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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

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

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

eb290c7e-cd77-4244-9d45-322994af9f69 ADOPTED PROJECT: Comparing pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): systematic review and network meta-analysis Chief Investigator: Professor Samuele Cortese – University of Southampton Project Team Members: Professor Andrea Cipriani – University of Oxford, Associate Professor Corentin Gosling – University of Paris Nanterre, France, Dr Luis Faraht – University of São Paulo, Brazil / Yale University Child Study Center, USA, Dr Cinzia Del Giovane – University of Modena and Reggio, Italy Project partners: Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, National Institute for Health and Care Research Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK; Oxford Health National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK. Electronic address: edoardo.ostinelli@psych.ox.ac.uk . Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, National Institute for Health and Care Research Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK; Oxford Health National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK. Department of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Precision Psychiatry Lab, National Institute for Health and Care Research Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Institute of Primary Health Care, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. Psychology Services, London, UK; Department of Psychology, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland. Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Health National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK. The National Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Services, Edgware, UK. Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK Full team listing including PPI :O stinelli EG, Schulze M, Zangani C, Farhat LC, Tomlinson A, Del Giovane C, Chamberlain SR, Philipsen A, Young S, Cowen PJ, Bilbow A (PPI), Cipriani A, Cortese S Ended: 28th February 2024 Background: It is currently unclear how different treatment options for preschool children with ADHD compare with each other in terms of efficacy and safety. We will use data from available randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and apply an advanced and innovative statistical approach (network meta-analysis) to answer this question. What did we find out? We found that Stimulant medications and atomoxetine are the only treatments that clearly help reduce the main symptoms of ADHD in the short term, based on both what patients say and what doctors observe. However, people were less likely to stick with atomoxetine than with a placebo (a dummy pill). There was no evidence available other important things like improving quality of life, and we don’t know much about how well they work in the long run. Non-medication treatments had mixed results depending on who was doing the rating. This study gives the most complete picture so far of how different treatments for adult ADHD compare to each other. It can help guide treatment choices, but those choices should always be based on a careful look at both the benefits and risks — and on what matters most to the individual. The study is already informing clinical guidelines, e.g., the ongoing guidelines from APOSARD (USA). The study has informed a freely available platform ( https://ebiadhd-database.org/ ) that has been utilised by 15,000 colleagues around the world and improved through feedback from 1,000 stakeholders worldwide See medication and treatment ratings Next Steps To test the impact of the platform on knowledge and clinical practice To contact guideline bodies in the UK (eg NICE) and abroad to bring the network meta-analysis and the related platform to their attention. Publications Comparative efficacy and acceptability of pharmacological, psychological, and neurostimulatory interventions for ADHD in adults: a systematic review and component network meta-analysis - ScienceDirect

fb112e5b-f7be-4ada-a37c-8e959119e1c3 Adolescent Resilience to OVercome Adversity: EmpoweRment and intervention development – the ROVER study Lead applicant: Anne-Sophie Darlington Co-applicants : Professor Graham Roberts , Professor Mary Barker , Dr Ivo Vassilev University of Southampton, Dr Catherine Hill Associate Professor in Child Health at the University of Southampton, Dr Jana Kreppner Associate Professor in Developmental Psychopathology within Psychology at the University of Southampton , Dr Luise Marino , Abigail Oakley Project Summary: Mental health conditions and symptoms in children and young people are increasing. Children and young people (CYP) with a chronic physical health condition often report having mental health problems such as feelings of anxiety and depression. A lot of research has focused on risk – circumstances that make it more likely for young people to experience mental health problems. In this project we want to focus on resilience - the young person’s ability to use their strengths and support from family and friends to overcome challenges in their life. Resilience has not often been a focus of support programmes for CYP with a physical condition. We would like to find out what experiences are common for young people living with physical health conditions, so that we can develop a support programme that applies across Child Health. We will use knowledge from these shared experiences to co-create the support programme with young people – called ‘tools for life’ (suggestion by CYP). We will also partner with national charities (partnerships have already been developed) who have worked with us before and who are very interested in supporting CYP around their mental health. The charity partners could help us to develop support components that are very specific to the condition (for example, fear of cancer coming back), which can be included in the overall support programme. Finally, work with young people has taught us that flexibility is very important: flexibility in when they access support, the way they access it and how it is offered to them. We will work together with young to shape this