Category / BU research

Dr. Paul Whittington attends Technology and the SEND Reforms Roundtable in the House of Commons

Dr. Paul Whittington was invited to attend the Technology and SEND Reforms Roundtable at the House of Commons on Wednesday 8th July. The event was organised by Policy Connect through the All Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology with the focus on the role of technology in SEND support and SEND teacher training incorporating technology and responsible AI. The session was held in a committee room within the Palace of Westminster and included a panel of experts from CENMAC, University of East London, LEP Academy Trust, TechEdology and Nasen, chaired by Peter Swallow MP.

The Roundtable discussed the recent work undertaken by the Department for Education since the 2019 Education Technology Strategy. This included assessments for assistive technology and meeting digital standards by using AI and teacher training. The Government has committed £200m to provide this training including funding assistive technology lending libraries in local authorities throughout the UK. This is an important area of research for pupils with SEND as suitable assistive technology can reduce barriers and enable more individual needs to be met. The event was also an opportunity for Dr. Paul Whittington to promote the EduAbility research conducted by the Department of Computing and Engineering, involving Professor Huseyin Dogan.

The EduAbility application provides assistive technology recommendations and training for pupils with disabilities as well as teachers, support staff and parents/carers. It is therefore closely related to the SEND Reforms. Following the development of the Android application in 2025, funding was awarded from the department’s Quality Research Fund for the iOS development of EduAbility. Since March 2026, the application has been converted to the Flutter platform that allows EduAbilty to be maintained for both Android and iOS simultaneously using a shared codebase format.

Now that the application is compatible for both Android and iOS, we will be publishing EduAbility on Apple Store and Google Play Store in Autumn 2026. This will initially be as a free application, with future potential to be a paid application to support ongoing development and maintenance. Policy Connect have expressed interest in EduAbility to promote the application through their networks, including the Schools within the EdTech Demonstrator Programme. It is anticipated that Dr. Paul Whittington will attend future events organised by Policy Connect within the domain of education and assistive technology.

Dr. Paul Whittington joins Bett 2026 DfE Assistive Technology Roundtable

In January 2026, Dr. Paul Whittington was invited to be a panellist on the Department for Education (DfE) Assistive Technology roundtable at Bett 2026 in ExCel London, the leading event for education technology. The purpose of the roundtable was for DfE policy colleagues to listen and learn from domain experts in assistive technology to further inform their understanding of the use of assistive technology in mainstream education. There were two focused areas for discussion, ‘barriers and enablers to assistive technology in mainstream settings’ and ‘the existing evidence base’.

The roundtable was chaired by Helen Davies, Assistive Technology Policy Lead at DfE and included panellists from the University of Dundee and CENMAC, a London based advisory service providing assessments of assistive technology. Interesting discussions were held during the one hour panel session where the current challenges of assistive technology in education were highlighted. This included that pupils with disabilities are often unaware of the technologies that can support them with education and that teachers/support staff may not have the required knowledge to guide the individuals. Dr. Paul Whittington emphasised his personal experience of the importance that assistive technology played in his mainstream education, in terms of accessing computers and educational resources. A theme of a discussion was developing recommendation systems for assistive technology and how this could aim to improve awareness of available products, which is aligned closely with the EduAbility application developed by Dr. Paul Whittington and Professor Huseyin Dogan from the Department of Computing and Engineering.

Attending the roundtable was also an opportunity to visit the many exhibitors at Bett 2026 who were showcasing the latest in innovations in assistive technology as well as other products for general educational use. Exhibitors included suppliers of software such as Crick Software, VisionAid and The Williams AV Family of Assistive Communication Solutions. There were also some interesting robotics technologies that have been designed to provide practical support for people with disabilities.

Visiting the exhibitors was an opportunity to introduce EduAbiity as a method for manufacturers to promote their products to potential customers. The British Association for Assistive Technology (BATA) had a stand at the show and discussions were held in relation to Bournemouth University becoming an academic member of the association to further our future research in the domain in terms of conducting evaluations and maximising visibility of our initiatives in line with the BU 2035 research strategy.

Overall, it was a very valuable visit to the Bett 2026 show in terms of contributing to DfE discussions and promoting our assistive technology research. We are currently in the process of developing the EduAbility application for iOS and once this is publicly disseminated through the Apple Store and Google Play Store, there could be potential for Bournemouth University to attend the Bett Show as an exhibitor in the future.

