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Children & Young People's Mental Health & Wellbeing

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Children & Young People's Mental Health & Wellbeing

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With a significant proportion of mental health problems developing before 18 years of age, NHS England chose Northumbria University to be one of a handful of higher education institutions that trains clinicians to improve access to psychological therapies (IAPT) for children and young people (CYP).

This group at Northumbria, known as 'CYP IAPT', leads a collaboration of regional mental health service providers to improve the outcomes for CYP across the North East & North Cumbria and Yorkshire & the Humber.
Since 2012, Northumbria has successfully trained 703 students across our suite of programmes.

IAPT continues to support its staff development and expand the CYP workforce by taking on new programmes, for example career pathways for senior trainees and peer support for parent carers. For more details, please visit our Northumbria webpage.

See a sample of some of the team's research and knowledge exchange activities:
- CYP IAPT - Where next?
- Evaluating the implementation of whole school approaches in Trailblazer schools

- Northumbria academics support teenagers to take the lead in wellbeing research

- Supporting the parents of young people with mental health problems

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Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) R&D Board Chair: drawing on experience in public involvement

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Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) R&D Board Chair: drawing on experience in public involvement

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Having the opportunity to influence your profession at a national level for a 3 year term of office is an important role and privilege.  Specific knowledge, experience and skills in public involvement in research were part of the requirement for applications for the role of Chair of the RCOT R&D Board.  Helen Atkin has been successful in being appointed to this role for 2022-2025.

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Supporting Public involvement initiatives at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

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Supporting Public involvement initiatives at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

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Public involvement is now recognised as a requirement in ensuring high quality research.  The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) recognises in its strategy that working together with the public should underpin all aspects of the research process.  Over the past 18 months, the RCOT has strategically engaged with public contributors to develop policies and practices reflecting best practice in public engagement in research.  Dr Helen Atkin (Occupational Therapy) has been a part of this working group which has impacted on the research governance of the organisation.

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Public involvement and engagement are vital parts of our mission to best appreciate what matters to people and to get high quality research into the world to improve people's health.‌ The public voice influences our work by helping us to prioritise our areas of research, how we deliver our research, how we interpret our results and how we share our findings.

Developing collaborations to allow us to be abreast of and influence developments in this field is vital for good research practice. Through our work in the Public Involvement and Engagement workstream in Fuse we are connected with activities of the NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination and are working to achieving Health Research Authority (HRA) recognition for good practice in and commitment to public involvement.  Reciprocal relationships with NIHR Research Design Service and Creating Connections Network involves us in  providing and accessing training across the regional and supports our ability to grow our repository of involvement  tools and protocols to ensure we are delivering timely and impactful involvement in all our work.

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REGIONAL & NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH COLLABORATIONS

Northumbria University were founding members of Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, a collaboration of the five North East Universities in a unique partnership to deliver world-class research to improve health and wellbeing and tackle inequalities. Since its launch in 2008, SWECW staff have been active contributors and undertake key leadership role: Susan Carr & Monique Lhussier Associate Directors, Susan also leads on Public Involvement and Engagement across Fuse, Sonia Dalkin, Natalie Forster, Gemma Wilson lead research programmes.

Fuse has recently successfully bid to continue membership of the NIHR School for Public Health Research (2022-2026), a partnership between eight leading academic centres with excellence in applied public health research and evaluative practice in England providing excellent collaborations and opportunities for SWECW staff.

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Educational experiences of Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater Communities 

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Educational experiences of Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater Communities 

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Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) communities are among the most under-represented groups in higher education.

We’re working to support GTRSB communities into and within higher education through a portfolio of research and widening participation projects in our department, including:

·      Research exploring the higher education experiences of GTRSB students (PI: Natalie Forster, Co-Is: Martin Gallagher)

·      SRHE funded research exploring the representation of GTRSB communities in widening participation research, policy and practice (PI: Natalie Forster, Co-Is: Martin Gallagher and Christina Cooper)

·      Research funded by Go Higher West Yorkshire into higher education opportunities for GTRSB young people (PI: Dr Natalie Forster, in partnership with external colleagues)

·      Ongoing PhD project (Martin Gallagher) exploring equality and diversity training from a GRT autoethnographic perspective (Supervisors: Dr Natalie Forster, Dr Jane Davies and Professor Monique Lhussier)

Collectively, this work helped inform a National Good Practice Pledge developed by colleagues at Buckinghamshire New University. It also feeds directly into Northumbria’s widening participation practice, and our own implementation of the Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boaters into Higher Education Pledge.

In June 2021, we co-created a radio broadcast with community members and Skimstone Arts to celebrate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month (https://www.skimstone.org.uk/the-open-page). We also hosted an online seminar from Dr Rosaleen McDonagh (writer, activist, and PhD graduate from the department). Awareness raising training has been provided for Northumbria staff, and ongoing developments towards the pledge include an internship project to review GTRSB inclusion across the Northumbria curriculum, and plans to develop sports outreach activities with young people from GTRSB communities in the region.

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Degree and Higher Apprenticeships in SWECW  

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Degree and Higher Apprenticeships in SWECW  

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SWECW is developing it's portfolio of Apprenticeship provision to ensure the highest quality education and beneficial partnerships with employers are at the core of provision.

Our Occupational Therapy DA attracts and supports non-traditional apprentices from NHS trust and charity settings. A carefully tailored , with employers as partners, this programme delivers high quality, employment focused accredited qualification, that expedites through a detailed APEL process,  thus allowing apprentices successful training and qualification and into the workplace within two years.

Our Academic Professional Higher Apprenticeship, in partnership with employers in our region's NHS Trusts and healthcare charities, is a route to Apprenticeship certification for Clinical and Healthcare Educators to learn about and develop knowledge of and practice in Higher Education pedagogy and practice for their own workplace settings and students. Participants also gain a PGCAP and FHEA during this programme.

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High quality professional development for our Postgraduates who want to teach into Northumbria's academic programmes

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High quality professional development for our Postgraduates who want to teach into Northumbria's academic programmes

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We have been commissioned by academic registry to deliver CPD for Postgraduates who wish to teach / support learning and to guide them to successful application for AFHEA.
Academic development is a specialism of the subject area of Education; so we have been commissioned to design and deliver high quality CPD based on Northumbria's education strategy aligned good practice, for those who take on this highly valued and valuable role early in their academic careers.

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Workforce development in Childhood and Early Years

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Workforce development in Childhood and Early Years

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We work with many organisations to develop the future workforce with a regional, national and international reputation.
We deliver the National Professional Qualification for Integrated Centre Leadership/ PG Cert. in Leadership and Management in Integrated Children’s Services, which was also accredited by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) involved working with 32 children’s centres across the north-east and Cumbria.

Our provision has achieved significant recognition and quality benchmarks from the National College for School Leadership and we are the driving force behind the Northeast Early Years Professional Network.

In 2019 we won the prestigious national award from Nursery World for our contribution in this field.

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Developing our University's new academics in Teaching, Learning and Assessment: SWECW delivers our institution's PGCAP

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Developing our University's new academics in Teaching, Learning and Assessment: SWECW delivers our institution's PGCAP

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As an AdvanceHE accredited Programme set in the subject area of Education, we deliver our institution's PGCAP (Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice)  and taught route to FHEA (Fellowship of the HEA) to the newest members of our academic community, our early career academics. The programme is wrapped around the UKPSF, a framework that provides international professional bench-marking of Learning, Teaching and Assessment and Higher Education Pedagogy; provision that reflects the best practices across the sector.
We have two occurrences per year ensuring that our newest colleagues experience their PGCAP during their induction and probation allowing us to welcome them and guide them in Northumbria's best practice, but also explore how we can all contribute towards our University's education strategy. While a team in Education manage and lead the programme and modules, we network with and invite talent from across the university's academic and professional services to contribute and share their knowledge about how we can all best support, enthuse and progress our fantastic students at Northumbria University.

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Educational Researchers Grouped by Themes

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Educational Researchers Grouped by Themes

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These are the links SWECW has to colleagues researching Education across Northumbria, EH.

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The Healthy Living Lab leads a number of projects that research different aspects of social injustice, poverty, and food insecurity. Professor Defeyter is the lead for Northumbria University as a partner of the School Meals Coalition, an initiative that is supported by over seventy-three countries, the World Food Programme, the OECD, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, and many more. The Coalition is bringing together governments, the UN, civil society, the private sector, and academia to drive actions to urgently re-establish, improve, and scale-up school meals programs in high, upper-middle, middle, and low-income countries. Professor Defeyter presented at the launch of the UK School Meals Case studies at the private residence of the Finnish Ambassador (11/2022). https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres-projects-groups/research-consortium-for-school-health-and-nutrition#publications. Professor Defeyter is also co-author of the England School Meals Case Study.

Other research projects focus on the DfE’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, which provides £220M p.a to all 152 higher tier local authorities across England to provide food and activities for over 750,000 children living in underserved communities. The DfE acknowledged the input of Professor Defeyter’ s expertise and participated, alongside members of Parliament, in a co-design sprint that shaped the HAF framework. Professor Defeyter is also a founding member of the HAF Alliance, a new coalition to help local authorities make a success of the government’s expanded £220 million Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, ensuring multiple benefits for children, families and communities who have been hit hard by the pandemic, building on the prior work of the Healthy Living Lab that made a significant contribution to the School Holidays (Meals and Activities) Bill. The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Alliance pools the expertise of some of the UK’s leading not-for-profit organisations and local authorities who have years of experience working in communities to alleviate inequalities, food poverty and inactivity. Northumbria University is one of the founding members of the Alliance following its research undertaken by the Healthy Living Lab into school and community breakfast clubs, school meals, holiday activity and food programmes, food insecurity and holiday hunger. Recently, Professor Defeyter led an inter-disciplinary project with colleagues from the School of Design to co-produce with senior stakeholders and young people a new framework for HAF+. A policy round-table is due to be held, with government, in the New Year and meetings with a number of government departments, Ministers, and MPs from across both houses are being planned for 2023. Professor Defeyter is also co-lead of the Health and Inequalities sub theme of the Insights North East Project, and is currently working with the Department of Levelling Up on multiple projects across the North East.

