Putting theory into Practice Visiting Professor Bryan Stoten explains academia’s vital role in the future of the health service

a world of goodCoventry’s international approach to the future of healthcare

at Coventry University iSSue 3 2009

health

2 3

elcome to the autumn edition of Health at Coventry

University. Health education is increasingly influenced by global agendas and is moving away from a UK-centric approach. Coventry is embracing internationalisation in its curricula and providing an even richer experience for our students;

some of the ways we are doing this are outlined in the article on pages 8 and 9.

In July I visited South East Asia with the Dean of Health and Life Sciences Dr. Linda Merriman and several other Faculty members. We had a successful time working with an existing partner, Unity College International in Kuala Lumpur, where we are developing Nursing and Psychology courses. We also signed memoranda of understanding with two new partners, Masterskill University College of Health Sciences, KL and Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore, and began discussions with Inti University College, Malaysia.

We are exploring a range of possibilities with these international partners across our subject disciplines, including course development, staff and student exchange, and research collaborations. We also hope to involve our existing UK health service partners in these exciting developments. If you’re working in practice and would like to contribute to our globalisation plans, or have an idea about how we could incorporate practice into our international collaborations, get in touch, it would be great to hear your ideas.

Also in this issue of Health, Visiting Professor Bryan Stoten talks about his vision for healthcare over the next few years, Martin Bollard continues his series of articles on service user involvement, and you can read how Coventry is rapidly becoming a sector leader in the field of Assistive Technology.

From a research perspective we feature the recent Postgraduate research symposium and you can view this successful event on YouTube. We also cover the work of BioCore, one of the University’s research groups, which is internationally renowned for its work in Biomedical Computing.

Please do contact us if you’re interested in more information on any of the articles, or if you would like to make a contribution to a future edition of Health. We look forward to hearing from you.

dr andy Bridges Phd cPsychol cSci afBPsSAssociate DeanFaculty of Health & Life Sciences

welcome

contact uS

If you would like to find out more about any of the articles featured in this issue or about applied research or to subscribe to future issues of Health, please contact:

Gail Williams, Marketing Admissions and Recruitment Manager, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

Telephone: + 44 (0) 24 7679 5983Email: gail.williams@coventry.ac.uk Website: www.coventry.ac.uk/health

To see previous issues of Health visit:www.coventry.ac.uk/healthmagazine

credits: Managing Editor: gail williams Edited by: cheryl liddle Designed by: Kraken creativePrinted by emmersons

This publication is available in other formats on request. Please contact Marketing and Communications on +44 (0) 24 7688 8352

contentS

3 news Find out about a new course in sexual health

and a new manual for paramedics 6 assistive technology education Coventry’s user-centred approach to teaching

Assistive Technology 8 a world of good The University’s plan to double international

student numbers

10 Better involvement Facing the challenges and reaping the rewards

of user involvement 13 hdti opens for Business How the iconic building is making a difference

14 Putting theory into Practice Visiting Professor Bryan Stoten explains how

academia supports the healthcare system

16 noticeboard Find out the latest dates for open days you

can attend

new manual will be the first in the UK to offer advice and information relating to paramedics’ core clinical

procedures. The Manual of Clinical Paramedic Procedures supports

the practice of paramedics, ambulance technicians, first responders and volunteer ambulance personnel. It includes the latest, evidence-based expert knowledge, enabling paramedics to deliver effective, patient-focused care.

Clinical procedures are a fundamental aspect of care for practitioners working in pre-hospital settings and as paramedic procedures continue to increase, an evidence-based clinical skills manual was needed.

Pete Gregory, course leader for the Foundation Degree in Paramedic Science at Coventry University and Ian Mursell, Paramedic Lecturer-Practitioner with Coventry University and the West Midlands Ambulance Service, have worked on the manual for over two years.

It is hoped the manual will challenge some of the more traditional approaches to clinical procedures and reviewers of the manual said: “It represents a continuing commitment by the University to the further development

of the Paramedic profession. It is a very interesting and exciting book, which the profession desperately needs. This is a new approach to pre-hospital care, using real life experiences, supported by current, robust research to help contextualize the material. It allows the student the opportunity to relate theoretical content to a practice setting.”