flexibility in support. The project will have four parts: Part 1 – Finding out what might work: List successful support components from 15 existing summaries of the evidence (reviews of the literature) to date and a report from Wellcome (an independent global charitable foundation which focuses on research), and identify the support elements (e.g., building confidence) which work well, and are acceptable to young people. Part 2 – Developing partnerships: Develop a partnership with local stakeholders (e.g., Paul Hughes and Laura Renishaw-Villier – Hub stakeholders; SolentMind, No Limits) and national charities (e.g., Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, Kidney Care UK, Asthma UK). who can support the development of the support programme, both the general as disease-specific elements. We will hold several workshops with stakeholders to develop the partnership and agree on the goals of the partnership and ways to work together. Part 3 – Developing the support programme: We will co-create (develop together with young people) the support programme– ‘tools for life’ - to increase resilience. We will focus on flexibility in the way the programme is offered to young people, and when young people access the programme, to suit their needs. This flexibility will make young people more likely to use the programme. Part 4: Testing the support programme: We will test the support programme with 30 young people, to find out how many young people use the programme, if the programme is acceptable, how they use the programme, and how much they use the programme. We will also find out what the most important indicators of success are for the programme, such as young people experiencing less symptoms of anxiety and depression, and a better quality of life. What did we find out? The problem: Children and young people with a physical health condition are at a higher risk of developing mental health problems. Existing support programmes do not focus on building resilience – the ability to bounce back and stay mentally strong by using available resources and support networks when facing challenges. Also, many programmes fail to keep young people engaged. This project aimed to explore the support needs of young people and the best way to deliver a programme that builds resilience. What we did: We reviewed existing support programmes from the literature. Then we interviewed young people (32 with a physical health condition, and 25 without, ages 11-18 years), 12 parents of young people aged 11-17 years, and 5 healthcare providers from hospitals, charities and schools across the UK. A range of health conditions were represented, including cancer, heart disease, type 1 diabetes, and asthma. The interviews explored key stressors young people face, the support they need, and preferences for how support should be delivered. What we found: Priority stressors were related to managing the health condition, school/social life, and the future. Key support strategies identified included: 1) Normalisation through connection with other young people (e.g. chat forums), peer training (e.g. ‘living with a health condition’ in school curriculum); 2) Coping, including practical methods (e.g. knowing what to expect during hospital visits), and skills for navigating changes in peer relationships; 3) Prompt reassurance from healthcare providers during hospital visits, via text messaging service, and access to youth workers. Participants preferred a flexible approach that combined online resources with in-person support. Potential impact: Based on our findings, we have developed a prototype support programme that combines online resources with access to healthcare providers for timely reassurance and problem-solving. We are now seeking feedback from young people on this prototype and will use their input to create a full-scale version. If the support programme proves effective, it could help improve the mental health of young people with a physical health condition. What is the impact of this knowledge? • Relationship building: We established strong links with key stakeholders, including clinical colleagues across paediatric specialties at University Hospital Southampton (UHS), representatives from Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB, Dorset HealthCare, and national and regional disease charities. These collaborations supported participant recruitment and informed intervention development. In the long-term, these relationships will be crucial in ensuring the widespread implementation of the intervention across the health and care system. • Embedding of EDI and PPIE: We conducted extensive PPIE work with community groups, including Winchester Youth Council, Breakout Youth, and Yellow Brick Road, ensuring that the voices of children and young people (CYP) from diverse backgrounds, including those from the LGBTQIA+ community and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, were represented in the study. • Empowerment of young people: CYP gained a strong sense of empowerment and an enhanced awareness of their own resilience and well-being while contributing to the study. This impact was far-reaching, as the study included patients from UHS paediatric units, and students from local schools (Toynbee and Applemore) and colleges (Eastleigh College and Sparsholt College). • Novel insights into well-being: This study provided novel insights into resilience and well-being for CYP, enriching the broader narrative on CYP mental health. We also co-developed several prototype intervention proposals, which will pave the way for creating an intervention to improve resilience and mental health for young people within healthcare settings. What Next • We are currently: seeking feedback from young people on the prototype resilience intervention preparing a manuscript for submission to a high-impact a peer-reviewed journal. The findings from this study will be inform the development of a grant application, aimed at co-creating the full-scale resilience intervention with input from young people and their support networks. If the intervention proves effective, it will be implemented in practice to bolster mental health outcomes for young people with a physical chronic condition, while also reducing the burden on health and social care services.