Relevant publications, books, book chapters and Parliamentary Papers are available on PURE.

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Foundation Year in Health, Education and Social Care.

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Improving access, participation and outcomes for under-represented students in HE.

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Improving access, participation and outcomes for under-represented students in HE.

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Inclusive higher education is at the heart of our work in SWECW.  The padlet draws attention to some of our key activities and these include:
-Outreach work in the region
-The regional pilot for supporting care experienced students from FE to HE
-Cross university work to support students studying without the support of a family network
-Work to support first generation students
-Mentoring male students
-Work with BECOME (the national charity for care leavers)
-Work with NERAP (North East Raising Aspiration Partnership)

We are committed to ensuring students have opportunities to get to university and thrive once they are here.

Our Foundation Year in Health, Education and Social Care is shared with the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health. It is key in providing a supportive environment for those who may have been out of education (mature students) and students who may not have the entry requirements to go straight on to their chosen degree, or for those who want to gain an understanding of potential options before committing to a particular degree.

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Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in research has become a “must have”. Despite this there is little formal training available to support patients and members of the public to understand how research is designed, shaped, delivered, evaluated, and disseminated. Although many organisations have developed ad-hoc, introductory, and induction style training, until now there have been very few recognised educational opportunities which are university accredited. Entering the field of research with qualifications of ‘lived experience’ is challenging. The structure, language, processes, and stringent governance of research is a complex thing to learn and understand. This can lead to a sense of inferiority and difficulties articulating personal experiences. The pace of research funding also means that researchers do not always have the time to build lasting relationships, leading to a potential for research to be extractive and the PPI endeavour to be transactional or to create unequal opportunities for participation. Members of the public can then feel dismissed or unheard. We have therefore worked with members of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) Involvement bank to develop a ‘Continuous Professional Development’ (CPD) module for patients and members of the public. The module, entitled ‘Public Involvement and Co-Production in Research’ runs over 10 weeks, offering 20 university credits at Level 4. A key ethos of the module is to provide links to researchers and opportunities to utilise their developing skills and knowledge. To this end guest speakers attended sessions to discuss their own research projects and offered opportunities to help shape and deliver future projects. This ranged from large scale National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB) projects through to evaluating a third sector organisations.

Toby Brandon and Chris Gibbs

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Developing the Career Guidance workforce of the future

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Developing the Career Guidance workforce of the future

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The North East Career Guidance Professional Practice Network aims to promote high quality career guidance and support the career guidance workforce of the future.

As BA Hons Guidance & Counselling is unique in being the only undergraduate programme in the UK that qualifies students to enter the career guidance profession upon graduation, we were invited to be part of this growing network of practitioners and have been instrumental in its development.

The benefits for our students are clear – the increased profile of the programme means that an increasing number of employers are aware of our students and are keen to recruit them.  For the past 3 years our final year students have been ‘headhunted’ by employers and continue to be in demand.  In an attempt to attract them into the profession, employers have also provided additional placements, internships and mentoring opportunities for level 4 and 5 students.  We continue to build this reputation and celebrate the success of our graduates as they continue to take the profession by storm!

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Effect of medication and special education on school performance of children with ADHD

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Effect of medication and special education on school performance of children with ADHD

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Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the neurodevelopmental disorder with the highest prevalence in childhood. Beyond symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness, it is linked to low educational attainment, low workforce participation, and low levels of well-being, making it a severe burden to individuals and society. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showed that ADHD medication reduces symptoms, but its long-term effects on school performance are unclear. Children in Norway with ADHD who have learning problems have also the right to individual special education (ISE). Again, RCTs document the effectiveness of specific interventions in organised experimental settings, but population-based observational studies could not show clear positive effects of ISE. The combined effects of medication and ISE remain unknown. Hence, identifying treatment approaches that improve school performance of ADHD patients is an important challenge. The primary objective of the Study is to estimate effects of pharmacological treatment and individual special education on school-performance of children ADHD.

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Young people exiting out of home care (OHC) often experience poor outcomes in adulthood, including higher levels of homelessness, transitory lifestyles, lower levels of educational achievement, greater poverty and unemployment, poorer physical and mental health and greater contact with the criminal justice system. Currently we lack comprehensive research to help understand young people’s pathways into and transitioning out of OHC, and the factors enabling quality supports. This longitudinal study uses a population-based method to examine the pathways of young people in and transitioning from out-of-home care. The combined findings from the population-based data, together with an in-depth understanding of their lived experiences will identify a best practice model for improving their transition from care experiences to facilitate improved outcomes.

Navigating Through Life aims to:

§  Understand pathways associated with particular outcomes of young people in and transitioning from OHC;

§  Map pathways and the lived experience of young people as they transition to leave OHC and after exiting OHC;

§  Identify key factors for meeting the cultural, social and developmental needs associated with successful transitions; and

§  Identify Aboriginal family and community perspectives on the barriers and enablers important to the achievement of developmental milestones from a cultural perspective.

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Project Title: Exploring the impact of Covid-19 measures on Criminal Exploitation and Serious Violence (CESV) in vulnerable communities, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

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Project Title: Exploring the impact of Covid-19 measures on Criminal Exploitation and Serious Violence (CESV) in vulnerable communities, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

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SWECW co-researchers include Dr. Will McGovern and Dr. John Cavener

Funders: Newcastle City Council and Northumbria Police

Background:

•       Newcastle has implemented a public health approach to tackling Criminal Exploitation and Serious Violence within its strategy development and delivery planning.

•       The shared responsibility for the strategic plan has been driven by the four statutory partnership boards in the city (Safeguarding Adults, Safeguarding Children, Youth Justice and Community Safety).

Project rationale:

•       The pandemic has had a significant effect on delivery of services, on engagement and retention of vulnerable clients as well as on broader drug supply markets and associated violence

•       The pandemic is likely to have increase inequalities on already vulnerable communities including health inequalities, and:

•       Anecdotal reports suggest higher levels of violence (including within services) and significant youth or peer on peer violence, increased weapon carriage, and:

•       Changes in substance use (with the latest drug related death figures also rising) including for young people and young adults

•       Practitioner feedback highlights things have changed, risk has increased for vulnerable clients and engagement has reduced but they are not quite clear as to the reasons or detail

Aims and objectives:

•       Following the pandemic interventions and measures implemented on 23rd March 2020 the Project aims to review ‘what has changed’?

•       This Project will take an ‘action research’ approach on understanding changes and impact of Criminal Exploitation and Serious Violence (CESV) on vulnerable communities in Newcastle-upon-Tyne from a public health perspective

Key workstreams:

1.      The wider CESV environment: What are the ‘push/pull’ factors in the broader context that might exacerbate CESV and health impacts among vulnerable and marginalised communities?

2.      Data: Where are the knowledge gaps and what emerging or novel sources (e.g. social media) might fill them?

3.      Partners: In what ways have the partnership boards/police Violence Reduction Unit (VRU)/stakeholders and other agencies responded effectively to COVID lockdown and how can lessons learned be retained in anticipation of future challenges?

4.      Communities: What have been the key CESV impacts related to the pandemic for existing/known populations and for those whose vulnerability has been directly caused by it?

Data capture methods:

A multiple methods approach will be applied, including:

1.      Scoping literature review

2.      Stakeholder Interviews

3.      Focus Groups and:

4.      Data Analysis

Work with the public, including vulnerable communities and young people, will include narrative and creative methodologies and public researchers where possible and appropriate

Participation and engagement:

1.      Participation and engagement with ‘experts’ is essential in understanding what has changed, current threats, risks and in helping inform practitioners about how best to respond

2.      By engaging people in the process (frontline workers, those in recovery, drug / alcohol users, family members etc) through interactive enquiry, their views and perceptions will help inform and drive training, teaching and feedback as well as improving practice and delivery

3.      Practitioners are requesting additional training and this work will help inform the planning and delivery, considering what already exists

Project milestones:

1.      Appointing a Research Assistant (RA) to conduct fieldwork

2.      Recruiting and training peer researchers (experts by experience) from existing forums and networks

3.      Monthly Project Team meetings, and:

4.      Dissemination of findings and/or outputs

Project outputs:

•       Work of the peer researchers, stakeholder interviews and focus groups is paramount

•       This will lead to the formation of a feedback cycle – Participants are updated regularly throughout the work and continue to add to this:

•       Producing feedback at quarterly practitioner learning events while:

•       ‘Products’ will be developed (e.g. in the form of a shared training and teaching programme)

Project team:

Lead – Professor Mike Rowe Northumbria University, Co-Lead Rachael Hope NCC, Co-Lead Spt Jamie Pitt Northumbria Police, Research Co-Investigator Dr. William McGovern Northumbria University, Research Co-Investigator Dr. Michelle Addison Durham University, Research Co-Investigator Dr. Georgios Antonopoulos Northumbria University, Research Co-Investigator Dr. John Cavener Northumbria University, Research Co-Investigator Dr. Steph Scott Northumbria University, Senior Research Assistance, Lydia Lochhead Northumbria University, Project Advisor Steve Hulme Northumbria Police, Research Assistant Daniel Lloyd NCC, Research Assistant Claire Toas, NCC, Research Assistant/Quality Assurance Will Linton, Director Scottish Violence Reduction Unit

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Katie Haighton

Based on their research expertise, a number of staff have key relationships with policy partners

For example Greta Defeyter has advised the DfE on the Holiday Activities and Food Progamme (HAF). In 2020 she was recognised, by the Big Issue, as one of the top 100 change makers for her research and policy impact on childhood food poverty in the UK.

