A warm Welcome to your new

Faculty of Health Sciences

From 1st August the former Programme Area of Psychology and Mental

Health and the former Faculty of Health came together as a new Faculty of

Health Sciences.

The structure of the new Faculty is of three Schools:

School of Psychology, Sport and Exercise

School of Social Work, Allied and Public Health

School of Nursing and Midwifery

While we have some interim and transitional arrangements in place, Faculty Man-

agement Team appointments have been made and are as follows:

Hilary Jones: Dean

Dawn Holding: Associate Dean – Learning and Teaching

Chris Raper: Associate Dean – Partnerships and Recruitment

Dr Nigel Thomas: Associate Dean – Scholarship, Enterprise and Research

Linda Harty: Head of School – School of Social Work, Allied & Public Health

Dr Peter Jones: Head of School – Psychology, Sport and Exercise

Roy Thompson: Head of School – School of Nursing and Midwifery

Lisa Miceli: Faculty Director of Business, Planning and Resources

As a new Faculty we have recruited well including over the crucial Clearing

period so are in a good position as we move into the 2012-13 academic year.

All of our full time undergraduate recruitment targets have been met, with some

programmes, particularly in Sport and Exercise and Psychology taking on addi-

tional students. The Faculty takes four out of the top 5 places for University

AAB+ recruitment, with programmes in Sport and Exercise and Social Work tak-

ing the honours.

NHS commissioned programmes have also recruited to target and our postgrad-

uate, CPD and work based learning programmes enrol students throughout the

year and recruitment here is as planned.

I look forward to working with you in the new Faculty.

Hilary Jones, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences h.m.jones@staffs.ac.uk

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Clinical

Psychology

Conference

2

Pre Registration

Validation

2

Health Service

Journal

Publication

3

Conference

Publication

4

Roayl Collge of

Physicians &

Surgeons of

Glasgow

4

Stepping up to

Social Work

4

Newspaper

Award

5

Quit Smoking 6

Radio Shropshire Interview

7

“Things we forgot to re-member”

7

CPSI e-health and tele-health research Symposium

8

Publications and Conferences

9

FAC ULTY

O F H EA LT H

S CI EN C ES

Health

Sciences Brief Feb ruar y 2013 I S S U E 2

P A G E 2

Conference: Clinical Psychology

November 2012 saw the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme team hosted the 21st Annual Conference of

the Group of Trainers in Clinical Psychology (GTiCP). GTiCP is a sub-group of the British Psychological Society

Division of Clinical Psychology, and serves as a network for people delivering clinical psychology training

programmes across the UK. It provides a forum for discussion and debate of matters of strategic importance to

clinical psychology training, as well as more practical and operational support to those involved in training.

The three day conference was held at the Moat House Hotel, Festival Park, and attracted around 150 delegates. As

well as being an opportunity to showcase our training programme and local area, we were able to deliver an

interesting and stimulating programme balancing academic and professional content, updates, networking, and social

and cultural activities.

Our opening keynote paper on Monday was given by Professor Chris Cullen, Emeritus Professor of Clinical

Psychology, Keele University, and Clinical Director of Psychological Therapies, North Staffordshire Combined

Healthcare NHS Trust, 1995-2012. Chris reflected on 40 years of experience and change in the profession and the

journey through which clinical psychology had ‘broken free’ from the dominance of psychiatry to become very

much a part of public consciousness. On Tuesday evening we were further informed by a stimulating address from

Staffordshire University’s Dr Mark Forshaw, Chair of the BPS Membership Standards Board and of the EuroPsy

National Awarding Committee. Mark outlined the new European Qualifications Directive (EQD), which aims to

facilitate mobility of professionals between Member States of the EU, and helped us to consider the ramifications

that the EQD might have for all of us in determining how UK training stacks up against that in other nations. Mark

is pictured below delivering his address, introduced by the DClinPsy Programme Director, Professor Helen Dent.

The remainder of the programme comprised parallel strands based around the themes of: Service User Role in

Training; Quality Enhancement; Widening Participation; Self Care; New Developments in Training and Employment;

and Competencies for Clinical Psychologists, thus offering delegates both choice and consistency within themes.

Pre Registration Nursing Validation

The Faculty is pleased to announce the successful validation of the Pre Registration Nursing

Programme this week. As part of the routine five yearly review of programmes; the new Pre

Registration Nursing Programme was approved by a conjoint panel of Higher Education and Nursing and

Midwifery Council representatives.

