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An Appreciate Inquiry into NHS Maternity Services

NHS, writing

 

 

Congratulation to Dr. Rachel Arnold and her Centre for Midwifery & Women’s Health research team on the publication yesterday of their paper ‘I might have cried in the changing room, but I still went to work’. Maternity staff balancing roles, responsibilities, and emotions of work and home during COVID-19: An appreciative inquiry [1].   This paper focuses on how to support staff and enhance their well-being in a small UK maternity service.  The underpinning methodological approach is appreciative inquiry using interviews with 39 maternity staff and four group discussions exploring meaningful experiences, values and factors that helped their well-being.

The key findings are that maternity staff members were highly motivated, managing a complex melee of emotions and responsibilities including challenges to professional confidence, mental health, family situation, and conflict between work-life roles. Despite staff shortages, a demanding workload, professional and personal turmoil, and the pandemic participants still found meaning in their work and relationships.  The authors go on to argue for a ‘whole person’ approach, since this approach provided insight into the multiple stressors and emotional demands staff faced. It also revealed staff resourcefulness in managing their professional and personal roles. They invested in relationships with women but were also aware of their limits – the need to be self-caring, employ strategies to switch-off, set boundaries or keep a protective distance.  Overall, the paper concludes hat staff’s well-being initiatives, and research into well-being, would benefit from adopting a holistic approach that incorporates home and family with work. Research on emotion regulation strategies could provide insights into managing roles, responsibilities, and the emotional demands of working in maternity services. Emotion regulation strategies could be included in midwifery and obstetric training.

This paper was proceeded by a more methodological paper on the application of Appreciative Inquiry in this study [2].

 

References:

  1. Arnold, R., Way, S., Mahato, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2023) “I might have cried in the changing room, but I still went to work”. Maternity staff managing roles, responsibilities, and emotions of work and home during COVID-19: an Appreciative Inquiry, Women & Birth (online first) 
  2. Arnold, R., Gordon, C., Way, S., Mahato, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2022) Why use Appreciative Inquiry? Lessons learned during COVID-19 in a UK maternity service, European Journal of Midwifery 6 (May): 1-7.

Dorset Serious Crime Project

Dorset Community Action has been commissioned by the Home Office to carry out interviews in support of their Serious Crime Project.

The aim is that this project will add valuable insight and context to wider research and analysis being undertaken to inform a local strategic needs assessment, and ultimately the Dorset Serious Violence Strategy.

The intended outcome from these case studies of victim/survivors of serious violence is to gain a greater understanding of their individual situations:

·       Were there certain conditions in place at the time the serious violence happened.

·       Was the serious violence a pattern of behaviour, possibly an escalation of behaviour and offending.

·       How had being a victim of serious violence impacted on the individual emotionally and physically.

·       What pre- and post-offence interventions from services were available, accepted, required;

(or what wasn’t available but needed/wanted)

·       How has the overall experience influenced both current and future behaviour.

The participants need to be Dorset residents and over 18.

Please, find more information in the flyer here: Serious Crime Request Flier

All final data will be shared with all stakeholders involved in the project.

Any support you can offer with this project will be very much appreciated.

Principal Investigation-13th September

Training

 

 

Post Award for RKE – Principal Investigation

 

This session is aimed at any researcher who is, who plans to be, a Principal Investigator for an externally funded research or knowledge exchange project.

Topics covered include:

• What is post award?

• Roles and responsibilities
• Systems
• Key policies
• Starting your awarded project
• Making changes to your project and reporting

• Hints and tips

By the end of the session, attendees will have a strong foundation of what to expect when being responsible for their awarded projects.

The first session is on Talbot campus, on Wednesday 13th September, 14:00-15:00

 

You can find a suitable date and book your space here: Booking Form

For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact Alex Morrison, Post Award Programme Manager morrisona@bournemouth.ac.uk

Recruiting : FMC Reps for the Research Staff Association

The BU Research Staff Association (RSA) is a forum to promote research culture at BU. Research staff from across BU are encouraged to attend to network with others researchers, disseminate their work, discuss career opportunities, hear updates on how BU is implementing the Research Concordat, and give feedback or raise concerns that will help to develop and support the research community at BU.

The Association is run by three leaders, supported by at least two reps from each faculty.

Eligible research staff are those on research-only contracts – fixed-term or open-ended employment  (not PTHP/casual contracts).