Katie Haighton is an honorary Public Health Academic for the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department of Health and Social Care (formerly Public Health England) who have commissioned a number of research studies including:
Allied Health Professionals work in Public Health: International Approaches
Rapid Evidence Reviews on Sleep and Health
Understanding the successful implementation of a stop smoking model in England: A behavioural analysis
Health inequalities in older populations in coastal and rural areas.
Suicide Surveillance
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) - Alcohol and Smoking Brief Interventions

I'm sure many other examples could be added here

GD was an advisor to the Cabinet Office during Covid

GD was an advisor to DEFRA during Covid

GD is currently working with the Department for Levelling Up and the Foods Standards Agency.

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Office for Health Improvement and Disparities

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We focus on improving the nation's health so that everyone can expect to live more of life in good health, and on levelling up health disparities to break the link between background and prospects for a healthy life. OHID is part of the Department of Health and Social Care .

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BA Hons Guidance & Counselling: Developing a collaborative learning community 

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BA Hons Guidance & Counselling: Developing a collaborative learning community 

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An important feature of BA Hons Guidance & Counselling is the development a collaborative learning community.  We work hard from the beginning of the programme to encourage students to take an active part in their learning and establish a supportive learning culture. In the recent National Student Survey, for which the programme achieved 100% student satisfaction, this was identified as a particular strength (NSS, 2022).

‘It has been an absolute honour to have been a part of this small learning community and I will treasure these last three years at university for the rest of my life as they have shaped me into a person I can be extremely proud of’ (Guidance & Counselling student, NSS, 2022)

Here are a just a couple of examples of how we try to do this which appear to be particularly effective:

Student Led Group Facilitation

Students engage in a number of ‘live’ projects to develop and apply their guidance & counselling skills. In second year, students are given a brief to design and deliver group work on a range of topics (for example ‘decision making’ or ‘communication skills’) for a target audience. In the past, this has been with year 8 students at a local high school, more recently with Health Education & Social Care Foundation Year students at Northumbria. Students are responsible for working in small groups to plan, develop and deliver the resources (with tutor support) and it is a good example of student led learning that has had a significant impact on student’s self-efficacy and motivation.  Even some of the less motivated or confident students really seem to step up to the responsibility– something which, to start with, is very much out of their comfort zone. Graduates also reflect on how useful this experience is in their future careers and the more recent collaboration with Foundation Year students has provided added benefits of peer to peer support.

Mend the Gap: removing barriers through collaboration

This option module for BA Hons Guidance & Counselling students (both at Northumbria and at Kaplan, Singapore) and BSc Health & Social Care students is part of a growing European network of innovative collaborative projects. It aims to identify and do something about areas of life experience where there are gaps in knowledge that create barriers in understanding between professionals and the people they work with. Students work alongside a range of people who have experienced discrimination or oppression in some form (for example refugees) to learn from each other and to work together as equals on the development of a series of projects. As a result of this module, students have been proactive in setting up community projects and speaking at international conferences. Feedback suggests that this is a transformational experience for them and the people they work with.

Peer Mentoring

For a number of years we have run a peer mentoring programme where second year students mentor first years to support them in their transition to university.  This has received very positive feedback (students have reported increased motivation for study) and has won awards in the past.  It’s a good way of offering an additional layer of support for first years while allowing second years to develop their guidance & counselling skills within the mentoring context.  At this point in the student journey, the second year students are supported to take a more active role in their learning by leading the process and make decisions about how mentoring will be offered. It also has other benefits as it helps to foster a sense of group identity/support which is a key feature of the programme and something which students comment on very positively.

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Service development and evaluation projects in partnership with Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Service development and evaluation projects in partnership with Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Using our expertise on Group Concept Mapping methodology (Kane and Trochim, 2007), we have supported a number of evaluation projects in Newcastle Hospitals. This includes completed published projects evaluating:
- The regional Major Trauma Rehabilitation service and
-  A fatigue physiotherapy exercise group programme.

Ongoing projects include:
- An evaluation of the rehabilitation Quality Improvement   Network
- A BSc student occupational therapy project which is identifying improvements which can be made to rheumatology services for young adults transitioning from paediatric services. This was unique placement offering a student an option to conduct a real world service evaluation as part of their clinical training.

Kate Hackett and Gemma Bradley (OT).

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Social sciences education is strongly based on a White, Eurocentric perspective, leading to practitioners being part of the problem of re-colonising communities, especially when working with people from the global south.

The university’s International Mobility programme is open to all, but many of our students cannot afford to go or have caring responsibilities.

We addressed this by linking students with professionals and other students online in Zimbabwe, Spain, Modlova, Brazil and South Africa using online technologies that are cost neutral and open to all students. We developed collaborative learning materials and discussion forums providing collective learning opportunities. At these online teaching sessions, we explored practice (for example fostering), concepts such as poverty, the role of the state, etc. These interactions provide students with a space to be confronted by different perspectives and develop more complex modes of moral and intellectual reasoning, whilst developing cultural humility. The evaluation of this learning shows that students are more prone to use international perspectives, draw on a wider range of literature and reflect more critically on their own practice.

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Dementia caregiving: a mixed-methods study on caregivers’ efficacy and functional level of care-recipients

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Dementia caregiving: a mixed-methods study on caregivers’ efficacy and functional level of care-recipients

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People with dementia often suffer from varying degrees of disability. Their caregivers assume multiple responsibilities that can result in stress and mental health problems, particularly when their own needs are inadequately addressed during this long journey of care.

With the collaboration with community stakeholders, the OT team employ mixed-methods research with sequential explanatory design to review psycho-social and occupational functioning aspects of caregivers like carer stress, carer depression, their quality of life, carer burnout, and adjustment.

The preliminary finding has shown caregivers experience high levels of stress. But they tend not to seek help unless they are really in need of assistance to manage their relatives in the later stages of dementia. The findings can help developing strategies, especially earlier planning and supporting the role of caregivers.

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Developing user-centred, evidence-based apps for Sjogren's syndrome and long-covid fatigue

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Developing user-centred, evidence-based apps for Sjogren's syndrome and long-covid fatigue

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We secured a grant from Versus Arthritis to develop a self-management app to support people with the autoimmune disease Sjogren's syndrome to manage their daily lives while experiencing fatigue, pain, dryness and sleep disturbances.

We ran a series of focus groups and user-centred workshops while identifying evidence-based content from the literature and from best practice. We developed an app called Sjogo in house combining ideas from future users with evidence-based intervention components. We then conducted a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial of Sjogo via the Google Play and Apple App stores. 996 people from 33 countries downloaded the app during the 8 weeks it was available. 617 consented to take part and completed baseline patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) and were randomised.

Following this study we also secured a grant from The Elizabeth Casson Trust to repurpose the Sjogo app for long-covid fatigue. We conducted interviews with people with long-covid and showed them a fatigue only version of Sjogo. From their recommendations we developed the ReCOVer Fatigue app which participants subsequently downloaded onto their phones. Follow up interviews on their user experiences have helped us make refinements to the app.

We are now looking for support to commercialise these apps so they can reach the people who would benefit from their use.

Kate Hackett, Tim Rapley, Jemma McCready,  (SWECW), Vincent Deary, Jason Ellis (Psychology), Claire McCallum (Bristol University and Zinc MRC Fellow), John Vines (Edinburgh University), Mia Campbell (Teesside University), Kevin McCay (Manchester Metropolitan University), Julia Newton (Academic Health Sciences Network and Newcastle Hospitals).

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Cognitive Function Screening for Older People with Gamified Virtual-reality Activity

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Cognitive Function Screening for Older People with Gamified Virtual-reality Activity

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With the support from the seed fund 21-22 from the University, Frank from the OT team has been collaborating with community partners in performing cognitive function screening for older people with and without cognitive impairment by the use a gamified Virtual-reality (VR) programme.

This research project addresses the difficult, yet urgent, task to develop efficient screening tools for detection of early signs of neuro-cognitive disorders (NCD) in community-dwelling older adults. Such tools promise to maximize the impact of interventions designed to boost cognitive reserve and/or slow the underlying neurodegenerative processes.

Moreover, this project will correlate the VR technology with other neuropsychological tests developed in clinical models of cognitive aging.

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Occupational Therapy Affinity groups support the needs of diverse students, clients and member of the profession.

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Affinity Internship - occupational therapy

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Affinity Internship - occupational therapy

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Occupational therapy are introducing a new intern to support the needs of people with disabilities, or from LGBTQIA+ and BAME groups. This involves working with staff and students to support individuals, increase representation and decolonisation curriculum to improve student experiences and increase awareness for working with diverse groups in future practice.

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Research into mental health provision for refugees in the north east is showcasing the vital role played by the third sector.  A study supported by NECSU, conducted within occupational therapy, is highlighting the pressures faced by charities and community organisations, and the value of community based interventions for the mental health of marginalised groups.