The programme received 4 commendations, and feedback from the panel that they were impressed by

the involvement of our clinical partners, the maturity of our students and their ability to reflect on their

professional education, and how the Faculty actively engages with all our key partners.

Roy Thompson, Head of School Nursing and Midwifery

P A G E 3

Health Services Journal Publication

L ecturer Rob Brittlebank and Ian Carruthers Education and Widening Participation Manager,

University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust have had a jointly written article published in the highly

regarded Health Services Journal. Entitled: Take the Frustration out of Aspiration, it reviews the successes of the

Faculty’s Foundation Degree in Leadership and Management.

While leadership development in the NHS has a high profile at senior and top management levels, this joint

initiative has sought to include more junior and aspiring leaders in leadership development, where the bulk of the

day-to-day work is done and patient engagement through leadership on the ground is essential for effective

healthcare. This has been achieved by the delivery of a foundation degree aimed at junior and middle managers

who, for whatever reason, have not had the opportunity to access higher education through other routes. The

foundation degree has been run on a half day per week basis, delivered on-site at the Trust’s healthcare careers

and skills academy by the University.

It was important that the award was designed around the NHS leadership and qualities framework, with emphasis

on work-based learning. In addition, the formal learning has included input from Trust senior managers and staff-

side representation. For the assessments to be meaningful there was a focus on the practical application of skills in

the workplace. Leadership was a central theme to all of the modules, which were delivered in the context of the

students’ work roles so there was a clear connection between the theory and its practical application.

A successful bid for development funds from the Staffordshire and Shropshire

Lifelong Learning Network also enabled on-going evaluation of the programme

by focus groups of learners and the production of individual case studies which

have identified the benefits of the foundation degree in terms of individual

personal development and demonstrated by the successes of students in gaining

advancement within the Trust during the course of their learning.

The authors conclude that by offering learning and development at a foundation

degree level, Trusts in partnership with accredited education providers can

ensure that junior and aspiring managers are able to develop leadership skills

within their work role. This will prepare them for more demanding leadership

roles within their organisation and complement the skills of higher level

managers, to ensure a culture of leadership capable of taking the NHS forward

To meet the challenges of the reform agenda. Rob Brittlebank

Recognition of the Quality of Nursing and Midwifery

Education at Staffordshire University.

As part of the quality assurance mechanism employed by the regulator of Nursing and Midwifery

courses, the statutory and regulatory body responsible for the quality of nursing and midwifery

courses - the Nursing & Midwifery Council - has awarded Staffordshire University earned autonomy

this academic year.

This recognises the high level of performance and history of meeting the requirements for monitoring

and public protection. However, while the University will not receive a formal visit from the NMC we

are required to provide a self-evaluation report and declaration of our NMC approved course. Thank

you all for your hard work and effort to help achieve this status and for providing an excellent student

experience. r.a.thompson@staffs.ac.uk

Conference

Presentation Faculty of Health Sciences Nursing and

Midwifery in collaboration with Mid-

Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and

Teeside University presented 2 papers and a

poster at the 4th International NETNEP

Conference in Baltimore, USA on 19th June

2012. The conference was attended by delegates

from across the world.

Clinician Kathryn Cottis and Professor Rob

McSherry presented the first paper entitled

"Quality Nursing Equals Quality learning?:

Introducing the Educational Review and

Performance Quality Indicators Dashboard".

Lecturers Terri Rapson and Mary Stringer

presented the second paper entitled "Embracing

External Scrutiny to Build Bridges and Genuine

Partnerships Between Education and Clinical

Practice".

A poster entitled "Independent Verification:

Enhancing and Assuring the Quality of Educational

Audit" was also presented.

P A G E 4

Staffordshire University plays a role in the New Faculty at the

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow) is the only multidisciplinary Royal College in the UK and

has been supporting and representing its members for over 400 years. It has a membership of to over 10,000 physicians,

surgeons, dental professionals and specialists in the field of travel medicine across the UK and worldwide. Over the last few

years the RCPSG has been developing a new faculty in Podiatric Medicine and a member of Staffordshire University staff,

David Dunning (Senior Lecturer in Clinical Biomechanics) has been a integral part of this exciting and innovative

development.

Dave has been helping to develop the clinical education part of this initiative and will be one of the Founding Executive

Board of the Faculty. At a ceremony in October he will be invested as an inaugural fellow of the new faculty.

