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Senior Research Assistant < Back Gabrielle Palermo Senior Research Assistant Ageing and Dementia Gabrielle Palermo is a Senior Research Assistant at the NIHR ARC Wessex Mental Health Hub, University of Southampton. She supports quantitative research on alcohol use disorder in older adults and contributes to other Hub projects involving complex routine datasets, including the OLA study. With over 20 years of experience in applied statistics, Gabrielle specialises in quantitative methods for epidemiological, socioeconomic, and public health research, particularly in the analysis of survey and administrative data. Her expertise includes multilevel modelling, complex survey design for cross-sectional and longitudinal data, data cleaning and linkage, and the treatment of missing data. She holds an MSc in Population Studies and a BSc in Statistics from ENCE–IBGE (Brazil). Her doctoral research focuses on statistical methodologies for unbalanced longitudinal data in sample-based educational panel studies, with emphasis on school effectiveness and pupil mobility. Since 2022, she has worked across multiple departments within the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton, contributing to research in epidemiology and clinical trials. Previous Next

Growing social care research capacity Professor Lee-Ann Fenge Social Care lead Social care touches every family in Britain, yet there is a paucity of social care research and historically limited access to the research infrastructure that shapes NHS and social care practice. The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Wessex Social Care Programme was created to change this. Our overarching aim was to build the skills, confidence and partnerships that allow social-care staff, carers and local organisations to use research to improve people’s lives. Working with local authorities, voluntary groups and unpaid carers across Wessex, the programme supports the DHSC vision for a fairer, more integrated system that helps people to live well at home for longer. Research champions funded within three local authorities (BCP, Dorset and Portsmouth City Council) and with voluntary sector organisations including MYTIME , and Help and Care have supported a culture of research engagement across the workforce in these organisations, including through facilitation of journal clubs, joint publications with academics and involvement in research projects. Adults Services within BCP Council have now adopted the research champion model across all of their adults teams as part of their workforce development strategy. Driving Improvement in Services and Local Policy The programme’s practical studies have directly improved service; from staff training on inclusive communication to the redesign of community engagement and recruitment practices. Co-produced publications in leading social-work journals and presentations to professional conferences are spreading these lessons nationally. We have also contributed to national ARC Social Care events to share learning. Building Skills and Confidence in the Workforce - More than 40 social care professionals have received structured research training through internships, fellowships and the new REAL (Research, Evaluation, Audit and Literature) Course co-designed with Hampshire County Council, and participants are already leading improvement projects - evaluating recruitment practices, developing databases of community activities and strengthening induction and mentoring for new staff. Feedback shows greater confidence, better use of evidence in daily decision-making and stronger retention through professional pride. Joint projects between universities and councils have changed how services are planned and delivered for example: Day Services for Adults with Learning Disabilities research informed Hampshire County Council’s strategic plan. In Portsmouth the Single-Handed Care Review enabled efficiency savings while maintaining safety and quality. Research Champions and a Researcher in Residence worked with voluntary organisations including Help and Care and MYTIME to explore the needs of unpaid carers, including young carers and those supporting a loved one waiting for a dementia diagnosis known as the Waiting Well Project which included an exhibition at Poole Arts Centre in January -February 2026 highlighting the challenges carers face. Our research projects SOCIAL CARE: Building Bridges: Elevating Research Culture in Social Care through Collaboration, Qualitative Insight and Relationship-Driven Impact Read more ADOPTED: FLOWS Planning for Frailty: Optimal Health and Social Care Workforce Organisation Using Demand-led Simulation Modelling Read more SOCIAL CARE: Evaluation of Southampton City Council’s Male Engagement Worker (MEW) Project Read more SOCIAL CARE: Building capacity in social care through co-produced research and a research learning partnership between University of Portsmouth and Portsmouth City Council Read more SOCIAL CARE: Local Authority Adult Social Care Recruitment and Retention research project (BCP/Dorset) Read more Dorset projecr

How we involve and engage patients and the public in our applied health and care research Patient and Public Involvement, Engagement and Participation (or PPIEP in short) Our vision has been Meaningful public and community involvement and engagement has been a central part of NIHR ARC Wessex’ health and social care research activities. Over the last six and a half years patients and the public have supported our research in many ways. Helping to design research, co-producing research projects and their outputs, being an esstential part of the whole research process from inception to completion. In addition to their contributions during and after the research process, our public contributors have helped act as ambassadors for our work and helped to promote its findings. Below are just some of the images over the years of our contributors. How we met the UK standards for Public and Patient Involvement and Engage Downloadable information Impact report Glossary