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Accommodating transition: improving housing outcomes for young people leaving Out of Home Care

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Accommodating transition: improving housing outcomes for young people leaving Out of Home Care

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This study responds to the inquiry questions: ‘What are the most effective ways of tailoring and delivering housing supports for individuals exiting institutional settings?’ and ‘How does institutionalisation mediate the risk of ‘post-exit’ housing insecurity, and how do housing and social supports moderate this risk?’. The specific policy contexts included housing, homelessness, child protection and Out of Home Care. Several data sources were utilised to identify the extent and nature of service coordination and integration, with a focus on the intersections between leaving care, housing, homelessness and related service systems. The project analysed administrative linked data of all individuals aged between 15 and 18 years who left care in 2013 or 2014, qualitative data collected from 34 care leavers and 24 service and a mixed method analysis of linked administrative and qualitative data. The data provide insight into differences and similarities such as population size; Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse populations and profiles; and service funding, organisation and design

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Occupational therapy creates Hygge in the classroom

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Occupational therapy creates Hygge in the classroom

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Claire Hart in occupational therapy is introducing international ideas to capture occupational concepts. The students will be connecting with students in Denmark to explore the principles of Danish Hygge to explore occupation through a different lens. Thick socks and hot chocolate are just the start...

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Whitley Bay High School Literature Festival

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Whitley Bay High School Literature Festival

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As part of this festival Mel Gibson worked with 70 students from across the school in a 'Comic Book Challenge' where the students and staff worked together to create comic characters and narratives on the theme of climate change.

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Published in 2022, 'Picture This/Amharc! Breathnaigh! Féach!' is a celebration of illustration.

The guide features over 230 recommended reads for children and young people aged 0–18, which have been reviewed by experts in children’s literature including Mel Gibson. Each review is accompanied by a ‘Read also’ recommendation, bringing the total of books included to over 450.

Picture This focuses on books with strong visual narratives, including wordless or silent books; graphic novels and comics; picturebooks for all ages and graphic diary-style texts.

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Rapid Response Service Models in End of Life Care: What Works, For Who, in What Circumstances?

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Rapid Response Service Models in End of Life Care: What Works, For Who, in What Circumstances?

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Realist evaluation of two community end of life care services that support people to die in their own home where that is their wish.

Funded by Marie Curie - Apr 21-Mar 23

PI's: Joanne Atkinson and Amanda Clarke

Co-I's: Sonia Dalkin, Angela Bate, Caroline Jeffery

RA's: Kathryn McEwan and Melissa Girling

Communication: how do people find out about and understand the service?

Values: do differences mean patient/families are excluded?

Access: are there any barriers to getting into the service?

Diverse Needs: do the services manage pain and different diagnosis?

Geography and Community: is there a difference in the city and countryside?

10 vs 24 hour Service: what service times work best for who?

Timeliness and Responsivity: how quickly is 'rapid’? What 'response' is wanted (phone/visit)?

Who (at home/from the service): who needs to be at home to help patients? + what competencies do staff need?

Iterative approach to analysis and novel methodology has meant papers already in production and high profile presentations undertaken.

Will be making recommendations for policy, practice, and further research.

Watch this space!

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School Libraries Group National Conference 2021

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School Libraries Group National Conference 2021

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Mel Gibson presented and shared LGBTQIA+ graphic novels, comics and manga aimed at young people with school library staff from across the UK at this national conference.

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In July Mel Gibson presented her work on comic books and their use as stimulus for discussions with young people about mental health (object elicitation). She also talked about making making comics as a collective response to social issues. This took place at a Professional Teaching Institute event. The participants were teachers in lead arts roles from across Britain. Mel presented  alongside a comic creator, Dan Berry.

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Childhood, Care and Coronavirus. A Childhood and Early Years Studies international one day conference funded by the Social Policy Association. To promote the Department and our research (edited book collection will follow), create opportunities for external networking and support launch of MA Childhood and Early Years 2023/24. Lucy Grimshaw & Tom Disney

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Childhood, Care and Coronavirus. A Childhood and Early Years Studies international one day conference funded by the Social Policy Association. To promote the Department and our research (edited book collection will follow), create opportunities for external networking and support launch of MA Childhood and Early Years 2023/24. Lucy Grimshaw & Tom Disney

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Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in.

Research is the life blood of a University and at Northumbria University we pride ourselves on research that makes a difference; research that has application and affects people's lives.

If you would like to know more about our courses, or life in general as a student at Northumbria, then we can help you.

Northumbria University & Online

-

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Childhood, Care and Coronavirus Conference

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Open Days are a great way for you to get a feel of the University, the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the course(s) you are interested in. Research is the life blood of a University and at Northumbria University we pride ourselves on research that makes a difference; research that has application and affects people's lives.

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Influencing the Initial Teacher Education curriculum nationally

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Influencing the Initial Teacher Education curriculum nationally

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Following on from a successful Erasmus Key Action 2 project (2019 -2022) focusing on working with refugee and migrant children, Karen Hudson and Carl Luke are working in collaboration with colleagues from Newcastle University and the charity Schools of Sanctuary to create an accredited programme for ‘Initial Teacher Education Courses of Sanctuary’ in consultation with DfE and UCET.

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MA Social Work student research projects influencing local policy and practice

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MA Social Work student research projects influencing local policy and practice

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This year we worked with external partners from South Tyneside Council to co-produce research projects for our MA Social Work students to undertake. Students successfully completed research on the following topics:

·       Care experienced young people’s experiences of accessing their records

·       Peer mentoring for young people with care experience

·       Support for care experienced mothers

·       The myth of absent fathers

·       Working with families seeking asylum

·       Effective ways of intervening with fathers

·       The experiences of families in Public Law Outline

·       The return home of children who are looked after

·       Life story books for adopted children

The findings of these projects will be used to inform policy and practice for children and families in South Tyneside. The Council are hosting an event on 9th December for practitioners and elected members to come along and listen to students talk about the findings of their research.

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Staff in the department have contributed to the development of a range of web-based resources, including

clinical resources (e.g. http://www.pmmonline.org/;     https://www.rightpath.solutions)

patient and family resources (e.g. https://bronchiectasis.azurewebsites.net/)

researcher/practitioner resources
(e.g. https://normalization-process-theory.northumbria.ac.uk/; https://itfits-toolkit.com/)

Will need to add some more from other staff

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In recent decades, large amounts of time and money have been put into the development, testing, and implementation of eHealth for a wide range of health problems, in the physical as well as the mental domains. Nevertheless, very few eHealth interventions make it into routine care, and those that do take many years to get there.

The ItFits-toolkit provides a step-by-step framework for data-driven tailored implementation of evidence-based eHealth services. It was developed and evaluated in the ImpleMentAll study to support effective implementation of Internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy across 8 European countries, and Australia.

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In recent decades, large amounts of time and money have been put into the development, testing, and implementation of eHealth for a wide range of health problems, in the physical as well as the mental domains. Nevertheless, very few eHealth interventions make it into routine care, and those that do take many years to get there.

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Can we (briefly) highlight examples of how staff are embedded in different organisations - e.g. Kate Hackett, 1 day a week in only Fatigue Service in the country;  Sebastian Pothoff 1 day a week in Norway (at Stavanger University Hospital); ?Sharon Vincent seconded to local authority?; Fania Pagnamenta 2 days a week with us from Newcastle Hospitals Trust ...

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A member of the Our Stories of Blyth evaluation community at a workshop in one of England's most disadvantaged sub-ward areas. PI: Ian Robson.

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Developing sites of research-learning in working class communities

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Developing sites of research-learning in working class communities

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Our Our Stories of Blyth (OSOB) project is one example of how we are developing long-term relationships with public partrners and residents in working class NE communities. In  OSOB, we are part of mature partnerships with multiple stakeholders, and are pioneering a genuinley co-produced project that is developing a shared and sustainable site for research. OSOB has a resident researcher group, and a community organisations evaluation scheme co-creating insights and methods in the field of arts and health. This particular project also hosts one of our RDF funded PhD studentships, researching into arts-health methodologies.

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A draft landing page for an online formative learning tool being piloted in 2022/23 in CEYS. Ian Robson.

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Innovation and enhancement in students' Teaching & Learning experience

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Innovation and enhancement in students' Teaching & Learning experience

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As part of our CPPR cycle, we are working with our students to further enhance the potential of our online spaces for teaching and learning. This year, we are working with the TEL team and undergraduate students to focus on formative asynchronous activities. Our goal is to better engage students who have less contact with us and to help them persist in formative development of academic tasks.

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Influencing the Initial Teacher Education curriculum nationally 

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Influencing the Initial Teacher Education curriculum nationally 

# data[].attributes.body
Following on from a successful Erasmus Key Action 2 project (2019 -2022) focussing on working with refugee and migrant children, Karen Hudson and Carl Luke are working in collaboration with colleagues from Newcastle University and Schools of Sanctuary to create an accredited programme for ‘Initial Teacher Education Courses of Sanctuary’ in consultation with DfE and UCET.

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Improved accountability: The role of perpetrator intervention systems

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Improved accountability: The role of perpetrator intervention systems

# data[].attributes.body
This project comprises ten research studies that examine Australian perpetrator intervention systems. The studies focus on the most common pathways of identification, assessment and intervention with perpetrators and examined how the engagement and retention of perpetrators within systems can be enhanced. Together, the studies aim to provide a comprehensive analysis of integrated systems and interventions for perpetrators, and a mapping of current domestic and family violence responses to perpetrators.