If you are interested in the FMC rep role, please supply a few words to demonstrate your suitability, interest, availability in relation to the position to Researchdev@bournemouth.ac.uk by the 20/09/23.

Please contact your faculty RSA rep to chat about it if you have any queries.

RED-Research & Enterprise Database

Post-award

 

This session is aimed at all academics to provide an overview of the Research & Enterprise Database, including how to access the system, the information available to view, budget management via RED, and how to use RED to identify your supporting pre and post award officers.

The first, online session is on Tuesday 12th September, 15:30-16:00 and it will be repeated on a monthly basis.

You can find a suitable date and book your space here Introduction to RED

 

For any queries regarding this workshop, please contact Alex Morrison Post Award Programme Manager morrisona@bournemouth.ac.uk

RKEDF Impact Planning Training 7th September

Training

 

As part of the RKEDF Impact Essentials programme, booking is now open for the Impact Essentials: creating your impact development plan 2-hour in-person workshops. There are 4 dates to choose from and they will be delivered on both Talbot and Lansdowne campuses, so hopefully there will be a date and time that is convenient for everyone who would like to attend.

This workshop are for researchers at all career stages and at all stages of the project lifecycle – from formulating research questions and preparing grant applications to developing a potential impact case study. This practical workshop provides the tools, advice and time to start putting together your own plan to achieve impact. By the end of the session, you will have created a detailed impact development plan, tailored to your particular needs and stage of impact development.

The first session is on Talbot campus (room tbc) on 7th September, 13:00-15:00.

You can find a suitable date and book your space here: Impact Essentials – Bournemouth University Intranet.

Conversation article: How community markets for all could be a sustainable alternative to food banks

Dr Rounaq Nayak writes for The Conversation about his research into the value of community food banks…

How community markets for all could be a sustainable alternative to food banks

Troyan/Shutterstock

Rounaq Nayak, Bournemouth University

The number of people using food banks in the UK has increased from 26,000 in 2008-09 to more than 100 times that in 2023. Nearly one in five British households experienced moderate to severe food insecurity in September 2022.

In the financial year to April 2023, Trussell Trust, the largest (but not the only) network of food banks in the UK, distributed emergency food parcels to nearly three million people.

Food banks provide free, pre-prepared parcels of food to those most in need. They have provided a great deal of support for low-income families, especially during the cost of living crisis.

However, they are not perfect. Food banks offer people little choice, are dependent on unreliable supply chains. Research has also shown that people who use food banks often experience shame and stigma when doing so.

My research, with colleague Heather Hartwell at Bournemouth University, has found a viable alternative. Community markets selling food and household items at subsidised rates to all could be a sustainable solution to the problems with existing food support programmes.

Food banks rely heavily on donations. But rising food prices means even would-be donors are struggling to buy that extra can of beans and other items. Beneficiaries of food banks also told us that parcels were mostly made up of dried, tinned and processed foods.

While it is important that parcels have a long shelf life, people experiencing food poverty want a choice of fresh and frozen food items, including meat. The constraints in the range and quality of food available are also associated with health problems such as diabetes, asthma and obesity.

Food banks also do not empower people who use them to become self-sufficient. Rather, they often result in long-term reliance on food aid. Hence, food banks offer temporary relief from hunger without addressing the bigger issues that lead to food insecurity.

Community markets

Community markets operate differently to food banks. They are open to everyone in the local community, regardless of income level, and provide a range of food choices along with other items such as school uniforms and toiletries.

We interviewed 38 people who regularly used or were involved in the operation of these programmes in the UK. Through these discussions, we assessed how well community markets address the challenges of food security, and found that they are a possible solution to the limitations of food banks and parcel distribution.

Community markets do not solely rely on donations from the public or businesses. They pay a subscription to charity networks such as FareShare, which provide the market with items in bulk, which are sold to the community at a subsidised rate. All revenue from sales is reinvested to pay for future bulk purchases.

People with low incomes who shop at community markets told us they enjoyed having food at affordable food prices and felt a stronger sense of autonomy, and being part of the community. They did not feel their reliance on food support was a barrier to being part of society. As one person said:

I very much prefer being able to choose my food instead of being given parcels. … It just feels dignified to be able to pay for goods, even if it is at subsidised rates, and then being able to choose what I want based on what I would like to eat.

