Events Coming up Date and time is TBD Social Care Lunchtime Seminar | Event postponed until a later date / Via Zoom Learn more Date and time is TBD Via Zoom Health inequalities of ethnic minorities groups in the UK Tue, Mar 24 ARC Wessex Alcohol Research Webinar / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Mar 24, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Thu, Mar 19 CRED Talk: Healthcare delegation and job satisfaction in home care / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Mar 19, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Wed, Mar 11 CRED Talk: In conversation, thoughts and reflections from early career social care researchers / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Mar 11, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Wed, Feb 11 ARC Wessex Healthy Communities Theme Meeting / Microsoft TEAMS Learn more Feb 11, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Microsoft TEAMS Join us to learn more about the Healthy Communities Theme projects and activities Mon, Nov 24 ARC Wessex Webinar: Living with Multiple Long Term Conditions / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Nov 24, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Wed, Nov 05 CRED Talk: The Characteristics of the Social Care Workforce in England and Australia / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Nov 05, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Mon, Nov 03 ARC Wessex Webinar: Young People in Research / Microsoft Teams Webinar Learn more Nov 03, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Microsoft Teams Webinar Wed, Oct 22 ARC Wessex Healthy Communities Theme Meeting / Microsoft TEAMS Learn more Oct 22, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Microsoft TEAMS Join us to learn more about the Projects and work of the Healthy Communities Theme Thu, Oct 16 Understanding why, who and when people decline an offer of accommodation in Portsmouth and continue to rough sleep / Online Seminar Learn more Oct 16, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Online Seminar Understanding why, who and when people decline an offer of accommodation in Portsmouth and continue to rough sleep - A realist informed evaluation' Mon, Oct 13 ARC Wessex Webinar: Supporting the Workforce / Microsoft Teams Learn more Oct 13, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Microsoft Teams Tue, Oct 07 ARC Event 2025 / Southampton Learn more Oct 07, 2025, 9:15 AM – 2:30 PM Southampton Applied Research, Real Lives, Change that matters Mon, Oct 06 ARC Qualitative Network Meeting | “Autoethnography” presented by Dr Becki Nash / Online seminar MSTeams Learn more Oct 06, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Online seminar MSTeams Cycles of Consideration, Judgement, and Slippage: Autoethnographic Accounts of Researching Medical Cosmetic Procedures Wed, Sep 17 ARC Wessex Ageing & Dementia Theme Meeting / Microsoft TEAMS Learn more Sep 17, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Microsoft TEAMS Join us to learn more about the Projects and work of the Ageing & Dementia Theme Mon, Sep 15 ARC Wessex Webinar: Empowering People to use Digital Solutions / Microsoft Teams Learn more Sep 15, 2025, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Microsoft Teams Find out how our researchers are improving digital healthcare Thu, Sep 04 Supporting Health Professionals Research Development / The ARK Conference Centre Learn more Sep 04, 2025, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM The ARK Conference Centre, Dinwoodie Dr, Basingstoke RG24 9NN, UK Wed, Jul 09 NIHR ARCs national webinar (#ARCseminar): Creative arts for dementia / Recording available below Details Jul 09, 2025, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Recording available below In this year's national #ARCseminar series, we explore the healing power of creative arts. Here, in the third webinar of the series, we will be hearing from researchers on: Creative arts for dementia care. Thu, Jul 03 Research Readiness in Homecare / Bournemouth Details Jul 03, 2025, 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM Bournemouth, 89 Holdenhurst Rd, Bournemouth BH8 8EB, UK This event will focus on identifying opportunities to enhance research engagement and strengthen collaborations to drive better outcomes for people living with dementia at home. Wed, Jun 25 Empowering Ageing through Digital Health Coaching / Bournemouth University Lansdown Campus Learn more Jun 25, 2025, 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM Bournemouth University Lansdown Campus, Gateway Building, BG302, 12 St Paul's Ln, Bournemouth BH8 8GP, UK Celebrating the success of the DIALOR (DIgitAL cOaching for fRailty) project (funded by NIHR ARC Wessex) Load More Previous events

Research Fellow < Back Francesca Zecchinato Research Fellow Workforce & Health Systems Francesca Zecchinato is a recently appointed Research Fellow within the NIHR ARC Wessex Mental Health Hub at the University of Southampton. In her current role, she is working on a mixed-methods project to identify knowledge gaps among paramedics in managing patients presenting mental health conditions. This work aims to enhance the quality of mental health care provided to patients, improve patient experiences, and offer better support for paramedics. Francesca holds a BSc in Cognitive Psychology and Psychobiology (cum laude) and a MSc in Clinical Psychology (cum laude) from the University of Padova (Italy). She has completed her PhD at the Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, funded by the ESRC South Coast DTP and focused on the risk posed by parental anxiety to their children and on strategies to promote the mental health of children with anxious parents. Building on her previous research exploring the needs of parents with mental illness and how services can support their children’s mental health, Francesca’s work continues to focus on understanding the needs of individuals experiencing mental health difficulties and identifying evidence-based strategies to improve care delivery. Francesca uses both quantitative and qualitative methods in her research and poses great value in the involvement of experts by experience (via Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement) throughout the research process. Previous Next