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We have had considerable success publishing with MPH and MSc OT students...

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We have had considerable success publishing with MPH and MSc OT students...

# data[].attributes.body
Katie Haighton

1.      Riddell, H., Haighton, C. (2022) Staff perspectives on the impact of COVID 19 on the delivery of specialist domestic abuse services in the UK: A qualitative study. PLOS Global Public Health 2(5): e0000310 (MPH student)

2.      Walton, A. and Collins, T. (2022) The experiences of older adult members of a combined lunch club and assisted shopping group and the perceived value in their occupational lives: A qualitative study. Health Science Reports. doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.912 (MSc OT student)

3.      Young, S. and Collins, T. (2022) Factors influencing the use of aquatic therapy: an occupational perspective. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, doi.org/10.12968/ijtr.2021.0083 (MSc OT student)

4.      Adams, R., Atkin, H., Lee, R., Hackett, S. & Hackett, K., (2022) Exploring potential for occupational therapy practice models within areas of social deprivation: a qualitative inquiry within a community-centred food cooperative. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. 1-9 (online first). doi: 10.1177/03080226221092689. (MSc OT student)

5.      Lee, R.L., Coulson, C., Hackett, K. (2021) The Social Practices of Food Bank Volunteer Work. Social Policy and Society 1-18. doi:10.1017/S1474746421000555 (MPH student)

6.      Murray-Mendes S, Martinez AR, Hackett KL. (2021) Identifying Occupational Therapy Research Priorities in Trinidad and Tobago: A Group Concept Mapping Study. Occupational Therapy International. (MSc OT student)

7.      Davidson, L., Scott, J. & Forster, N. (2021) Patient Experience of Integrated Care within the United Kingdom: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Care Coordination, doi:10.1177/20534345211004503 (MPH student)

8.      Aladeokin, A., Haighton, C. (2019) Is adolescent e-cigarette use associated with smoking in the United Kingdom? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Tobacco Prevention and Cessation: 5;15 (MPH student)

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Helen Riddell,

Catherine Haighton

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Abstract

Domestic abuse is a significant public health issue effecting 2.4 million adults in England and Wales each year. In March 2020 the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic following the outbreak of COVID-19. As a result, the UK moved to a period of lockdown. There is growing evidence that highlights the unintended negative consequences of lockdown, particularly in households where abuse is present. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of frontline specialist domestic abuse staff who continued to support victims during the period of lockdown to understand the impact of COVID-19 on service delivery. Ten, one to one, semi structured qualitative interviews were carried out with staff from a specialist domestic abuse service that operates in regions across the north-east of England. All participants had been involved in service delivery for a minimum of 12 months prior to March 2020 and had continued to deliver services throughout the UK initial lockdown period between March and July 2020. Each interview was transcribed verbatim, anonymised, then subjected to thematic analysis. Six themes were developed from the data covering: emergency support for victims; wider service efficiencies; victim safety; group work versus one-to-one support; criminal and family courts; and workforce development. While lockdown resulted in increased levels and severity of referrals, the switch to remote working brought a range of service efficiencies including time and money saved by negating the need to travel. Remote working also enhanced support offered to male victims and those with mental health issues but not those in rural locations with poor connectivity and those effected by the digital divide. Services should not underestimate the long-term benefits of peer support both to clients and staffs.

Citation: Riddell H, Haighton C (2022) Staff perspectives on the impact of COVID 19 on the delivery of specialist domestic abuse services in the UK: A qualitative study. PLOS Glob Public Health 2(5): e0000310. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000310

Editor: Tia M. Palermo, University at Buffalo, UNITED STATES

Received: November 2, 2021; Accepted: March 25, 2022; Published: May 5, 2022

Copyright: © 2022 Riddell, Haighton. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: We have made excerpts of the transcripts relevant to the study available within the paper however there are ethical restrictions on sharing the de-identified data set. The data contain potentially identifying and sensitive participant information and we do not have participant consent to share this dataset. Data requests may be sent to Northumbria University Research Ethics Committee (ref 24857) ( nick.neave@northumbria.ac.uk).

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: We have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: HR is lead commissioner for the organisation involved in the study.

Introduction

Domestic abuse is a significant public health issue, present within all social classes however there is recognition that low income, economic strain, and benefit receipt is associated with heightened vulnerability to domestic abuse [ 1]. It was estimated that 2.4 million adults (16-59 years) in England and Wales experienced domestic abuse in the last year [ 2]. National Police data recorded 746,219 domestic abuse related crimes in the UK in year ending 31 st March 2019, yet the majority of abuse goes unreported [ 3]. It is estimated that the current annual cost of domestic abuse in the UK is between £13.7 and £15.5 billion [ 4]. Domestic abuse is defined as " any incident or patterns of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality [ 5].

In December 2019 a novel coronavirus (2019-nCov), a respiratory disease known more commonly as COVID-19, was identified as emerging from China [ 6]. It was quickly identified that COVID-19 could easily be passed between persons via respiratory droplets and through contact and fomites (an inanimate object that can carry a pathogen) [ 7]. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 th March 2020 after rapid transmission throughout the world [ 8]. On 23 rd March 2020, following a period if rapidly increasing transmission rates, the UK government introduced a range of measures which, in essence, placed the UK in what became commonly referred to as a nationwide 'lockdown' [ 9]. Since the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic and the introduction of a range of restrictive measures by governments across the world in an attempt to slow transmission within the general population, there is an emerging evidence base highlighting multiple unintended and negative consequences; this was particularly evident in households and families where abuse was present [ 10].

According to the WHO there has been a 60% increase in emergency calls from women who are being subjected to intimate partner violence [ 11]. The WHO highlights the increase in calls across European Union (EU) states is directly correlated to countries being subjected to national lockdown measures [ 11]. In addition, reports are beginning to emerge that the restrictive measures that countries have been forced to adopt may have contributed to a future crisis of domestic abuse [ 12]. It is well documented that increased levels of additional stress or pressures on families where abuse may already be present can escalate the levels of abuse perpetrated. In the case of the COVID-19 global pandemic, despite the limited evidence base as to the true nature of the impact on victims of domestic abuse, some reasonable assumptions can be made [ 13].

Research that has explored the impact of other disaster scenarios has shown an increase in levels of family violence perpetrated [ 14]. Studies from Australia have cited increased levels of economic stress combined with the perceived inability of either perpetrator or victim to leave the family home due to COVID-19 restrictions as reasons for an increase in abusive behaviours whilst at the same time agencies have provided limited options for support [ 15]. In addition, research suggests that social isolation (a consequence of lockdown restrictions) may be a predictor of domestic abuse [ 16] and may be a factor in the forms of domestic abuse [ 17]. Extended periods in lockdown has led to already vulnerable people, experiencing heightened levels of abuse finding it more difficult to access support services [ 18]. Academics highlight that the prevalence of domestic abuse was at such high levels prior to COVID-19 that a further increase in prevalence may have long term, devastating impacts on society that may prove irreparable [ 12].

At the time of writing there were no studies of the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on domestic abuse interventions, however a range of national charities and domestic abuse specialists have developed a range of guidance tools on how victims can be supported to be kept safe and how to continue to report abuse [ 12]. The aim of our study was therefore to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the ability of specialist domestic abuse services in the north-east of England to deliver support to victims between 23rd March 2020 and 6th July 2020 from the perspective of frontline staff to highlight innovative practice that services may wish to continue to develop and evaluate moving forward.

Materials and methods

Study design

We carried out one to one, semi structured interviews, with staff from a specialist domestic abuse service that operated across the north-east of England, adopting an interpretive framework. This framework guided the choice of method for data collection (interviews) and analysis (thematic). This design, based on phenomenology, helped us to understand the meaning of individual's lived experience [ 19]. We report this study and related findings in line with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist [ 20] from the EQUATOR Network website.

Ethical approval

We received ethical approval from Northumbria University Ethics Committee on the 8 th August 2020 (ref 24857). Participants provided informed written consent to one of the authors (HR) prior to commencement of their interview.

Sample

We used purposive sampling to identify frontline staff from a specialist domestic abuse service that delivered services across the north-east of England. Each participant was required to have been involved in direct service delivery for at least 12 months prior to March 2020 and responsible for the delivery of new interventions and adaptations throughout the specified dates between March and July 2020. This ensured that participants had good working knowledge of the topic area and were able to draw accurate comparisons between service delivery pre COVID-19 and during the national lockdown. Judgements about sample size, when to stop data collection and data saturation in thematic analysis are subjective, and therefore could not be determined (wholly) in advance of analysis [ 21] but based on previous research experience it was estimated that around ten interviews would provide sufficient data [ 22].

Context

The voluntary sector organisation is well established and subsequently commissioned by several local authority areas across the north-east of England. The organisation delivers a range of specialist domestic abuse services for adult victims, perpetrators, children and young people effected by domestic abuse as well as refuge accommodation. These services include the Inspire Programme, an evidence-based female empowerment programme which aims to examine the attitudes and behaviours of perpetrators and the responses of victims and survivors. The Inspire Programme is delivered on a 6 week, rolling programme throughout the north-east of England. Due to the volume of referrals and the dispersed local geography there is a minimum of three programmes per week being delivered with the capacity for approximately 8-10 women on each course. Each local authority area develops their own service specification therefore service offers, delivery models and capacity differ considerably across the region. The organisation employs around 180 members of staff, equating to around 150 full time equivalents. A range of key interventions and existing processes were adapted, and national initiatives introduced, as a direct response to the national Covid 19 lockdown.