b4eba41c-3299-4935-88f1-36d55163f934 MODIFY: The development and iMplementation Of a multidisciplinary medication review and Deprescribing Intervention among Frail older people in primarY care COMPLETED: MODIFY: The development and iMplementation Of a multidisciplinary medication review and Deprescribing Intervention among Frail older people in primarY care Principal Investigator: Dr Kinda Ibrahim Project team : Eloise Radcliffe, Dr Simon Fraser , Clare Howard , Professor Paul Rutter , Professor Susan Latter , Claire Sheikh , Dr Lawrence Brad , Dr Mark Lown , Dr Alejandra Recio-Saucedo , Dr Kat Bradbury , Dr David Culliford , Dr Maria Chorozoglou , Cynthia Russell (PPI lead). Further PPI involvement from:Pam Holloway, Neil Wilson, Rajneesh Kaur Additional support from Renee Servin and Lucy Murphy (Medical students) Partners: University of Portsmouth, Westbourne Medical Centre, Wessex Health Innovation Network, PresQiPP, NIHR CRN Wessex Summary of findings - download plain text summary 1 in 3 people aged 65 and older take 5 or more medicines every day (polypharmacy). Some of these drugs may no longer be appropriate. They could increase the risk of falls, hospital admission, or even death, especially among people who are frail (and less able to recover from injury and illness). Deprescribing (reducing, stopping or switching drugs) is safe for some conditions, medications and in settings such as primary care. But Health Care Professionals (HCPs) may face problems with carrying this out. Problems may include a lack of time for HCPs, and HCPs and patients may be concerned about stopping medication which was first prescribed by a specialist. Previous research highlights that this problem could be addressed by teams of HCPs from different disciplines, including practice pharmacists, working together on the medication review and deprescribing process. The research team reviewed 28 studies on older people in primary care to explore what makes medication review and deprescribing work best in a team of HCPs. Alongside this, the research team carried out in-depth interviews with ten older patients and three of their family carers, and focus groups with 26 health care professionals working in eight different GP practices. This helped the team to understand different experiences of medication reviews and deprescribing, and how this process can work best. Based on the results the team suggested ways to improve deprescribing in primary care. They include: clear roles and responsibilities for HCPs, with good communication between team members, and pharmacists integrated within teams training and education on deprescribing for HCPs routine discussions about deprescribing when prescribing, with medication reviews tailored to patients’ needs and preferences, and addressing any questions or concerns involvement of patients and informal carers, and trusted relationships with professionals allowing continuity of care. Based on the results the research team developed an intervention to improve medication review and deprescribing for older people with frailty and taking 10 or more medicines, to target those who would benefit most. The intervention has five phases: 1) Identification on practice databases of older patients aged 75 and over living with frailty, prescribed 10 or more medications, to be invited for a medication review 2) Preparation for HCPs, through using deprescribing tip sheets and a digital tool to help prioritise medication for deprescribing (with training provided) 3) Written information leaflet sent to patients and carers about the purpose of medication review and the reasons for potentially stopping or changing medications 4) The HCP (mainly a practice pharmacist) will conduct a person-centred medication review taking into account patient and carer needs and preferences. They will involve other HCPs members based on their expertise, and document and share any agreed changes with patients and other staff members if needed; 5) Tailored written follow-up plans to be given to patients and carer, and further contact arranged if needed. See NIHR Alert - How to deprescribe in Primary Care which features this research Downloads: Public Policy Briefing https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/509844/ Medicines Optimisation and Deprescribing in Older People policy brief Feb 2026 .pdf Download PDF • 2.09MB MODIFY poster ICP MODIFY poster 20.10.25 .pptx Download PPTX • 2.32MB MODIFY POSTER Plain English ICP poster Plain English version 17.9.25 .odt Download ODT • 10KB How we shared these findings Conferences and dissemination to Health Care Professionals •European Clinical Pharmacy Society conference, October 2022, Prague, Czech Republic 2022 (oral and poster) •Faculty of Medicine Conference, University of Southampton, June 2023 (oral and poster) •Health Services Research and Pharmacy Practice conference, Cork, Ireland 2023 (oral and poster) •ARC Wessex collaborating for impact showcase event, June 2023 •Society for Academic Primary Care conference, Brighton, July 2023 •South West Society for Academic Primary Care conference, Cardiff Wales, March 2024 •International Conference on Deprescribing, Nantes, France September 2024 Other presentations and talks •Invited to present MODIFY at the Society for Academic other presentations Primary Care Medicines Optimisation Special Interest Group, 12th March 2024 •Invited to present on deprescribing at the CRN national event on Multimorbidity in May 2023. •Invited to present MODIFY at the CRN coordination Wessex Pharmacy Research Network meeting, 28th February 2024 •Presented MODIFY during a meeting with Prof. Tony Avery, the National Clinical Director for Prescribing, 1st March 2024 •Shared learning on MODIFY with Prof David Alldred and his team at Leeds, Jan 2022 •Introduced MODIFY at the Health Innovation Network Polypharmacy Community of Practice meeting, July 2022 Publications: Implementing a medication review and deprescribing intervention for older people living with frailty and polypharmacy in general practice: a feasibility study We published our findings from our realist review in BMC Geriatrics: What makes a multidisciplinary medication review and deprescribing intervention for older people work well in primary care? A realist review and synthesis Plos One publication (April 2025): Development of a complex multidisciplinary medication review and deprescribing intervention in primary care for older people living with frailty and polypharmacy Our publication was selected as an NIHR evidence alert, and promoted more widely on social media to health care professionals and policymakers: How to deprescribe inprimary care - NIHR Evidence Education of undergraduate an postgraduate students •Plenary talk on polypharmacy and deprescribing to year 1 medical students in May 2024 •Invited talk by University Hospital