Ageing & Dementia The Ageing and Dementia theme undertook a broad portfolio of research aimed at improving the health, care, and quality of life of older adults and people living with dementia across Wessex and beyond. The theme was led by Stephen Lim with Dr Kinda Ibrahim as deputy theme lead Our work spanned the development and evaluation of novel interventions, as well as the use of routinely collected data to understand how healthcare services can be organised more efficiently and deliver higher‑quality care. Neuro Digital and Neuro Online studies generated new insights into the factors that influence engagement with digital health technologies among people living with neurological conditions and dementia. This work is helping to shape more inclusive and accessible digital health solutions. We have also delivered innovative interventions that mobilise volunteers to support older adults in both community and hospital settings, helping them remain active and prevent functional decline. The ImPACt study successfully implemented an online intervention across seven community clubs in Hampshire and Dorset, which has since been adopted as routine practice by Brendoncare community clubs. The PIVOT study demonstrated the feasibility of volunteer‑led physical activity programmes across three NHS trusts in England, and plans are underway to secure further funding to expand this model nationally. The IDA study strengthened partnerships with NHS trusts and third‑sector organisations to disseminate the Active Lives digital intervention, designed to support older adults in increasing their physical activity. Through collaboration with six NHS trusts and four third‑sector organisations across the South of England, Active Lives reached 5,002 older adults, significantly extending its impact. Through the STOP-DEM project, we generated new evidence on how deprescribing can be undertaken safely and acceptably, with meaningful involvement of patients and carers. Findings have influenced clinical education, professional practice, and policy discussions locally and nationally. Research outputs have been embedded into undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare teaching through a co-produced short film, reached frontline clinicians through NHS and Royal College events, and informed national conversations on medicines optimisation via policy briefings and parliamentary roundtables. Widespread media coverage has further raised public and professional awareness of deprescribing in dementia. Research projects Adopted Project: ACCESS D: Advancing Community Collaboration and Engagement Strategies in Dementia Read more ARC Wessex programme of research on Medicines Optimisation (MODIFY SPiDeR STOP-DEM) Read more Refinement of an eFalls tool - a multivariable prediction model for the risk of ED attendance or in-hospital fall or fracture in individuals accessing mental health or learning disability services - eFalls Read more ADOPTED: Understanding how and why live-in care packages are arranged and sustained, when dementia is the primary support need: A mixed methods study. Read more Developing Pathways for older adults who are also drinking at increased-risk levels: Hampshire Older adults Alcohol Pathway (HOAAP) Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Neuro LTC: Assessing Baseline Factors, Critical Events and Fatigue in Long Term Neurological Conditions Read more EnTech (Enabling Technology): Investigating the enabling and inhibiting factors to the use of internet-based support tools for caregivers of people with dementia, and how to promote engagement. Read more The feasibility and acceptability of a collaborative deprescribing intervention to reduce anticholinergic burden among hospitalised older patients. Digital Anticholinergic Reduction Tool (DART) Read more Understanding the Networks, Effects and Teams involved in Community Alternatives to ACute Hospitalisation for Older People in Hampshire and Isle of Wight Region – CAtCH-NET Read more ADOPTED: Mobility assessments in hospitalised older adults: study protocol for an e-survey of UK healthcare professionals Read more ADOPTED: An observational longitudinal cohort study to investigate Cortical Disarray Measurement in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (CONGA) Read more ADOPTED: (SIFT) Sensors in Fatigue Tracking in Parkinson’s. Exploring the relationship between perception of Fatigue and the performance of physical activities in people with Parkinson's with fatigue using wearable sensors Read more Development, evaluation and provision of an intervention for primary and community NHS staff to help carers and homecare workers supporting people living at home with dementia with their continence. Read more ADOPTED: FLOWS Planning for Frailty: Optimal Health and Social Care Workforce Organisation Using Demand-led Simulation Modelling Read more PIVOT: Promoting Increased physical actiVity in hospitalised Older adults with Trained volunteers Read more ADOPTED: SPLENDID Social Prescribing for people to Live ENjoyably with Dementia/memory problems In Daily life Read more ADOPTED: Community Alternatives to aCute Hospitalisation for Older People who have Fallen (CAtCH-Falls) Read more 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 Read more Developing training for person-centred care: adapting the Chat & Plan for use in domiciliary care 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 Understanding psychosocial determinants of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in older adults: exploring the role of social networks and loneliness in living with AUD (OLA study 2). Read more ADOPTED PROJECT: Optimising Outpatients: Effective service transformation through face-to-face, remote and digital care delivery Read more Development of a structured deprescribing intervention for people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment in primary care (STOP-DEM) Read more Development, evaluation and provision of an intervention for primary and community NHS staff to help carers and homecare workers supporting people living at home with dementia with their continence. Read more ADOPTED: Incidental Interaction: Novel Technology to Support Elders-as-Athletes through Augmenting Everyday Interactions Read more Wessex NHS Insights Prioritisation Programme Project (NIPP) Read more ADOPTED: Investigating Quality of Care for People with Dementia Undergoing Cancer Treatment in Ambulatory Care (ImPaCT) Read more Creating Learning Environments for Compassionate Care (CLECC) in mental health settings: an implementation study Read more Promoting person-centred care using the CHAT&PLAN conversation guide Read more INVOLVing pEople with cognitive impaiRment in decisions about their hospital nursing care (INVOLVER): a pilot study Read more Neuro Digital: From Attitudes to Strategies Read more Neuro Online (Formerly From Clinic to E-Clinic): Evaluating the Implementation of the My Medical Record Platform in Young-Onset Dementia and Huntington’s Disease. Read more IDA: Implementing a Digital physical Activity intervention for older adults Read more The ImPACt study - Improving physical activity of older people in the community Read more CLECC Toolkit and background: Creating Learning Environments for Compassionate Care (CLECC) Read more StOP UTI project: Strategies in older people's care settings to prevent infection Read more Understanding the psychosocial needs and trajectories of older adults (>64 years) with alcohol use disorder (AUD) from hospital back into community Read more The PD Life Study: Exploring the treatment burden and capacity of people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers Read more DIALOR: DIgitAL cOaching for fRailty (DIALOR) Read more Material Citizenship Framework Project Read more Mental health hub projects Understanding the psychosocial needs and trajectories of older adults (>64 years) with alcohol use disorder (AUD) from hospital back into community Read more Publications Read our publications here. 