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7a002421-31aa-4897-bd4d-da37a8b4cf6a Avoiding care escalations through targeted care coordination for people with multiple long-term conditions – a knowledge mobilisation project Chief Investigator: Simon Fraser, Professor of Public Health, University of Southampton Team: Nisreen Alwan, Professor of Public Health, University of Southampton, Lead for the Healthy Communities theme (from 1st Oct 2024), NIHR ARC Wessex. Robin Poole, Consultant in Public Health, Southampton City Council. Michael Boniface, Professorial Fellow of Information Technology, Director of the IT Innovation Centre, University of Southampton, and lead for the Workforce and Health Systems theme, NIHR ARC Wessex. Kelly Cheung, PPI lead, NIHR ARC Wessex and University Hospitals Southampton. Emilia Holland, Public Health Registrar, University of Southampton. Seb Stannard, Research Fellow, MELD-B project, University of Southampton. Claire Sheikh, Senior Pharmacist, Living Well Partnership, Southampton. Kelly Hislop Lennie, Principal Academic in Adult Nursing, Bournemouth University. Lynn Laidlaw, Patient and public contributor and researcher, PPI contributor MELD-B Sally Dace, PPI contributor MELD-B and Wessex ARC James McMahon, PPI contributor MELD-B, School of Primary Care Research UoS, South West Genomic Medicine Service. Lead PPIE for DIALOR, a digital intervention addressing frailty in Bournemouth University Partners: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Bournemouth University, Southampton City Council, Living Well Partnership. Start: 1 October 2024 End: 31 March 2026 Summary This project is about taking knowledge that has been learned from two ongoing research studies about living with multiple long-term health conditions to see if we can apply it in a ‘real life’ setting in a large general practice in Southampton. Two research projects called ‘MELD-B’ and ‘the ARC Treatment Burden study’ have identified many aspects that make living with multiple long-term conditions challenging for people. This ‘workload’ might make it more likely that people feel overwhelmed by their health conditions. If people have a high workload, and particularly if they are frail, this can end up with them needing to be admitted to hospital. We have also identified that some aspects of people’s early life can make it more likely that they are admitted to hospital in middle age. If such challenges are recognised in advance and appropriate help provided, such unplanned admissions might be avoided. Care coordinators are people working in NHS settings, including GP surgeries, to identify and support people at risk of such admissions. They have a lot of people on their books and it can be challenging to know who needs what help, and who needs it most urgently. We want to see if the things we have learned from our previous research study can help the care coordinator make these decisions. In this short project we plan to do this in a large practice in Southampton, the Living Well Partnership, which looks after about 45,000 people. We plan to: · collate all the aspects identified in these studies that might make people more vulnerable · make sure we understand the current way care coordinators identify and engage with patients · work with all the relevant people in the practice to make sure we take people on this journey with us · undertake some workshops, co-led by PPI contributors, to co-develop the strategy for adding new aspects (such as the ‘workload’ and early life aspects mentioned above) to current approaches · test the addition of adding these in Living Well Partnership and evaluate the process We will share our findings at an event involving as many of the team from the Living Well Partnership as we can and get their feedback. This event will also include other relevant interested parties, such as those from the Integrated Care Board. PPI contributors have been deeply involved in the work of MELD-B, have helped to shape this proposal and will continue as co-investigators. They will be reimbursed for their contributions according to NIHR guidance. Read the public policy briefing

663cd08e-9825-45c9-8e1b-c94d485206ee COMPLETED SOCIAL CARE: Building capacity in social care through co-produced research and a research learning partnership between University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth City Council Background Social care is facing many challenges and, in a time where staff are stretched and resources are low, research can feel like a luxury rather than part of daily activities. Yet research is crucial for improving practice and finding innovative ways to overcome challenges. To increase capacity in social care research, academia and social care need to work together to understand each other and co-produce a programme that will fit with the workplace demands of social care and focuses on issues that hold meaning and value to those we are seeking to engage. The work that we co-produce will therefore lead to tangible practice change and/or a strengthening of the evidence for existing practice. The University of Portsmouth (UoP) and Portsmouth City Council (PCC) do not currently have a research learning partnership established, however our civic partnership agreement provides a strong impetus to build a learning partnership that will inspire, engage, and provide