Michael Hirst worked at SPRU for many years and still collaborates on research in the Unit. His interest in informal carers and, disability and employment, using quantitative and qualitative methods was a unique contribution to SPRU's work and to the overall development of these fields of enquiry. Recent work on the financial consequences of bereavement has opened up a new interesting stream of research to explore.

Social Policy Research Interests

• Unpaid carers and family caregiving
• Disability and employment
• Demography and social policy
• Social security and living standards

Social Policy Publications

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2013

Economic components of grief, (forthcoming)
Corden, A. and Hirst, M., Death Studies, (Available online from 22 April 2013). Financial constituents of family bereavement, (forthcoming)
Corden, A. and Hirst, M., Family Science. 2012

Bereavement Benefit for the 21st Century: Public consultation by the Department for Work and Pensions 2011-2012: Response to the consultation from the Social Policy Research Unit, at the University of York, 2012
Corden, A., Hirst, M. and Sainsbury, R., Social Policy Research Unit, 10 pages. 2011

Partner care at the end-of-life: identity, language and characteristics, 2011
Corden, A. and Hirst, M., Ageing & Society, 31, 2, 217-242. 2010

Death of a partner: financial implications and experience of loss, 2010
Corden, A., Hirst, M. and Nice, K., Bereavement Care, 29, 1, 23-28. Change in living arrangements following death of a partner in England and Wales, 1971 to 2001, 2010
Hirst, M. and Corden, A., Population Trends, 141, Autumn, 130-150. 2009

Economic identities: the experience of loss and transition among people whose partners died, 2009
Corden, A. and Hirst, M., Mortality, 14, Supplement 1, S15-S16. Financial implications of death of a partner, 2009
Corden, A., Hirst, M. and Nice, K., Research Works, 2009-1, Social Policy Research Unit. 2008

Managing money in later life: help from relatives and friends, 2008
Arksey, H., Corden, A., Glendinning, C. and Hirst, M., Benefits, 16, 1, 47-59. Implementing a mixed methods approach to explore the financial implications of death of a life partner, 2008
Corden, A. and Hirst, M., Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 2, 3, 208-220. Financial Implications of Death of a Partner, 2008
Corden, A., Hirst, M. and Nice, K.. Financial Implications of Death of a Partner: Annexes to chapters 3-6: Statistical data and analysis, 2008
Corden, A., Hirst, M. and Nice, K., Social Policy Research Unit. Financial Implications of Death of a Partner: Appendices A-F: design, research methods and instruments, 2008
Corden, A., Hirst, M. and Nice, K., Social Policy Research Unit. Double Discrimination? Gender and Disability in Access to the Labour Market, 2008
Parker, G., Grebe, C., Hirst, M., Hendey, M., and Pascall, G., Social Policy Research Unit. 2007

Exploring the Financial Implications of Death of a Life Partner: Using a mixed methods approach - Paper for presentation at the 3rd Annual International Mixed Methods Conference 2007 at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge UK, 9-11 July 2007, 2007
Corden, A. and Hirst, M., Social Policy Research Unit. 2006

Carers and the management of financial assets in later life, 2006
Arksey, H., Corden, A., Glendinning, C. and Hirst, M., Research Works, 2006-02, Social Policy Research Unit. Minding the money: Carers and the management of financial assets later in life: report of a scoping study, 2006
Arksey, H., Corden, A., Glendinning, C. and Hirst, M., Social Policy Research Unit. 2005

Unpaid carers' access to and use of primary care services, 2005
Arksey, H. and Hirst, M., Primary Health Care Research and Development, 6, 2, 101-16. Understanding and Measuring Personal Social Services Outputs Relating to Disabled Adults and Carers, 2005
Glendinning, C., Hirst, M. and Harris, J. , Social Policy Research Unit. Carer distress: a prospective, population-based study, 2005
Hirst, M., Social Science and Medicine, 61, 3, 697-708. Distress relief, 2005
Hirst, M., Care and Health Magazine, 108, 5-11 April, 26-27. Estimating the prevalence of unpaid adult care over time, 2005
Hirst, M., Research, Policy and Planning, 23, 1, 1-16. Promoting carers' health, 2005
Hirst, M. in Proceedings of the Conference on Carers' Health: Working for a positive future, Holyrood Communications. Disabled people in public sector employment, 1998 to 2004, 2005
Hirst, M. and Thornton, P., Labour Market Trends, 133, 5, 189-99. Under occupied, 2005
Hirst, M. and Thornton, P., Community Care, 1575, 2-8 June, 32-3. Developing a measure of PSS outputs: interim report, 2005
Netten, A., Hirst, M. and Glendinning, C., Personal Social Services Research Unit. 2004

Health Inequalities and Informal Care, 2004
Hirst, M. , Social Policy Research Unit. Hearts & Minds: The health effects of caring, 2004
Hirst, M., Research summary, Carers Scotland. The British Household Panel Survey: a longitudinal perspective on informal care, 2004
Hirst, M., pp.190-193 in Becker, S. and Bryman, A. (eds) Understanding Research for Social Policy and Practice, The Policy Press. The Employment of Disabled People in the Public Sector: A review of data and literature, 2004
Hirst, M., Thornton, P., Dearey, M. and Maynard Campbell, S., Disability Rights Commission.