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07abb52d-c8db-43f8-85d4-b392467d6ada Developing training for person-centred care: adapting the Chat & Plan for use in domiciliary care Chief Investigator: Dr Teresa Corbett, Visiting Research Fellow, School of Health Sciences , University of Southampton and Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Solent University. Co-Investigators: Professor Jackie Bridges, Professor of Older People's Care, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton Dr Nicola Andrews, Research Fellow - NIHR ARC Wessex , School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton Cindy Brooks, Research Fellow - NIHR ARC Wessex , School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton Dr Pippa Collins, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Post Doc Research Fellow – NIHR ARC Wessex, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton Collaborating organisations: Hampshire County Council – Maria Hayward, Learning & Development Service Manager and Implementation Champion Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council – Alison Pearman, Service Improvement Manager Wessex AHSN – Cheryl Davies, Senior Programme Manager (Healthy Ageing) Skills for Care – Debbie Boys, Locality Manager – Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight Purple Lilac Healthcare - Violet Chatindo, Registered Manager Right at home – Andrew Davis, Registered Manager Partners in Care – Kate Blake, Manager Start date: 1/6/23 End date: 1/9/24 Aim of the research The aim of this research is to adapt a communication tool for use by social care workers and to find out what type of information we should include in a training package for social care workers providing domiciliary care (e.g., practical help and support in the community) to support its use. This study will help us to make a training course that we can try out with social care workers in future research. Background to the research We made a tool to help healthcare staff to talk to older adults about their needs. This tool has 8 steps that should be followed in a discussion with people about their needs and personal goals. However, the tool might need to be changed if we want to use it in domiciliary or other social care settings instead of healthcare (e.g., the NHS) settings. In this research, we want to see if we need to change the tool so that it can be used by social care workers. We also want to find out about how we might be able to train social care workers to improve how they talk to older adults about their needs. Design and methods used We will study existing courses, workshops and training so that we can find out more about how we should plan our training. We will also interview social care workers to find out more about what they do in their role. We will ask them to tell us what they think of the tool, and what changes we might need to make to it. Up to 15 social care workers will take part. We will make a draft of what will be included in the training. Experts will discuss the training and we will make changes based on what they say. We will interview some more social care workers to find out what they like or do not like about the training plan we have made. Patient, public and community involvement Members of the public have been part of the study so far in many ways. They have helped us to make the tool that we will ask social care workers about. We will also work with experts in social care who have agreed to help us to in a number of ways. These include: · Looking over content and letting us know what they think. · Coming to project meetings. · Helping to plan the study. · Looking over study information that we will send to participants. · Helping us to make sense of the research findings. Dissemination We will share our findings at conferences and at events with audiences who are interested in our study. We will also write about our findings for academic and public audiences via Communications channels (e.g. relevant websites, social media, newsletters). We will also share findings with those working in social care, e.g., via domiciliary care forums (each local authority has one) and with Learning and development teams in local authorities. What did we find out? An adapted version of the CHAT&PLAN is viewed as feasible to use in homecare settings. We needed to change some of the language to make it more relevant to homecare settings and improve clarity. There is an appetite and need for co-designed, evidence-based, person-centred care training in homecare settings. Much of the existing training on this topic is not specific to homecare workers and may not always apply to their role. CHAT&PLAN provides an overview of skills that should be used flexibly, depending on the needs and preferences of the service user. The training will emphasise that it may not work well for all service users, and further communication skills training is required alongside this course. We identified key factors we would need to consider in the development of a training package: 1.Teaching style and methods should be practical to support skills development. Training should involve learning from each other and reflection. 2.The training must be viewed as relevant to the homecare workers and be pitched at a level that is clear and easy to understand. 3.Buy-in from managers, organisations and service users is required for homecare workers to attend sessions, and then apply skills in practice. What did we do with this new knowledge? •Study summary was shared with supporting organisations and participants •Systematic review paper has been submitted to PLOS One Where next? We did not have time in this study to test out the training with homecare workers. This is important as we want to know how the training works in practice. We will need to test the package to see what homecare workers and managers think of the entire set of materials and methods used in the training. We will then apply for funding to see whether the training is acceptable and feasible in practice and improves the quality of person-centred care provided by homecare workers.