Southampton at a General Internal Medicine Training day 16th September 2024, MODIFY presented to over 100 trainees Public and patient engagement Presentation and discussion of MODIFY at a Community medical science engagement session with 12 older people (via Communicare, a local social service organisation on 4th September 2024) The project has prompted Bob Heath to write a song about deprescribing - which was played at the ARC Event 2025 https://vimeo.com/1125880005 Bob and Peter Heath wrote this song about deprescribing Lay Summary or research protocol Background: A third of older people take five or more regular medications (polypharmacy) potentially increasing the risk of side-effects, hospital admission and death. These effects are higher among people living with frailty who lose their in-built reserves and become vulnerable to changes triggered by small events such as a change in medication. National recommendations suggest that medications taken by frail older people should be reviewed annually by their GPs to identify and reduce/stop inappropriate medications (deprescribing).Yet this does not happen routinely due to GPs’ lack of time, increased workloads and worries about stopping medicines. Recent recommendations suggest involving other non-medical prescribers such as practice pharmacists and advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) in reviewing medications. However, it is unknown how staff could work together most effectively and whether they have any training needs. Aim: This research will investigate how practice-pharmacists, ANPs and GPs could best work together with patients living with frailty to perform regular medication review. Methods The study involves four work packages (WPs). We will review previous literature to identify what makes a successful medication review and how to safely reduce/ stop inappropriate medications (WP1). Interviews with GPs, practice-pharmacists, ANPs, frail older patients and carers will be conducted (WP2). These will discover views about where medication review should take place, the role of each of the involved parties in the process, type of medications that could be deprescribed, staff development and training needs, barriers and facilitators for implementation, and strategies to address these barriers. Information gathered from WP1&2 will be used to develop the intervention: a structured medication review process using pharmacists, ANPs and GPs most effectively and involving frail patients and their families in decisions about medications (WP3). The intervention will be refined further through a series of workshops with service users, clinicians and commissioners. A training programme to implement the intervention and increase staff confidence in reducing/ stopping medications safely will be developed and delivered to GPs, practice-pharmacists and ANPs based on the Polypharmacy Action Learning Sets approach adopted by the Wessex Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) . Finally, we will assess whether itis feasible and acceptable for staff in four GP practices to be trained and to implement the intervention with their patients (WP4). Public Patient Involvement: Three PPI members have been involved in protocol development and refinement and will continue to contribute to the research study by for example being involved in developing research instruments and monitoring recruitment. Dissemination and Impact: Working with colleagues in the Wessex AHSN and local clinical commissioners, we will be able to share our findings and training programme to the wider research and clinical community in Wessex and potentially influence practices and policies both locally and nationally. Ibrahim, K., Cox, N.J., Stevenson, J.M. et al. A systematic review of the evidence for deprescribing interventions among older people living with frailty. BMC Geriatr 21, 258 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02208-8 Pazan, F., Petrovic, M., Cherubini, A. et al. Current evidence on the impact of medication optimization or pharmacological interventions on frailty or aspects of frailty: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 77, 1–12 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-020-02951-8 Radcliffe E, Servin R, Cox N, Lim S, Tan QY, Howard C, Sheikh C, Rutter P, Latter S, Lown M, Brad L, Fraser SDS, Bradbury K, Roberts HC, Saucedo AR, Ibrahim K. What makes a multidisciplinary medication review and deprescribing intervention for older people work well in primary care? A realist review and synthesis. BMC Geriatr. 2023 Sep 25;23(1):591 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04256-8

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

Workforce & Health Systems Theme lead Professor Michael Boniface Theme lead Deputy theme leads Dr Dan Burns Health Systems Dr Chiara Dall'ora Workforce Workforce & Health Systems Theme We know that the health workforce are an asset and in short supply. As part of our ARC research we are planning a series of studies. We will look at the best ways for staff to work - for example where and when. We also want to improve conditions - in part by ensuring they have time to do the jobs we are asking them to do. Cultivating a flow of pioneering ideas that offer the potential to transform people's lives and the economy using information technology is a motivating force that drives us. Our capacity to rapidly turn these ideas into benefits for partners through collaborative, applied research and innovation makes Southampton a truly exciting place to be. Research projects ADOPTED ActMed-VW - Healthcare professional's experiences of Access to Medication for people on Virtual Wards who are in their last year of life Read more ADOPTED PROJECT - PREMAC 2 STUDY Development and application of Patient Report Experience Measure for patients accessing ACute oncology services: Read more Implementation and Evaluation of the Advanced Practice Research Toolkit Read more Adopted Project: Paramedic delivery of end-of-life care (PARAID) Study Read more PROCED-DST: PROactive, Collaborative and Efficient complex Discharge – Decision Support Tool Read more FORTH – FORecasting Turbulence in Hospitals Read more Predicting nurse staffing requirements -validation and scoping extension study (PREDICT-NURSE validation and extension) Read more Identifying the knowledge gaps of paramedics managing patients with mental health issues Read more Wessex SNSDE Study (SETT Centre) Read more ADOPTED (PhD): PREPARE-to-ACT