Topics included in the manual are Aseptic Technique, Airway Management, Assisted Ventilation, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Defibrillation and External Cardiac Pacing, Observations, Pain Assessment & Management, Respiratory Therapy, Spinal Management and Venepuncture.

The book is due to be published by Wiley-Blackwell later in 2009.

he need for more modernised services in sexual health has prompted the University to offer a Postgraduate

certificate in the subject. The certificate in sexual health complements the NHS

West Midlands’ investment plan in relation to public health, the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and the reduction of unintended teenage pregnancies.

The development of the course has been supported by a local consultant in Genito-urinary Medicine as well as key managers and personnel directly involved in sexual health service provision.

The qualification is suitable for a range of professionals working in health and social care, including doctors, nurses, midwives, specialist community public health nurses, teachers and others responsible for personal, social and health education as well as sexual health advisors/sexual health promotion specialists.

Online activities enable students to fit study around their other commitments and the course includes three mandatory modules: sexual health care and promotion, essential skills in sexual health care and inter-professional work based learning.

Students undertake the practice elements of the course in their own or associated areas of capability. Health workers wanting to take the course must work in a relevant area of clinical practice to be able to complete certain modules and have an identified clinical supervisor for the practice elements.

While the Department of Health called for a modernisation of services in its 2001 National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV, it was still listed as one of the six healthcare priorities in Lord Darzi’s review in 2008.

Sue Lees, Associate Head of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Care, said: “The modernisation of services requires effective multidisciplinary working and both the training and education of professionals are fundamental to the delivery of high quality services.”

for further information contact: Sue lees on +44 (0) 24 7679 5384 or the admissions team +44 (0) 24 7679 5959 or hlsgen@coventry.ac.uk.

new support manual for paramedics

new course in sexual health

HeaLtH newS

2 3

elcome to the autumn edition of Health at Coventry

University. Health education is increasingly influenced by global agendas and is moving away from a UK-centric approach. Coventry is embracing internationalisation in its curricula and providing an even richer experience for our students;

some of the ways we are doing this are outlined in the article on pages 8 and 9.

In July I visited South East Asia with the Dean of Health and Life Sciences Dr. Linda Merriman and several other Faculty members. We had a successful time working with an existing partner, Unity College International in Kuala Lumpur, where we are developing Nursing and Psychology courses. We also signed memoranda of understanding with two new partners, Masterskill University College of Health Sciences, KL and Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore, and began discussions with Inti University College, Malaysia.

We are exploring a range of possibilities with these international partners across our subject disciplines, including course development, staff and student exchange, and research collaborations. We also hope to involve our existing UK health service partners in these exciting developments. If you’re working in practice and would like to contribute to our globalisation plans, or have an idea about how we could incorporate practice into our international collaborations, get in touch, it would be great to hear your ideas.

Also in this issue of Health, Visiting Professor Bryan Stoten talks about his vision for healthcare over the next few years, Martin Bollard continues his series of articles on service user involvement, and you can read how Coventry is rapidly becoming a sector leader in the field of Assistive Technology.

From a research perspective we feature the recent Postgraduate research symposium and you can view this successful event on YouTube. We also cover the work of BioCore, one of the University’s research groups, which is internationally renowned for its work in Biomedical Computing.

Please do contact us if you’re interested in more information on any of the articles, or if you would like to make a contribution to a future edition of Health. We look forward to hearing from you.

dr andy Bridges Phd cPsychol cSci afBPsSAssociate DeanFaculty of Health & Life Sciences

welcome

contact uS

If you would like to find out more about any of the articles featured in this issue or about applied research or to subscribe to future issues of Health, please contact:

Gail Williams, Marketing Admissions and Recruitment Manager, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.