BU Prof Jonathan Parker promoting social work in Malaysia

international, writing

BU Professor Emeritus Jonathan Parker recently discussed his recently published latest edition of the book Newly-Qualified Social Workers: A Practice Guide to the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment to Prof. Denison Jayasooria from Malaysia.  Prof. Parker has a longstanding collaboration with social work researchers in Malaysia, for example in the field of social work education or the inclusion of indigenous people’s voices in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

New interdisciplinary paper accepted for publication

international, open access, Women's Academic Network

Today we heard from the Editor in Chief of the Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences that our paper ‘Ethical Entrepreneurship in Pharmacy: An Interdisciplinary Solution to a Global Public Health Problem‘ has been accepted for publication [1].  This paper has three Bournemouth academics as co-author: Dr. Pramod Regmi, Dr. Sukanya Ayatakshi-Endow and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen. The paper is truly interdisciplinary, the six authors have disciplinary backgrounds in: pharmacy, health education, public health, business studies, economics, health services research and sociology. 

This viewpoint offers a different way of looking at the worldwide problem of the increased use of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance. In low-income countries, such as Nepal, pharmacies have a key role in dispensing medicine, and local pharmacies often provide health care advice in rural communities. However, the way many pharmacies operate can easily lead to unethical practices that are harmful to the health of their recipients, but also to the wider population. Such dangerous business practices involve inappropriate prescription and dispensing of medicine (i.e. antibiotics). Public health professionals have promoted better regulation and education to reduce the use of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance. These approaches have an important place to play, but in this paper, we propose one particular intervention, namely the training of community pharmacy shop owners in sustainable and ethical entrepreneurship. To offer greater insights into the issue we have produced a theoretical framework. We suggest interventions should be co-created with all relevant stakeholders to change perceptions of entrepreneurship, offer management training, thus promoting an ethical and sustainable business culture, and in the long run, improve pharmacy education in these areas.

The Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences is an Open Access journal, hence freely available to read when it gets published.

Reference:

  1. Regmi, P.R., Ayatakshi-Endow, S., Rajkarnikar, R., van Teijlingen, E., Khanal, D.P., Poudel, R.S. (2026) Ethical Entrepreneurship in Pharmacy: An Interdisciplinary Solution to a Global Public Health Problem?” Europasian Journal of Medical Sciences (EJMS) (accepted July 2026).

Three NIHR Internships awarded at BU

Awarded & submitted bids, NHS, PG research, Women's Academic Network

Congratulations to Susara Blunden, Christinia Bempomaah and Rebecca Lovedale who has been awarded an NIHR Internship starting the end of September at Bournemouth University (BU).
Christinia Bempomaah is cancer nurse at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (UHD) her supervisor will be Dr. Lindsay Welch, Associate Professor of Nursing Practice, in a joint BU-UHD appointment, with a second supervisor to be appointed.
Susara is a research delivery midwife with UHD as well as a M.Res. student at BU.  During her internship she will be undertaking PPIE looking at the acceptability of using AI to measure blood pressure in pregnancy. This will focus on working with communities whose maternal and neonatal outcomes are most affected by hypertensive diseases of pregnancy in coastal and rural communities.  Susara will be supported by Dr. Kate Jupp and Prof. Mel Hughes at BU’s Public Involvement in Education & Research (PIER) team, Dr. Lindsay Welch, and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen.

Whilst Rebecca Lovedale is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust (DHCUFT) her focuses for the NIHR internship with be on urgent care and her supervisors will be Dr. Lindsay Welch as well as BU’s Senior Lecturer In Paramedic Science, Dr. Pete Phillips.
Congratulations to all.

Prof. Dr. Edwin van Teijlingen

UKCGE Recognised Research Supervisor

BU contributions to successful Global Health conference

conferences, international, Publishing, writing

Dr. Pramod Regmi and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen attended this week’s Global Consortium for Public Health Research (GCPHR) 4th Annual Conference at the University of Huddersfield.  The conference was very well attended with delegates from India, Nepal, Ghana, Finland and the UK.  BU’s contribution included a poster on the recently completed study on kidney disease in Nepalese migrant workers, a study funded by The Colt Foundation.