ARC Wessex Early Career Researchers - Cara Black, Naomi Leonard, Olivia Taylor and Annabelle Prescott < Back Engaging Children and Young People in Research Community of Practice Inaugural Meeting ARC Wessex Early Career Researchers - Cara Black, Naomi Leonard, Olivia Taylor and Annabelle Prescott September 2023, University of York, UK There is a knowledge gap in our understanding about approaches and methods for meaningfully involving and engaging with children and young people in matters and decisions that impact on them. We went to a two-day meeting at the University of York with researchers from the University of York, Bristol, Hertfordshire, Southampton and Auckland, NZ as well as a representative from the International Alliance of Mental Health Research Funders. This group came together to form an international Community of Practice (CoP), with the goal of sharing learning, methods, and experience for effective ways to engage young people. It also highlighted the wide variety of opportunities for putting children and young people at the heart of research, decision making and advocacy for their mental health and well-being. Here are our reflections as early career researchers (ECRs) from the meeting: What did we gain from the meeting? We thoroughly enjoyed being with professionals who have expertise in research for youth health, wellbeing, mental health, and youth advocacy. We gained an understanding of what exactly a community of practice is, listened to the experiences of all members and contributed to the conversations. It was lovely to hear international voices and get to exchange creative ideas for involving young people and encouraging them to share their ideas, as well as learning a great deal about youth engagement in general. What were our highlights? Hearing from the Healthy Mind Apprentices; Chloe, Kenzie, Lauren & Phoebe who are a group of young people passionate about mental health who work across Bradford and Craven to support young people, communities and schools with their health and wellbeing. They reflected on their time working with Y-MHESH and spoke about what their apprenticeship meant to them and what they have learned along the way. They shared with us that the problem is not that young people don’t have a voice; they instead believe that decision makers are not listening. Therefore, it was interesting to hear that we need to take necessary steps to ensure ‘decision makers’ are able and willing to share the decision-making power with young people. Overall being involved in the CoP was positive, as we had the opportunity to be involved in discussions with leaders in the field. Often, we can become ‘stuck’ in our ideas, so having the opportunity to present new ideas and challenge our Community of Practice to think in novel ways which align with the realities for children and young people was a highlight for sure. What could have been improved? It might have been more beneficial for our CoP group if the Healthy Mind Apprentices joined us for longer, as these fabulous young people reminded us that it is about listening and valuing meaningful involvement of children and young people, so it would have been great to have more youth representation in our own decision-making processes. Youth voices should be included throughout our CoP meetings, whether this be the Healthy Mind apprentices or groups of different young people. One of the main challenges in this area is that when coproduction and research is done with young people, they often don’t see the outputs they have created or get to feel the impact of their work before they move. It’s important we consider this when setting out to do co-production work or research with children and young people. What are the advantages of involving early career researchers in research and in the CoP? We provide a fresh perspective on topical issues today and have greater freedom to think beyond our specialty areas. This gives us the ability to consider the broader picture at an international or societal level and bridge the gap between young people and established researchers, as we understand the points of view and needs of young people, while simultaneously understanding research processes. This meeting was a great way to solidify the learning from the CoP and focus us on a clear path forward to best support the goals of children and young people in research. Reflections Reflections on public engagement and engagement in research for young people From the perspective of an ECR, it seems extremely important that “brand image” and visibility are recognised by senior management at universities and funders at research centers. Engaging well with the public, in this case, young people, both heightens visibility and reinforces brand image, which is why Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) work with young people within schools, young people’s PPI groups and other youth groups, including the Healthy Mind Apprenticeship scheme, is so valuable. Although, it can be difficult to get PPIE work funded. The purpose of PPIE work is to get people’s views on what needs to be researched and what is important to them, so to do this after a project has been decided defeats the