Telephone: + 44 (0) 24 7679 5983Email: gail.williams@coventry.ac.uk Website: www.coventry.ac.uk/health

To see previous issues of Health visit:www.coventry.ac.uk/healthmagazine

credits: Managing Editor: gail williams Edited by: cheryl liddle Designed by: Kraken creativePrinted by emmersons

This publication is available in other formats on request. Please contact Marketing and Communications on +44 (0) 24 7688 8352

contentS

3 news Find out about a new course in sexual health

and a new manual for paramedics 6 assistive technology education Coventry’s user-centred approach to teaching

Assistive Technology 8 a world of good The University’s plan to double international

student numbers

10 Better involvement Facing the challenges and reaping the rewards

of user involvement 13 hdti opens for Business How the iconic building is making a difference

14 Putting theory into Practice Visiting Professor Bryan Stoten explains how

academia supports the healthcare system

16 noticeboard Find out the latest dates for open days you

can attend

new manual will be the first in the UK to offer advice and information relating to paramedics’ core clinical

procedures. The Manual of Clinical Paramedic Procedures supports

the practice of paramedics, ambulance technicians, first responders and volunteer ambulance personnel. It includes the latest, evidence-based expert knowledge, enabling paramedics to deliver effective, patient-focused care.

Clinical procedures are a fundamental aspect of care for practitioners working in pre-hospital settings and as paramedic procedures continue to increase, an evidence-based clinical skills manual was needed.

Pete Gregory, course leader for the Foundation Degree in Paramedic Science at Coventry University and Ian Mursell, Paramedic Lecturer-Practitioner with Coventry University and the West Midlands Ambulance Service, have worked on the manual for over two years.

It is hoped the manual will challenge some of the more traditional approaches to clinical procedures and reviewers of the manual said: “It represents a continuing commitment by the University to the further development

of the Paramedic profession. It is a very interesting and exciting book, which the profession desperately needs. This is a new approach to pre-hospital care, using real life experiences, supported by current, robust research to help contextualize the material. It allows the student the opportunity to relate theoretical content to a practice setting.”

Topics included in the manual are Aseptic Technique, Airway Management, Assisted Ventilation, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Defibrillation and External Cardiac Pacing, Observations, Pain Assessment & Management, Respiratory Therapy, Spinal Management and Venepuncture.

The book is due to be published by Wiley-Blackwell later in 2009.

he need for more modernised services in sexual health has prompted the University to offer a Postgraduate

certificate in the subject. The certificate in sexual health complements the NHS

West Midlands’ investment plan in relation to public health, the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and the reduction of unintended teenage pregnancies.

The development of the course has been supported by a local consultant in Genito-urinary Medicine as well as key managers and personnel directly involved in sexual health service provision.

The qualification is suitable for a range of professionals working in health and social care, including doctors, nurses, midwives, specialist community public health nurses, teachers and others responsible for personal, social and health education as well as sexual health advisors/sexual health promotion specialists.

Online activities enable students to fit study around their other commitments and the course includes three mandatory modules: sexual health care and promotion, essential skills in sexual health care and inter-professional work based learning.

Students undertake the practice elements of the course in their own or associated areas of capability. Health workers wanting to take the course must work in a relevant area of clinical practice to be able to complete certain modules and have an identified clinical supervisor for the practice elements.

While the Department of Health called for a modernisation of services in its 2001 National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV, it was still listed as one of the six healthcare priorities in Lord Darzi’s review in 2008.

Sue Lees, Associate Head of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Care, said: “The modernisation of services requires effective multidisciplinary working and both the training and education of professionals are fundamental to the delivery of high quality services.”

for further information contact: Sue lees on +44 (0) 24 7679 5384 or the admissions team +44 (0) 24 7679 5959 or hlsgen@coventry.ac.uk.

new support manual for paramedics

new course in sexual health

HeaLtH newS

4 5

he first cohort of students on the Sports Therapy BSc has just entered its final year of the course.

The Department of Biomolecular and Sport Sciences at Coventry is one of only 16 institutions in the UK to have a Sports Therapy course that has been accredited by the Society for Sports Therapists (SST) – the professional body that works with the Health Professions Council for the regulation and registration of Sports Therapists.