professional development for social care professionals in research, whilst providing academics with direct experience of co-producing research in complex public service contexts. Through this project we aim to develop such a research learning partnership. Contributors: Amy Drahota, Reader in Health & Social Care Evidence & Evaluation, University of Portsmouth Carole Fogg, Senior Research Fellow, University of Southampton Patricia Gilbert, Lecturer (Sociology), University of Portsmouth Patryk Jadzinski, Senior Lecturer (Paramedics), University of Portsmouth Gail Mann, Research Development Lead, Portsmouth City Council Nils Niederstrasser, Senior Lecturer (Psychology), University of Portsmouth Lucy Porteous, Senior Lecturer (Social Work), University of Portsmouth Clare Rachwal, Deputy Head of Service, Adult Social Care, Portsmouth City Council Jenny Roddis, Associate Head (Research & Innovation), University of Portsmouth Sharon Smith, Principal Social Worker, Adult Social Care, Portsmouth City Council Annabel Tremlett, Senior Lecturer (Social Work), University of Portsmouth Aims and Objectives Our overall aim is to build research capacity in social care through establishing a research learning partnership between the University of Portsmouth (UoP) and Portsmouth City Council (PCC) adult social care team, the public and other key partners, and develop co-produced research relevant to PCC social care practice and national issues. We will achieve this via the following four objectives: A. To establish a research learning partnership for social care between UoP and PCC which will provide learning opportunities for both partners and their associated stakeholders around the development, design, and delivery of research. B. To identify and prioritise research topics for development for further grant funding opportunities, within social care and also in collaboration with other health and care delivery partners. C. To undertake preliminary research activities (e.g. a systematic review, public involvement activities, and potential data gathering) on a prioritised topic in adult social care, which will underpin a funding application for further primary research. D. To develop guidance on increasing capacity in social care research via co-production in collaboration with wider ARC Wessex social care research partnerships. Research Plan / Methods We will begin this project with a three-month exploratory process with social care teams, that will be about relationship-building and working together to devise a programme of activities that will meet the needs of social care, establish what a learning partnership would look like, and how this will fit with the expertise of academics. We envisage that we will co-develop some activities that centre around relevant topic(s) of importance to social care, and that the academics can support based on their expertise. Our focus will be adult social care, to tie in with the School of Health & Care Professions’ thematic strength in older adults, PCC’s adult social care team, and the ‘ageing and dementia’ research area of ARC Wessex. The project will involve a researcher-in-residence, employed by UoP but embedded within PCC, to work alongside adult social workers and build a culture of joint research across the organisations. We will be seeking to integrate research into current processes, for example through senior social worker team meetings and practice support forums that would be happening anyway. Throughout the project we will be seeking to establish a legacy of ongoing work and practice, through the development of funding applications for future projects and the development of a community of practice that will outlive the duration of the funding, nurture an affinity for research, and help demonstrate the value of research to social care. Summary of findings This project had four strands: 1: Growing a research culture and working together We helped six people at Portsmouth City Council (PCC) to become research active or develop their research skills; four were awarded ‘Visiting Researcher’ status at the university, and two were social workers employed on the joint social work project as research assistants. Of the four visiting researchers: One social worker received mentorship to undertake their own small research project; One Mental Health Practitioner developed their research ideas, and applied for research funding; Two individuals independently completed a research project and were supported to develop their analysis and findings through collaboration with University researchers. All individuals are pursuing further research and supporting each other. 2: Joint social work project A research question was developed through discussions and shadowing within adult social work teams at PCC. This led to a review of the evidence on how and why different features of collaborative working may impact the outcomes of older adults receiving services. We found 28 relevant studies that helped develop three theories on collaborative working. The theories relate to: how multidisciplinary team meetings are managed; how staff can learn from each other and feel safe to speak out; how new solutions for older adults can arise when staff feel safe to speak out. These theories can be used to develop recommendations and new interventions to improve how social workers can work with other professionals to provide the best care for older adults. 