UEAHSCP's 'Together' magazine - Summer 2022

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WELCOME TO THE SUMMER 2022 EDITION OF TOGETHER MAGAZINE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR - RESEARCH DIRECTOR CARRIE JACKSON We have had a very exciting summer at UEA Health and Social Care Partners, building the platform for our new 2 year programme for seed funding collaborative research and innovation that meets local population health needs and partner priorities. In June, we welcomed a record number of applications towards our latest ‘Building Research Capacity’ Funding Call. We’re delighted to support 10 partnership projects that aim to improve three key health challenges: population health management, digital innovation in health and social care, and the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. To find out more about the talented researchers and their ambitious projects please refer to page 4.

In July we held our first virtual Annual Impact Conference, celebrating the impact of partnership funded projects. We launched our latest Research Impact Report, and you can watch the recording on demand here (link) if you weren’t able to attend the live event.

This August we have launched our first Partnership Scholarship Scheme for practitioners in our partner organisations, read more about the focus of the scheme on page 6.

Coming up in the Autumn, we’re hosting our first virtual Research Sandpit which helps partners to develop research proposals for funding and we will be launching our first co-badged East of England ARC Fellowship – so stay tuned for further information.

We hope you enjoy catching up with our latest news in our Together Magazine.

If you would like to find out more about any of the work featured, or you are interesting in working with our team to grow your research and innovation, please get in touch to find out how we can support you: ueahscp@uea.ac.uk.

Carrie Jackson, Research Director UEA Health and Social Care Partners

In Our Spring Issue: Funding Boost for Regional Health and Social Care Research Projects......................................................p.4 New Research Impact Report 2021-22..................................................................................................p.5 Scholarship Awards..................................................................................................................................p.6 Findings Released on Research Study on Ambulance Staff Experiences of Menopause..................p.8 Dr Kate Mahoney from Healthwatch Essex introduces a Research Ambassador Network............p.10 3D Medical Printing Survey...................................................................................................................p.12 Meet Our New Research Manager........................................................................................................p.13 Follow UEAHSCP on Instagram.............................................................................................................p.13 Events - Catch Up On Demand.............................................................................................................p.14 How Can we Work Together .................................................................................................................p.15

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We've had a very exciting summer building the platform for our new two year programme for seed funding collaborative research and innovation that meets local population health needs and partner priorities.

- UEAHSCP Research Director Carrie Jackson

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FUNDING BOOST FOR REGIONAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE RESEARCH PROJECTS We're delighted to announce the ten fantastic practice-led research projects that were awarded support in our latest Building Capacity Funding Round.

Read the press release here to learn about the ten projects we're supporting.

Projects which will develop 3D technology to improve breast cancer management, explore the role of exercise in perinatal mental health and roll out an effective sleep intervention for young people are among ten innovative health and research projects to be granted funding.

UEA Health and Social Care Partners has invested nearly £165,000 in ten regional research projects which address deep-rooted issues across local health and social care services, such as addressing health inequalities, supporting perinatal mental health, and childhood obesity prevention.

The funding, made possible by UEAHSCP’s partner organisations, will provide a launchpad for researchers to develop ideas that can help tackle the most pressing challenges facing local health and social care services, with a particular focus on projects that align with our partners’ most important research priorities: 1. Population health management 2. Digital technologies to transform care delivery 3. Children and young people's mental health Carrie Jackson, UEAHSCP Research Director, said: “Being able to support collaborative research and innovation is one of the best ways we can continue to drive system transformation and improvement across health and social care.

“It's fantastic to see partnership funding going towards creative solutions to such important issues.”

Prof Charles ffrench-Constant, Pro-Vice Chancellor for UEA’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and UEAHSCP Executive Board member, said: “This funding initiative from UEA Health and Social Care Partners represents a key component of our Faculty research priorities and demonstrates the positive impact collaborative research can have on our local health and social care services.