Prof. Chandra Kala Sharma, President of Nursing Association of Nepal and Dr. Bibha Simkhada, Reader in Nursing at the University of Huddersfield presented on ‘Implementing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in Nursing in Nepal’.  In this very topical presentation they highlighted the importance of the research conducted in Nepal by UK universities (which included Bournemouth University) in getting the regulations changed in Nepal around CPD.  This effect of research into CPD in Nursing will make a useful REF Impact Case Study.

Both Pramod and Edwin chaired a session on different days of the conference.  Whilst Prof. van Teijlingen gave an invited presentation on the topic of ‘Equitable participation on academic publications’.    He also facilitated a Round Table Discussion with five selected panel members on the final day.

Reflections on participation at the UKCGE Conference

Last week, we had the opportunity to present our Research Culture and Community Grant at the UKCGE Annual Conference. Our session, Growing Our Research Ecosystem, was centred on a simple but important idea: some of the most meaningful aspects of research culture happen outside formal structures. Introduced by the Doctoral College 3 years ago, the Research Culture and Community Grant empowered researchers to design and lead initiatives that mattered to them and their communities.

Preparing for the conference gave us the opportunity to revisit many of the projects we have supported over the last years. While the funded projects were very different from one another, they shared something important: they created spaces where researchers could connect as people as well as academics, bringing different perspectives, experiences and cultures into the research environment.

As we discussed at the conference, these are often the spaces where belonging develops. They help researchers feel visible, valued and connected, particularly those who may otherwise feel marginalised or isolated within academic environments.

Role shift for researcher developers?

The grant promotes co-creation mechanisms, shifting from provider-led to researcher-led development. What we have learned through this initiative is the value of becoming enablers rather than providers. Our role is not always to create the activity ourselves; sometimes it is to create the conditions that allow researchers to build communities, initiate conversations and shape research culture in ways we could never fully anticipate.

The success of these initiatives suggests that when granted autonomy and resources, researchers construct alternative spaces for connections — spaces that often complement or exceed the scope of the usual development programme offered at institutional level.

Continuing to grow our research ecosystem

The growth of the grant scheme, from 13 funded PGR projects in 2024–25 to 17 PGR projects and 10 ECR projects in 2025–26, demonstrates both demand and enthusiasm for this approach. But more importantly, it highlights the willingness of our researchers to contribute positively to their communities, when given the opportunity to do so.

Growing a thriving research ecosystem is not always about creating bigger programmes or larger interventions. Sometimes it starts with listening carefully, identifying hidden communities, and providing people with the trust, autonomy and support they need to flourish.

 

Dr Julia Taylor, Head of the Doctoral College, and Enrica Conrotto, Researcher Development Manager

New paramedic science paper by BU’s Dr. Ursula Rolfe

NHS, writing

Congratulations to Dr. Ursula Rolfe in the Faculty of Health, Environment & Medical Science on the publication of her latest paper ‘Paramedics’ management of people experiencing mental health issues: An investigation of knowledge gaps and support needs in England‘ [1].  The paper is co-authored with colleagues from the University of Southampton and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration, Wessex.  The paper highlights that demand for mental health care from U.K. ambulance services is increasing, yet paramedics report feeling underprepared to manage these presentations. This study aimed to identify knowledge gaps, educational needs, and systemic factors shaping frontline paramedics’ ability to provide mental health care in England, examining: (1) mental health education and training at pre- and post-registration levels; and (2) paramedics’ experiences of managing mental health presentations. A two-phase mixed-methods design was employed across the country.
Congratulations!
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health
Reference:
Zecchinato, F., Rolfe, U., Sloan, H, Campling, N. (2026) Paramedics’ management of people experiencing mental health issues: An investigation of knowledge gaps and support needs in England, Paramedicine [ONLINE FIRST]   https://doi.org/10.1177/27536386261467717

Equitable Partnerships in Global Health Research

conferences, international

Today is the first day of the Global Consortium for Public Health Research (GCPHR) 4th Annual Conference here at the University of Huddersfield.  This two-day Conference (July 6-7) has as its theme ‘Equitable Partnerships in Global Health Research’.  It brings together academics based in Ghana, the UK, Nepal, India, and Finland.  This 4th conference has a mixture of invited speakers, roundtable discussions, poster presentations and keynote speeches.