3: Research learning programme A 6-part seminar series, Research Skills in Social Care , was delivered in-person for colleagues at PCC and online for wider audiences. The series gave an overview of the six stages of conducting a literature review to grow research knowledge and encourage discussions. Team members also gave seminars on their research projects through the Applied Research Collaboration Wessex online seminar series. 4: Reflecting on what we have learnt about growing research The process of growing research has been rewarding and challenging. Success has come from mentorship and individual relationships where trust and rapport are developed, and confidence is built at a steady pace. Arranging rooms and technology in a different organisation for the seminar series was difficult, however the in-person nature of the seminars was beneficial for sparking informal conversations and removing barriers between research and practice, presenting an “accessible” face. What we did with this Knowledge The knowledge from the joint research project is being shared with the wider adult social work team to inform team development. Additionally, we are working the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) at Portsmouth City Council to establish how the activities to grow research can be expanded to other areas of the city council and local authorities wider afield. We are working together to develop a report for publication and continue to work with the adult social work team to grow research. Where next? • A funding application has been submitted by an Approved Mental Health Professional to conduct a literature review around racial disparities in coercive mental health treatment •A social worker is planning small research project evidencing the need for a larger autism/neurodivergence support service for adults •Further collaboration with Health Determinants Research Collaboration initiative •Discussing development of interventions based on the findings of the joint research project. This will form the basis of a future funding proposal. Koren Luddington – Visiting Researcher & Social Worker “I was matched with a mentor from the University, who was empathic and reassuring of my self-doubts. She made me feel as though all questions were valid and she was able to provide explanations that felt personalised and relevant to my field of work” Taken from Koren’s blog post on NIHR ARC Wessex Supporting capacity building in this project has been really eye opening - throughout this project I have met incredible, passionate people that are doing everything they can to provide support. There is such a wealth of knowledge and innovation happening in Adult Social Care, and it’s up to us in research to support and encourage that. Dr Leah Fullegar Leah.Fullegar@port.ac.uk

eda5a835-7cd7-4129-9513-a5eae9f5b7ce ADOPTED: An observational longitudinal cohort study to investigate Cortical Disarray Measurement in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (CONGA) Principal Investigator: Professor Chris Kipps Team: Steven Chance, Oxford Brain Diagnostics Ltd Robyn Davies, Cardiff and Vale University LHB Gail Hayward, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Margaret Glogowska, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences Jane Wolstenholme, University of Oxford, Health Economics Research Centre Filipa Landeiro, University of Oxford, Health Economics Research Centre Angus Prosser, University of Southampton Main Funding: NIHR i4i Starts: 6 March 2022 Ends: 31 June 2025 Summary Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of neurodegenerative diseases that cause cognitive and/or behavioural impairment that affect an individual’s function and daily living. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common dementia subtype, accounting for 60-70% of cases, followed by vascular dementia, mixed dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia. Timely and accurate diagnosis of dementia is essential for appropriate care planning and signposting to sources of support. Early diagnosis and implementation of carer and patient interventions has been shown to improve patient and carer outcomes including health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and delayed patient institutionalisation. With the promise of new therapeutic targets that may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease with early and targeted intervention, accurate and timely diagnosis is critical. Diagnosis is however challenging. Difficult cases can leave patients with uncertain diagnoses for long periods of time, where a “wait and see” approach is often employed when diagnostic tests are inconclusive. This can cause significant stress to both individuals living with cognitive impairment or dementia and their families. Definite dementia subtype diagnosis can currently only be obtained through post-mortem histopathological confirmation. Participants will be recruited through secondary and tertiary centres where diagnostic investigation or patient monitoring is underway. Participants will be followed for two years at 6 monthly intervals to determine change on standard cognitive and functional measures and collection of participant and companion reported health and social care events, with MRI examination at baseline and 24 months.