Sports Therapy focuses on the prevention of injury and rehabilitates patients back to their optimum levels of functional, occupational and sport specific fitness. It uses the principles of sport and exercise sciences to prepare patients for training, competition and where applicable, work.

The course equips students with knowledge and practical skills for a career in sports therapy. Hands-on experience in laboratories, therapy suites and clinics is integrated with the knowledge and skills of a sport and exercise scientist.

This knowledge base includes exercise physiology, biomechanics, tissue mechanics, exercise and health combined with sports therapy, including diagnosis and treatment of injuries, soft tissue mobilisation and manipulation.

The course aims to create Sports Therapists that understand sport science, understand athletes and their interaction with coaches; know when to treat a patient and

when to refer them on; and be able to identify risk factors and help prevent injuries.

Students gain experience in both clinical and pitch side settings, which has so far included work with the University’s sports teams, covering for the annual Warwick University versus Coventry University Varsity Day and work experience with Coventry City Football Club (CCFC).

There are plans to develop more links with local rugby clubs this year as well as strengthen the course links with CCFC.

find out more information at www.coventry.ac.uk/hls or at the Society of Sports therapists www.society-of-sports-therapists.org

he Biomedical Computing and Engineering Technologies (BIOCORE) Applied Research Group has

relocated to the new HDTI building to work more closely with local and regional healthcare partners.

Since Raouf Naguib, Professor of Biomedical Computing, set up BIOCORE in 1998, the group’s reputation has grown regionally and internationally. Its experienced members are often called upon to contribute to journals and books or to present at conferences.

Applied projects have spanned the development and application of computational methods, biomedical engineering and healthcare systems for the analysis, interpretation, prediction, and design of biological, clinical and health-related processes.

The Group works with internationally renowned institutions and is currently involved in an urban health project with Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in America; working on health informatics with Vietnam’s Ministry of Health and is focused on a research project into the health effects of indoor air quality with the Philippines Council, among others.

A high number of PhDs have been completed and one recent knowledge management project to increase the

uptake to the NHS Breast Screening Programme earned praise from the examining team who unanimously put it forward for a University prize.

BIOCORE’s research was rated highly in the recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE2008), and with ratings of 3* and 4* it was on a par or better than many other institutions.

Dr Rajeev K Bali, a Visiting Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, joined the Group shortly after its creation and formed the research subgroup Knowledge Management for Healthcare (KARMAH) to develop knowledge management tools and techniques to overcome knowledge gaps in healthcare institutions.

Prof Naguib, who is also an Adjunct Professor at Carleton University in Canada and an Honorary Professor at De La Salle University in the Philippines, believes the outcome of the results is due to the team’s dedication. He said: “We are always keen to work with innovative and energetic partners and welcome the opportunity to discuss applied research and consultancy proposals.”

for more information, visit: www.coventry.ac.uk/biocore

oventry is the first UK University to offer a wholly online leadership and management development programme

for both Undergraduates and Postgraduates in health and social care.

The flexible programme aims to help staff working in the NHS, Social Services or the independent sectors to develop their careers, improve management skills and meet the re-quirements for Continuing Professional Development.

Two programmes are available at Undergraduate level – a Foundation Degree (FD), which is suitable for people without a university qualification working in the sector and a BA (Hons) top up degree for those who have previously at-tained an appropriate qualification.

Postgraduate programmes are aimed at people with an appropriate professional qualification or appropriate academic achievement and skills.

The courses focus on developing students’ management and leadership skills so they can manage groups of professional staff and services. Students can choose to study individual modules or work towards the full academic award at their own pace.

Online courses include audio-visual learning methods to make studying interactive, interesting and challenging.

Teaching is delivered live online and by previously recorded lectures with access to course materials, online discussions and seminars.

Students can also organise individual or group tutorials with academic and support staff and there is also a digital library available with all electronic reading material – along with 24-hour technical support.

