(Photo shows: Dr Rebecca Abbot, Dr Noreen Orr, Alison Bethel, Morwenna Rogers, Prof Jo Thompson-Coon, Harriet Hunt, Rebecca Whear)

The close of 2019 saw a very special anniversary – ten years of evidence synthesis at PenARC. Evidence synthesis is a way of bringing together and summarising all of the research on a particular topic or question. Our Evidence Synthesis Team work closely with those who will eventually use their findings to help inform evidence-based practice and develop capacity in this skilled area across the south west.

We decided to celebrate the team’s birthday with a special feature to find out who they are,...

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Following on from the success of previous training programmes, our operational research team, PenCHORD, are launching the first ever Police Service Modelling Associates Programme (PSMA). The scheme, which launches on January 28th, will see associates, recruited from Devon & Cornwall Police staff, the College of Policing and other regional forces, receive mentoring and training to support them to undertake projects which will lead to real impact and embed evidence-based decision making and operational research skills within the service.

The 9 month PSMA programme, which is primarily a mentoring programme, will continue the same structure of the enormously successful Health Services Modelling Associates Programme...

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A healthcare researcher has secured a prestigious Post-Doctoral fellowship after a highly competitive selection process. The award, of £200,000, will fund and support a three-year project to help improve decision-making in health and social care in the South West before being rolled out nationally.

Dr Sean Manzi, a healthcare researcher from the University of Exeter, was granted the funding from The Healthcare Improvement Studies (THIS) Institute. Through the fellowship programme, THIS Institute is boosting research activity to provide more clarity on what works in improving healthcare, what doesn’t, and why. 

Dr Manzi, who works with PenCHORD, the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South...

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PenARC are pleased to invite, in partnership with The University of Exeter’s College of Medicine and Health, applications for a fully-funded PhD studentship. The studentship will be based in the Health Statistics Group in the College of Medicine and Health at the St Luke’s Campus in Exeter. The PhD is on statistical aspects of the design, conduct and data analysis of cluster randomised controlled trials in health research.

Cluster randomised trials are studies in which clusters of individuals are allocated to the trial arms and outcomes are measured on participants associated with those clusters. The clusters may be areas (e.g. villages), organisations...

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DE-STRESS Project shortlisted for Mind Media Award

A series of items about antidepressant use on Radio 4s PM programme featuring a collaborative project between the universities of Exeter and Plymouth (funded by Economic and Social Research Council and supported by PenARC), has been shortlisted for an award at the Mind Mental Health awards. Held annually, the awards recognise and celebrate the best possible representations of mental health across TV, radio, print and online media.

Nominated in the radio category, the series, Antidepressant Withdrawal, features the work of the DE-STRESS project. The series came about after an initial report by Sarah Vine generated a huge response from...

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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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