A middle-aged man wearing a face mask and carrying a shopping basket in front of refrigerator cases in a supermarket
People across social classes are struggling with high food prices.
Anna Nahabed/Shutterstock

Food for all

These markets can be used by people from across the community, including those on a higher income. People who were more well-off told us they wanted to shop at the markets because they felt they were giving back, spending their money to be reinvested in the programme:

I thought that people who would come to the market … would be very needy, not only financially but mentally as well but it isn’t like that … I like shopping here because the money I pay is invested back into the community.

Additionally, community markets serve as a hub, offering organised group activities and services for people, such as cooking and gardening classes, yoga and sewing. Through these activities, the community markets are tackling loneliness and other health issues – not just hunger.

Community markets are economically self-sufficient. They use revenue generated from selling products at subsidised rates to subscribe to charitable food surplus redistribution organisations. This financial independence sets them apart from food banks, which often rely on grants. They can also be environmentally sustainable, actively reducing food waste and their carbon footprint by redistributing surplus food to local emergency services and farms.

As more people rely on food aid, it’s important that local councils and national governments support alternatives to food banks. For the family struggling to fill the fridge or the student coping with higher rent, our findings show community markets could be of significant help, while allowing people to maintain their dignity and be part of their community.The Conversation

Rounaq Nayak, Lecturer in Sustainable Agri-Food Systems, Bournemouth University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Masterclass: Writing for Policy and Building your Online Profile – 7th September

Knowledge Exchange

This is a free online event for academics interested in policy engagement, run by Showrunner Communications on 7th September, 13:00-15:00. You can sign up via Eventbrite.

During this session, participants will learn to write for policy stakeholders, including advice on drafting comment articles and blogs, and Select Committee and Government consultation responses.

This session will also focus on building participants’ professional social media profiles and emphasising their expertise online.

Showrunner’s training workshops build the understanding and skills that academics need to effectively achieve policy impact throughout their careers.

This session will be delivered by Nicky Hobbs and Jennifer Harrison, who are communications, policy, and education specialists, in partnership with Showrunner Communications and the Future Leaders Fellows Development Network.

Jennifer Harrison

Jennifer has a distinctive track record within the fields of policy, public affairs, and communications, on behalf of national and local government, the voluntary and community sector, and higher education. Her work has been used by think tanks and policy institutes, directly influenced legislative and policy change, and has represented policy interests at the highest level, including meetings with ministers, in regional and national media, and at parliamentary inquiries.

Jennifer was Durham University’s first policy engagement lead, working with academics to successfully achieve REF and societal impact. This included helping to secure the first ever parliamentary inquiry into urban soil health, securing changes to criminal justice legislation, and campaigning to end irresponsible lending practices that exacerbate poverty. She has been Chair of the Russell Group Political Affairs Network and has contributed widely to thought leadership across the sector, including policy blogs and conference speaking engagements focusing on the nature of policy engagement and research impact.

Nicky Hobbs

Nicky is a communications and engagement leader with over two decades of experience, Nicky has run programmes and led teams for multiple private and public sector organisations.

Nicky has led award-winning communications departments in two Russell Group universities; UCL and Queen Mary and stakeholder engagement at a Government department. At Queen Mary, Nicky led communications for the ground-breaking City of London Institute of Technology which opened in 2022. As a consultant, she has led engagement campaigns for multiple social enterprises and charities and has significant expertise in developing high-impact digital content with a focus on higher and further education.

 

The Journal of Asian Midwives’ 10th anniversary

international, open access, Publishing, writing

This week the Journal of Asian Midwives published its latest issue.  Celebrating a decade of publishing, this is the first issue of volume 10.  The journal is Open Access and freely available online for anybody who wants to read it (click here!).  In the editorial of this new issue the editors highlighted online events around the International Day of the Midwife, the ICM (International Confederation of Midwives) Triennial Congress in Bali, Indonesia in June, and the acceptance of the Journal of Asian Midwives by SCOPUS [1].  The editorial finishes by highlighting new additions to the journal, including the opportunity to submit short research proposals, or proposals for improvement in service or practice, blogs and from the next issue onwards, short view point articles.

 

Reference:

  1. van Teijlingen, E., Jan, R., Mubeen, K., Musaddique, A. (2023) Editorial – summer 2023. Journal of Asian Midwives, 10(1): 1–3.