study: Preparing for and Responding to Emergencies – A multi-phased qualitative investigation of Patients’ And members of their RElational networks’ decisions to use urgent and emergency care during Anti-Cancer Treatment Read more PUNDIT – Predicting hospital Usage Numbers via a DIgital Twin Read more ADOPTED: A Study to Evaluate the Introduction of new Staffing Models in Intensive Care: a Realist evaluation (SEISMIC-R) Read more PREDICT-NURSE – feasibility: Predicting Patient Acuity/Dependency-Based Workload from Routinely Collected Data to Assist with Nursing Staff Planning – feasibility study Read more ADOPTED: Nurture-U (Southampton): A longitudinal survey for student metal health and wellbeing Read more ADOPTED: FLOWS Planning for Frailty: Optimal Health and Social Care Workforce Organisation Using Demand-led Simulation Modelling Read more ADOPTED: SORT-IT (Salisbury Operational Research Track – Improving Together) Read more Workforce Evaluation Toolkit project (WET) Read more ADOPTED: Social Prescribers In Deprescribing Role (SPiDeR) Read more ADOPTED: Improving patient safety, workforce wellbeing and NHS efficiency through improved shift patterns for nursing staff: study protocol Read more PARIEDA - Prediction of Acute Respiratory Infection outcomes prior to Emergency Department Attendance Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Geospatial mapping of emergency calls from older adults to ambulance services in the South Central region, with a focus on people living with dementia: a feasibility study. Read more Predicting Patient Deterioration Risks in COMMunities Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Developing and testing a Patient Report Experience Measure for patients accessing Acute OnCology services: The PREMAC study Read more ADOPTED: Consequences, costs and cost-effectiveness of different workforce configurations in English acute hospitals: a longitudinal retrospective study using routinely collected data Read more POST DOCTORAL PROJECT: The career aspirations of nurses working in the research delivery workforce: a cross-sectional survey Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Magnet4Europe: Improving mental health and wellbeing in the health care workplace Read more PROCED: PROactive, Collaborative and Efficient complex Discharge Read more Mental Health, Workforce and Well-being Research Framework - ARC Collaboration Read more Safer Nursing Care Tool and nurse staffing requirements Read more Shift Pattern Feasibility Read more Improving community health care planning Read more CLECC Toolkit and background: Creating Learning Environments for Compassionate Care (CLECC) Read more COVID-19 Emergency Department Project Read more Mental health hub projects Work lives and Wellbeing of Mental Health Nursing Workforce Read more Development of a core outcome set for mental health nurse wellbeing: a Delphi study Read more Read our publications here Read more Publications Access our evidence brief here Read more Evidence briefs Reports, toolkits and support Find the information and tools to improve your work here Read more

0f5a7259-3857-4aa4-8b2c-0c628421e76a Interventions to support physical activity for adults (MOTH) Maintenance Of physical aTivity beHaviour (MOTH) programme Also see Digital support for maintaining physical activity in people with long-term conditions and Non-digital support for maintaining physical activity in people with long-term conditions – within Maintenance Of physical acTivity beHaviour (MOTH) programme Principal Investigator: Professor Mary Barker Deputy Lead: Professor Mary Barker ( Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Science) Professor Maria Stokes (Professor of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, UK Head of Active Living Research Group) Team members: Dr James Gavin, Luisa Holt, Professor Jo Adams , Dr David Culliford , Professor Suzanne McDonough (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; Visiting Prof at UoS), Dr Aoife Stephenson (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland), Dr James Faulkner (University of Winchester), Mr Ranj Parmar , Mr Jem Lawson (Public contributors), Dr Euan Sadler , Dr Dorit Kunkel , Dr Simon Fraser , Professor Sandy Jack , Professor James Bilzon (University of Bath), Dr Simon Jones (University of Bath), Dr Enhad Chowdhury (University of Bath), Mr Jem Lawson and Mr Ranj Parmer (public contributors) Start: October 2019 Ends: 31 December 2023 Project Partners: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University of Winchester, Bournemouth University, University of Portsmouth, Wessex Clinical Research Network, University of Bath, NHS, AHSN Lay summary Physical activity is an important part of managing and preventing long-term conditions (LTC), through supporting people to remain active, improve symptoms and reduce future problems. A variety of digital and non-digital programmes and tools exist, such as exercise referral schemes and websites or mobile applications, to support people to start being active. However, these programmes/tools are often less effective at helping people to stay active in the longer term. The MOTH programme aims to identify existing digital tools and their components that help people with LTCs to stay active and understand the factors that support or inhibit their use in the NHS. The programme is also working with exercise referral schemes to evaluate and understand the needs of participants to support physical activity after the scheme has ended. Ultimately, the MOTH programme aims to develop digital and non-digital support that is usable, accessible and relevant to help people with LTCs to stay active. In doing so, the programme is aligned to many of the NHS long-term plan priorities, such as ‘responding to population needs’, ‘supporting people to age well’ and ‘increasing equitable provision of resources’

