- University of Sheffield Professor, Sue Yeandle, has been appointed OBE (Officer of the British Empire) in the King’s Birthday Honours
- Professor Yeandle, who led the Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Equalities (CIRCLE) in the University’s Faculty of Social Sciences from 2014 - 2023, has been honoured for her services to research into care and caring
- Professor Yeandle has led numerous studies commissioned by charities, governments and local authorities and is internationally recognised as a leading authority on unpaid carers and the support and services they need
- She led the team that built the University’s prestigious ESRC Centre for Care and guided the development of IMPACT, the UK Centre for implementing evidence in adult social care
- Professor Yeandle believes her honour recognises the colleagues and carers around the world she has worked with through her research
- Four other University of Sheffield alumni were recognised during the King's Birthday Honours, including psychiatrist Professor Sir Simon Wessely
A Professor of Sociology at the University of Sheffield, Sue Yeandle, has been appointed OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours.
Professor Yeandle, from the University of Sheffield’s Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Equalities (CIRCLE) in the University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, has been honoured for her services to research into care and caring.
Much of Professor Yeandle’s research has focused on the lives, support needs and advocacy of unpaid carers in different countries. She has built many valued connections with carers’ organisations in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America and has published widely on issues of equality and fairness in care.
Professor Yeandle’s expertise on the challenges carers face in combining unpaid care with paid employment is internationally recognised and she has advised governments, parliamentary committees and many research teams around the world on the topic.
Professor Yeandle founded the International Journal of Care and Caring, a journal of the Policy Press established in 2017, and was its Editor-in-Chief until 2023. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, producing influential research papers for the European Commission, UN Women and Germany’s Federal Ministry for social affairs, and in 2022 was recognised in Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential Academics in UK Government.
In November 2021, Professor Yeandle was awarded £10 million of UK research council funding as the Principal Investigator and Director of the new Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Centre for Care, which leads the way in addressing the urgent need for accessible research data and evidence on social care in the UK. The centre is building a world-class data and research library on care, working with policymakers and stakeholders to address the pressures and inequities in how care and caring is experienced across the life-course, in the care sector and in everyday life.
Professor Yeandle is especially proud and grateful for the long-standing partnerships with Carers UK and with Eurocarers - the European association working for carers - that have supported and informed her thinking and research over many years,
She believes societal arrangements for care affect the wellbeing of all, across the life course, in every community and in all walks of life, and that all voices should be heard. She said: “I’m delighted to accept this honour recognising the contribution made by studies of care and caring I have led over many years.
“I’m grateful both to colleagues who’ve worked with me as we’ve tried, through our research, to make a difference in carers’ lives, and especially to the many unpaid carers and carers’ organisations I’ve met along the way. I hope they will feel this honour also recognises them, and unpaid carers all around the world, who contribute so much to our world each and every day.“
Other University of Sheffield alumni who were recognised in the King's Birthday Honours included:
- Professor Sir Simon Wessely, Honorary Doctor of Medicine at the University of Sheffield, who was awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) for his services to mental health.
- Professor Vernon Charles Gibson, University of Sheffield chemistry alumnus and Honorary Doctor of Science, received a Knighthood for services to science and defence.
- Professor Tilly Tansey, University of Sheffield PhD alumna and Honorary Doctor of Medicine, was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the understanding and promotion of medical history and science.
- Alison Ross, University of Sheffield alumna in law and social sciences, was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to young people and the community.
Professor Yeandle is part of the University of Sheffield’s Faculty of Social Sciences which has a long-established reputation for producing world-leading research and is home to some of the UK's leading researchers. Explore solutions to some of society’s most complex challenges with projects that build lasting partnerships with policymakers, NGOs and industry by studying at the University of Sheffield.