purpose. Young people form part of our communities, but their inputs have been historically overlooked as unimportant or uninformed. Yet, some of the most valuable insights come from our young people, because at the end of the day this is their reality, and they live it every day. It is therefore crucial to have young people be meaningfully engaged so research, funding and decisions are aligned with what people want and need – and children and young people should be no exception. If we consider and give power to the voices of young people, then perhaps we can work to meaningfully elevate the health and wellbeing of entire future communities. So with that, we leave you with this whakatauki (Māori proverb). Mā whero, mā pango ka oti ai te mahi With red and black the work will be complete https://video.wixstatic.com/video/6fe132_dc59b9a176b94aa791cb13bf6997b1fa/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 Previous Next

Research Fellow < Back Skaiste Linceviciute Research Fellow Long Term Conditions Skaiste Linceviciute is a Research Fellow at the ARC Wessex Mental Health Hub at the University of Southampton appointed to work on projects related to the Long-Term Conditions and Ageing and Dementia themes. Skaiste brings expertise as a qualitative researcher in areas on uncovering the challenges and unmet needs of people living with long-term physical and mental conditions as well as pursuing research on person-centered support systems. Skaiste is also the Mental Health Hub's Researcher Representative for the ARC Public Involvement Forum Wessex, working together with other contributors ensuring research meaningfully addresses community priorities and is guided by people with lived experience. Previous Next

Sandra Bartolomeu Pires is a Research Sister in Neurodegenerative diseases at University Hospital Southampton and PhD Candidate at the University of Southampton < Back Don't do it! Sandra Bartolomeu Pires Sandra Bartolomeu Pires is a Research Sister in Neurodegenerative diseases at University Hospital Southampton and PhD Candidate at the University of Southampton From 2018 to 2020 I cowboyed through fellowships and awards, trying to keep a percentage of my time academically focused, in pursuit of the Holy Grail – PhD funding. These varied from 9% to 50% with interim periods of zero (keeping the work going, though). “I just need some funding, my foot in, then I will make it work”. In September 2020, alleluia, PhD scholarship secured! I made a happy dance while holding my 3-year-old daughter and she laughed loudly without understanding why mummy was making such a fuss over a phone call (now that I think about it, she was probably just mocking my lack of dance skills…). I couldn’t believe it. Starting September I would be a PhD student at the University of Southampton! “So how does that work Sandra?”. Well, I get 50% of my time funded to do the PhD. I have funding for four years. “So you need to do a part-time PhD in four years, with a toddler, no family support... (*crickets chirping*) If someone can do it, that person is you!” “Do you have any advice before I start? Something you wished you knew from the beginning?” “Don’t do it”. I have heard this multiple times. Don’t do it; Why would you do it?; Have all your children first, let them go through school, and then do it. Oh please, what do you people know about this? Well, people that are now postdocs and know the pits of despair very well. I really appreciate their advice. They took the time to meet me, share their experience with me, and advise me when I asked for it. But then Seinfeld’s voice in my head “I am special, my mother was right” (yes, I say this joke too many times). “So you need to do a part-time PhD in four years, with a toddler, no family support... If someone can do it that person is you!”“Do you have any advice before I start? Something you wished you knew from the beginning?”“Don’t do it” Our lovely Jamie Stevenson, from the ARC Wessex communications team, challenged us to write how we (PhD scholars) feel in the beginning, and then see how the PhD relationship evolves through the years. The most prevalent thought is “I am not good enough.” – There are plenty of resources and podcasts on imposter syndrome, it’s a big thing, go look it up. My advice on this is something Hugh Kearns said: focus on facts, not feelings. One really needs to be able to balance those internal voices to juggle the daily pressures and workload. This year was more challenging than I could have predicted, worse than the people that had advised me imagined. And I still had it so much easier than many people. In the first COVID wave I paused my SHAPE award, which was so hard to get, to go back full-time clinically. How could I focus knowing all that was happening? So that meant preparing the ARC PhD funding application in my own time, while working full-time in COVID research. In the second wave I thought “Let’s make a tradition out of this!”, deciding to apply for a NIHR Clinical Doctoral Research Fellowship. A lot of my funded PhD time went into preparing this Everest application (while clinically I was once again moved to COVID research but this time inpatients). March was horrible. Deaths from young patients, deaths from colleagues, working clinically in an area out of my comfort zone, and this huge application, the cherry on top of the cake. I was broken and needed help. My supervisors were incredibly supportive, and the Staff helpline was my lifeline. Then, stomach pain. Daily, unable to eat properly without feeling uncomfortable (I LOVE FOOD!!). “That is stress!”