“The ten successful projects enable innovative approaches to solving challenges across diverse research topics. Collectively, these projects will generate valuable capability and capacity across local health and social care research”.

Prof Erika Denton, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) Medical Director, said: “We are delighted to have received this funding for research across a number of specialities at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and builds on our important partnership with the UEA. “Evidence shows the more research active a hospital is, the better the outcomes for patients. It is particularly exciting to be involved in so much research using cutting-edge technology to help improve patient care and help tackle some of the challenges we face in health care.”

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I MNEW P ARESEARCH C T C AIMPACT S E S TREPORT U D Y2021 - 22 NEW RESEARCH IMPACT REPORT 2021 - 22 We were delighted to launch our new Research Impact Report in July, showcasing the impact of our partnership funded collaborative health and social care research for the year April 2021 - March 2022.

We’re so proud of what we’ve achieved together.

Despite the continued effect of COVID-19 on research activity, we brought together a dedicated community of health and social care colleagues across the region to meet unparalleled challenges.

We’ve played an integral part in many innovative projects demonstrating the influence of our researchers, from playing a major and multifaceted role in the response to the pandemic, to helping launch a new initiative aiming to implement a regional 3D Medical Printing service that potentially offers extensive benefits to care providers and service users.

Together we focus on meeting the needs of service users and professionals through the delivery of practice-led research, and we look forward to building on our strong foundation in the years to come.

Learn more about our accomplishments thus far by reading our Research Impact Report here.

We held an online celebration event to mark the launch of our report, the recording is available on our YouTube channel.

Read and download our report here.

Watch the launch event on YouTube.

DOWNLOAD OUR RESEARCH IMPACT HERE

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SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS We’re delighted to announce that applications are now open for our new round of practicebased Scholarship awards.

These scholarships enable practitioners from our partner organisations to apply for funding to support specific research activities, including undertaking literature reviews, mentoring to support research design and development, and impact dissemination activities.

The round opened on Monday 15 August 2022, and the application window closes on Friday 30 September 2022.

Proposals should be no more than £2,500 in total, and fully costed. The fund provides a maximum of £25,000 of partner investment, so has the potential to fund at least 10 scholarships.

These scholarships support the following research activities: 1. Undertaking a literature review to identify gaps in the evidence base to provide background for a future research proposal and application to the partnership or alternative funding stream.

2. Completion of a project for write up as a publication in a peer reviewed journal.

3. Production of a poster or conference paper for dissemination of results from a practice-based project.

4. Some mentoring to help support development of ideas into a scoped proposal for a future partnership research funding application.

5. Dissemination activities such as workshops/events to get research results shared widely with stakeholders.

6. Writing up an impact case study to show what difference a completed piece of research has made to the quality of services and care for local populations.

This might include an app or other digital innovation.

Successful applicants will be provided with a mentor from one of UEA Health and Social Care Partners’ (UEAHSCP) 16 research groups and will have the opportunity to join a small action learning group with the Research Director of UEAHSCP who will help keep the work on track and delivered on time with the right support.

How do I apply?

Email ueahscp@uea.ac.uk to request an application form.

Key dates: • The round opens Monday 15 August 2022 • The application window closes on Friday 30 September 2022.

• Email your application to ueahscp@uea.ac.uk by 5pm, Friday 30 September 2022.

• We expect that you will be notified of the outcome of your application in late October.

Email our team at ueahscp@uea.ac.uk if you wish to discuss this opportunity further.

Email the team to request an application form

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FINDINGS RELEASED ON RESEARCH STUDY ON AMBULANCE STAFF EXPERIENCES OF MENOPAUSE CESSATION, an East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust menopause research study, aimed to identify the current menopause guidance offered by UK ambulance services; understand the impacts of the menopause on female ambulance staff; and identify service interventions that may best support staff during the menopause transition.

The CESSATION report shows UK ambulance services vary in their provision of a Menopause Policy or Guidance. Female staff experience numerous and varied menopause symptoms, and often individuals are not prepared for their symptoms and/or their severity. Various self-care strategies and professional menopause support services are sought by female staff to support their menopause transition experience.