Services moved to a mainly remote delivery model, this included initial appointments, assessment work, safety planning and the delivery of the Inspire group empowerment programmes as well as updated referral mechanisms to prioritise those at most risk of significant harm. Wider partnership working also moved to virtual platforms, this included strategy meetings, Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences, Child Protection Conferences and other 'Team around the Family' arrangements. In terms of staff support, all meetings and supervision sessions (group based and one to one), were delivered remotely and became less spontaneous due to the physical separation of staff and teams. Specialist counselling for staff members was also introduced.

From a national perspective, new interventions were introduced including the Rail to Refuge Scheme. The national government increased capacity in the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and other telephone/online support services. Adaptations were also made to the criminal justice service that included remote hearings of non-molestation orders. Direct behaviour change work with perpetrators was suspended meaning that in some circumstances elements of the domestic abuse system became more pressurised and services were limited to providing remote support to develop and/or review existing safety plans.

Recruitment

As one of the authors (HR) is lead commissioner for the organisation involved in the study, she used existing working relationships to recruit participants onto the study. The voluntary sector organisation supported the recruitment process by identifying all members of staff who were eligible for the study and inviting them to express their interest in participating. HR emailed potential participants, who had expressed an interest in participating, to invite them to participate in the study. HR introduced herself as a female student and trained researcher (Masters in Public Health), rather than a commissioner, as she had existing work-based relationship with two of the potential participants and may have been known to other participants. HR provided potential participants with an information sheet and consent form and followed up each email with a telephone call. HR interviewed the first ten participants, from a list of sixteen, who agreed to take part in the study and returned the consent form. To support the interview process, we developed through discussion a topic guide which covered key areas of service delivery, including how clients made initial contact with the service, assessment, interventions, and exit ( S1 Text). We piloted the guide throughout the first interviews and amended accordingly.

Data collection

One of the authors (HR) conducted interviews between 28 August and 28 October 2020 using Microsoft Teams, due to the restrictions placed on face-to-face contact due to Covid-19, whilst audio recording each session using a digital recorder. At the start of each interview HR provided all participants with an overview of the study, this included the right to withdraw at any time and to reaffirm verbally their desire to participate. Interviews lasted up to 90 minutes.

Data analysis

We adopted a thematic approach to data analysis [ 23]. Each one-to-one interview was transcribed verbatim, anonymised, then repeatedly reviewed to identify themes by one of the authors (HR). The themes identified were re-analysed so that they became more refined and relevant and were reviewed by both authors at regular monthly supervision meetings.

Results

We present key findings in the form of the six main themes which were developed from the data along with verbatim quotations which best support these themes. Characteristics of the 10 participants are outlined in Table 1 below. All interviewees were female reflecting the characteristics of the organisation which had an all-female workforce. This is typical of the gender breakdown of staff in domestic abuse services and thus represents the work force. The age of the interviewees was categorised into five age groups ranging between 20 and 55 years.

Theme 1: Emergency support for victims-"I need to get out of the house, and I need to get out now"

All participants reported increased referrals and higher caseload than before lockdown. Nearly all participants also reported the severity of incidents had increased, with three participants stating that they were dealing with increased recidivism:

Half of the participants reported that they had seen an increase in the level of physical assaults, often with alcohol as a contributing factor. Participants reflected that this was due to already volatile relationships under increased pressure due to lockdown restrictions using alcohol to 'cope'. This had then led to an escalation in abusive behaviours:

Two participants felt that they were seeing an increase in people contacting workers mid incident. One participant reported that calls, since lockdown, were more frantic. Both participants described occasions where clients had telephoned while trapped in a room with the perpetrator outside threatening them. On other occasions participants had received calls from clients saying they needed to leave the property immediately. This had impacted participants emotionally:

Just over half of participants highlighted that there had been an increase in those seeking emergency accommodation, with a particular increase in requests from people who lived outside of the north-east of England. Three participants raised concerns that when they tried to contact other refuge providers, they reported that they were no longer accepting new clients due to COVID-19 which placed additional pressure on providers in the north-east of England who were continuing to operate throughout times of increased demand. One participant described having to prepare refuge rooms in under two hours to house victims quickly:

Half of the participants identified the newly introduced Rail to Refuge Scheme as an invaluable addition to the national domestic abuse system supporting those fleeing abuse. They described the scheme, which allows victims of domestic abuse to travel (free of charge) on the UK rail network to be able to access emergency accommodation anywhere in the country, as one of the most positive initiatives that had been developed nationally over this time:

Theme 2: Wider service efficiencies-"There's been a lot less no shows and I'm saving so much time"

All participants identified issues with non-attendance of clients at prearranged face-to-face appointments and unsuccessful home visits as a significant issue prior to the switch to remote delivery. This was coupled with the difficulties of working across a large geographical area and the negative impact that travelling had on their working day. One participant described how she would usually arrange three face-to-face appointments per day and of these it was common for at least one or two to be unsuccessful. All participants reported that they felt they wasted time travelling and were disheartened when clients would not attend:

Since remote working had been introduced all participants reported that they were able to contact a higher number of clients per day and were more productive as they had a much higher rate of clients attending their appointments. It was felt, by all the participants, that clients were more likely to answer their phone than turn up for a face-to-face appointment:

"The fact [is] we have more time. We all cover a huge area and now I work in [the] office two days per week. On office days I can manage two or three face-to-face appointments whereas when I am working remotely, I am seeing up to six or seven per working day, but if I'm out and about referrals are just sat there. "

(Participant 1)

Most participants also highlighted that they had observed better engagement from clients who had mental health and/or anxiety issues. Participants reflected that these clients would often be the people who would cancel appointments at the last minute or not show up at all and that now they had the opportunity to connect over the telephone participants had seen much quicker initial engagement:

"Actually, I'd say there has been a lot less no shows by phone. A lot of people have mental health and anxiety issues and struggle to leave the house, in the community venues we got a high level of no shows, but this has definitely been better for them. "

(Participant 4)

Just over half of participants talked about how they felt clients were more open since carrying out assessments over the telephone. These participants described feeling that clients were speaking much more freely and that they were developing good rapport despite it being a telephone call. One participant felt that clients were disclosing incidents of sexual or familial abuse much earlier in the process than usual and felt this was solely down to the anonymity of being able to be heard but not seen:

Just over half of participants also discussed the benefits of telephone over face-to-face contact to themselves and the clients because they were able to be more flexible to meet both of their needs. All participants gave examples of how they could rearrange appointments much more easily and could make telephone calls outside of office hours; this was particularly helpful for clients and participants with children:

A few of the younger participants stated that previously their age would be an initial barrier to some clients engaging with them. They stated that clients would often ask how someone who looked so young could possibly have enough experience to help and support them. For these staff members remote working had taken away that pre-existing barrier, and they reported that this made them able to focus on the work with the client without the need to prove themselves capable:

All participants reported that they felt more productive working from home, and one participant referenced an improvement in her work life balance as she was cutting out travel time and was able to spend more time with her family. Some of the participants felt that their record keeping had improved as they described how they were now able to type into documents whilst speaking to clients and update the case management system immediately after a contact. Previously they would make notes during appointments and have to return to the office to type them up and update systems:

Despite the positive reflections about increased levels of engagement, all participants reported some challenges in operating in a remote service such as what they potentially missed by not having face-to-face appointments:

" The only thing is I could be doing an assessment with some girl over the phone and she could be sat there with a broken arm and 2 black eyes and I don't know that do I and there might be no police report or nothing so when you look at it like that the nature of what we do there could be people slipping through the net because verbally over the phone if they don't want to tell you they don't have to and I'm not seeing anything else."

(Participant 9)

Almost all participants talked about the importance of body language and non-verbal cues as indicators within direct face-to-face work. Participants described how, when completing assessments for example, participants reported knowing when to probe further based on how a person physically reacted to a question just as much as from what they said. They also felt that this helped participants determine whether they thought a client was able to disclose the extent of their abuse:

Half the participants stated that the shift from face-to-face to telephone contact created some unintended inequalities which related specifically to the rurality of some of the villages and the lack of mobile phone signal and internet connection. Of these, a further two participants raised concerns about the ability for some clients to access their service due to a lack of equipment. This included examples where the perpetrator had purposely damaged mobile phones and there was a lack of access to resources to replace them.

While acknowledging the clear positives expressed, some participants also highlighted several issues with working from home arrangements. Half the participants reported that they missed the support of their colleagues in the office environment, that the ability to informally talk over scenarios or ask a quick question had been lost and that from a mental health perspective the arrangements had not always been positive for them:

A couple of participants highlighted the challenges working from home had placed on either themselves or colleagues who have children and how managing to safely work and look after children had placed significant extra pressure on households. One participant highlighted that she could be easily distracted at home and that at times this had been very challenging to manage, she described that when she was in a client's home, she was completely focused on them and their surroundings and that she had had to work hard to ensure that she stayed completely focused when now delivering remotely:

Theme 3: Victim safety-"Is it safe to talk?"

Safety was a key feature through all interviews. Every participant made multiple comments on differing aspects of safety, including contacting clients, assessments, safety planning and delivering interventions.

All participants described that prior to lockdown, staff would always meet clients face-to-face at an agreed time and venue, either in their home or in a suitable community location. This way they could be sure who was in the family home, check conditions and guarantee they were alone. However, once all contact and support transferred to telephone contact this became more challenging.