. My reply was “I always had a stressful life and never had stomach pain”. Thinking back, it probably is “just” stress. I mean, I am not 20 anymore… After telling my husband “I have sent you an email with my login details, if I end up in the resus room (wouldn’t be the first time), please submit the application. Otherwise, I will come back to haunt you!” I actually managed to submit the application, at 2am. At 9am, all the kind souls that were my signatories and participatories, had signed (Thank you so much!) and off I went to Bournemouth beach with my mother and sister, who had travelled in the middle of a pandemic to see us, and whom I had barely laid eyes on. Freedom Day, 11th June (Sorry, Boris!). I could really have used some holidays then - or an induced coma for a week - but no can do. Diving back into my systematic literature review and thanking my past self for keeping good records. I am now past my first viva/First PhD review progression, straight out of the oven (23rd July 2021) and received overwhelming positive feedback “You seem to think you are delayed Sandra, but you are excelling at the PhD” (I hope the assessor and the supervisors didn’t notice my watery eyes). I write this as I am flying to Portugal to see my lovely family. My daughter and husband have been there for a week. So on the day of my viva I was actually alone all day. Not to worry though, plenty of wine in Portugal (Omeprazole and Rennie in the bag) and time to celebrate with those who support me most on this crazy journey. How was this first academic year? It was absolutely amazing! So (SO) hard, but thrilling, challenging, just the way I like it (I am sure it is some disease and I am just going undiagnosed all these years). The taste of victory is addictive: pressing that “Submit” button, reading my assessor’s report on PGR Tracker, having my long surname in papers (soon to come), the validation from my patient population, my supervisors proud of me, and the hope of making change happen for the best care of patients and carers. I am so excited for the next steps. Knowing that I pushed my boundaries, I am doing what I love, working towards a career that I dream of, surrounded by an incredible support network. For now, out of office “ON” on Hospital and Uni accounts. Breaks are important and I have earned my two weeks off. Let’s see what year 2 brings 😉 “I have sent you an email with my login details, if I end up in the resus room (wouldn’t be the first time), please submit the application. Otherwise, I will come back to haunt you!” Previous Next

55265102-c760-4322-93ed-ed8448f1546f Non-digital support for maintaining physical activity in people with long-term conditions – within Maintenance Of physical acTivity beHaviour (MOTH) programme Start Date 02/10/21 End Date 30/09/23 Researchers: Lead - Professors Mary Barker and Maria Stokes Joint Lead - Professor Suzanne McDonough Co-Applicants - Professor Maria Stokes, Dr Paul Clarkson, Dr Chloe Grimmett, Dr Euan Sadler, Dr Nisreen Alwan, Dr Aoife Stephenson, Dr Katherine Bradbury, Dr James Faulkner, Mr Paul Muckelt, Dr Dorit Kunkel, Mrs Luisa Holt amd Dr James Gavin Summary Being active is important to prevent and help manage long-term conditions (LTC). Previous research shows that being active can help people to do the things that they want to do for longer, reduce pain and improve quality of life. There are many community and NHS programmes that help people with a LTC to start being active, however, these programmes only last for a short period of time. Staying active in the longer-term is more difficult and there is often a decrease in activity over time following the completion of a programme or service. Previous research has shown that programmes or interventions that help people to start being active may not necessarily have the right components to help people to stay active. This project will plan and develop a new intervention that will support people with one or more LTCs to stay active, after taking part in an NHS and/or third sector ERSsphysical activity referral scheme (PARS). Our current research explores factors that help people with LTCs to stay active to allow these to be integrated into plans for the new intervention. The intervention will be non-digital to ensure that it is available to as many people as possible, regardless of access to the internet or a digital device. We know from previous work that it is important that any new intervention fits in with healthcare systems and how people manage their condition. We are therefore currently working with people with LTCs and health and social care professionals to understand how such an intervention could be delivered in practice. In this project we will use previously gathered information to plan the new service. We will recruit people with LTCs from ERSs PARS to