The impacts of menopause symptoms are widereaching, and detrimental effects on working lives and personal wellbeing are noted. Only a minority of menopausal staff report feeling supported in the workplace. Areas of need and personal concern are highlighted: impact of work role; awareness of preparedness for menopause transition; personal impact of symptoms; desired support; appropriate sickness and menopause policy; managerial development; compassion and dignity; impact of working environment; personal and patient safety; and lack of choice.

Managers from one ambulance service reveal limited menopause training completion and menopause policy awareness. They report varying comfort levels for managing menopausal female staff and variable knowledge regarding menopausal female work and health concerns.

Their main managerial concerns are staff personal health and wellbeing, sickness management and lack of Trust menopause guidance and resources.

It is recommended that menopause transition awareness is raised in all UK ambulance services for all staff; service developments including policy and uniform design, take into consideration CESSATION findings; an expert/stakeholder panel be convened to consider these findings to determine possible solutions for evaluation in future service development and/or menopause research activity.

CESSATION received funding from UEA Health and Social Care Partners and College of Paramedics.

Download the report here.

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The impacts of menopause symptoms are widereaching, and detrimental effects on working lives and personal wellbeing are noted. Only a minority of menopausal staff report feeling supported in the workplace.

- Excerpt from report findings.

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RESEARCH AMBASSADOR NETWORK CHAMPIONS LIVED EXPERIENCE IN SERVICE TRANSFORMATION AND POLICY CHANGE. Dr Kate Mahoney from Healthwatch Essex introduces a new Research Ambassador Network that provides the opportunity for individuals to share their lived experiences to help improve health and social care provision.

Healthwatch Essex are an independent charity that record the experiences of people from across Essex to improve health and social care.

We believe that people’s voices should be at the heart of service transformation. Through our ambassador networks, we create opportunities for individuals to share their experiences with service providers to produce positive change.

We currently run networks for people living with disabilities, carers, individuals with experience of trauma, and young people who have used mental health services. We also host an Information and Guidance helpline, that provides support to individuals who are struggling to access services, have had a negative experience of health and social care, or who require signposting to a local service or initiative.

We also produce our own in-depth research and engagement reports focused on a range of health and social care concerns affecting people in Essex. Our research reports, typically aimed at academics, service providers and policy makers, align lived experience with academic theory to generate recommendations for policy change and service transformation. We draw on a variety of methods when conducting our research. These include qualitative interviews and focus groups, thematic analysis, literature reviews, and creative methods such as collaging and photography.

We are always keen to share our research skills and learn from others. We are therefore pleased to announce the foundation of our Research Ambassador Network – a scheme that invites individuals with an interest in health and social care, qualitative methods and lived experience to volunteer with us to gain experience conducting research in the voluntary sector.

Starting in October, the Research Ambassador Network will host monthly meetings where we will try out different research methods, assess academic literature, and conduct data analysis related to our projects. The sessions will be supplemented by a Research Forum, where external speakers with academic and clinical expertise will be invited to talk to us. Members will also be encouraged to write for our monthly Research Reflections blog, with our full support.

The Research Ambassador Network is an opportunity for members to develop their research skills in a charity setting, build connections with others from different academic and professional backgrounds, and share their own experiences and expertise in a supportive environment. The Network is open to anyone from a range of educational and professional backgrounds, including: · Undergraduate and postgraduate (taught and research) students who are keen to gain valuable experience conducting health and social care research in the voluntary sector. · Health and social care staff who would like to learn more about research and the role of lived experience in transforming services. · Professionals from a range of industries who are looking to gain more qualitative research experience, particularly relating to health and social care.

You do not need to have prior experience of research, just a commitment to learning about the role that lived experience research can play in improving health and social care. Our meetings will typically last between one to two hours at a time convenient for members. Network members will be expected to spend some time preparing for meetings, either by reading suggested literature or analysing data provided.

