Metcalf LJ. 2012. Governance and public services: Trustees' experiences of the changing role and responsibilities of the voluntary sector Goldson B, Walklate S. University of Liverpool
Media Coverage:
Research cited in Business of Cannabis Europe 2024
Research cited in Cannabis Health News 2024
Volteface Drug Advocacy News: Stigma and Inequality: The Hidden Harms Faced by UK Cannabis Patients 2024
Filter Magazine, New York: UK medical cannabis access beset with social and systemic barriers. 2024
Mersey News Live: Prescription cannabis users criminalised despite 5 years of legality. 2023
Conference presentation:
Stigma and Stress: The impact of prohibition on the experiences of prescribed cannabis patients, 35th Annual Conference of the European Society for Social Drug Research, Manchester, UK, Oral presentation. 2024
Stigmatised and stressed: UK cannabis patients living in the transition from complete prohibition to legalised prescribing, Transitions Conference, Bluecoat Arts Centre, Oral presentation. 2024
Cannabis prescribing in the UK: Patient stories, European Research Showcase, Online/Global Science Show, Other. 2023
The experiences of people prescribed cannabis in the UK, Intersections: APSS Faculty Research Conference, Liverpool John Moores University, Oral presentation. 2023
Experiences of people using medical cannabis on prescription in the UK: Emerging findings, Drugs: North West Research Group Annual Conference, Liverpool John Moores University, Research presentation. 2022
Coproduced Research with Social Science Students, 8th Living Knowledge Conference, Corvinus University, Budapest, Oral presentation. 2018
Types of learning/knowledge acquired by partner organisations engaged in coproduced research wth social science students, Pedagogic Research Conference, University of Liverpool, Oral presentation. 2018
Using the social sciences to understand our community, Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS), University of Birmingham, Oral presentation. 2017
Community organisations and students as partners: Collaborative social science projects with Interchange, LJMU Teaching and Learning Conference 2017, Liverpool John Moores University, Oral presentation. 2017
Young people at risk of social harm: Government policies, the ‘crisis’ and the withdrawal of youth welfare in the UK., 44th Annual Conference of the European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control, Escola de Psicologia, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal, Oral presentation. 2016
Contracted-out welfare: Perspectives of third sector board members, Social Policy Association: Resistance, Resilience and Radicalism, University of Sheffield, Oral presentation. 2014
Research Grants Awarded:
LJMU QR Funding, Investigating the experiences of people who take cannabis as a medicine without a prescription in the UK., with Dr Helen Beckett Wilson, Grant value (£): 3362. 2024
LJMU QR Funding, Exploring the experiences of people prescribed cannabis in the UK, Dr Beckett Wilson, Helen, LJMU, Grant value (£): 769, Duration of research project: 1 year. 2023
LJMU QR Funding - CCSE, Investigating the impact of changes to the UK 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act which allow the prescription of Cannabis-Based Medical Products (CBMPs), Dr Helen Beckett Wilson, Grant value (£): 2095.55. 2021
Liverpool John Moores University, Voluntary organisations working with children and young people, Dr Sarah Tickle, Grant value (£): 1680. 2019
Interchange, Coproduced Research with Social Science Students (International conference & travel grant), Louise Hardwick, University of Liverpool, Grant value (£): 500. 2018
LJMU QR Funding, Third sector governance in an era of austerity and public service contracting, Grant value (£): 1495. 2017
Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), Festival of Social Science: Working together in times of Austerity, Grant value (£): 1000. 2017
Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), Festival of Social Science: Social Policy and the Voluntary Sector, Grant value (£): 1170. 2013
Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), Governance & public services: Trustees' experiences of the changing role and responsibilities of the voluntary sector, Grant value (£): Full PhD Studentship.
Public engagement:
Public talk or lecture, Public engagement practitioners, Invited speaker, Pioneering Outreach for Public Engagement in STEAM conference. 2024
Festival event, Public, Invited Speaker, Pint of Science Festival 2024, "What's it like to be prescribed an illegal drug? The experiences of cannabis patients in the UK", https://pintofscience.co.uk/event/make-your-mind-up. 2024
Public talk or lecture, Local community members, Invited Speaker, Liverpool, Big Ideas. 2024
Performance art: music, dance, drama, etc., Patients, Industry, Scientists, Researcher, film creator, Conway Hall, London, UK Medical Cannabis Patients Conference (Drug Science), Public screening of "It's a Big Added Stress on Top of Being So Ill: The Challenges facing people prescribed cannabis in the UK, animation of research findings.. 2023
Public talk or lecture, Creative academics / artists, Podcast Guest, Telling real life stories through creativity - experiences of people prescribed medical cannabis, The Firefly Creatrix Podcast, https://open.spotify.com/episode/0oDu6uH1gKdKJehzJYHPtr?si=n9h1s9FJQ6-imgmZTzU0Ow. 2023
Participatory research, Third Sector, Organiser and facilitator, ESRC Festival of Social Science, Liverpool, UK, Interchange event: Working together in an era of austerity. 2017
Festival event, Third sector, Organiser and Facilitator, Interchange: Exploring collaborative research involving academics and VCOs, ESRC Festival of Social Science. 2016
Festival event, Third sector, Organiser and Facilitator, Interchange: Social Policy and the Voluntary Sector, ESRC Festival of Social Science. 2013
Other invited event:
All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on medical cannabis under prescription, UK Parliament, London, Invited to present research findings on the experiences of cannabis patients to Members of the Commons and Lords in the APPG. 2024
Drug Science Medical Cannabis Working Group, UK-wide, Invited to present research findings to members of the Drug Science group, spanning industry members, patient representatives, clinicians and academic experts.. 2024
APSS Employability Showcase, Liverpool John Moores University, Presentation: Learning from a Work-Based Learning pilot in Criminology. Mixed faculty/employer event.. 2023
Award:
Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Knowledge Exchange (Overall University Winner), Liverpool John Moores University. 2023
Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Knowledge Exchange (Faculty Winner), Liverpool John Moores University. 2023
Amazing Course Team Award (awarded to Criminology Dept), John Moores Student's Union. 2020
Doctoral Fellow Award, Association for Research on Nonprofit Organisations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA), USA.. 2009
Fellowships:
Honorary Fellow, Third Sector Research Centre, University of Birmingham. 2013
Doctoral Fellow, Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) - USA. 2009
Fellow, Higher Education Academy (HEA).
External committees:
Committee, Voluntary Action History Society, Member. 2012
Management Board, Interchange (Reg. charity), Hon. Secretary and Trustee. 2008
Board of Trustees, Sahir House (Registered Charity).
Membership of professional bodies:
Member, British Sociological Association (BSA).
Member, Drugs: North West - Research Network.
Member, European Society for Social Drug Research (ESSD).
Member, Voluntary Sector Studies Network.