take part in interviews to understand their needs and expectations for the intervention. We will also undertake interviews with health and social care professionals and ERSPARS practitioners to develop the intervention’s content. This will allow us to develop the prototype of the intervention and then ask people with LTCs who have taken part in a programme to pilot it and provide feedback through interviews. Once developed, we will plan a larger study to test the intervention’s potential with groups of people who have come to the end of an ERS PARS in the NHS and/or the third sector. This study will help us to gain feedback from people with LTCs using the intervention in real life settings to make further changes. It will also help us to understand whether the approaches to the research, such as how to recruit people to take part, are successful. This information will be used to improve the intervention and to support a larger trial to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. What did we find out? This research included: • Phase 1: We interviewed 15 people living with long-term health conditions (LTCs) and nine NHS healthcare professionals to find out their experiences of being involved in an exercise referral scheme. This included what support they would want in future, as a participant (i.e., people with LTCs) and provider (i.e., healthcare professionals). • Phase 2: Follow-up workshops with LTC patients and multi-sectoral professionals to begin designing a pathway to support physical activity maintenance for people living with LTCs. Professionals shared their experiences from healthcare, leisure and community and voluntary sectors. This research has created a better understanding of the ways in which we might best support people with LTCs to stay physically active, and improve their health and wellbeing following an exercise referral scheme. Two areas of improvement were identified: 1) Better partnership working between people with LTCs, health and social care, leisure and voluntary sectors within Wessex 2) Ensuring people with LTCs have appropriate support with self-management of their lifelong physical activity levels What difference can this new knowledge make? • Better understanding of the factors preventing and enabling participation in exercise referral schemes across Wessex, can help us identify how structured exercise can benefit people with LTCs long-term, especially by highlighting the benefits and future support needs in physical activity. • It gave us understanding of people’s experiences of undertaking a physical activity referral scheme to help manage their LTC(s). This was supported by health professional’s views, having referred, delivered and/or commissioned an activity scheme • In future, this knowledge can inform the development of an integrated care pathway interlinking healthcare, social and community services to support people with LTCs to maintain their health and physical activity long-term, from a view to change physical activity behaviours. What did we do with our new Knowledge • We presented the results at the Health Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA) Europe 2024 Conference in Dublin (August 2024) • We submitted a research paper for journal publication • Dr James Gavin ran a series of ‘Active Living’ community cafés across Southampton to share the research with the public living with LTCs and their carers. • This has led to additional grant funding and partnerships with Energise Me, Saints Foundation, Communicare, and Southampton City Council, to begin co-designing a multi-sectoral pathway within the city for the wider LTC population, not just those having undertaken an exercise referral scheme. • On January 8th 2025, we will run workshops with professional stakeholders including the HIOW Integrated Care Board, to find agreement on a ‘prototype’ pathway. Where next? •We have submitted the findings to the journal, Int J Behav Nutr Phys Activ December 2024. •Move Consulting Ltd. are supporting us with our professional stakeholder workshops (Jan 2025). •The co-lead, James Gavin, has secured £14,900 Wessex Health Partners funding to continue the community cafes and develop a pathway plan. •We will build upon our community-based partnerships with Saints Foundation, Communicare, Thornhill Baptist Church, and Energise Me as the HIOW Living Well Partnership. •Follow-on funding will be sought from the NIHR Research for Patient Benefit programme (tiers 2/3) in Spring 2025. Testimonials for Active Living Cafes "it's really good that you don't want to reinvent the wheel. My slight critique of the community cafes that have been set up is that you don't have to reinvent them .” “There are already community groups doing very similar things around…I know it's been brilliant that you have been partnering with people like Thornhill Baptist Church. They do wonderful things, some wonderful community events… My recommendation is to join and work with them , and that's what you're doing.” “It's a better strategy than trying to set up something new and try and hope that people come to it with a long-term condition. I think it's much better to go to people rather than expect people to come to you ."