Healthy Communities Healthy Communities Theme The health of people across our communities faces a number of challenges from the start of someone’s life until the end – our research teams are addressing inequalities, diet, domestic violence and a wide range of issues that touch on everyone’s lives in particular those in more vulnerable and underserved populations. Research projects ARC Wessex programme of research on Medicines Optimisation (MODIFY SPiDeR STOP-DEM) Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Exploratory research to examine the health impact of scams and fraud and the current knowledge and systems in the police and partner agencies for targeting and delivering victim support services Read more ADOPTED: DASA - Domestic abuse and housing: local authorities' provision of safe accommodation for adults living with disabilities and/or long-term/life-limiting illness: a mixed-methods study Read more ADOPTED: CEDA ‘Making the invisible visible’: identifying and responding to unpaid carers who experience domestic abuse from end-of-life care recipients Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Evaluating the Operation Encompass Scheme: A Qualitative Scoping Study Read more ADOPTED: IneQUIty in end of life care for children: Investigating experiences and families’ Needs after sudden and unexpecTEd deaTh in children and young people – the QUINTET study Read more Determining the effectiveness and outcomes of innovative interventions for people who have used stalking behaviours: An extension of the exploration of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Multi-Agency Stalking Partnership (MASP) Read more A qualitative case study to understand Young people’s food purchasing patterns in CONvenience stores in the school neighbourhood environment (Y-CON) Read more ENRICHER-C: Involvement in the criminal justice system & the impact on women's health in Dorset & Hampshire – Community comparison Read more Developing a core cohort of community researchers in Wessex: towards a sustainable Wessex Community of Practice for public health research co-production Read more WADE. Women and Desistence Engagement : An evaluation of a community-based, conditional caution pilot programme for women in the criminal justice system Read more Motivating and sustaining engagement of young people in improving their health and that of their communities Read more ADOPTED: Investigating the impact of food vouchers on diet composition and the prevention of childhood obesity Read more ADOPTED: Community pharmacy alcohol-related liver disease risk identification and linkage to care through development of a complex intervention (CIP-LINC) Read more Qualitative Data Preservation and Sharing (Q-DaPS) Read more ADOPTED: Exploratory research to examine the health impact of scams and fraud and the current knowledge and systems in the police and partner agencies for targeting and delivering victim support services Read more Co-POWeR - Consortium on Practices of Wellbeing and Resilience in BAME Families and Communities Read more Testing the effects of food product placement on customers’ visual attention and intended product purchases: a randomised trial in a virtual supermarket setting (Phase II) Read more Symptoms, Trajectory, Inequalities and Management: Understanding Long-COVID to Address and Transform Existing Integrated Care Pathways (STIMULATE) Read more ADOPTED: Mapping pathways of response for adult and child victim-survivors of domestic abuse in Southampton City Read more ENRICHER – involvEment iN the cRiminal justice system & the ImpaCt on women’s Health dorsEt & hampshiRe Read more CHAMPION: Children whose mothers are involved in the criminal justice system in Dorset & Hampshire: developing health and social care outcome indicators Read more How to Support children with cancer, or another serious condition, and their parents during the COVID-19 outbreak Read more Developing a web resource to support families bereaved during COVID-19 Read more Mental health Burden of Increased Living costs: Local Support (My BILLS) Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Young people’s barriers to mental health services Read more POST DOCTORAL PROJECT: Early detection of chronic liver disease in community settings Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Comparing pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): systematic review and network meta-analysis Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: ADAPT: The cross-sector implementation of NICE-recommended CBT-based interventions for young people in care: Framework Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: DIGNIFIE Gender-seNsitive evaluatIon oF a prIson alternativE Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: High Harm Domestic Violence Perpetrator Pilot Evaluation Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: The Gateway Study a randomised controlled trial, economic and qualitative evaluation to examine the effectiveness of an out-of-court community-based Gateway intervention programme aimed at improving health and well-being for young adult offenders; victim satisfaction and reducing recidivism Read more Social network facilitated engagement in people who are Homeless to address InEqualities in alcohol related Liver Disease - The SHIELD feasibility study Read more A national evaluation of Project Cautioning And Relationship Abuse (‘CARA’) awareness raising workshops for first time offenders of domestic violence and abuse Read more Wessex DIET: Determining the Impact of covid-19 on food sEcurity in young families and Testing interventions Read more Domestic Abuse and Life-Limiting Illness: identifying and supporting adults at risk (DALLI Study) Read more Prevention schemes for female vicitms and offenders in Hampshire and Dorset Read more GOODNIGHT Covid-19 to care-home-based vulnerable individuals Read more The feasibility of community pharmacies testing for Hepatitis C in people who inject image and performance enhancing drugs Read more Testing the effects of food product placement on customers’ visual attention and intended product purchases: a randomised trial in a virtual supermarket setting (Phase I) Read more The Wessex FRIEND Toolbox (Family Risk IdEntificatioN and Decision) Read more Mental health hub projects Adolescent Resilience to OVercome Adversity: EmpoweRment and intervention development – the ROVER study Read more Pharmacological And Non-Pharmacological treatment of ADHD in Pre-schoolers: a systematic review and network meta-analysis: the PANPAP study Read more Read our publications here Read more Publications