d4e68544-5bd2-44f6-bac8-dd9848c01967 WADE. Women and Desistence Engagement : An evaluation of a community-based, conditional caution pilot programme for women in the criminal justice system Principle Investigator: Sara Morgan, Fiona Maxwell Start Date: 20th November 2019 End Date: 30th March 2022 Background and study aims Compared to the previous year, in 2018 there was an overall 8% increase in theft in England and Wales and a 6% increase in crimes involving sharp instruments or knives. In order to tackle this increase in crime, many believe that more needs to be done to address the reasons why people commit crime in the first place, as well as the damage it causes to peoples’ lives. This means working together in the community to offer solutions to those affected by crime, including victims and offenders. When we discussed possible solutions with local service providers, it was felt that a tailored approach is needed for women, as their needs are unique. Women in prison are very likely to be both victims and offenders whilst, in the general population, one in four women are also victims of abuse within the home and more than half the women in prison have experienced domestic abuse themselves. In response, three projects are being piloted in Hampshire and Dorset to address the needs of women affected by crime. What does the study involve? To understand how these projects are working, we carried out group interviews with those delivering the pilot intervention projects in the community. These were primarily to understand how the projects are working. We also used information gathered from the project staff about the women using the service to understand whether women go on to seek further assistance in the community, what sort of women engage with the project, and what changes for them as a result of using the service. This study proposal was developed in collaboration with public representatives; including offenders, victims, social care workers, domestic abuse service manager, and police officers. They have all shaped the design of the study; by informing us what types of research questions we should be asking. We continued to involve similar representatives throughout the research study; for example, to co-produce the materials used in the study, such as information sheets, and to gain feedback on the write up of the study. What will we do with the study findings? It is important that the information gained from the study reaches the widest number of people. We therefore considered who to engage, and how to reach them, from the very start of the study. The main findings will be developed into a short summary report, which will be accessible to the general public through our public representatives and collaborators. They might include charitable organisations in the community (e.g. Stop Domestic Abuse, Hampton Trust) or services that work directly with women affected by crime (e.g. NHS, probation services). Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic The first WaDE cautions were offered from March 2019 and workshops began shortly after. Numbers were initially fewer than expected, and although some variance throughout the year would not have been unusual, there were fewer than the anticipated 10 per month for the first months of the pilot. Unfortunately, from March 2020 the COVID pandemic and stay-at-home regulations had a very significant impact on the operation of the pilot. The pilot was suspended from March as Hampshire Constabulary temporarily ceased offering conditional cautions. From March it was also not possible to deliver the WaDE programme in its intended group format, and a small number of participants who had completed the first workshop as a group completed their second part by telephone on a 1:1 basis with a HT facilitator. As an alternative, a non-mandatory, individual telephone intervention was briefly offered from March 2020 during the first period of restrictions. Overall this had an impact on the planned evaluation, resulting in a reduction in the available quantitative data for analysis (due to fewer numbers coming through the programme). Additionally, there was a planned qualitative element to the evaluation (focus groups) which were cancelled due to the restrictions. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on both the programme operation, and the staff involved in researching, the findings of the final report cover the period of September 2021 – March 2020. Reoffending Due to the suspension of the WaDE programme and the extended period between cohort A completing their workshops and the compilation of this report, reoffending data up to 12m post-intervention is now available. From the initial 27 referrals, 4 women went on to commit further offences. These were: 1 at 35 days (common assault) 1 at 157 days (shoplifting) 1 at 229 days (bladed implement) 1 at 310 days (cannabis) Two of those who reoffended had breached (not attended) any WaDE workshops, and two had completed. A chi-square comparison of the reoffending rate between those who breached and those who attended gives a χ2 value of 2.1, indicating that this difference does not meet the threshold for statistical significance. Exit Questionnaires Hampton Trust routinely ask participants in their programmes to complete an exit questionnaire, which allows for some feedback on the perceived benefits of having attended. It also provides the opportunity for some free text comments. Ten participants answered the following questions: Q1 Since being on the workshops have you identified areas of your life in which you need support? Q2 Since being on the workshop do you have a better understanding of what led you to offend? Q3 Have the workshops helped give you tools/support to make safer more positive life choices? Q4 Since being on the workshops have you accessed other services (e.g. counselling, drugs and alcohol support) or plan to do so in the near future? Q5 Do you intend to attend all or any of the follow-on 12 week programme workshops? Q6 How much have you enjoyed the WaDE workshop? Q7 In your opinion, how well presented were the workshops? Q8 To what extent have the workshops helped you with your problems? Q9 Where 10 is ‘very confident’, how confident are you of not offending in future? On the basis of these responses, the WaDE programme is evidently acceptable to, and valued, by the participants. One respondent was generally negative in her responses and indicated in the free text feedback that she felt she shouldn’t have been having to attend WaDE at all; however even she felt that the course was well presented and enjoyable. Due to the small number of responses and the limited amount of free text feedback, full thematic analysis of the responses is not likely to offer reliable identification of consistent key themes. However, for the majority of respondents the comments reflected overall high levels of satisfaction with the programme, its delivery and its usefulness in terms of helping the participants to understand and address the factors and circumstances leading to their caution. Limitations Overall The WaDE programme delivery, and consequently the size and scope of this