Principal Lecturer Gary Spolander said the team recognise the challenges students face when combining work and personal commitments with study. “We’ve ensured all live sessions are recorded so people can watch them at a convenient time and offered different ways to access academic support. We’ve included intermediate awards as well and provided two intakes onto the course in October and January each year. There are also no examinations and some of the assignments are linked to a student’s current or future employment.”

for more information contact gary Spolander on +44 (0) 24 7679 5831 or email g.spolander@coventry.ac.uk or amy clarke on +44(0) 24 7679 5959 or email amy.clarke@coventry.ac.uk

ostgraduate students had the chance to present their work at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences’

symposium day in April. The event was organised to give Postgraduates a forum

to showcase their work, develop presentation skills and network with other students.

Full and Part-time students studying for PhD and MSc(R) degrees as well as staff members who are undertaking research degrees attended the event. Nine students gave oral presentations and there were 16 poster presentations for people to learn more about other strands of research going on within the Faculty.

Dr Andrew Bridges, Associate Dean for the Faculty, opened the event and after a series of oral presentations, there was a keynote speech from Dr Elizabeth Hughes – the newly appointed Reader in Primary Care.

Awards were also on offer for the best presentations, with the winners going forward to the University Research Symposium later in the year. Kate Simmons won the best oral presentation for Investigating the Safety of the Use of Ipratropium for the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Mayen Konarski won the best poster presentation for a multi-case study investigation of the potential role of prescribed lenses in learning.

A film of the event is available at www.youtube.com/covstudent

caring for sports people

Moving closer to local partners

new management course leads the way

Postgraduates showcase work

Dr Elizabeth Hughes gave the keynote speech

HeaLtH newS HeaLtH newS

4 5

he first cohort of students on the Sports Therapy BSc has just entered its final year of the course.

The Department of Biomolecular and Sport Sciences at Coventry is one of only 16 institutions in the UK to have a Sports Therapy course that has been accredited by the Society for Sports Therapists (SST) – the professional body that works with the Health Professions Council for the regulation and registration of Sports Therapists.

Sports Therapy focuses on the prevention of injury and rehabilitates patients back to their optimum levels of functional, occupational and sport specific fitness. It uses the principles of sport and exercise sciences to prepare patients for training, competition and where applicable, work.

The course equips students with knowledge and practical skills for a career in sports therapy. Hands-on experience in laboratories, therapy suites and clinics is integrated with the knowledge and skills of a sport and exercise scientist.

This knowledge base includes exercise physiology, biomechanics, tissue mechanics, exercise and health combined with sports therapy, including diagnosis and treatment of injuries, soft tissue mobilisation and manipulation.

The course aims to create Sports Therapists that understand sport science, understand athletes and their interaction with coaches; know when to treat a patient and

when to refer them on; and be able to identify risk factors and help prevent injuries.

Students gain experience in both clinical and pitch side settings, which has so far included work with the University’s sports teams, covering for the annual Warwick University versus Coventry University Varsity Day and work experience with Coventry City Football Club (CCFC).

There are plans to develop more links with local rugby clubs this year as well as strengthen the course links with CCFC.

find out more information at www.coventry.ac.uk/hls or at the Society of Sports therapists www.society-of-sports-therapists.org

he Biomedical Computing and Engineering Technologies (BIOCORE) Applied Research Group has

relocated to the new HDTI building to work more closely with local and regional healthcare partners.

Since Raouf Naguib, Professor of Biomedical Computing, set up BIOCORE in 1998, the group’s reputation has grown regionally and internationally. Its experienced members are often called upon to contribute to journals and books or to present at conferences.

Applied projects have spanned the development and application of computational methods, biomedical engineering and healthcare systems for the analysis, interpretation, prediction, and design of biological, clinical and health-related processes.

The Group works with internationally renowned institutions and is currently involved in an urban health project with Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in America; working on health informatics with Vietnam’s Ministry of Health and is focused on a research project into the health effects of indoor air quality with the Philippines Council, among others.

A high number of PhDs have been completed and one recent knowledge management project to increase the

uptake to the NHS Breast Screening Programme earned praise from the examining team who unanimously put it forward for a University prize.

BIOCORE’s research was rated highly in the recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE2008), and with ratings of 3* and 4* it was on a par or better than many other institutions.

