Carol Brennan
Dr Chris Gill
ROLE
Reader in Consumer Policy
Senior Lecturer in
Administrative Justice
SPECIFIC PROJECT OR INITIATIVE
Development of the Consumer Dispute
Resolution Centre
The Consumer Dispute Resolution Centre works closely
with organisations and individuals involved in dispute
resolution and helps them to develop innovative practice
through the provision of Continuing Professional
Development (CPD), research, and consultancy services.
The Consumer Dispute Resolution Centre first focused on consumer
disputes through its partnership work with the Ombudsman Association.
This led to major contracts being secured with the Financial Ombudsman
Service and the Legal Ombudsman, amongst others. The Centre has been
recognised as a “centre of excellence” by the International Ombudsman
Institute.
The Centre is now a major provider of CPD in the area of complaint
investigation and dispute resolution. It runs courses for the private sector
and public services. The Centre’s achievements are supported by a small
and dynamic inter-disciplinary team of academics and practitioners.
Recent successes include securing contracts to conduct dispute resolution
research for the Citizens Advice Bureau and an independent evaluation
of a dispute resolution scheme in New Zealand.
“The Centre’s entrepreneurial activity allows us to
generate real impact from our research. Working
closely with practitioners leads to genuine knowledge
exchange and opportunities for creative partnership.
There is a real buzz in successfully bidding
for commercial work and contributing to the
University’s financial sustainability.”