Almost all the participants highlighted that they made sure that a code word was in place with every client even those who reported that they were no longer in the relationship; clarified at the beginning of every contact alongside checking if the client was in a safe space and if they could talk freely. The remaining participant worked predominately with children and young people which made some of these checks unnecessary, however they also described asking young people that they were able to talk freely.

Most participants identified positive changes to Initial Assessments and Support Plans because of lockdown. Participants outlined that the new COVID-19 Secure assessment and plans included additional safety questions that helped establish who was in the property and at what times, providing greater understanding of safe and danger times. Much greater focus had been put into understanding the layout of each client's property and, as part of a safety plan, emphasising with the client what were danger rooms, for example, kitchens as they have a greater number of items that can be used as a weapon and how to try and keep away from these areas should an incident start to develop. Some participants described the importance of checking that the client contact information was keep up to date and checked at each contact. Two participants described how they talked with the client, in depth, about how technology can be used as a method of control and therefore needed to be considered as part of a safety plan.

"We also have a lot more emphasis on technology and phone safety and checking on their support network-including things like video calls, shared devices as these are used to control too"

(Participant 3)

However, despite safety checks, participants raised concerns for those clients who were still in a relationship with the abusive partner. Most of the participants reported that, as part of any assessment, they tried to identify what opportunities there may be to talk with the client alone but recognised for some this was not possible therefore felt like some clients were not able to receive the full support they needed.

Many participants raised concerns that people were not always truthful with them, often hearing other people in the background, this was mentioned specifically in relation to clients referred by Children's Social Care. Participants felt that these clients were often forced by social workers to engage with the service and therefore contact was superficial. Participants reported that these scenarios made them worry as to whether they should carry on but in most cases they felt they needed to trust the clients were being honest.

Theme 4: Group work versus one-to-one support "The biggest change has been to groups ..."

It was quickly identified throughout each interview that the change to service delivery, which had the biggest positive impact from a client and service perspective, related to group work support moving from face-to-face sessions to delivery remotely over the telephone on a one-to-one basis. It was reported by all participants that these changes, particularly to the Inspire Programme have had the biggest impact on them as workers and the clients referred for support.

Nearly all participants reported that the ability to deliver the Inspire Programme on a one-to-one basis had significantly improved their practice; the only participant who did not provide a supporting statement about this element was not currently involved in the delivery of adult focused services. Of those participants who did deliver adult interventions, all but one reported that, despite feeling anxious before delivery, they now felt their practice had significantly improved and that the programmes associated resources had proved a wider valuable resource to apply to the practice beyond the scope of the Inspire Programme. The remaining participant previously delivered Inspire and whilst had no anxiety about one-to-one delivery acknowledged that she had also developed new skills.

All but one of these participants highlighted that, because the programme was now delivered on a one-to-one basis, for the first time they felt they had something more substantial to offer male victims of abuse. Previously these groups were made available for female clients only and their content was not suitable for male victims. Participants strongly expressed that this has had a major impact on enhancing services and the support they were able to offer:

Over half of the participants stressed that the remote, one-to-one style of delivery meant that clients who they felt would never have attended groups, specifically those with mental health and/or anxiety issues could now benefit from a much more intensive and meaningful support beyond safety planning and more general outreach. It was also reported that, because childcare was not provided for face-to-face group support, a high number of clients who would really benefit from group work did not and previously there would be no alternative offered; but with the new one-to-one way they reported much higher retention:

Over half of the participants highlighted that previously all clients referred for group work would be passed to a different member of staff within the organisation, however they felt that by embedding the content into the existing support plans it was much better for the client as it involved less hand overs between staff, client's no longer needed to repeat any parts of their story and that it helped develop more meaningful relationships and trust between the client and the member of staff providing all elements of the support package. All these participants stated how beneficial it had been for them to see the direct impact of the support they had delivered where previously this would have been a referral to someone else:

Most participants stated that the ability to deliver support on a one-to-one basis meant that they were able to tailor the sessions to the needs of the individual whereas in the group setting this would not be possible. Half of the participants highlighted that for those young people aged 11 years and over the switch to one-to-one telephone support had seen a significant increase in engagement. Previously children and young people would be offered attendance at either an under 11 years group or over 11 years group. Participants described how the large range in age was often off putting for the older children and that the changes in delivery had made a significant difference.

Whilst the interviews generated a significant level of positive statements in relation to the changes to the group work model, most participants also acknowledged that by only delivering on a one-to-one basis, clients missed out on the positive aspects of being part of a group. All participants identified that a key feature of group work is the benefits of gaining peer support and feeling less isolated as they heard others share their similar stories and experiences. Interview participants outlined that those clients who did participate in group activities reported feeling more confident and often developed long-term friendships with other attendees. Two interview participants highlighted that those clients who attended group programmes together often moved through the service and into the wider recovery element together and without that in place they had seen a drop in people transferring into recovery:

Half of the participants expressed concern for the lack of group work provision for children under the age of 11 years. While these children had not been able to access any direct support remotely, workers had been providing parents with some tools and activities to carry out with their child as an alternative. Participants were concerned that these younger children may continue to be at risk or that they were not having a positive experience:

"...the younger ones sending sheets over to parents you do wonder whether it's doing the right thing, I mean are they delivering it properly, is that child getting a positive experience but I mean it was the best we could do because with the best will in the world you can't do a phone call or Whatsapp with a five or six year old, it just wouldn't be safe. I found that quite frustrating because I couldn't help everybody, I mean I had that weekly contact and if I could help I would but it's just so hard and like how do you get round that. "

(Participant 6)

Participants also raised capacity issues since one-to-one group work had been introduced, half of the respondents highlighted issues with large and increasing caseloads to manage leaving them feeling overwhelmed.

Theme 5: Criminal and family courts-"the courts and connected processes basically just stopped"

Just over half of participants raised the issue that courts, which already struggled to meet the demand prior to lockdown, 'just stopped'. Participant's concerns centred around the impact further delays had on victims, they described that perpetrators, most common in the family courts where child contact is being arranged, often use these processes to further control. The delay has meant that these scenarios are ongoing without an end date and can place further stress and upset in households.

"there were a few women who were on the groups and they were waiting for the final hearing in family court to get their kids back so there was a lot of upset and they were messaging me to see if I could do anything because they couldn't go to court and it meant they just couldn't get their kids back it was heart-breaking for these women to be so close and worked so hard and done everything asked of them despite what the perpetrator was doing in some cases then just to have no idea when it was going to happen was devastating"
(Participant 10)

Participants went on to describe the impact on criminal courts as one of the most challenging aspects of lockdown. Perpetrators, often released on bail, but waiting for court dates placed significant additional worry on the victim because they knew they were still out in the community:

"I have cases from last November that are still waiting to go to court, imagine how the victim feels about this. I mean perps can be on bail yes, they might have bail restrictions, but they are out and about in the community and the victim's is still terrified. "

(Participant 5)

Despite these concerns, participants were able to highlight some positives on court processes, with half of the participants highlighting the improvements that have been implemented to the granting of Non-molestation Orders. They described that prior to lockdown, a victim was required to attend court with a solicitor and request that a judge grant the order by providing evidence of its need, a stressful and intimidating process for victims. However, since lockdown these orders had been granted remotely. Solicitors have been able to facilitate three-way telephone calls that allowed the victims to speak directly with judges to have the orders granted. Not only was this less stressful for the victim, the participants' reported that it had significantly reduced waiting times.

Theme 6: Workforce development-"We learnt how to use Teams in a couple of days...."

The final theme raised by participants was the adaptations to practice that workers were required to make, and the accompanying workforce development package and additional emotional health and wellbeing support made available. Whilst most participants highlighted that they had received some dedicated online training, the feedback on the quality was variable although it was acknowledged that the sessions were put together very quickly under pressurised circumstances.

Half of the participants felt that the use of Microsoft Teams accelerated very quickly as it became the main contact method for key partner meetings, particularly Children's Social Care and Early Help services. Some participants felt that their supervision sessions were more productive via Teams as they were able to have face-to-face contact with their manager without the need to travel long distances to office bases.

Some participants raised concerns for new starters to the organisation, reflecting the difficulties for someone new to join under remote working circumstances. Participants identified that they were missing out on opportunities to shadow experienced staff and ask questions in an office environment as they felt this was how you became embedded into a team and how you learn most effectively:

Some participants highlighted the introduction of specialist counselling for staff members to access as a real positive for the service. This was counselling that had been made available to staff specifically to support their emotional wellbeing and mental health whilst solely remote working and was introduced to support staff following the death of a former colleague due to COVID-19:

"...staff counselling for us was introduced which is now in place and people are really utilising that to help them through and lots of the team access that service."
(Participant 6)

Discussion

In this UK-based study of domestic abuse services delivered during the COVID 19 pandemic, we found that while lockdown resulted in increased levels and severity of referrals the switch to remote working clearly brought a range of positives to the worker, the client, and the service.

International literature confirms our finding of a marked increase in the level and severity of domestic abuse incidents [ 15] and has also highlighted our finding in relation to the increased use of alcohol as an emerging feature reportedly linked to stressful events and lack of external support networks [ 14]. However, as we found in our study there is also evidence for the effectiveness of technology in delivering healthcare services [ 24, 25], particularly in rural areas [ 26], supporting remote working. Over the last ten years specialist telephone mental health assessments have been deemed appropriate and relatively common place, especially with older populations [ 27]. This is in line with more recent studies relating to the success of broader mental health interventions delivered through platforms including smartphones [ 28].