evaluation, has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Greater numbers would have added validity to our findings and allowed for meaningful associations to be explored, while qualitative research would have added a depth of understanding of the true impact of the WaDE programme on its participants. At the time of writing it is hoped that WaDE can now revert to its original model and that a steady throughput in line with original expectations on numbers will be observed. Further research is recommended, including a comparative statistical analysis with a larger cohort. Qualitative research would also be valuable to explore in-depth attitudes, towards reoffending for example, in order to provide better evidence for future decision-making. Conclusions Despite some very challenging times, the team delivering WaDE remains committed to its ongoing operation. Continuing support from the OPCC and a strong working partnership between Hampton Trust and Hampshire Constabulary has enabled the programme to ‘weather the storm’ of the pandemic and emerge ready to re-start. The flexibility and hard work of each individual throughout this time speaks to their belief in WaDE as a worthwhile and much-valued means of supporting female offenders towards a better future. Findings from the study were used to support further funding and commissioning of WaDE, while also contributing to the expansion of academic research into health and justice interventions through continued involvement of the research team This includes an evaluation of JUNO which has evolved from WaDE

Growing research capacity Starting in October 2019, Professors Alison Richardson and Cathy Bowen devised a strategy to meet one of ARC Wessex primary goals –growing the number of skilled and experienced health and care researchers in Wessex. Cathy Bowen brought in Dr Kinda Ibrahim to help her lead the Academic Career Development team. Their vision was to work with partners to grow the research talents of health and care professionals and other professions. Over seven years, this collaboration has awarded 117 internships , 8 PhD fellowships and supported 29 post-doctoral researchers – reaching across the health and care sectors, professions and different backgrounds. “Every step in academic career development is a step toward shaping the future of healthcare. At NIHR ARC Wessex we introduced a programme of awards to ignite curiosity, nurture talent, and empower individuals to turn ideas into breakthroughs that transform lives. Thank you for collaborating with us—together, we have created lasting impact.” Professor Alison Richardson ARC Wessex Director “Through strategic investment in people and ideas, it has been a privilege to support the development of the next generation of health and care researchers, driving change that will define the future of care and improving patient outcomes across our region.” Professor Cathy Bowen Lead for Academic Career Development “Growing the internship programme has been one of the most rewarding parts of my role. I’ve seen how a small amount of funding can open doors, spark confidence, and completely change someone’s career trajectory. It’s not just about individual growth. Host organisations have integrated evidence-based approaches into everyday workflows, turning research insights into practical changes that improve care and efficiency. Watching those journeys unfold reminds me why investing in people is the most powerful way to drive change.” Dr Kinda Ibrahim, Deputy Lead for Academic Career Development With thanks to the Academic Career Development advisory group Dr Caroline Barker, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (2019-2022) Professor Ruth Bartlett, UNiversity of Southampton (2023-2026) Professor Carol Clark, Bournemouth University (2019-2026) Dr James Faulkner (University of Winchester & University of Southampton) (2019-2025) Professor Lee-Ann Fenge, Bournemouth University (2023-2026) Dr Leah Fullegar, Portsmouth Health Determinants Research Collaboration (2025-2026) Dr Genevieve Groom, Portsmouth City Council (2024) Anne-Marie Hankinson, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (2024-2026) Dr Rachel Harrison, University of Winchester (2024-2026) Professor Vanora Hundley, Bournemouth University (2019-2022) Dr David Kryl, formerly Wessex AHSN (2019-2024) Dr Mark Lown, University of Southampton (2021-2026) Karen Musk, University of Portsmouth (2019-2021) Dr Jenny Roddis, University of Portsmouth (2021-2026) Sandie Skinner, Health Education England - Wessex (2019-2020) Sarah Simon, Southampton Health Determinants Research Collaboration (2024-2026) Dr Sarah Williams, Director of Research and Improvement at Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust (2019-2026) Meet our interns, PhD, and Post-Docs Read more What is a clinical academic career #1 Play Video Forming your team #2 Play Video Finding a Mentor #3 Play Video What Makes a Good Application #4 Play Video Developing your training plans #5 Play Video Public and patient involvement #6 Play Video The Interview #7 Play Video Intellectual Property and Enterprise #8 Play Video A guide to starting out in clinical academic research Watch Now Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Share Channel Info Close

283829ae-0e8e-40ad-96e6-9c01fa950327 SOCIAL CARE: Local Authority Adult Social Care Recruitment and Retention research project (BCP/Dorset) Lead: Dr Andy Pulman Post Doctoral Researcher and Professor Lee-Ann Fenge Contact: apulman@bournemouth.ac.uk Background Within the Wessex region, we have been working to support the development of social care research over the past few years. In 2022, we completed a year-long study examining social care research enablers and barriers which might prevent or limit a positive research environment for practitioners ( Pulman and Fenge, 2023 ). This built the foundation for four projects across Wessex – funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Wessex – which aimed to build research partnerships across local authorities (LAs) and universities in the region. As part of these projects, separate funding was available to support research champions embedded within local authorities, to support activities such as lunch time research discussions, journal clubs and the development of practitioner focused research. To encourage buy-in from the LAs we developed research in partnership with them to respond to key priority areas. Aims The aims of our project were: •Explore local recruitment and retention issues in adult social care and adult social work •Helping to inform future workforce development activities undertaken by two local authorities (LAs) •Contributing research data to both the regional and national picture of adult social care recruitment and retention issues How did we do this? Data for our project was collected between February 2023 and October 2023 and explored local recruitment and retention issues in Adult Social Care (ASC) from the perspective of four populations of interest. We collected data from n=131 participants across the four populations of interest: •Social care practitioners - social workers, allied health professionals, unregistered social care practitioners - working in