Other resources The ARC Wessex Implementation Team have developed a process to assess the implementation factors of ARC projects outputs. Our Implementation Checklist assesses how far research teams have considered implementation and enables us to determine the level of input we need to provide to support the implementation process. The checklist comprises six domains representing key elements in the process leading to implementation. Within each domain there are a set of statements addressing different aspects of this process and the conditions required for implementation. In addition, there are several questions which are intended as prompts to help make the assessment. To complete the checklist, think about your project and consider each statement within the domain and its accompanying question(s). Decide if you agree or disagree with the statement by placing a tick in the relevant column. You should also think about the evidence you have to support your response and details of this should be provided in the last column. If you have questions about the checklist email, please send these to arcwessex@soton.ac.uk addressed to the “Implementation Team” Complete the evaluation survey implementation checklist Implementation Checklist The ARC Wessex Implementation Team have developed a process to assess the implementation factors of ARC projects outputs. Our Implementation Checklist assesses how far research teams have considered implementation and enables us to determine the level of input we need to provide to support the implementation process. The checklist comprises six domains representing key elements in the process leading to implementation. Within each domain there are a set of statements addressing different aspects of this process and the conditions required for implementation. In addition, there are several questions which are intended as prompts to help make the assessment. To complete the checklist, think about your project and consider each statement within the domain and its accompanying question(s). Decide if you agree or disagree with the statement by placing a tick in the relevant column. You should also think about the evidence you have to support your response and details of this should be provided in the last column. If you have questions about the checklist email, please send these to arcwessex@soton.ac.uk addressed to the “Implementation Team” Download implementation checklist Learn more about implementation checklist Download implementation checklist Download the poster Introduction to Implementation - Dr David Kryl (video) Virtual workshop recorded in October 2020 (video) Use the Web-based Implementation Toolkit Video gallery Video gallery Implementation resources Bitesize guides to Implementation Bitesize guides to Implementation Play Video Play Video 10:12 Implementation Bitesize session 1- Dr David Kryl Implementation bitesize 1 - An introduction to Implementation by Dr David Kryl (10 minutes) Play Video Play Video 15:29 Implementation presentation Session 2 Dr Michelle Myall Implementation bitesize 2 - Implementation Science and Frameworks by Dr Michelle Myall Play Video Play Video 09:51 Implementation bitesize 3 - Checklist by Cindy Brooks Implementation bitesize 3 - Checklist by Cindy Brooks (10 minutes) Play Video Play Video 13:48 Implementation Bite size 4 Q & A.mp4 The ARC Wessex Implementation team answers your questions Implementation Checklist Play Video Play Video 10:54 Introduction to Implementation - Dr David Kryl Introduction to Implementation - Dr David Kryl (video) Play Video Play Video 01:15:22 Virtual workshop recorded in October 2020 Virtual workshop recorded in October 2020 (video) Summer Series 2021 Summer series 2021 Play Video Play Video 19:54 Summer Series Session 1: Study Outputs, Buy in & Engagement Cindy Brooks and Dr Michelle Myall explain Implementation in a series of summer sessions Live Q & A session Thursday 7th October 12.00pm Play Video Play Video 15:31 Summer Series Session 2: Fit and alignment with health and social care systems & priorities Summer Series Session 2: Fit and alignment with health and social care systems & priorities by Dr Michelle Myall and Cindy Brooks Play Video Play Video 11:12 Summer Series Session 3: Outcomes and Impact and Adoption and Spread Cindy Brooks and Dr Michelle Myall explain Implementation in a series of summer sessions Live Q & A session Thursday 7th October 12.00pm

Senior Research Fellow < Back Miguel Garcia-Argibay Senior Research Fellow Healthy Communities Coming soon Previous Next

3020cd35-d002-4b24-bc53-5ac051771722 Adopted Project: Paramedic delivery of end-of-life care: a mixed methods evaluation of service provision and professional practice (PARAID) Chief Investigator: Dr Natasha Campling, University of Southampton Funder: Marie Curie Research Grants Scheme Start Date: 1st March 2023 End Date: 7th October 2025 Partners: Research & Development Department, South East Coast Ambulance Service, University of the West of England, University of Southampton Summary Paramedics are often important to patients in the last year of their life (end-of-life). We know that 999 calls are increasing for individuals and their families at end-of-life, which may be because services in the community are under pressure e.g. those provided by family doctors and community nurses. Little wide scale research has been carried out to understand the contribution played by paramedics in these situations and how this might be improved. From practice it is known that paramedics attending patients at end-of-life face complex issues such as: not knowing the patient or their family, lack of availability of patient history, fear of doing wrong, issues with family conflict and a lack of healthcare professionals to hand over to out-of-hours if the patient is to remain at home. These issues can mean people are admitted to hospital when circumstances mean they could be cared for at home. The purpose of the study is to evaluate services and care provided by paramedics to people in the last year of life. We will survey paramedics throughout England to understand their professional practice and what factors influence this and conduct in-depth case studies (collecting information from patients, carers and healthcare professionals) to examine different ways of delivering services and how these shape paramedic decision-making and management of risk. It is important to evaluate service delivery and understand how the best service features can be incorporated into other services to improve the quality of care and support provided to patients and their families. This may prevent unnecessary hospital admissions at end-of-life, which often leads to people dying in hospital when most people state they would prefer to be cared for, and die, at home. The research will describe, characterise and evaluate paramedic delivered end-of-life service provision to answer the research question: how do different models of service provision shape paramedic practice and influence experiences and outcomes for individuals at end-of-life? The evaluation will enable service delivery models, their features, and effective risk management by paramedics to be distinguished to facilitate sharing of best practice and improve the quality of care and support for people at end-of-life.