The conference was originally the brainchild of Prof. Padam Simkhada, who recently moved from the University of Huddersfield to the University of Chester.  The main organisers at the University of Huddersfield are Dr. Rajeeb Kumar Sah, Dr. Bibha Simkhada and Dr. Zoe Darwin.  Bournemouth University is represented in Huddersfield by Dr. Pramod Regmi and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

New Nepal-based paper published last week

international, open access, Publishing, Training, writing

Last week saw the publication of the latest article on Nepal by a BU academic.  This paper ‘Bridging The Skills Gap: Market-Relevant Skill Development Programmes in Nepal’s Health Sector‘ appeared in the Journal of Technical Education and Training [1].  This article explores the potential new diploma-level courses in the health sector in Nepal.

A qualitative research design was employed to identify new areas. Participants were selected based on their experiences in the health sector in both Nepal and abroad. A total of 25 in-depth interviews, and two interactive meeting events were conducted, and thematically analyzed. The health courses identified for diploma level development included: nursing, general medicine, Ayurveda, food science, and water, sanitation and hygiene, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, laboratory, health education and health promotion, medical records and data, health and social care, and radiotherapy. Courses identified as being in higher demand in Nepal and were: renal dialysis, radiotherapy, prosthetics and orthotics, audiology and language therapy, transfusion and blood banking, medical transcript, geriatric care, school nurse, palliative care, telemedicine and telehealth, cancer care, OT/anesthesia assistant, IVF and reproductive medicine, Panchkarma, herbs and shrubs, WASH and hospital hygienist, occupational therapy, health and social care, and data and medical records. 

The journal, based in Malaysia, is open-access and hence freely available to read for anyone with internet access.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

 

 

Reference:

  1. Acharya, D., Devkota, B., Adhikari, E.R., van Teijlingen, E.R., Thapa, K.B. (2026) Bridging The Skills Gap: Market-Relevant Skill Development Programmes in Nepal’s Health Sector, Journal of Technical Education and Training, 18(1):118-132.

  

Book edited by BU academics published

Publishing, writing

Last month Routledge published an edited volume ‘Criminology, Leisure and Sport Interdisciplinary Perspectives‘ in its series Advance in Leisure Studies.  This new book is edited by two Bournemouth University’s (BU) Social Scientists Mark Berry and Jayne Caudwell.  This edited collection takes a critical look at how leisure and sport intersect with crime and harm. It brings together leading scholars in criminology, sociology, sport science, social work and psychology, it shows how recreational and elite sporting spaces can foster prosocial development but also generate significant social inequalities and injustices.  Through diverse empirical cases – including sexual abuse in sport, environmental harms at mega-events, performance enhancing drugs, athlete criminality, organised crime, deviant fandom, policing, rehabilitation and desistance – the book provides readers with an analytically rich framework for understanding sport and leisure as dynamic areas where power, inequality, harm and social transformation converge. The book’s interdisciplinary approach offers insights into these current issues in society.

Several of this interesting book’s chapters are co-authored by BU academics: including Orlanda Harvey, Paul Fairbairn, Lucy Sheppard-Marks, and Edwin van Teijlingen.

 

Reference:

Berry, M., Berry, C., Caudwell, J. (eds). Criminology, Leisure and Sport Interdisciplinary Perspectives

Publication Date: 06/2026

Publisher: Routledge

ISBN: 9781032942018

CMWH well-represented at the International Confederation of Midwives’ 34th Congress

Researchers from the Centre for Midwifery and Women’s Health shared their expertise at the recent 34th Triennial ICM Congress in Lisbon, Portugal.

Presentations included workshops by Dr Juliet Wood – Supporting student midwife confidence to facilitate physiologic birth: a workshop for clinical and academic faculty and Dr Laura Iannuzzi – Rest or arrest? A workshop to advance knowledge and skills to support women, families and teams when dealing with a slowing or pausing labour.

Laura Stedman presented her work on The impact of neonatal intensive care admission at term following gestational diabetes mellitus: a neglected area.
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Dr Dominique Mylod and Prof Vanora Hundley had poster presentations on their work in the early phase of labour: Can we identify women who will need additional support in the early (latent) phase of labour? and Supporting women in early labour: an interdisciplinary digital approach.
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You can read the abstracts here