For more information: D.N.Dunning@staffs.ac.uk

Stepping up to Social Work Former primary school teacher Kate Edmonds is part way through an intensive course

in social work in Sandwell.

She and four others beat thousands of other candidates to win a place on Step Up to Social Work, which

mixes frontline work and academic study and takes 18 months instead of the usual two years. Read the full

article at http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/downloads/file/3819/autumn_2012.

Well done Kate for a well balanced portrayal of the programme.

P A G E 5 NEWSPAPER AWARD The Sentinel “Our Heroes Award” WINNER

Many congratulations go to Professor Christine Kettle, who in a

follow up to September’s Health Matters was presented with the award

of “Hero of the NHS”.

The annual Sentinel Our Heroes Awards ceremony was held on

Thursday 20th September 2012 at the Moat House Hotel, Festival Park,

Etruria. The event is staged to highlight the extraordinary lives and

achievements of ordinary people from across North Staffordshire and

South Cheshire. Following a black-tie dinner, 29 awards were handed

out during an Oscars-style ceremony. TV presenter Nick Hancock

presented the award to Professor Christine Kettle, a midwife who has

become a world renowned expert in her field. Christine, who grew up

in Newcastle, said: "It's amazing! It just puts the whole issue in the

spotlight, everything I wanted to do for women: locally, nationally and

internationally. I shall be carrying on with my work."

Photograph provided by the Sentinel

A further accolade for Professor Christine Kettle as she has been

awarded the University Hospital of North Staffordshire 'Employee of

the Year' for 2012.

Well done Chris ! Again……..!

A glimpse of the future of e-health in the NHS at the CPSI e-health and tele-health research symposium At the recent research symposium (9 November) on the subject of e-Health

organised by the Centre for Practice and Service Improvement

(CPSI) Professors Mike Dent (Staffordshire University) and Ken Eason

(Loughborough University) presented their findings from the NIHR HS&DR

funded project ‘Getting the Benefit from Electronic Patient Information that

Crosses Organisational Boundaries’ or EPICog for short.

This research examined the current range of systems supporting care

pathways within two Local Health Communities - Northants and Walsall.

The event marked the official publication of the report (available at

http://www.netscc.ac.uk/hsdr/projdetails.php?ref=08-1803-226).

The symposium brought together the latest research on e-health and

tele-health being carried out within the CPSI group, including a

fascinating presentation by Professor Christine Kettle on the PEARLS.net

project. This very successful internet based training package is now a

highly regarded practical training resource for health professionals

needing expertise in peritoneal repair skills.

P A G E 6

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY SCIENTISTS PIONEERING NEW QUIT SMOKING

METHOD

Scientists at Staffordshire University have been testing a revolutionary way to get 18-34 year

old women to quit smoking.

The research, carried out by Professor Sarah Grogan, Professor David Clark-Carter, Keira

Flett and other colleagues based at University of Leeds, Nottingham Trent University,

University of Canberra and Stoke Primary Care Trust, measured the effects of using computer

ageing technology to show how the study participants would look at age 72 if they continued to

smoke. They were also shown an image of what they would look like at the same age if they

quit smoking.

In interviews, women reported being highly motivated to quit smoking as a result of the

intervention and also felt more personal responsibility for quitting.

In a large scale study measuring attitudes towards smoking and perceived nicotine addiction,

young women smokers who saw images of how they would age with and without smoking had

significantly more positive attitudes to quitting smoking compared to women smokers who did

not see these images (the control group). They also felt less addicted to nicotine after the

Intervention and were more likely to plan to give up smoking compared to women in the control

group..

These studies suggest that appearance-related smoking interventions may be a useful

addition to conventional quit smoking methods.

Professor Grogan, said: “Body image is a major concern for many young women. Our

research tapped into this phenomenon and used these concerns positively to promote

health. It is well documented that smoking ages the skin, but seeing the effects on their own

faces had a marked impression on our respondents.

“Following this research, the University hopes that this technology will be rolled out across the

UK to make smoking cessation more effective for young people”.

Amy Dickin WPR Agency

amy@wpragency.co.uk 0121 456 3004

P A G E 7

BBC Radio Shropshire interview

Principal Lecturer in Clinical Education Terri Rapson and Mental Health student nurses Emma

Thomas and Natasha Price were interviewed on BBC Radio Shropshire on the 17 September to give a

local focus on the national “This is Nursing” campaign launched by the Royal College of Nursing. This

highlights that nursing is a demanding profession, requiring nurses to be competent at a wide range of

clinical skills and be compassionate too. The initiative shows the wide range of skills needed for nursing

and demonstrates how valuable the profession is.