Dr Rajeev K Bali, a Visiting Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, joined the Group shortly after its creation and formed the research subgroup Knowledge Management for Healthcare (KARMAH) to develop knowledge management tools and techniques to overcome knowledge gaps in healthcare institutions.

Prof Naguib, who is also an Adjunct Professor at Carleton University in Canada and an Honorary Professor at De La Salle University in the Philippines, believes the outcome of the results is due to the team’s dedication. He said: “We are always keen to work with innovative and energetic partners and welcome the opportunity to discuss applied research and consultancy proposals.”

for more information, visit: www.coventry.ac.uk/biocore

oventry is the first UK University to offer a wholly online leadership and management development programme

for both Undergraduates and Postgraduates in health and social care.

The flexible programme aims to help staff working in the NHS, Social Services or the independent sectors to develop their careers, improve management skills and meet the re-quirements for Continuing Professional Development.

Two programmes are available at Undergraduate level – a Foundation Degree (FD), which is suitable for people without a university qualification working in the sector and a BA (Hons) top up degree for those who have previously at-tained an appropriate qualification.

Postgraduate programmes are aimed at people with an appropriate professional qualification or appropriate academic achievement and skills.

The courses focus on developing students’ management and leadership skills so they can manage groups of professional staff and services. Students can choose to study individual modules or work towards the full academic award at their own pace.

Online courses include audio-visual learning methods to make studying interactive, interesting and challenging.

Teaching is delivered live online and by previously recorded lectures with access to course materials, online discussions and seminars.

Students can also organise individual or group tutorials with academic and support staff and there is also a digital library available with all electronic reading material – along with 24-hour technical support.

Principal Lecturer Gary Spolander said the team recognise the challenges students face when combining work and personal commitments with study. “We’ve ensured all live sessions are recorded so people can watch them at a convenient time and offered different ways to access academic support. We’ve included intermediate awards as well and provided two intakes onto the course in October and January each year. There are also no examinations and some of the assignments are linked to a student’s current or future employment.”

for more information contact gary Spolander on +44 (0) 24 7679 5831 or email g.spolander@coventry.ac.uk or amy clarke on +44(0) 24 7679 5959 or email amy.clarke@coventry.ac.uk

ostgraduate students had the chance to present their work at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences’

symposium day in April. The event was organised to give Postgraduates a forum

to showcase their work, develop presentation skills and network with other students.

Full and Part-time students studying for PhD and MSc(R) degrees as well as staff members who are undertaking research degrees attended the event. Nine students gave oral presentations and there were 16 poster presentations for people to learn more about other strands of research going on within the Faculty.

Dr Andrew Bridges, Associate Dean for the Faculty, opened the event and after a series of oral presentations, there was a keynote speech from Dr Elizabeth Hughes – the newly appointed Reader in Primary Care.

Awards were also on offer for the best presentations, with the winners going forward to the University Research Symposium later in the year. Kate Simmons won the best oral presentation for Investigating the Safety of the Use of Ipratropium for the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Mayen Konarski won the best poster presentation for a multi-case study investigation of the potential role of prescribed lenses in learning.

A film of the event is available at www.youtube.com/covstudent

caring for sports people

Moving closer to local partners

new management course leads the way

Postgraduates showcase work

Dr Elizabeth Hughes gave the keynote speech

HeaLtH newS HeaLtH newS

76

n ageing population has brought with it new challenges and the use of Assistive Technology

in healthcare provision has grown rapidly in the last few years. The University’s Health Design and Technology Institute (HDTI) is taking a national lead on enabling products and services to reach the marketplace that help older and disabled people to live independently.

But as new and improved products are continually released, practitioners need to be made aware of the kind of technologies available to better support patients.

In January 2008, the University introduced a new Postgraduate certificate in the Effective Use of Assistive Technologies as part of a portfolio of courses with the HDTI. The course has now been extended to an MSc in Assistive Technology aimed at a range of health and social care practitioners, managers and people working in related industries who want to learn more about Assistive Technology solutions. In the last two academic years, 16 professionals have enrolled on the course, including telecare co-ordinators, alarm call centre managers, occupational therapists and support workers in mental health, dementia care and social services, independent sector workers and managers (for example, Alzheimer’s Society and Independent Living Centres) and the further education sector.