c1df1831-b7ba-4277-88cf-bcbed05e91b7 Pharmacological And Non-Pharmacological treatment of ADHD in Pre-schoolers: a systematic review and network meta-analysis: the PANPAP study Lead applicant: Professor Samuele Cortese Co-applicants: Andrea Cipriani, Corentin Gosling, Luis Farhat, Cinzia Del Giovane Background: Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have problems with attention and need to move more than most children. About 5% of school-aged children and 2% of pre-schoolers have ADHD, respectively. This translates into almost 10,000 pre-schoolers with ADHD in the South West England area. Interventions for ADHD include pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. When not treated, ADHD entails a significant burden to society, estimated at more than £20,000 per year. Therefore, it is important to detect and treat ADHD in the early years to prevent the negative consequences of ADHD later in life. Experts and ADHD support groups agree that the NHS does not meet the needs of pre-schoolers with ADHD. Currently, there are either long waiting lists or no services for pre-schoolers with ADHD in the NHS. To provide the best care for pre-schoolers with ADHD, we need to make sure that the NHS offers treatments that work well and are safe. In 2018, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended mainly non-pharmacological interventions (behavioral interventions) for the treatment of pre-schoolers with ADHD. Back then, there was a paucity of studies on other non-pharamcological interventions and on medications for ADHD in pre-schoolers. Since 2018, there has been an increasing number of studies on other types of interventions (e.g., family-based interventions and diet) and on medications. There has also been an increasing trend in some countries (e.g., USA) to use medications for pre-schoolers with ADHD. Therefore, we need to understand which is the best intervention for pre-schoolers with ADHD. Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for ADHD in pre-schoolers. Methods: We will not do a new study, which would be very expensive. Rather, we will use a new type of research, called “network meta-analysis”. This approach uses data from available studies to compare different types of treatments even when they have not been compared directly in the individual available studies. Therefore, we will first systematically search for published and unpublished studies of any pharmacological or non-pharmacological treatment for pre-schoolers with ADHD. We will then combine the information from these studies with a state-of-the-art statistical approach. We will finally assess the quality of the studies included in the analysis and the strength of the evidence that we will generate. We are well known experts in this type of research. The study will be conducted at the University of Southampton, in collaboration with international researchers, including a statistician with renowned expertise in this type of analysis. Impact: The findings of our research are expected to inform future regional, national and international guidelines on the treatment of ADHD in pre-schoolers. As such, our results will be disseminated to local commissioners and policy makers, NICE, and international guidelines groups such as the European ADHD Guidelines Group. We will also disseminate our findings to associations of families with children with ADHD in the Wessex area, at the national (for example, National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service, ADDISS), and international level (ADHD Europe).

Web-based Implementation Toolkit (WIT) Quick links: Project Outputs Buy-in and Engagement Fit with Health and Social Care Systems Alignment with Health and Social Care Priorities Outcomes and Impact Adoption and Spread Checklist, webinar and resources Quick links: Project Outputs This Web-based Implementation Toolkit (WIT) is designed to be easy to use and intended for a variety of users, projects and settings where implementation is planned or being considered. Implementation is the attempt to introduce a new intervention, innovation or policy developed through research and apply it to health and/or social care and the third sector. WIT provides you with an interactive Implementation Wheel, Checklist and bite-size Webinars (average 10 minutes) to support you through your implementation journey. Who is WIT for? WIT recognises the need to provide freely available, accessible and simple to use tools that focus on key considerations at the outset of a project. WIT was through interactive workshops with health and social care professionals, third sector organisation professionals, academics and members of the public. Anyone looking to understand more about or engage in implementation. Why use WIT? When to use WIT From the beginning – when first considering and designing a project Throughout all stages of your implementation journey and beyond To guide you through implementation considerations for your project There are six wheel domains to help you consider what is required for implementation. Click on a domain segment to find out more. Adoption and Spread Project Outputs Buy-in and Engagement Fit with Health and Social Care Systems Alignment with Health and Social Care Priorities Outcomes and Impact How to use WIT Use the interactive Implementation Wheel, Checklist and bitesize Webinars to support you on your implementation journey and beyond. The six Wheel domains can be used iteratively, and in no particular order. The Checklist is downloadable and consists of the same domains as the Wheel. You can use this to complete with your team and check progress of your implementation journey. The Webinars , approximately 10 minutes duration, provide sessions relating to the six Wheel and Checklist