adult social care at two local authorities (LAs) •Social care staff performing exit interviews with staff working in the two local LAs •Social work students (undergraduate and postgraduate programmes) in Wessex •Service users receiving services in either LA and advocates drawn from Wessex LA contracted services es Pos Positive Outcomes • Practitioner demand to participate in this study was very high and we exceeded our initial recruitment targets. • Being able to shine a light on some of the current issues facing advocacy – a currently under-reported research area – as a part of our qualitative data collected from POI 4 was an enlightening and beneficial bonus. • Being able to involve and co-write with both the PPI collaborator and the two research champions from a local authority to produce two separate academic articles from the project was another highlight. • Reaching a national newspaper (both print and online in the Telegraph) with research findings from practitioners regarding hybridization and hotdesking was a very positive development in reaching an external audience. Practioner findings - Data on Staying Reasons for staying with LAs included: • Flexible working – place of work and hours worked • Love of the job and engaging with the service users supported • Supportive management • Supportive team • Training and CPD - via continuing professional development or an apprenticeship. A number of outputs from this project can be viewed below. We have also submitted a number of journal articles describing findings from the project data to the peer review process, which will hopefully be available later this year. Practioner Challenges Challenges to Retention highlighted include: Hybridisation and Hot desking Stress and Burnout Negative Perceptions of Social Care Student Reflections on Social Care • There is always focus on recruitment, but not on retention. • Social care is hugely underfunded but money is not the only answer –a place where people want to be. • Awareness that SW not seen as a fully sustainable career. Some already planning exit strategies before they started work - a perceived shelf life for a social work career. • Worries about excessive caseloads/increased admin burdens and bureaucracy. • Pay level was deemed inadequate for the demands of the job. • On placement students noticed issues with team churn, attrition and a lack of stability – one had 8 different managers over a 12 months. • Staff shortages – some vacancies can’t even be filled by locums. • COVID-19 had been the prompt for a lot of staff to move on. • Agency usage is an issue (for example, out of county managers). This is helping to create a ‘perfect storm’. • Risk of stress and burnout inherent in profession was noted: Ethical Dilemmas / Job related / Questioning of their decision making / Resilience / Coping strategies / Travel issues Students reflected on Cost of Linving Impacts that: • Increased numbers seeking hardship support / more working alongside study • Social work bursaries frozen since 2014 – more earning whilst learning • Some HEI staff do not appreciate hardships experienced or demands faced • Burnout - feeling stressed/lacking in energy after working full-time alongside course. • Longer term, reductions in students entering the profession have major implications for meeting rising level of vacancies in social work. • Cost of living issues an increasingly influential factor for prospective students when choosing route/retraining as mature student. Service User reflections on Social Work Relationships • Changing role - onus now on the carer more to be the lead professional though not through choice. • Biggest issue is lack of money in the system. • Money over empathy – it often feels like carers and SUs cost money. • Inertia - one participant described this feeling as : “It doesn't matter how I am, you're not going to do anything about it”. • Whole structure needs an overhaul. Social work/social care is a societal issue and priority Service User reflections on staff turnover • Previous continuity of same worker no longer exists. Rapid changeover / staffing issues causing upset for carers and SUs. • Churn obliterates previous working relationships • Depersonalisation – team rather than individual; now you don’t usually have a designated social worker. It's a group. • Less frequent contact. • Out-of-hours - service is overstretched and doesn’t cover the whole area effectively for time precious situations. Impact on Advocates · Safeguarding caseloads for advocates have increased. Crisis situations due to lack of early intervention. After discharge there is no pick-up or continuity from the community – loss of advocate, a new LA social worker or unqualified social care practitioner assigned, or the case is closed as it is classified as ‘not in crisis’. · Increased caseloads now have greater complexity. There are more Section 21A challenges – a review under a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) as SUs unable to care package in the community. · Community advocacy - which prevents crisis in a lot of cases - has been reduced as statutory work always comes first. SUs need be in receipt of an LA commissioned service or NHS secondary care before they can get issues-based advocacy. · Increased complexity causes settled cases to be visited less regularly as advocates now deal with more complex court proceedings and safeguarding issues. Increased caseloads - Social work / NHS overflow · Social work seems to be moving away from relationship-based practice to procedurally driven form-filling with advocates picking up some of this work instead. · “ Hold on, this is not actually my role” - Advocates are doing part of the social worker’s job because, for whatever reason, they are not able to. · There is a greater expectation of monitoring conditions done by the supervising body, when actually it’s not their role as an advocate, but it has become their role. · Less time for IMHA within hospitals as advocates now have little or no time to do it. Further reading – blogs: A blog for World Social Work Day (19/03/24) Further reading – reports: Recruitment and retention in adult social care Executive Summary. Bournemouth: NCCDSW, Bournemouth University. Recruitment and retention in adult social care. Bournemouth: NCCDSW, Bournemouth University. Further viewing: NIHR ARC Wessex Social Care Lunchtime Seminar – Realities of adult social care recruitment and retention in 2023 (18/01/24) Publications Full article: Advocacy in Practice: Who Advocates for the Advocates? Evolving Workplace: The Possible Impacts of Hybrid Working and Hotdesking on Retention of Social Workers | The British Journal of Social Work | Oxford Academic Full article: Impacts of Workplace Stress on the Retention of Social Workers: A Qualitative Study Full article: Struggling with studying and earning – realities of the UK's cost-of-living crisis on students on social work programmes