Healthwatch Essex’s Research Team are more than happy to respond to any queries and have a chat to prospective members to ensure the accessibility and inclusivity of our Network.

If you would like to get involved or have any questions, please email Healthwatch Essex’s Research Manager Dr Kate Mahoney at kate.mahoney@healthwatchessex.org.uk or call 07565 189844.

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"We are always keen to share our research skills and learn from others. We are therefore pleased to announce the foundation of our Research Ambassador Network – a scheme that invites individuals with an interest in health and social care, qualitative methods and lived experience to volunteer with us to gain experience conducting research in the voluntary sector."

- Healthwatch Essex’s Research Manager Dr Kate Mahoney

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3D MEDICAL PRINTING SURVEY Are you a clinician based in the East of England?

We’re keen to hear from you!

Help us better understand how 3D Printing is currently used in hospital settings and how an on-site 3D printing service would support your work.

We’re particularly interested in hearing from consultants, clinicians and surgeons working in the East of England. This is likely to include cardiologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, urologists, and otorhinolaryngologists.

The survey will enable us to collect information about your experience with 3D Printing and how you might use it in the future. We are keen to hear your views, even if you do not currently use 3D Printing services.

For health and social care, particularly in acute hospital environments, 3D printing is emerging as valuable tool for surgical planning and patient personalised treatment.

Already used in several hospitals across the NHS, it has shown to be a versatile technique which can be used for a range of jobs from simple anatomical models for staff training or patient education through to bespoke functional cutting guides and implants made from biocompatible materials.

Below is a link to the online survey as well as a participant information sheet. All submitted data will be kept confidential.

This survey is user-friendly and you should be able to complete it within 5 minutes or less.

Benefits: Shorten treatment time Improve care and patient satisfaction Generate cost savings Stimulate research and innovation Simplified, more agile supply chains Our downloadable flyer is available here if you wish to share with your networks.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY HERE VIA THIS LINK

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MEET OUR NEW RESEARCH MANAGER We’re delighted to welcome Sarah Walker to UEA Health and Social Care Partners in her newly created role as Faculty Research Support Manager.

Sarah joins us from within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, where she excelled in managing a team of professional services staff.

Her newly created role includes leading the management, liaison and business support across several research areas in the Faculty, including UEAHSCP and the Norwich Institute of Healthy Ageing.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM If you have some down time this weekend, why not follow us on our new Instagram account?

Follow us at instagram.com/ueahscp/ or scan the QR code.

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CATCH UP ON-DEMAND In May, we held a webinar with the ImpACT Research Group: Co-Production: Working and Measuring What Matters Most to People.

In this session we focused on how we can engage with citizens, populations and communities, as well as ensuring that work we're undertaking is what matters most to people.

In June, we held another webinar with the ImpACT Research Group: Wrapping capabilities around citizens and service users: challenges and opportunities.

We showcased 3 cases demonstrating how to co-create single interprofessional career and capability frameworks structured around citizens to grow and retain a health and social care workforce.

We celebrated the release of our latest Research Impact Report in July, showcasing the work of researchers who have benefited from partnership investment this year.

You can watch the recording of the event now on our YouTube channel by clicking the thumbnail (right).

In July, we held the final in the series with the ImpACT group: Growing Workforce Capacity & Capabilities for System Leadership.

Speakers drew on examples from organisation and system transformation working with National, Regional and System partners.

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How can we work together?

UEA Health and Social Care Partners is a consortium of health and social care organisations across Norfolk, Suffolk and North East Essex.

We fund collaborative research and innovation projects, enabling practice-led research that benefits service users and professionals.

For more information, please visit ueahscp@uea.ac.uk.

Our partners East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust Norfolk County Council Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust University of East Anglia West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

CENTRED ON POPULATION NEEDS

COLLABORATION AT OUR CORE

WE HELP MOBILISE IDEAS

REPUTATIONAL IMPACT