domains and also to an introduction to implementation and implementation theories and frameworks. Hover on keywords to see definitions Other words in bold represent key learning points The Resources section provides suggestions for other resources you may find helpful. implementation Implementation is the attempt to introduce a new intervention, innovation or policy developed through research and apply it to health and/or social care and the third sector. co-produced Co-production refers to a way of working together, often with service users, to reach a collective output. Feedback via our short survey If you fulfil the criteria on the attached poster , Researchers from the School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton/NIHR ARC Wessex would like you to test WIT by providing feedback via a short survey . Or alternatively scan the QR code. Thank you. Contact us If you have any questions about WIT, please contact: C.F.Brooks@soton.ac.uk Disclaimer The development of WIT has been supported by the NHS Insight Prioritisation Programme (NIPP). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of this website. How to cite Brooks, C.F., Lund, S., Kryl, D., and Myall M. (2023) Web-based Implementation Toolkit (WIT). University of Southampton. Available at: www.arc-wx.nihr.ac.uk/web-implementation-toolkit Accessibility We are committed to providing a website that is accessible to as many people as possible. We are actively working to increase the accessibility and usability of the website.

Public and Community Involvement, Engagement and Particpation Getting Involved Why Do People Get Involved? We believe that everyone has something worthwhile to contribute and we are all working together to ensure that the voices of local people are at the heart of all we do. Here are some reasons our public members gave for getting involved: John is working with the research team on neurological conditions "Just knowing I can make a difference and be part of the solution is really beneficial to my mental and physical wellbeing" Read about why Pat and Julia got involved in a national research programme Who Can Get Involved? Anyone with knowledge and, or experience of Health or Social Care services in our Wessex region, which covers Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset and South Wiltshire. Your experiences and views to help us shape our research to improve the Health and Social Care services offered. How Can You Get Involved? We have a number of opportunities for public members to be involved in the work of the ARC, these are: Public Contributor: Being a Public Contributor you will become part of our research family and can be involved in some of our locally based research projects. We will let you know when opportunities to be involved become available via email. There is no minimum or maximum commitment, you can pick and choose the involvement opportunities as they are offered, depending on your interests and availability. Or Public Advisor: We have a team of public members who have taken on additional roles as Public Advisors. As well as being involved in the same way as the Public Contributors, Public Advisors work with our research theme teams and support the organisational work (governance) of ARC Wessex, helping to ensure the research we support is relevant to our local communities and meets our objectives (aims/ goals). Questions? - jump to our guide section ARC Public Involvement Forum The ARC Public Involvement Forum - or APIF for short, links researchers with public contributors for each other of our research time areas. The areas are: Ageing & dementia, Healthy communities, Long-term conditions, Health systems and Workforce, as well as our Mental health and Social care research hubs. Each public contributor or Public Research Champion is part of research theme meetings and is supported by a Staff Link who is normally a member of the research team for that theme. Sign up? Signing up is a simple process which allows us to get to know you a little better. For more information or an informal discussion please click here to email the team at publicinvolvement@uhs.nhs.uk . Alternatively, you can write to the Team at: ARC Wessex, Public Involvement, Southampton Science Park, Innovation Centre, 2 Venture Road, Chilworth, Southampton SO16 7NP or please contact us by calling 023 8120 4989 Who's in the ARC Public Involvement Team There was an issue connecting to your network. Check your connection and try again. Main Page Researcher Resources Strategy Questions? It's natural to have questions so we have put together some of the answers to commonly asked questions about public involvement and engagement with research - take a look below and see if these answers help. There was an issue connecting to your network. Check your connection and try again. Anchor 1 Anchor 2

Work lives and Wellbeing of Mental Health Nursing Workforce Lead applicant: Prof Jane Ball Co-applicants: Dr Gemma Simons, Prof David Baldwin, Prof Peter Griffiths, Dr Catherine Smith, Dr Emma Wadey Project Summary: Read project summary document (short summary) Read project summary document (long summary) We have a growing demand for mental health care and nurses are key to meting this demand. Each year roughly 10,000 NHS staff in England leave mental health services. 