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Publications 1995-1983

1995

Hirst, M., Atkin, K., Lunt, N. (1995) ‘Variations in practice nursing: implications for family health services authorities’, Health & Social Care in the Community, 3, 83-97.

Sainsbury, R., Hirst, M., Lawton, D. (1995) Evaluation of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance. Department of Social Security Research Report No. 41, London, HMSO.

1994

Atkin, K., Hirst, M. (1994) ‘Unit costs of practice nursing’, pp. 29-30, in Netten A (ed) Unit Costs of Community Care 1994. University of Kent, Personal Social Services Research Unit.

Atkin, K., Hirst, M., Lunt, N., Parker, G.M. (1994) ‘The role and self-perceived training needs of nurses employed in general practice: observations from a national census of practice nurses in England and Wales’, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 20, 46-52.

Atkin, K., Lunt, N., Parker, G., Hirst, M. (1994) ‘Ethnic origin and practice nursing: the effect of a possibly controversial question on a postal survey’, Sociology, 28, 163-169. Hirst, M., Baldwin, S. (1994) Unequal Opportunities: Growing Up Disabled. London, HMSO.

Thompson, C., Hirst, M. (1994) ‘Packages of need: a typology of dependency’, Research, Policy & Planning, 12, 11-17.

1990-1993

Flynn, M., Hirst, M. (1992) This Year, Next Year, Sometime ...? Learning Disability and Adulthood. London, National Development Team.

Hirst, M. (1992) ‘Employment patterns of mothers with a disabled young person’, Work, Employment & Society, 6, 87 101.

Jones, L., Baldwin, S., Hirst, M.(1992) ‘Meeting the tele-communication needs of people who are deaf’, pp. 152-163, in Corden, A., Robertson, E., Tolley, K. (eds) Meeting Needs in an Affluent Society. Aldershot, Avebury.

Hirst, M. (1991) ‘Dissolution and reconstitution of families with a disabled young person’, Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 33, 1073 1079.

Hirst, M., Baldwin, S., Jones, L. (1991) ‘Text telecommunication for people who are deaf: assessing the use of a text relay service’, British Journal of Audiology, 25, 361 370.

Hirst, M., Parker, G., Cozens, A. (1991) ‘Disabled young people’, pp. 138 155 in Oliver M. (ed) Social Work: Disabled People and Disabling Environments. London, Jessica Kingsley.

Hirst, M. (1990) ‘Financial independence and social security’, , 4, 70 78.

Hirst, M. (1990) ‘Multi dimensional representation of disablement: a qualitative approach’, pp. 72 83 in Baldwin, S., Godfrey, C., Propper, C. (eds) Quality of Life: Perspectives and Policies. London, Routledge. (Reprinted 1994)

Hirst, M., Jones, L., Baldwin, S. (1990) ‘Communication skills and research’, pp. 78 81, in Robbins, D., Walters, A. (eds) Department of Health Yearbook of Research and Development 1990. London, HMSO.

1980’s

Clark, A., Hirst, M. (1989) ‘Disability in adulthood: ten year follow up of young people with Disabilities’, Disability, Handicap & Society, 4, 271 283.

Hirst, M. (1989) ‘Patterns of impairment and disability related to social handicap in young people with cerebral palsy and spina bifida’, Journal of Biosocial Science, 21, 1 12.

Hirst, M., Cooke, K. (1988) ‘Grading severity of childhood disablement: comparing survey measures with a paediatrician’s assessment’, Child: Care, Health & Development, 14, 111 126.

Cooke, A., Hirst, M., Bradshaw, J. (1987) ‘Attendance allowance at age 16: time for review’, Child: Care, Health & Development, 13, 169 180.

Hirst, M. (1987) ‘Careers of young people with disabilities between ages 15 and 21 years’, Disability,Handicap & Society, 2, 61 74. (Reprinted in Educare)

Parker, G., Hirst, M. (1987) ‘Continuity and change in medical care for young adults with disabilities’, Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London, 21, 129 133. (Reprinted in Educare)

Hirst, M. (1986) ‘Disabilities, benefits and disability benefits’, International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 9, 3 12.

Hirst, M. (1985) ‘Could schools do more for leavers?’ British Journal of Special Education, 12,143 146.

Hirst, M. (1985) ‘Dependency and family care of young adults with disabilities’, Child: Care, Health & Development, 11, 241 257.

Hirst, M. (1985) ‘Social security and insecurity: young people with disabilities in the United Kingdom’, pp. 58-72, in Social Policy and the Young Disabled. Studies in Research No. 23, Geneva, International Social Security Association.

Hirst, M. (1985) ‘Social security and insecurity: young people with disabilities in the United Kingdom’, International Social Security Review, 38, 258 272.

Hirst, M. (1985) ‘Young adults with disabilities: health, employment and financial costs for family carers’, Child: Care, Health & Development, 11, 291 307.

Hirst, M. (1984) ‘Education after 16 for young people with disabilities’, Youth & Policy, 2, 37 40.

Hirst, M. (1983) ‘Evaluating the malaise inventory: an item analysis’, Social Psychiatry, 18, 181 184.

Hirst, M., Bradshaw, J. (1983) ‘Evaluating the malaise inventory: a comparison of measures of stress’, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 27, 193 199.

Hirst, M. (1983) ‘Young people with disabilities: what happens after 16?’ Child: Care, Health & Development, 9, 273 284.