d213d93c-85f6-44bc-bd30-219d08d1075e Material Citizenship Framework Project Principal Investigator : Professor Jackie Bridges (Professor of Older People's Care, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton) Co-investigator : Dr Kellyn Lee (Visiting Fellow, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton) Researchers: Dr Jane Frankland, Leah Fullegar Collaborator: Zoe McCallum (Chief Operating Officer, Brendoncare) Started : 1 February 2020 Completed: 30 November 2022 Project partners: Brendoncare Foundation. Co-funded by University of Southampton ESRC Impact Acceleration Account, Alzheimer’s Society, The Brendoncare Foundation Concept Material Citizenship, a new approach to dementia care, uses objects used to carry out tasks (such as a mobile phone or curling tongs) as a mechanism for improving the care experience for care home staff and people living with dementia in care homes. It does so by: Encouraging care home staff to include personal possessions in care plans Support use of personal possessions to maintain routines and rituals Enable people living with dementia to carry out everyday tasks, supporting them to the live the life they want to live Impacts Material Citizenship training was delivered to four care homes, part of two care organisations in the UK. Adopting a Material Citizenship approach has had a positive effect on many of the people who live, work and visit these care homes. According to one care home manager, taking a Material Citizenship approach has transformed how they provide care. They have seen an improvement in the wellbeing of residents and increased confidence in staff who attended the training. Care home staff are now supporting people living with dementia to engage in meaningful activities such as delivering newspapers, baking bread and polishing their own rooms – with the polish they like. It has also had a more fundamental impact on the care practices of a care home. In one care home the manager gave an example of how it has changed the culture in the care home. Prior to introducing Material Citizenship catering staff worked certain times of the day and food was restricted to set meal times. This has changed and catering staff are now available to support residents in meal choices and meal times that suit them. It was also reported that prior to Material Citizenship, time restrictions of when people should leave the care home and return to the care home were in place. Residents no longer need to be back at certain times, they have more freedom to come and go as they wish, something noted by an external healthcare professional as being wonderful. Material Citizenship has enabled care home staff to grow in confidence. Prior to attending training care home staff were observed to be frequently deferential when interacting with visiting healthcare professionals. Now care home staff are more willing to engage and assert themselves to get the best possible outcome for residents. By applying a Material Citizenship approach it has been reported staff are less likely to rush to the assumption that medical intervention might be the best way forward to to reduce behaviours they find challenging. Instead, staff are using objects as a way of exploring why a person may be communicating in a negative way and have more confidence when working with people living with dementia. Publication: Material Citizenship: An ethnographic study exploring object–person relations in the context of people with dementia in care homes

87b19b27-d8c8-4f33-9da0-73ea106dac3c Mental health Burden of Increased Living costs: Local Support (My BILLS) Principal investigators: Dr. Dianna Smith, Associate Professor, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton and Dr Thomas Richardson, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, School of Psychology, University of Southampton. Co-investigator: Prof Nisreen Alwan, Associate Professor in Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Southampton. Team: Dr Monica Sood, Dr Elizabeth Taylor, Tina Lang (PPI), Beth Davies (NHS), Sarah Brightwell (Solent Mind), Sandy Bramley (Portsmouth Citizens Advice) Partners: Solent Mind, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Mental Health NHS Trust (Formerly Southern health, IOW and Solent NHS Trusts, ITalk, Talking Change), Southampton & Portsmouth city councils, Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth Citizens Advice. Start: 