22% of nursing posts in mental health are vacant. Across the NHS it is recognised that work pressures impact on staff wellbeing, their ability to deliver care well, and likelihood of staff staying in the NHS. Despite being a priority area, most research related to nurses’ work engagement, retention and positive staff outcomes focuses on staff in general acute hospitals. Very little attention has been paid to mental health nurses’ work lives and wellbeing. Where will the research take place and who will it in involve This study focusses on mental health nurses. It will take place in Wessex but also includes desk research to collate workforce data, and a national survey of nurses in a range of mental health settings (community, hospitals, specialist units). The project will be led by the mental health workforce team at Southampton, in collaboration with the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Staff Support Hub, and the national lead for mental health nursing. An advisory group and patient public group will support the research. Aim & Design The aim is to examine the work lives and wellbeing of mental health nurses, in order to improve wellbeing and retention of these staff. This study will map what is known about the mental health nursing workforce, identify modifiable workplace factors that impact on staff experience, wellbeing and outcomes, and work collaboratively to identify solutions. The companion project will identify metrics that we can use to assess the wellbeing of the mental health workforce. Methods Labour market and workforce review - analyse data on the mental health nursing workforce, to create an overview. Survey nurses working in mental health (in Wessex NHS Trusts and a national sample). The questionnaire includes measures of: burnout, job satisfaction, intention to leave, workloads and practice environment. We will include open-ended questions so staff can give their views of work-life challenges, how they impact on their health, and what helps. The RCN Mental Health Forum will be main gateway for the national survey. Interview and focus groups with mental health nurses in Wessex NHS Trusts to explore experiences and views of working in mental health and issues related to wellbeing. These will be both before and after the survey (to help with survey design, and afterwards, to enrich interpretation). Coproduction workshop . Preliminary findings will be shared with a wide range of people with vested interest in, or responsibility for, the mental health workforce (e.g. nurses, managers, workforce leads) at a Wessex based co-production workshop, to identify actions and next steps. How will the findings inform improvements in population health and patient care? Services will run better and care quality will be improved if the workforce is healthy, happy and there are enough staff to provide care to the expected standards. Read all Mental Health Hub projects

Adolescent Resilience to OVercome Adversity: EmpoweRment and intervention development – the ROVER study Lead applicant: Anne-Sophie Darlington Co-applicants : Professor Graham Roberts , Professor Mary Barker , Dr Ivo Vassilev University of Southampton, Dr Catherine Hill Associate Professor in Child Health at the University of Southampton, Dr Jana Kreppner Associate Professor in Developmental Psychopathology within Psychology at the University of Southampton , Dr Luise Marino , Abigail Oakley Project Summary: Mental health conditions and symptoms in children and young people are increasing. Children and young people (CYP) with a chronic physical health condition often report having mental health problems such as feelings of anxiety and depression. A lot of research has focused on risk – circumstances that make it more likely for young people to experience mental health problems. In this project we want to focus on resilience - the young person’s ability to use their strengths and support from family and friends to overcome challenges in their life. Resilience has not often been a focus of support programmes for CYP with a physical condition. We would like to find out what experiences are common for young people living with physical health conditions, so that we can develop a support programme that applies across Child Health. We will use knowledge from these shared experiences to co-create the support programme with young people – called ‘tools for life’ (suggestion by CYP). We will also partner with national charities (partnerships have already been developed) who have worked with us before and who are very interested in supporting CYP around their mental health. The charity partners could help us to develop support components that are very specific to the condition (for example, fear of cancer coming back), which can be included in the overall support programme. Finally, work with young people has taught us that flexibility is very important: flexibility in when they access support, the way they access it and how it is offered to them. We will work together with young to shape this flexibility in support. The project will have four parts: Part 1 – Finding out what might work: List successful support components from 15 existing summaries of the evidence (reviews of the literature) to date and a report from Wellcome (an independent global charitable foundation which focuses on research), and identify the support elements (e.g., building confidence) which work well, and are acceptable to young people. Part 2 – Developing partnerships: Develop a partnership with local stakeholders (e.g., Paul Hughes and Laura Renishaw-Villier – Hub stakeholders; SolentMind, No Limits) and national charities (e.g., Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, Kidney Care UK, Asthma UK). who can support the development of the support programme, both the general as disease-specific elements. We will hold several workshops with stakeholders to develop the partnership and agree on the goals of the partnership and ways to work together. Part 3 – Developing the support programme: We will co-create (develop together with young people) the support programme– ‘tools for life’ - to increase resilience. We will focus on flexibility in the way the programme is offered to young people, and when young people access the programme, to suit their needs. This flexibility will make young people more likely to use the programme. Part 4: Testing the support programme: We will test the support programme with 30 young people, to find out how many young people use the programme, if the programme is acceptable, how they use the programme, and how much they use the programme. We will also find out what the most important indicators of success are for the programme, such as young people experiencing less symptoms of anxiety and depression, and a better quality of life. Read all Mental Health Hub projects