4f21e11e-3fe7-460c-9bc0-113a56eec7a5 The ImPACt study - Improving physical activity of older people in the community Club members at Brendoncare joining in group exercise Principal Investigator: Dr Stephen Lim Team members: Dr Stephen Lim (NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Geriatric Medicine, Academic Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton), Professor Helen Roberts (Professor of Medicine for Older People, Academic Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton), Dr Samantha Meredith (Research Fellow, Academic Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton) , Dr Kinda Ibrahim (Senior Research Fellow, Academic Geriatric Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton), Esther Clift (Consultant Practitioner in Frailty, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Lymington New Forest Hospital), Samantha Agnew (Head of Clubs Services, The Brendoncare Foundation , Winchester), Pam Holloway (Patient representative) Start: 1 February 2020 Ended: 31 October 2021 Project Partners: University of Southampton, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Brendoncare. Lay summary Physical activity is important for older people. It has many benefits including maintaining older people’s ability to perform activities of daily living, be independent, and improve their well-being. However, many older adults living in the community do not engage in regular physical activity. Findings We found that we could train volunteers to support older people during the COVID-19 pandemic to stay active by performing exercises that help strengthen their muscles. Trained volunteers from Brendoncare led the online group exercises for older people who attended online community clubs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a challenging time when social distancing and lockdown rules were in place, which limited opportunities for older people to stay active. We recruited 19 volunteers, and 15 volunteers completed the training. The volunteers were mainly female (78%), with an average age of 68 years. The exercises were seated exercises and older adults were given exercise bands to increase the exercise intensity. Halfway through the study, lockdown restrictions were lifted, and some groups continued the group exercise in a face-to-face setting. The volunteers led 184 group weekly exercise sessions (127 online and 57 in-person). Thirty older adults participated in the group exercises. We interviewed volunteers, older adults and Brendoncare staff to find out more about what they thought of the online group exercise. The older adults enjoyed the intervention and understood the benefits of exercising. Additionally, they felt that they could exercise in a relaxed way with their peers without fear of being judged. The group exercises helped reduce social isolation and motivated older adults to engage with the exercises. Volunteers were enthusiastic to support the exercise groups. They appreciated the training and opportunity to lead the group exercises. One volunteer reported that the role gave her a sense of purpose by playing an active role the community club. Brendoncare staff members were a great help to the older adults and supported them with any issues, in particular those who were less familiar with the internet. At six months, we found that older adults who participated in the group exercise had an improved physical activity level. The time spent in light physical activity per week improved from an average of 1530 minutes per week to 1620 minutes per week. Only two minor incidents happened during the group exercises. Two participants experienced worsening of old injuries while performing the exercises. The programme trainer ensured the participants were safe and adapted the exercise for them. Overall, we found that volunteers can be trained to lead online group seated exercises. The exercises were safe and older adults enjoyed the exercises as well as the social interaction in the group setting. What we did with the new knowledge We supported Brendoncare in continuing the exercise groups after the study had ended. We presented our study findings to the board of trustees and demonstrated the exercises. Brendoncare has since employed an activity coordinator to continue to role of training volunteers and supporting volunteer-led exercise groups within Brendoncare. We trained the activity coordinator and shared our exercise sheets and other study materials to help Brendoncare develop their own training package. They are now actively recruiting more volunteers to lead group exercises in their community clubs. https://www.brendoncare.org.uk/get-involved/support-us/volunteering/#:~:text=Chair%20Based%20Exercise%20Volunteer,improving%20their%20health%20and%20wellbeing . We have developed a volunteer toolkit which is available to share with other volunteer organisations. The toolkit has recently been shared with Valley Leisure Ltd, a charitable leisure organisation, who have developed their offer of volunteer-based community clubs in Test Valley. Where next? Having explored how we can train volunteers to engage with healthy community-dwelling older adults to stay active through online group exercises, we collaborated with researchers from the Southampton Biomedical Research Centre and Bournemouth University to further develop this volunteer-led online intervention. We successfully secured research funding (£51,000) from University Hospital Southampton NHS FT to conduct a study to explore a multimodal intervention consisting of exercise, nutrition and behaviour change support, to engage with older people living with frailty who have been discharged from hospital, to stay active and eat well. This research has now been completed (10/01/2024) and we showed that it was feasible to translate the programme to support older people living with frailty ( COMPLETED: Wessex Frail2Fit – A feasibility and acceptability study of a virtual multi-modal intervention delivered by volunteers to improve functional outcomes of older adults with COVID-19 discharged from hospital ). What did people say about the work? Volunteer : “We do it because we want to help others…. we enjoy it. I'm gonna go back to belonging again, I feel that I'm benefiting from the group. Because again, I feel like I belong to that group….. I get so much out of it.” Club member: ‘We are not self-conscious when they (volunteers) are around. We have a laugh as well.’ Club member: ‘I’ve really enjoyed it because it keeps you in touch with people, especially during this COVID….. I still feel as if I’m part of a group.’ NEWS: ImPACT volunteers recognised for their wor k ImPACt exercise video IMPACT Exercise with Steve and Esther from NIHR ARC Wessex on Vimeo . Impact Exercise video using Resistance bands - Dr Sam Meredith watch the video on Vimeo Publications doi.org Volunteer-led physical activity interventions to improve health outcomes for community-dwelling older people: a systematic review - Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Background Physical activity (PA) is important for older people to maintain functional independence and healthy ageing. There is strong evidence to support the benefits of physical activity interventions on the health outcomes of older adults. Nonetheless, innovative approaches are needed to ensure that these interventions are practical and sustainable. Aim This systematic review explores the effectiveness of volunteer-led PA interventions in improving health outcomes for community-dwelling older people. Methods Five databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PEDro, Cochrane library) were systematically searched for studies using trained volunteers to deliver PA interventions for community-dwelling older people aged ≥ 65 years. Meta-analysis was not conducted due to included study heterogeneity. Results Twelve papers describing eight studies (five papers reported different outcomes from the same study) were included in the review. All eight studies included strength and balance exercises and frequency of PA ranged from weekly to three times a week. Volunteer-led exercises led to improvements in functional status measured using the short physical performance battery, timed up and go test, Barthel Index, single leg stand, step touch test, chair stand test, and functional reach. Frailty status identified by grip strength measurement or the use of long-term care insurance improved with volunteer-led exercises. Interventions led to improvement in fear of falls and maintained or improved the quality of life. The impact on PA levels were mixed. Conclusion Limited evidence suggests that volunteer-led PA interventions that include resistance exercise training, can improve outcomes of community-dwelling older adults including functional status, frailty status, and reduction in fear of falls. More high-quality RCTs are needed to investigate the effects of volunteer-led PA interventions among older people. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1442-0 https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmed.2022-0283 doi.org Detecting low-intake dehydration using bioelectrical impedance analysis in older adults in acute care settings: a systematic review - BMC Geriatrics Background Dehydration is a frequent cause of excess morbidity and poor health outcomes, particularly in older adults who have an increased risk of fluid loss due to renal senescence, comorbidities, and polypharmacy. Detecting dehydration is key to instigating treatment to resolve the problem and prevent further adverse consequences; however, current approaches to diagnosis are unreliable and, as a result, under-detection remains a widespread problem. This systematic review sought to explore the value of bioelectrical impedance in detecting low-intake dehydration among older adults admitted to acute care settings. Methods A literature search using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library was undertaken from inception till May 2022 and led to the eventual evaluation of four studies. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool for observational studies; three studies had a high risk of bias, and one had a low risk. Data were extracted using systematic proofs. Due to insufficient reporting, the data were analysed using narrative synthesis. Results One study showed that the sensitivity and specificity of bioelectrical impedance in detecting low-intake dehydration varied considerably depending on the total body water percentage threshold used to ascertain dehydration status. Other included studies supported the technique's utility when compared to conventional measures of hydration status. Conclusions Given the scarcity of literature and inconsistency between findings, it is not possible to ascertain the value of bioelectrical impedance for detecting low-intake dehydration in older inpatients. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/3/e069533 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2260134125000854[SM1] doi.org Evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of virtual group exercise for older adults delivered by trained volunteers: the ImPACt study protocol Introduction Physical activity is important for healthy ageing. Despite strong evidence on the benefits of physical activity for health and well-being, physical inactivity remains a significant problem among older adults. This study aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of implementing an online volunteer-led group exercise for older adults. Methods A quasi-experimental mixed-methods approach will be used in this study. A training programme will be developed to train volunteers to deliver online group exercises to older adults aged >65 years (n=30). The primary outcome is the feasibility of implementing the intervention. This will be assessed by the number of volunteers recruited, trained, and retained at the end of the study, and the number of exercise sessions delivered and completed by participants. Secondary outcomes include physical activity levels measured using the Community Health Model Activities Programme for Seniors questionnaire, Barthel Index, EQ-5D-5L as a measure of health-related quality of life, SARC-F to determine sarcopenia status, and PRIMSA-7 to determine frailty status. Outcomes will be measured at baseline and at 6 months. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with volunteers(n=5), older adults (n=10) and family members (n=5) to explore their views on the intervention. Analysis Simple descriptive statistics will be used to describe participant characteristics, the feasibility of the study and the impact of the intervention on health outcomes. Parametric(t-test) or non-parametric(Mann-Whitney U test) statistics will be used to analyse continuous variables. χ2 test will be used for categorical variables. Qualitative data will be analysed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Ethics and dissemination This study received ethical approval from the University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee and Research Integrity and Governance committee (ID: 52 967 .A1). Study findings will be made available to service users, voluntary organisations and other researchers who may be interested in implementing the intervention. Trial registration number [NCT04672200][1]. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT04672200&atom=%2Fbmjopen%2F12%2F2%2Fe052631.atom · 40 Faces of Brendoncare - Sharon Green · 40 Faces of Brendoncare - Dr Sam Meredith · 2022 Winners | Pride of Andover Awards · https://www.linkedin.com/posts/karen-lewis-6b009665_ahpsday-activity-7385000352397385728-8v1K?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAGAmYqMBCL-wtu3ZnECr4UsylRfjAyKeGFY · https://youtu.be/nMSQR7kp9ec · https://youtu.be/6vxyL4OenmQ?si=RiOBz-yU7tO09fwX