Course Director Darren Awang said the diversity of students was a key strength of the course. “We get a range of Assistive Technology (AT) related experiences from service providers as well as perspectives from those that receive them. This has proven to be an enriching learning opportunity for our students who are able to offer expertise from their own workplace and take on board ideas to enhance policy and practice from others. Our students are the future trailblazers in AT.”

The modular Part-time course runs over one to five years, depending on the level of the qualification required. As students progress, a total of nine modules can be accrued and the points earned add up to a different level of Postgraduate award, which is an advantage to those students who do not wish to study all of the modules.

Users of AT are at the centre of the course and a range of learning approaches and methods are used, including blended learning, work-based learning, shared learning and reflective practice.

Students have access to the University’s virtual learning environment to support study and an electronic portfolio to engage with personal development planning.

Darren said the variety of teaching methods makes it easier for students to balance work and personal commitments with study. “Students have found the experience very positive and developed a strong network of work and social contacts. Their assignments link to what is going on in the workplace and offer them the ability to critically appraise policies and practices. Students have gone on to raise the profile of AT within their own organisation with confidence and a sound set of principles, tools and skills to support this personal and professional growth. We also regularly complement the taught programme with product showcases to extend students knowledge of the rapidly growing types of AT products and services that exist.”

For more of an introduction to AT, there is an Undergraduate Certificate in Assistive Technology for Life Improvement now available from September 2009.

Developed by Course Director and Principal Lecturer in Assistive Technology Gill Ward, the course is aimed at care and support workers and assistant practitioners to provide an introduction to AT.

It focuses on the service user’s perspective and experience of living with a disability and develops knowledge and skills to help practitioners improve the life and wellbeing of individuals through the use of assistive technologies.

The course consists of the equivalent of six university modules (level one) and would normally be undertaken on a part-time basis over two years but modules can also be taken individually for personal development purposes. Students only need to attend the University once a fortnight as there is online learning available each alternate week. Gill said: “This is a much needed course for many assistant level practitioners working in the assistive technology arena; there is so little formal education available. This course can be a stepping stone to further qualifications and the flexible blended learning approach makes it possible for people to study and work at the same time.”

Plans are underway with the HDTI to make learning while working even more accessible with the introduction of a Foundation Degree in Assistive Technology. These qualifications are designed with employers to combine academic study with workplace learning and partnership discussions are at an early stage with Skills for Care, TSA and other key organisations.

They represent two-thirds of an honours degree and can be topped up to a full degree with an additional year of study.

AT is also included in the Undergraduate Occupational Therapy degree programme and disabled volunteers set students tasks to solve their needs using AT.

Laraine Epstein module leader for a second year AT module said: “We have been very creative in our approach and now use home webcams so that our disabled volunteers can share their stories and

any barriers they encounter directly with students who then investigate potential solutions and feed these back.”

This inclusive approach to teaching and learning earned the team a University Teaching Excellence Award in June 2008, followed by conferences and articles to disseminate good practice.

To further engage support workers and practitioners in AT, course leaders are working with HDTI colleagues and the College of Occupational Therapists to develop a new online resource. The Assistive Technology Learning Tool currently being developed by the Occupational Therapy team uses case based scenarios to enable learners to explore AT solutions such as PivoTell products. PivoTell has developed AT products to support people who need to take pills as part of their healthcare routine. The online tool will increase awareness and skills around electronic AT and will be available in autumn 2009.

Darren said: “It will be a valuable learning opportunity for anyone interested in AT – with or with-out an academic background in the subject – who want to be able to demonstrate up to date learning.”

for more information contact: darren awang d.awang@coventry.ac.uk or gill ward g.ward@coventry.ac.uk or call + 44 (0) 24 7688 8724

user-centred approaches to teaching assistive technology have increased coventry university’s national reputation in the subject

assistive technology education

AT in action: The Pivotell Automatic Pill Dispenser in a dispenser tipper, designed for those unable to lift the dispenser or with limited radial wrist dexterity. Computer support: PivoTell mark 4 and 5 enable computer programming

and alerts a family member / carer in the event of medication not being

dispensed within a preset time.