Koren Luddington - Social Worker Autism and Neurodivergence Team - Portsmouth City Council < Back How I found my way S A L T to social worker Koren Luddington - Social Worker Autism and Neurodivergence Team - Portsmouth City Council Becoming a Social Worker was a slightly unexpected career path for me. After qualifying with a degree in Speech and Language Therapy at university, I fully intended on having a life-long career as a Speech and Language Therapist. During my training, I took a real interest in Learning Disability and Autism and got my initial post-qualification experience in this area. Being young and responsibility free, after a couple of years of working, I spontaneously decided to leave the country and explore the world for a year. Unfortunately, in this time the UK went into recession and when I returned home, there were limited opportunities arising in the NHS. Koren Luddington is a Social worker in Portsmouth At this point, the novel pilot scheme 'Step Up to Social Work' was brought to my attention. At first, I was only paying the idea lip service, as Social Work didn't really appeal to me - albeit, I knew very little about it. However, my skills and qualifications did tally with the requirements of this employment-based route into Social Work, which would also secure me a Masters degree upon completion. As I progressed through the stages of the application process, I began to find the subject varied and interesting. Through the 18 months of on-the-job training and studying, I felt more and more passionately about Social Work ideology and that this was in fact the most suitable career choice for me. I worked for 10 years in Children's Services, giving me an excellent foundation to build and hone my Social Work skills. When I saw a job advertised specialising in autism, I felt like this would be a great opportunity to return to this area of interest as well as improving my knowledge and experience of working in Adult Services. Since my initial experience of working in this area, there has been enormous progression in the understanding and approach towards Autism as a cognitive variance within the wider context of neurodivergence. I have enjoyed refreshing and updating my understanding of this shift in thinking and find it fascinating that there continues to be a tussle between whether autism should be considered via a social model or medical model framework. Listening to the lived experiences of the neuro-divergent people that I am working with, really got me thinking about many facets and themes that recurringly have impacted on these young people's lives. For example, is a diagnosis beneficial? If so, why is it needed and what support is inaccessible for those without a diagnosis? For what reason are autistic people 6 times more likely to experience mental health crisis than the general population?How well do universal services understand and accommodate the neuro-divergent needs of individuals? I found these kinds of questions sparking my curiosity and I was keen to explore whether there may be some responses to these questions. So, when the opportunity was presented to link with Portsmouth University as a visiting researcher, I was interested to find out more. Never having associated myself with 'academia', I was unsure whether my skills and knowledge would meet the necessary requirements for the role. It seemed like a completely different world from my day-to-day working experience; a world that I had perceived as being elusive and exclusive. My concerns were alleviated as I was matched with a mentor from the University, who was empathic and reassuring of my self-doubts. She made me feel as though all questions were valid and she was able to provide explanations that felt personalised and relevant to my field of work. Practically, my mentor has helped me to get set up on the University computer system, showed me how to access the library journals, search facilities and introduced me to new referencing software (which was not a 'thing' when I was last studying!) Crucially, my mentor has helped me to structure and narrow down my thought processes to identify a focus and objective for my research ideas. She has encouraged me to begin to critically analyse relevant topics and to identify and categorise themes in research. Undertaking training in realist evaluation has taught me the theoretical and structural basis that I needed to be able to consider the functionality of neurodivergent support services, within the importance of contextual systems and environments. It's inspiring to feel that researching the intricacies of service implementation can help provide much needed information; going some way to begin answering those initial stirring questions. My aim is to continue refining my ideas and learning from the wealth of research available in this area. If this could lead to working on a research project that would demonstrate an evidence base for useful and valuable support services for the neurodivergent community, then this would be hugely worthwhile progress towards improved opportunities and outcomes for autistic and neurodivergent people. Previous Next