Reflecting on (the challenge of) conducting participatory research as a research-degree student

Participatory research appeals to notions of community empowerment and of generating more valid data grounded in the lived experiences of communities. For research-degree students, however, implementing such an approach can complicate an already challenging endeavour. Participatory research may juxtapose the institutional mechanisms surrounding a research degree and provide practical barriers to research-degree students. Reflecting on my own experience attempting to conduct a piece of participatory research for my doctoral research, this article concludes that participation should be viewed as an expansive concept and that any meaningful attempt to progress along a continuum of participation should be recognized and encourage

Volunteering as a public health issue: Barriers to participation

Introduction Volunteering is acknowledged to benefit individual, community, and population health and wellbeing. However, those who have the most to gain from volunteering are often least likely to take part. There are questions about how to ensure all groups, especially those who experience social exclusion, can benefit from volunteering. This presentation reports on a rapid review of volunteering, public health and inequalities, with a focus on the barriers to volunteering experienced by population groups with characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010 (i.e. age, disability, gender, pregnancy/maternity, ethnicity, relationship status, religion, sexual orientation). Methods A rapid review of evidence describing barriers to volunteering experienced by each of the ‘protected characteristics’ was undertaken. After searching and screening, 98 relevant papers were identified across peer-reviewed and grey literature. Data were extracted and evidence synthesised across each of the groups. Results A varied number of papers were identified for each protected characteristic. ‘Age’ (n=23) and ‘sexual orientation’ (n=0) and ‘pregnancy/maternity’ (n=0) were the most and least common respectively. The greatest number of barriers were identified for ‘age’, ‘disability’, and ‘gender’, possibly due to limited research in other areas. There were some cross cutting barriers but also distinct barriers were identified in relation to specific groups. Conclusion Barriers to volunteering are not experienced homogenously within or across protected characteristic groups. The relationship between protected characteristics and barriers to volunteering is complex. The findings help identify appropriate processes promoting social inclusion to ensure all groups can benefit from volunteering. Funding was provided by Volunteering Matters

Factors affecting General Practice–Voluntary and Community Sector (VSC) collaboration to address health inequalities in deprived communities

Introduction General Practice (GP) in socio-economically deprived communities is under pressure to address patients’ medical issues with a social dimension or arising from patients’ social situations. Many GPs are ill-equipped to address such problems, repackaging them as ‘medical’ issues and treated with pharmacological interventions. A more holistic approach to primary care, linking the resources of GPs with voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations embedded in their communities, can yield benefits for individuals and health systems and is advocated by many clinicians and policy makers. The presentation reports on empirical research to describe factors positively and negatively affecting GP-VCS collaboration in deprived communities. Method The working relationship between pairs of GPs and VCS organisations was explored following a qualitative case-study approach. Interviews (n=18) and focus groups (n=1) were conducted with staff working across four GPs and their ‘sister’ VCS organisations. Participants were asked to describe the working relationship between organisations, important aspects to the collaboration, and areas for improvement. Analysis involved drawing out commonalities and differences regarding GP-VCS collaboration across respondents. Results A range of collaborative models between GPs and VCS organisations were described. Physical proximity, shared aims, and personal relationships are pivotal to effective collaboration. Other factors affecting collaboration include time, policy support/infrastructure, resources, leadership, working culture, and communication. Conclusions Effective and sustainable GP-VCS collaborations do not occur spontaneously but require ongoing mutual investment. The findings help identify processes contributing to successful GP-VCS collaborations to address health inequalities in deprived communities. The research was funded by Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group

The ‘Year of Care’ in Leeds: implications for primary care practice

There is a growing policy discourse and empirical evidence which suggests a need for a shift in the way that care is delivered for people with long-term conditions – moving from an expert-driven consultation to one based on collaboration and partnership. Year of Care is an approach to managing long-term conditions, focused on personalised care planning whereby patients work together with the clinician using a collaborative process of shared decision-making to agree goals, identify support needs, develop and implement action plans, and monitor progress. This paper reports the learning from implementing Year of Care in Leeds where nine ‘early adopter’ sites rolled-out the programme. Process and delivery issues are highlighted in the paper, including the challenge of navigating cultural change in General Practice and training and support issues. It is anticipated that this learning and insight will have utility beyond Leeds to other areas adopting greater patient centred care models