532de301-847c-4966-bc5a-4870a7af237f COVID-19 Emergency Department Project https://video.wixstatic.com/video/6fe132_b254a8bee3f94076893f02f26b1ade08/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 NIHR ARC Wessex is supporting this research Summary The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented demand for acute care services. Hospitals faced the challenge of needing to rapidly restructure care pathways and resourcing priorities to maximise survival rates for critically ill patients. University Hospital Southampton (UHS) needed evidence-based tools to support clinical and resource planning decisions in response to the pandemic. COVID-19-ED was able to provide rapid response insight to analytics questions provided by UHS. Who worked on the project? Professor Michael Boniface – University of Southampton Dr Hang Phan – University of Southampton Dr Francis Chmiel – University of Southampton Dr Daniel Burns – University of Southampton Professor Ben MacArthur – University of Southampton Professor Dave Woods – University of Southampton Dr Derek Sandeman – University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Dr Thomas Daniels – University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Dr Michael Kiuber – University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Neil Tape – University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Martin Azor – University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust Dr Matthew Stammers – University of Southampton NHS Foundation Trust What did we find out? We found that computational models of COVID-19 epidemiology could be used to help forecast COVID-19 hospital demand and support the University Hospital Southampton (UHSFT) in their response to the pandemic. We learnt how to deliver a series of models and insight throughout the phases of the pandemic first wave (alert, pre-peak, post-peak, recovery). We learnt to adapt approaches through experimentation and as new information became available to the research team: Initially a 10-day rapid response was required balancing timeliness and precision of answers. Little was known about COVID-19 and a simple approach was developed to forecast the time and size of the first peak. We then extended the model to consider actual hospital data along with the prevalence of infected people in communities and occupancy types such as general or intensive care beds. Finally, the impact of social distancing was incorporated to modify community transmission rates allowing UHS to run what if scenarios considering future assumptions about social distancing policies from the UK government. What difference did it make? COVID-19-ED provided a source of rapid insight response for UHSFT operations teams at a time when they had little information to plan resources. Why was it so important? Community disease prevalence modelling is an important tool to support capacity planning and resource planning for integrated care systems. Vital to provide rapid insights with limited information and changing disease and policy situations. What happened next? The knowledge gained about COVID-19 epidemic modelling led to UK wider leadership of data analytics for Dr Dan Burns in the COVID-19 Regulator Testing Programme Kidd, S.P., Burns, D., Armson, B., Beggs, A.D., Howson, E.L., Williams, A., Snell, G., Wise, E.L., Goring, A., Vincent-Mistiaen, Z. and Grippon, S., 2022. Reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification has high accuracy for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in saliva and nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs from asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals. The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics, 24(4), pp.320-336. Ptasinska, A., Whalley, C., Bosworth, A., Poxon, C., Bryer, C., Machin, N., Grippon, S., Wise, E.L., Armson, B., Howson, E.L. and Goring, A., 2021. Diagnostic accuracy of loop-mediated isothermal amplification coupled to nanopore sequencing (LamPORE) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection at scale in symptomatic and asymptomatic populations. Clinical microbiology and infection, 27(9), pp.1348-e1. Rapid analytics support to NHSE Chief Scientific Officer’s (NHSE CSO) team including: Statistical validation of the PCR technology for Project Jupiter in Leamington Spa, which now covers 300,000 PCR tests a day of the UK’s Pillar 2 testing infrastructure Development of a calculator tool for TVG which will be used to validate several COVID-19 testing technologies Research design for laboratory validation studies Publications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-02481-y

a0531f94-b063-4041-908b-5830a10b5f66 ADOPTED: Community pharmacy alcohol-related liver disease risk identification and linkage to care through development of a complex intervention (CIP-LINC) Prinicpal Investigator: Dr Alexander Smith Start Date: 16 February 2023 End Date: 31 March 2025 Background Liver scarring (known as cirrhosis) is a frequent and ever more common reason for dying in the United Kingdom (UK). The most common cause of liver scarring in the UK is alcohol. Death from liver scarring can be prevented if liver disease is found at an early stage. This can be hard because many people with liver scarring do not look or feel unwell until they develop liver failure. At this stage it is too late to prevent complications. Alcohol-related liver disease can be found earlier by assessing for it in people who drink too much alcohol. This is advised in national guidelines. Local pharmacists are one of the most accessible health professionals. There are over 12000 local pharmacies in England. Lots of these pharmacies are in areas where more people have alcohol problems. Local pharmacists are able to identify people who drink too much alcohol and provide them support to drink less. However, it is not known if local pharmacists can get these people assessed for alcohol-related liver disease. This study looks at how this could be done with the aim of creating a Toolkit to make it happen.