Mapping pathways of response for adult & child victim-survivors of domestic abuse in Southampton City Have you been affected by domestic abuse? Do you live in Southampton? Hide this page in an emergency Jump to tips on safe web browsing A team of researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton are doing an evaluation to learn more about how individuals and families are referred to Southampton City Council for support with a domestic abuse situation. We want to learn more about the experiences of those individuals and families, after they are referred for support. The goal is to help the Council improve the services they can offer, for people who are experiencing domestic abuse. You can take part in this evaluation by having an ‘interview’ – a discussion with a researcher. This would be completely confidential and would take about an hour. Would you like to share your experience? We would be very interested to hear from you. If you have any questions, or if you would like to take part in this evaluation, please contact: Katerina Porter at 02380 594 644 or k.a.porter@soton.ac.uk or Eunice Aroyewun at 02380 594 554 or e.o.aroyewun@soton.ac.uk . Please watch this video to learn more. SAFE BROWSING TIPS Domestic abuse is not just violence and often includes controlling behaviour. If you are scared your partner will find out you’ve been here, here’s how you cover your tracks. How do I turn on private browsing on Google Chrome (incognito window)? Start Chrome and click the three dot icon in the top right corner of the screen. Click New Incognito Window and start browsing. You can press Ctrl + Shift + N to bring up a new incognito window without entering the Chrome settings menu. Before opening the browser, you can right click the Chrome icon, then select New Incognito window How do I enable InPrivate browsing in Microsoft Edge? Open Microsoft Edge, and click on the three Dots at the top right corner of the browser Window. Now click on New InPrivate window. You can press Ctrl + Shift + P to bring up a new InPrivate window without entering the settings menu. Before opening the browser, you can right click the Edge icon, then select New InPrivate window How do I enable InPrivate browsing in Internet Explorer? Open Internet Explorer, and click on the Tools icon at the top right corner of the browser Window. Now click on Safety then InPrivate Browsing. You can press Ctrl + Shift + P to bring up a new InPrivate window without entering the settings menu. Before opening the browser, you can right click the Edge icon, then select New InPrivate window How do I turn on private browsing in Mozilla Firefox? Click or tap the Open menu button in the top right side of the browser window. It has the shape of three parallel lines. Then, choose New Private Window. You can press Ctrl + Shift + P to bring up a New Private Window without entering the settings menu. How do I turn on private browsing in Safari on an iPhone? Tap to open Safari, then tap the 2 overlaid squares in the bottom right corner, then tap Private to enable Private Browsing Mode and finally tap Done and start browsing. When finished be sure to tap the 2 overlaid squares again and then tap x on each page to clear the pages before finally tapping Private to go back to normal. How do I turn on private browsing on an Android phone? Tap to open Internet, then tap tabs in the bottom right corner, then tap Turn On Secret Mode and start browsing. When finished be sure to tap x on each page to clear the pages before finally tapping Turn Off Secret Mode to go back to normal. Information from STOP DOMESTIC ABUSE - https://stopdomesticabuse.uk/cover-your-tracks

f06fb2ad-c8c9-436f-982c-c278b7185585 ENRICHER – involvEment iN the cRiminal justice system & the ImpaCt on women’s Health dorsEt & hampshiRe Chief Investigator Professor Julie Parkes Professor in Public Health Head of School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education Faculty of Medicine University of Southampton, South Academic Block, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Dr Emma Plugge Associate Professor in Public Health School of Primary Care, Population Sciences and Medical Education Faculty of Medicine University of Southampton, Co-Investigators Dr Donna Arrondelle , Research Fellow, University of Southampton Dr Naomi Gadian, Public Health Specialist Registrar, University of Southampton Donna Gipson, Director EP:IC Consultants Ltd, West Malling, Kent Dr James Hall , Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Southampton Paula Harriott , Head of Prison Engagement, Prison Reform Trust Professor Kathleen Kendall , Professorial Fellow of Sociology as Applied to Medicine, University of Southampton Dr Sara Morgan , Associate Professor in Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton Professor James Raftery , Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Dr Lucy Wainwright , Director of Research, EP:IC Consultants Ltd, West Malling, Kent Starts: 1st April 2023 Ends: 30th September 2024 Summary This study will look at what happens to women’s health and wellbeing when they are imprisoned. The imprisoned women will be women from Dorset and we will compare any changes to changes in women from Hampshire who go to Hope Street instead of going to prison. Hope Street is a charity-funded alternative to prison, available only to women from Hampshire; women live in special accommodation in the community where they are secure and where they are able to access a range of health and social care services. Women who go to prison are often from the poorest communities and they often have many different health problems, particularly relating to their mental health. These health problems are often related to their crimes and so by making sure they get the services they need, this will help their health improve and benefit wider society by helping tackle crime. This study will ensure that this new and unique information is available to those who plan and deliver health services locally. The Southampton research team on this project are carrying out a 5-year evaluation of Hope Street. This means they can use the data that they are collecting as part of this evaluation on the health of women at Hope Street to compare to women from Dorset who are imprisoned. Researchers will collect information on the health and social care needs of the two groups of women at the same time intervals over a one-year period and in the same way. We will then compare this information to look for differences. We will interview the women so that we understand what their experiences are like in prison or Hope Street, and why there might be differences. We will also look at the cost of their care. The information from our study will help the professionals who plan health and social care services and also those who work in criminal justice settings such as prison or probation. Women with experience of imprisonment are part of the eight-person study team. They have helped design the project and will be working with Hope Street women to train them in research. They will also be important in spreading the word about the study. This will enable us to reach not just academic audiences and policy makers through publishing in journals or presenting at research conferences, but also people with lived experience of imprisonment and charities that work in this area. Informing a wide range of people will be important in ensuring that the findings from this study are acted on.