Development fund from the British Academy ECRN

Funding opportunities

We are excited to announce that theDevelopment fund from the British Academy Early Career Research Network in the South West is now open.

Development fund (rolling call): This fund provides the opportunity for ECRs to hold an event, roundtable, meeting or training activity, which promotes networking, collaboration, knowledge sharing or develops skills throughout the region, and can be extended to the wider ECR network if appropriate.

ECRs can claim a total of £3000 towards their activities which will need to be paid for by their institution and then expensed back to the BA.

 

Please be aware that to be eligible to apply for these you will need to sign up to the  British Academy Early Career Rersearcher Network via this link

If you have any questions, please contact:   talentandskills@gw4.ac.uk

BA Seed funding call NOW OPEN

Funding opportunities

This year’s BA ECRN seed funding and development fund call is now live.

We are pleased to announce of the next round of seed funding for ECRs in the South West. The aim of this scheme will be to create and support new cross-sector research partnerships and offer the funding to support ECR career development.

These small awards (of up to £3K) will support the direct costs associated with activities that support new research, the development of new stakeholder relationships, broadening knowledge of a sector, future career options or accessing resources and facilities.

British Academy Seed Fund SW Hub bids will need a  e-ITB to be completed 4 weeks before the deadline so the relevant FDO can open a RED ID, prep a costing and send off the approval request to the Faculty, before the PI can submit.

The e-ITB can be found here: Intention to Bid Form  2023 (office.com)

This needs to be done by 30 August 2023 to meet the BA deadline of 27th September 2023.

Please be aware that to be eligible to apply for these you will need to sign up to the  British Academy Early Career Rersearcher Network via this link

 

If you have any questions, please contact:   talentandskills@gw4.ac.uk

Sarah Clark, BU MSc Student gives a presentation at The Ehlers-Danlos Society Global Learning Conference in Dublin on 3rd August, presenting her May 2021 BMJ paper “Help me trust you after my misdiagnosis”.

Sarah Clark, BU MSc Student gives a presentation at The Ehlers-Danlos Society Global Learning Conference in Dublin on 3rd August, presenting her May 2021 BMJ paper “Help me trust you after my misdiagnosis”.  

https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/events/2023-global-learning-conference/

Sarah, who has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, is a Masters student at BU studying Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology.  Sarah sits as a patient expert in the EDS International Consortium, Psychiatric and Psychological Aspects Working Group: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/international-consortium-working-groups/#psychiatric

Sarah has personal interests in “the diagnostic journey”, ‘harm from the medical system” and “medically-induced PTSD”, having previously been under a community mental health team for 15 years and misdiagnosed with the highly stigmatising label of EUPD.  Raising awareness of the harm caused by misdiagnosis is of huge importance to Sarah.   In fact, Sarah was diagnosed last May with Autism Spectrum Condition, a realisation she only made thanks to attending the autism lectures on her MSc course here at BU!  For her MSc Research Project she is researching “What are the daily experiences of autistic people living with hEDS?”

Sarah is studying part-time at BU due to the amount of time managing several complex medical conditions takes each day, but alongside managing her wellbeing, Sarah regularly engages in public awareness work, volunteering and charity fundraising work. She is also a keen photographer, writer and yogi and was featured in Hotpod Yoga’s Move with Purpose Campaign recently where she talked about her late-autism diagnosis: https://hotpodyoga.com/move-with-purpose/

IMIV MRI Research Project Scheme 2023 – Call Re-opens

BU Challenges, NHS

The Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation (IMIV) has re-opened its call for applications for the IMIV MRI Research Project Scheme 2023.

Under the scheme, imaging research projects can apply for up to 100 hours of scanning time on the IMIV’s state-of-the-art 3T Siemens Lumina MRI scanner.

  • The focus of the scheme is on multi-disciplinary and cross-institutional projects, and priority will be given to projects with a clinical partnership.
  • All research projects must have a Bournemouth University researcher as lead or co-lead applicant.
  • Projects must be able to demonstrate how they will lead to peer-reviewed academic outputs and external funding applications for further MR imaging studies.

Please note: the award does not cover any additional expenses related to scanning, or other aspects of the project.

Deadline for applications: 1st October 2023. 

For further information and an application form, please email imiv@bournemouth.ac.uk.