PenARC and the University of Exeter are collaborating with universities and charities across the UK in a £2.2 million project. The project aims to improve how researchers and health and social care services use data to improve the care and quality of life for care home residents, families and staff.

The four-year National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded study, led by the University of Hertfordshire, will address the need to develop robust systems to support how different services and individuals (e.g. care staff, NHS professionals, family, regulators, social services) work together for residents’ benefit.

‘Developing research resources and minimum data set...

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Postdoctoral Research Associate or Postdoctoral Research Fellow - PenCHORD (ref: P47520)

Do you want to help drive innovative use of data science, deep learning, and operational research in real world health service problems? Then this could be the perfect job for you.

  Our operational research team, PenCHORD, are looking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Associate or Postdoctoral Research Fellow (depending on qualifications and experience) to support the work of the multi-disciplinary team, based in Exeter. PenCHORD use data science and operational research (OR) methods to improve health service provision with a focus on the South West of England but with national and international applicability.... Read more

In a time when people are living longer, but with more complex healthcare needs, GPs are increasingly using social prescribing to help manage conditions.

The practice involves prescribing non-medical, community or social activities via a link worker – and the current UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, has stated that social prescribing is a priority and will be available in every GP practice by 2024.

But researchers agree there is not enough evidence on what works, for whom and why. Now a new study by the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter has started to shed light on...

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An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Research Fellow to join the Community and Primary Care Research Group within the Faculty of Heath: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences. Research in this group is conducted through the involvement of practitioners, and the public, who are instrumental in helping to develop focused research questions and in designing projects. 

The Community and Primary Care Reserach Group are looking for a post-doctoral researcher with experience of researching social prescribing, person-centred care and/or integrated health and social care systems, with a particular focus on engaging with the voluntary sector. The ideal candidate would demonstrate excellent communication and relationship building...

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Domestic violence and abuse is devastating and impacts the whole family, not just the person who is the focus of the abuse. But children can often be hidden victims or fail to get appropriate support. Research shows that only half of children affected by domestic violence and abuse are known to social services and only 42 per cent receive support from a specialist abuse service. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in the South West is driving forward ground-breaking research to understand the experiences and needs of children affected by domestic violence and abuse and looking at innovative ways...

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Today marks the start of a new era of health research in the South West as PenCLAHRC relaunches as a NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC). But what exactly is an ARC?

The ARC programme is a NIHR-funded network of research collaborations across England established in order to support applied health and care research, and to respond to and meet the needs of local populations and health care providers. The funding is part of a £135 million investment in health research aimed at tackling the biggest challenges the health and care system faces over the next five years.

The successor to the CLAHRC programme,...

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New research has shown how parental engagement has a positive effect on a child’s academic attainment regardless of age or socio-economic status.

The study, commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation and supported by PenCLAHRC, was conducted by the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter and highlights areas of promise for how schools and early years settings can support parents to improve their children’s learning.

The report showed that for school-aged children, home-school partnership is hugely important – especially where schools personalise communications about a child’s progress and make them accessible, for example, through text messages.

The study also highlighted how family literacy interventions can help to boost younger...

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Dr Barbara Vann has been appointed chair of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula (also known as PenARC) Management Board. A University of Exeter Honorary Graduate, Dr Vann will take up the role at the launch of PenARC in October 2019 when the current CLAHRC round draws to a close.

PenCLAHRC director, Professor Stuart Logan said: ‘We are enormously pleased that Dr Vann has agreed to take on the role of chairperson of the PenARC Management Board as we embark on our next, exciting iteration as an ARC. We look forward to working with her and extend a...

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We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Research Fellow with expertise in qualitative methods and health services research to join the Faculty of Health: Medicine, Dentistry and Human Sciences at The University of Plymouth.

Based in the Community and Primary Care Research Group this is an opportunity to develop and lead a programme of research and implementation within the National Institute for Health Research's Peninsula Applied Research Collaboration (PenARC). working locally and nationally with leading academics, key stakeholders and communities.

An important part of the role will be to build on opportunities and partnerships with leading health services researchers across the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter as...

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Do you have a passion for Implementation Science, Knowledge Mobilisation and Health Research? Then we have a fantastic opportunity to join the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South West Peninsula (PenARC) Implementation Science Group. This is a chance to work on a range of existing and new projects and to play an active role in identifying new topic areas for development.

Understanding how to put effective health care into practice is a crucial link in the chain to improve the population’s health. Implementation Science helps to provide this link by drawing on a range of research methods.

This post will be funded from the NIHR ARC...

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