The radio interview focused on what Staffordshire University has to offer for educating nurses in

Shropshire. Numbers of student nurses, simulation of clinical skills and practice placements were

discussed in order to provide listeners with an overview of

current facilities available in Shropshire. Terri pointed out that

having a University base on site with the Royal Shrewsbury &

Telford Hospitals has proved beneficial for maintaining strong

partnerships between education and clinical practice.

Both Emma and Natasha gave descriptions of their own

course experiences to illustrate what is involved. They explained

how nursing could be both challenging and demanding but also a

very rewarding and positive experience.

T.Rapson@staffs.ac.uk

“Things We Forgot To Remember History, Public

Health, Politics, Power and Collusion: Failing the

Poor and Avoiding the Blame”

Professor Patrick Saunders, a Consultant in Public Health from Sandwell PCTtook a personal and

professional journey through some of the great achievements of public and environmental health at a

lecture delivered on the 3rd of October at the Stoke campus. He looked at the impact these

achievements have had, and continue to have, on the lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

Rather than using the experiences of these achievements to craft the philosophy and practice of

contemporary public health, he argued that we have allowed the lessons of history to slip from our

corporate and professional memories.

The lecture posed some searching questions, explore some ideas for the future of public and

environmental health, and provoked some lively discussion.

Look out for future public health lectures. Future topics: communicable diseases, mental

health and alcohol. Professor Tony Stewart would welcome any other suggestions of topics.

Contact him at: antony.stewart@staffs.ac.uk

HEalth Brief Contact Details

Kerri Thomas

Faculty of Health Sciences, Staffordshire University, The Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury,

Shropshire. SY3 8XQ

Tel: 01743 261136 Email: k.thomas@staffs.ac.uk

Publications & Conferences P A G E 8

Gilbert, P. (2012) 'Spirituality and Equalities' in Sewell, H. The Equality Act 2010 in Mental Health: A guide to implementa-tion and issues for practice, London: Jessica Kingsley Cochrane T, Gidlow C, Kumar J, Mawby Y, Iqbal Z, Chambers R. (2012) Cross-sectional review of the response and treatment up-take from the NHS Health Checks programme in Stoke on Trent. Journal of Public Health; doi:10.1093/pubmed/fds088

Cottrell E, Chambers R, O’Connell P.(2012) Using simple tele-health in primary care to reduce blood pressure: a service evaluation. BMJ Online, .http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmjopen-2012-001391 Cochrane T, Davey R, Iqbal Z, Gidlow C, Kumar J, Chambers R, Mawby Y. .(2012) NHS Health Checks through general practice: randomised trial of population cardiovascular risk reduction. BMC Public Health; doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-944

Kumar J, Chambers R, Mawby Y, Iqbal Z, Ryder N. (2012)Reflection: NHS Health Checks – challenges of delivery and potential solutions for general practice teams in Stoke-on-Trent. Midlands Medicine 2012; 26 (6): 256-61.

In November 2012 Dr. Sarah Krähenbühl was invited to attend the National Policing Improvement

Agency conference on the Development and Implementation of Special Measures. This conference was

attended by Police Investigative Interviewers and Registered Intermediaries, and involved workshops in

connection with enabling vulnerable witnesses/victims and suspects to participate fully in legal

processes.

pia.police.uk

Sarah Krähenbühl s.krahenbuhl@staffs.ac.uk

Dr Liz Boath presented a keynote presentation - Tip Tapping Away: a systematic review of

the evidence for EFT at the International AAMET conference in Florence, Italy, October 2012

Dr Liz Boath, Reader in Health, Faculty of Health Sciences e.boath@staffs.ac.uk

Research Matters

Faculty and undergraduates were warmly invited to join the College of Osteopaths at their annual

student research conference, Research Matters, held on Saturday 17th November on the Stoke Campus, Staffordshire University. The conference covered an exciting range of topics and provided

undergraduates with the opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience.

Further details are available from the conference organisers Dr Julie Thompson and Ms Claire

Humpage via the Osteopathy Programme Senior Administrator (Mrs Kate Hantom) at

K.Hantom@staffs.ac.uk.