Research Profile
Centre for Health and Social Care Research
The core mission of the Centre is the pursuit of
practical applied research in the field of and health
care and its translation into evidence based policy,
practice and clinical protocols.
The Centre benefits from the wider expertise within the University. Sheffield Hallam is one of the largest providers of health and social care professional training in the UK. This means we can access high levels of expertise in areas including • nursing and midwifery • physiotherapy • occupational therapy • radiography • radiotherapy • social work • paramedics and operating departments.
Beyond healthcare, we work with colleagues in areas including • sport and exercise • psychologists • biosciences • design • modeling • engineering • computer science • business management • environmental sciences • town planning. The Centre also benefits from an in-house team of experienced information scientists who support our research staff by conducting literature searches and reference management for bids and funded projects, and providing information skills training.
The Centre hosts a vibrant postgraduate research training program with over 80 doctoral students in health and a further 90 students in Sports and Bio-science.
Attached are a sample of recent research projects undertaken by staff from the Centre for Health and Social Care Research in conjunction with academic colleagues from the Nursing, Allied Health and Social Work Departments of the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Sheffield Hallam University.
For further information please contact us by
Phone: 0114 2255691 email: [email protected]
or visit our website at www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc Malcolm Whitfield PhD, MBA, RGN, RMN
Professor of Health Economics and Management Assistant Dean Research, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing Director of the Centre for Health and Social Care Research
3
www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/
Centre for Health and Social Care Research
ACES - Advancing the three cycle system in socialwork education in six European countries - was a shared venture between CHSCR and Sheffield Hallam’s department of social work with partners at Tbilisi State University (Georgia), Ljubljana University (Slovenia), University of Kiev Mohyla Academy (Ukraine), Tallinn University (Estonia) and Vilnius Pedagogical University (Lithuania). The programme, funded through EU Tempus, focused on supporting social work both as an academic discipline and as a profession, and on supporting social policy by:
• establishing PhD programmes at TSU, Georgia and UKMA, Ukraine
• establishing regional social work education provision in Batumi, Georgia and Uzhhorod, Ukraine
• founding a journal of social policy and social work (Social Policy and Social Work in Transition)
• developing and teaching an international social work module (all six countries)
• develop a collaborative Masters in Social Care (SHU/TSU)
ACES aimed to embed social work education in two former countries of the Soviet Union, integrate practice and research in a more effective way and
share and disseminate best practice in social work practice, education and research.
The programme has helped to meet the objectives of the Georgian and Ukrainian governments to implement the Bologna process and complete the three cycles in higher education.
Regionalisation of social work education away from the capitals means more access to trained professionals for people in Georgia and Ukraine. The founding of a social policy and work journal has also allowed resources and research materials to be shared more easily, leading to improved methods of teaching and research.
The introduction of PhD programmes at TSU and UKMA will have a major impact on standardising quality and course materials and allowing Ukraine and Georgia to meet the requirements of the Bologna process.
With a wider range of qualification and course choices, social care professionals have a larger scope of study, so not only are there more potential students, but also a much higher calibre of graduate. There are also increased employment opportunities in both state and NGO sectors, with Georgia making social work education a compulsory requirement for employment in relevant state services.
Department/centre contact details
Dr Malcolm David Whitfield
Professor of Health Economics and Management Director of the Centre for Health and
Social Care Research Sheffield Hallam University Phone: 0114 2255453
Working in
partnership with
universities and
social services
providers in former
countries of the
Soviet Union to
promote and
develop social work
education in Georgia
and Ukraine.
Research Profile Summary
ACES – Advancing the three cycle
system in social work education in six
European countries
4
Centre for Health and Social Care Research
www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/
This initiative examined the impact of an in-school social worker at Wolgarston School in South Staffordshire. The social worker was employed directly by the school and introduced a new method of brief intervention, based on ‘aspirations, encouragement, realism and openness – AERO. This was put in place with no special pilot project status or additional resources. Our £5000 research study aimed to:
• consider the relationship between the background factors of this initiative
• evaluate the workings and impact of the AERO method of working
As the AERO initiative was in its infancy, there were no previous studies set up to test its effectiveness and impact on students. Our researchers interviewed a number of randomly selected key stakeholders – 12 current students who had experienced the AERO method, six professionals and one parent.
A research report with an executive summary was produced, outlining the details of the research process, including the literature search. The report also presented the research findings and an analysis of all the data, along with recommendations for future activity.
Through the publication of the research – through formal and informal routes – it will be possible for other schools and learning centres to assess the effectiveness of AERO, and to decide whether or not implementation would be beneficial for their students.
The report can be downloaded here www.naswe.
org.uk/downloads/AERO-study-Report.pdf Department/centre contact details
Professor Mark Doel Phone: 0114 225 5615 E-mail: [email protected]
AERO – developing school-based
social work
‘Looking at the
impact of a social
worker as part of
a school’s student
support services’
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www.shu.ac.uk/research/hsc/
Centre for Health and Social Care Research
Funded by East Midllands Deanery anduniversities in the East Midlands, this project specifically examined the impact of inter-professional education at Post Qualifying level within Continuing Professional Development programmes in the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing at Sheffield Hallam University. The brief for the project was ‘to examine the impact of ‘Inter-Professional Education (IPE) at Post Qualifying level’ and the study set out to consider the advantages and disadvantages of two alternative models:
• an open programme where students learn with others from different health and social care organisations, and
• a closed programme where the cohort consists of a range of different staff from the same organisation.
Students undertaking a Masters in Health and Social Care leadership were engaged in examining and debating their understanding of inter-professional learning and in exploring the extent to which new inter-professional knowledge is created as a consequence of this learning.
The results showed that knowledge mobilisation and knowledge exchange can be more effective with inter-professional and inter-organisational learning processes and that the social networking achieved from the inter-professional groups appears to enrich students’ learning.
Both the hospital cohort and the inter-professional and inter-organisational group gained academic credits from the development programme
Department/centre contact details
Dr Jill Aylott Phone: 0114 225 5619 E-mail: [email protected]
