Research internship with the Improving Population Health (IPH) theme

Background: It is widely recognised that social factors such as housing, education, employment, and social connections have a significant impact on health and wellbeing. Working within a social model offers opportunities to address such factors and prevents (further) deterioration in health. Overburdened NHS services are under increasing pressure, people are living longer, and often with complex health needs. The NHS Long Term Plan (2019) and the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health (2016) have emphasised the importance of a preventative, collaborative approach, forging closer working relationships across sectors to address the social determinants of health. In the context of unparalleled levels of demand, limited resources, and changing population needs, partnership working across sectors is essential “as different providers bring different elements of expertise, working in partnership can deliver high quality care through considering more holistic options” (Marmot et al., 2014).

Research aims and objectives: This study will examine the implementation of the Life Rooms Social Model of Health into an early years setting across the Liverpool City Region. More specifically, the study aims:
• to understand the successes and challenges of the implementation of the Life Rooms from the perspective of staff at the Life Rooms and within Children’s Centres, and
• to establish key points of learning which can be utilised in the implementation of future projects within the Life Rooms.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with a maximum of ten staff from the Life Rooms’ team and the Children’s Centre in which the implementation of the Life Rooms took place. Participants will be purposively sampled to ensure that a range of views and experiences are included in the study findings. Participants will consider their experience of implementing the Life Rooms’ services into an early years setting within a Children’s Centre. The interview questions and topic guide will be designed in line with the Normalisation Process Theory framework to guide the data collection, allowing the researcher to understand successes and challenges of the implementation process. This method will enable gathering of rich, personalised data to understand whether the implementation of the intervention was valued, or not, and why, whilst considering the wider context of the professionals’ circumstances and other relevant factors. Semi-structured interviews will be recorded, transcribed, and analysed in NVivo using thematic analysis. Data from the interviews will be coded against the relevant domains of the Normalisation Process Theory framework, to understand the experience and process of implementation of this service, as well as identify successes and challenges.

Patient and public involvement: The researcher aims to consult three parents/carers, who have accessed the Life Rooms within a Children’s Centre and who are not going to take part in the study, to give an overview of their experience of using the service. Their involvement will be used to validate the data collected and its interpretation before using it in the final report, as well as ensuring there is input from people who have accessed the service. The responses from these parents/carers will be collected informally and the final report will detail the ways in which service users have advised and/or contributed to the study findings.

Potential impact: Understanding a range of perspectives about the implementation of this service in a new setting will enable new ways of thinking, acting, and organising in health and social care work (University of Aberdeen, 2010).

For more information, contact georgina.byrne-watts@merseycare.nhs.uk