01/01/2023 End: 30/09/2024 What did we find out? We found that people who were more worried about the cost of living had worse symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, these worries did not cause their symptoms to get better or worse over time. Interviews with staff and service users showed that financial stress caused feelings of hopelessness and frustration. Many people found it harder to get the health care they needed because of money problems. The cost-of-living crisis also increased pressure on the NHS and its staff. Those who are having therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder don’t benefit as much if they live in a deprived neighborhood. An analysis of 86,000 NHS Talking Therapies referrals from 2021 to 2023 is ongoing. What did we do with this Knowledge? Qualitative interviews have given practical suggestions to improve the link between financial and money advice support locally. Quantitative analysis is ongoing and will be published soon. What are we doing next? Conference presentations have been completed 2 Papers published 2 papers under review. Working on submitting several other papers from the findings for publication. Feeding back results to stakeholders. Publications Neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation associated with poorer psychological therapy outcomes for PTSD: an audit of a single NHS Talking Therapies (IAPT) service | the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist | Cambridge Core

862768fa-36ea-4f23-802a-07ca10e5572b Social Prescribing Link Workers framework: supporting complex needs of adults living with physical and mental health long term conditions Chief Investigators: Dr Leire Ambrosio. Lecturer. School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton and Mari Carmen Portillo. Professor of Long-term Conditions. School of Health Sciences, University of Southampto. Team: Skaiste Linceviciute. Research Fellow. Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, David Baldwin. Professor of Psychiatry and Section Head, Clinical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton Joseph Jenness. Senior Manager at Southampton Voluntary Services. SO:Linked Jade Topham. Social Prescribing Link Worker, Southampton North PCN William Barnaby Jones. NIHR ARC Wessex PPIE, University of Southampton Traci Carroll. PPIE Representative as part of the NIHR ARC Wessex PPIE group, University of Southampton Siân Brand. Chair of Social Prescribing Network, Social Prescribing Network Partners: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, University of Southampton, Anxiety UK, Social Prescribing Network, SO: Linked. Start: 1 October 2024 End: 31 March 2026 Background to the research As part of the NHS Long Term Plan in rolling out an integrated approach built around personalised care, NHS England has initiated the Social Prescribing Link Workers (SPLW) model to offer personalised support for patients in primary care facing continued pressures with long-term conditions, and to bridge fragmented healthcare systems with key community stakeholders through joined-up approaches (NHS, 2019). Our recent SPLW project demonstrated that despite Link Workers’ positive and multifaceted impact, the current efforts lack standardised approach and robust guidance that delay and complicate the work of SPLWs in delivering coordinated support for addressing the needs of adults with long-term physical and mental health conditions. Key challenges related to the lack of collaborative planning, expectations management, and limited communication with multidisciplinary teams. This leaves SPLWs managing complex cases with overstretched workload and with patients struggling to achieve sustainable, long-term support for the management of their physical and mental health LTCs. Aims of the research Informed by the findings of our previous SPLW project, a need has emerged to develop a consistent SPLW framework that sets out sustainable and integrated pathway that can optimise social prescribing services in the community, standardise guidance for training support and is equipped to support the long-term management of complex needs of adults with physical and mental health LTCs. Publications Understanding the potential role of Social Prescribing Link Workers in supporting identified needs of people with physical and mental long-term conditions: a qualitative study | BMC Primary Care | Full Text