7fc9e212-9328-4765-add4-7315e187c43b Workforce Evaluation Toolkit project (WET) Outline: This is a commissioned piece of work from the ARC Wessex Workforce & Health Systems (WHS) theme to support them with regular requests from healthcare providers. The project is to iteratively develop a generic toolkit for the evaluation of new workforce roles across healthcare. The aim during the current project is to build a first trial version to prove the toolkit concept and generate buy-in from system partners. The Bakker’s Workforce engagement model Burnout forms the conceptual basis for evaluation toolkit. The deliverable for this project is a minimal viable product, in the shape of a workforce evaluation toolkit. Team: Ruth Barker Programme Manager – Insight Health Innovation Wessex . Cheryl Davies, Senior Programme Manager Innovation Adoption, Health Innovation Wessex. Rachel Bailey Senior Programme Manager - Insight, Health Innovation Wessex. Ends: 30 June 2024 More detailed outline or project and partners Workforce Evaluation Project Work Packages 011223[99] .docx Download DOCX • 390KB

c011903f-4a36-460d-bf9c-db9cb8525bc0 Implementation and Evaluation of the Advanced Practice Research Toolkit Chief Investigator : Professor Kerry Gaskin, Birmingham City University Start Date: 1st October 2024 End Date: 31st March 2026 Summary Research is important for clinicians to improve treatments and care in the NHS. It is fundamental to what is called advanced practice. In 2023 the Advanced Practitioner Research Toolkit was developed for one NHS trust to help plan research activity. This novel toolkit, developed to meet the needs of advanced practitioners in one organisation, has gained interest nationally and internationally, with many positive comments received about how simple it is to use. We are currently designing a national evaluation to ascertain how the toolkit has been implemented and the impact it has had for advanced practitioners. It has the potential to improve research and engage more clinicians in research, leading to evidence based service improvement in the NHS. Anecdotally this pillar is perceived as being more difficult to achieve within the AP role due to a variety of barriers, including operational priorities, lack of time and lack of support. A common theme arising from communication with APs at GHNHSFT was ‘ not knowing how or where to get started’ , which informed development of the toolkit. The objectives of the APRT were to support APs to 'get started' with the research pillar; to encourage AP teams to consider their research priorities; to enable individual and team research objective setting and to aid appraisal discussions. The aim of this project is to improve Advanced Practitioners’ (AP) research capabilities, thereby enabling APs to achieve the research pillar of their role Objectives: · to develop a tailored strategy to implement the APRT · to test this implementation strategy in the context of healthcare organisations · to evaluate the acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility of the APRT · to evaluate the impact of using the APRT for APs, AP Teams, Supervisors and Line-Managers · to report the findings and recommendations to inform future roll out across the NHS Development and Implementation of An Advanced Practice Research Toolkit - Birmingham City University

aa75ad77-b86e-4c22-9025-b483ba6076b2 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. Lead : Dr Carole Fogg, Senior Research Fellow, University of Southampton Team: Dr Dianna Smith, University of Southampton, Professor Bronagh Walsh, University of Southampton. Phil King – Senior Business Analyst, South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) Vivienne Parsons – Specialist Business Analyst, SCAS Simon Mortimore – Assistant Director of Business Intelligence, SCAS Martina Brown – Research Manager, SCAS (and additional members of the research team – Helen Pocock – Senior Research Paramedic, Chloe Lofthouse-Jones – Education Lead, Patryk Jadzinski – Paramedic/Senior Lecturer) Nic Dunbar – Head of Community First Responder Operations, SCAS (and Operational Leads David Hamer and Jack Ansell) Starts: 13th March 2023 Ends: 31st July 2023 What's the issue? NHS ambulance services are under intense pressure to deliver timely and safe care. Immediately life-threatening conditions have to be prioritised. Older people with falls and symptoms related to long-term chronic conditions with lower category calls may experience long delays before an ambulance arrives. Such patients often have recurring needs for emergency care due to lack of alternative care pathways or long waits for social care assessments. These patients may also have dementia, putting them at greater risk of clinical deterioration whilst waiting for their needs to be met. Adults aged ≥65 represent a large proportion of SCAS demand (2022: 17% of 111 calls, 48% (21,200 per month) of 999 calls), with around 14% living with dementia. Better information on the location and outcomes of these calls through applying geospatial techniques can shape service provision to meet population needs, improve patient experience and outcomes, and enable existing resources to be used to best effect. What did we find out in this research? Making maps of who uses healthcare services and where they live is a technique previously used by emergency services to understand patterns in ambulance response times and to identify vulnerable communities. The growing older population and increased demand for emergency care presents an opportunity to use these maps to better understand how the level of patient need for ambulance services varies by geographical area, and if there are differences in what happens to patients after they are seen. Our study involved developing an academic-healthcare collaboration which included people with the relevant skills and abilities to identify the data that was needed, extract and collate it from healthcare data systems, translate it into geographical maps, and then interpret what the maps could tell us about older people’s use of emergency services in the area. We discussed maps which included the way older patients were distributed across the South Centralregion, the number of calls, response times, falls, dementia cases and hospital conveyance rates. We found that there are large geographical differences in the number and type of emergency calls and ambulance requirements for older adults, particularly in how many people were then taken to hospital (“conveyance rates”). The geographical distribution of falls and calls to people living with dementia corresponded with patterns of where older people live in the region. Response times varied by location. Stakeholders recommended adding more information on other available services, including community first responders, to help map interpretation, and identified areas to be explored in more detail, particularly in addressing conveyance rate disparities for falls. What did we do with this new Knowledge? We are continuing discussions with stakeholders to see how the methods and results of this initial study can be incorporated into practice and into future research. We will take on board the suggestions from the SCAS staff on how to improve the maps, and include these in our next analyses. We will collate this information and present it to the SCAS Board to see how the methods may be used in practice now, and what further improvements could be made. The publication from the study provides a clear framework and methods so that other organisations providing emergency care and the Integrated Care Boards that they are a part of so that they can also consider these techniques to evaluate their provision of care to older people. What next? We have discussed the results in two workshops at the SCAS 2025 Volunteer Conference to see what volunteers think should be done next in using this data to improve emergency care of older people. Lots of additional areas for research were raised for older people’s emergency care, which we are working on assessing for feasibility and prioritising. We are going to share the results with external stakeholders such as those in the healthcare improvement Q Community Special Interest Group on emergency care to seek wider collaboration for further work. We are developing further research bids (NIHR/ESRC) to explore explanatory and potentially modifiable factors for the differences in hospital conveyance rates between geographical areas for older people with non-life-threatening calls, and to investigate which geographical areas would benefit from better provision of or access to out-of-hospital services.