Evidence also corroborates our finding that suggests that survivors of domestic abuse are open to and in some cases prefer technology-based interventions [ 29]. However, as we have found, remote working requires an enhanced level of safety measures in place to ensure that clients are able to access support services safely and without negative repercussions [ 29]. Our study has however also highlighted the need to be more aware of the ways technology can be utilised as a method of control a finding replicated in other research [ 30].

Despite our study providing evidence for the effectiveness of remote working, those who prefer face-to-face contact, or who do not have the resources to engage via remote methods, may be at a disadvantage. Issues around digital inclusion across the UK have been well documented over recent years and it is recognised that not all populations are equally served [ 31]. In addition, children and young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds may also face additional inequalities from the 'Digital Divide' [ 32] yet are at increased risk of long-term disadvantage if they are exposed to domestic abuse [ 33]. This, alongside the rural location, means that any future service model must take into consideration that nationally only 41% of rural homes have 4G coverage and in some areas no cover at all [ 34].

From a client perspective, our study showed that remote working has its strengths, in particular supporting more vulnerable clients for example those with mental health and/or anxiety issues. However, this should not come at the detriment to other clients for whom remote working is either unsafe or for those who face additional digital inequalities in terms of access to appropriate equipment and/or live in an area with limited connectivity. Client safety must be at the heart of all service development, with this in mind support services need to ensure that they are developing tools and resources that allow workers to make sound judgements when working remotely. When thinking about safety, services must also consider that when operating remotely the lack of ability to interpret non-verbal cues and body language may impact on the long-term effectiveness of an assessment and/or intervention.

As highlighted in our study, the ability of staff to interpret non-verbal cues and understand when to probe more is fundamental in determining the validity of the client's response [ 35] much of which has been lost due to remote working. In addition, a recent study exploring the impact of remote working on wellbeing during COVID-19 has highlighted that the additional pressures of balancing home life with increased workloads in a remote setting without positive organisational cultures can have a negative impact on employees' wellbeing [ 36]. In our study remote working appeared to be a cost-effective delivery model saving valuable time and resources. However, this must be properly resourced at an organisational level to ensure that staff have access to quality resources, the appropriate level of support in place including opportunities to stay connected to their peers to maintain a healthy work-life balance and positive emotional wellbeing. Investment is required in more bespoke offers of induction packages and longer-term workforce development programmes. This is particularly relevant for newly appointed employees to build connections with wider team members whilst operating a heavily remote led service model.

Domestic abuse is widely accepted as a gendered issue with feminist theories and analysis of men's violence against women adopted by some of the world's most prominent institutions [ 30] and thus dominated the development of support services across the UK. However, the view that men can also be victims is less accepted or researched [ 37] and there are limited studies describing support and interventions for male victims [ 38]. The results of this study highlighted that although relatively low numbers of male victim's request support locally, when they do reach out the offer of support is limited. Often men perceive that they hold no place within domestic abuse support services or that the interventions are not appropriate [ 38], the lack of support offered previously may reinforce this perception. Our study revealed that remote working enhanced support offered to male victims. The ability of the study participants to transform and adapt previously female orientated resources and interventions with reported successful outcomes, highlights the broader need for services and policy to recognise what some academics have termed a gender aware domestic abuse culture that encompasses the needs of male and female victims [ 38]. Whilst domestic abuse services remain a space for female only victims, it may further hinder male victims of abuse seeking support [ 39]. The area of men as a victim of abuse and the support they receive is an area that would benefit from future study.

Peer support developed through group work learning was not available during lockdown. Previous studies have highlighted that women in peer group recovery services receive essential messages of inclusion and belonging, enhanced empowerment and move from victim to survivor, to thriving by participation in group empowerment programmes [ 40]. Similarly to adults, studies have highlighted the positive effects that peer relationships can have in developing protective factors for children and young people who experience domestic abuse [ 41]. Services should not underestimate the impact of empowerment groups and peer support on clients moving forward.

Limitations

One of the authors (HR) had an existing working relationship with the participating organisation and this may have influenced the interviewees responses resulting in socially desirable responding or the tendency of respondents to reply in a manner that would be viewed favourably by others. Participants were all female, which reflects the characteristics of the organisation which has an all-female workforce. In addition, a predominantly female workforce is typical of domestic abuse services and so the sample was broadly representative. The study explored the views of specialist domestic abuse workers from one organisation covering a single geographic area therefore it may not represent the views of all services operating at this time. However, since domestic abuse services in many countries across the world have faced similar challenges, our findings are likely to be relevant beyond this specific setting and similar research in other contexts is warranted. It should also be noted that the study had a relatively small sample therefore potential issues regarding data saturation may have occurred. In addition, face-to-face interviews with participants may have improved or varied responses. As far as we are aware however this is the first study to explore the impact of COVID-19 on specialist domestic abuse services from a worker's perspective.

Conclusion

In this UK-based study of domestic abuse services delivered during the COVID 19 pandemic, we found clear evidence that can be applied to the development of future specialist service delivery models that may support efficiencies and promote positive relationships. We would suggest retaining some elements of secure remote delivery particularly for clients who prefer this type of service or those with mental health issues. Home visits are still important however especially for those who are digitally disadvantaged and for young children. We would also suggest that empowerment programmes such as the Inspire Programme are offered both on a one to one/remote basis (particularly for men, women with mental health or childcare issues, and older children) and on a group basis for women and young children who would benefit from peer support. We also advocate the ongoing use of peer support and specialist counselling for (particularly new) staff. We would also encourage the retention or implementation of similar national schemes to the Rail to Refuge Scheme as it removed pressure on both victims and services by allowing victims of domestic abuse to travel free of charge to be able to access emergency accommodation anywhere in the country. Retaining remote hearings for granting of injunctions such as Non-molestation Orders would reduce stress and wait time for victims. However, these suggestions should be treated and applied with caution to prevent the development of further inequalities.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all of the participants who gave up their time in order to contribute to this study.

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Staff perspectives on the impact of COVID 19 on the delivery of specialist domestic abuse services in the UK: A qualitative study

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Domestic abuse is a significant public health issue effecting 2.4 million adults in England and Wales each year. In March 2020 the World Health Organisation declared a global pandemic following the outbreak of COVID-19. As a result, the UK moved to a period of lockdown.

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Accessing your ambition: A 2 year regional pilot funded by the Welland Trust to support care experienced students journeys from FE to HE.

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Accessing your ambition: A 2 year regional pilot funded by the Welland Trust to support care experienced students journeys from FE to HE.

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Lynette and Tom Disney are leading this pilot and are working with a PGR student who is care experienced and a MSc Pscyhology student and RA. The project is important because it spans our strategic goals for improving Access and Participation (student journey focus), it focuses on supporting educational journeys (transition to university, progression and success) but also involves a research element whereby we will use the pilot to understand this under-represented group of students in more detail and how best to support them. To achieve our goals we work with a range of internal and external stakeholders (NERAP; the Regional Care Leaver Covenant Steering Group and BECOME (the national charity for care leavers). Graham Wynn is aware and is interested in this given our recent sign up to the Regional Care Leaver Covenant.

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Health and Social Care Stakeholder Event June 2022

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Developing the future health and social care workforce

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Developing the future health and social care workforce

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In June 2022 we worked with Global Marketing, employability partnerships colleagues the Health and Social Care team to host a regional Health and Social Care Stakeholder Event. The aims were:
- network with key regional stakeholders
-raise the profile of our HSC provision
-collaborate on ideas for improving the curriculum.

Since we have increased contacts with employers, are working on enhancing placements and introducing ideas for dissertation research projects connected to employers ideas. We are also working with Kevin Ardron on strentghening employability
Lynette, Tom Sanders, Toby Brandon, Global Marketing, Anna Butcher (Graduate Futures)

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Can we demonstrate (via a pie chart or some other kind of image) the level of funding we receive from different sources? It will be very different to the 'pure' research departments.

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Is it possible for us to show the reach of our work on a map? I guess it goes a lot further than the north-east? We could plot all the professional and wider communities with which we work onto the map - perhaps using different coloured dots for each discipline/profession. It would be interesting for the VC to see how embedded our work is in communities.

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Within ITE, we are developing a virtual primary school and simulated-based learning opportunities. The simulations have been focussed on aspects of practice that we know our students are often shielded from on placement but which they need to be able to deal with once qualified e.g. class handover meetings, conversations with parents/carers around sensitive issues etc.
We've published our work in Impact, the journal of the Chartered College of Teaching:
Mulholland, K., Meller, S., Gray, W., Nichol, D., Luke, C., Anderson, A., and Herridge, D. (2022). 'Exploring the use of simulation in a primary ITE context'. Impact: Journal of the Chartered College of Teaching, 16, pp. 60-62.
and have also presented it at UCET's annual conference

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We have been undertaking research on women's experiences of homelessness and using services. This included narrative interviews with 18 women. Findings highlighted that 50% of the women have been rough sleeping and most have experienced domestic violence and mental health issues. It highlighted that women often sofa surf rather than sleep on the street but that is a very risky strategy, in that it exposes them to abuse.
Building on this, we have secured funding to build a nework of organisations to better meet the needs of homeless people. This is a 9 months project, which will be driven by people who have experience of homelessness, and lead to the building of an online directory of supportive organisations.

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IPE & Simulated-Based Education & Learning | Sophie Meller

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We worked across SWECW, and also Nursing, Midwifery & Health, to plan an inter-professional Safeguarding day for our students, using simulated-based education and learning. This increased students' confidence and preparedness in being part of complex decision-making processes in practice.