AT tutors: (back) Darren Awang and (front l-r) Laraine Epstein

and Gill Ward

76

n ageing population has brought with it new challenges and the use of Assistive Technology

in healthcare provision has grown rapidly in the last few years. The University’s Health Design and Technology Institute (HDTI) is taking a national lead on enabling products and services to reach the marketplace that help older and disabled people to live independently.

But as new and improved products are continually released, practitioners need to be made aware of the kind of technologies available to better support patients.

In January 2008, the University introduced a new Postgraduate certificate in the Effective Use of Assistive Technologies as part of a portfolio of courses with the HDTI. The course has now been extended to an MSc in Assistive Technology aimed at a range of health and social care practitioners, managers and people working in related industries who want to learn more about Assistive Technology solutions. In the last two academic years, 16 professionals have enrolled on the course, including telecare co-ordinators, alarm call centre managers, occupational therapists and support workers in mental health, dementia care and social services, independent sector workers and managers (for example, Alzheimer’s Society and Independent Living Centres) and the further education sector.

Course Director Darren Awang said the diversity of students was a key strength of the course. “We get a range of Assistive Technology (AT) related experiences from service providers as well as perspectives from those that receive them. This has proven to be an enriching learning opportunity for our students who are able to offer expertise from their own workplace and take on board ideas to enhance policy and practice from others. Our students are the future trailblazers in AT.”

The modular Part-time course runs over one to five years, depending on the level of the qualification required. As students progress, a total of nine modules can be accrued and the points earned add up to a different level of Postgraduate award, which is an advantage to those students who do not wish to study all of the modules.

Users of AT are at the centre of the course and a range of learning approaches and methods are used, including blended learning, work-based learning, shared learning and reflective practice.

Students have access to the University’s virtual learning environment to support study and an electronic portfolio to engage with personal development planning.

Darren said the variety of teaching methods makes it easier for students to balance work and personal commitments with study. “Students have found the experience very positive and developed a strong network of work and social contacts. Their assignments link to what is going on in the workplace and offer them the ability to critically appraise policies and practices. Students have gone on to raise the profile of AT within their own organisation with confidence and a sound set of principles, tools and skills to support this personal and professional growth. We also regularly complement the taught programme with product showcases to extend students knowledge of the rapidly growing types of AT products and services that exist.”

For more of an introduction to AT, there is an Undergraduate Certificate in Assistive Technology for Life Improvement now available from September 2009.

Developed by Course Director and Principal Lecturer in Assistive Technology Gill Ward, the course is aimed at care and support workers and assistant practitioners to provide an introduction to AT.

It focuses on the service user’s perspective and experience of living with a disability and develops knowledge and skills to help practitioners improve the life and wellbeing of individuals through the use of assistive technologies.

The course consists of the equivalent of six university modules (level one) and would normally be undertaken on a part-time basis over two years but modules can also be taken individually for personal development purposes. Students only need to attend the University once a fortnight as there is online learning available each alternate week. Gill said: “This is a much needed course for many assistant level practitioners working in the assistive technology arena; there is so little formal education available. This course can be a stepping stone to further qualifications and the flexible blended learning approach makes it possible for people to study and work at the same time.”

Plans are underway with the HDTI to make learning while working even more accessible with the introduction of a Foundation Degree in Assistive Technology. These qualifications are designed with employers to combine academic study with workplace learning and partnership discussions are at an early stage with Skills for Care, TSA and other key organisations.

They represent two-thirds of an honours degree and can be topped up to a full degree with an additional year of study.

AT is also included in the Undergraduate Occupational Therapy degree programme and disabled volunteers set students tasks to solve their needs using AT.

Laraine Epstein module leader for a second year AT module said: “We have been very creative in our approach and now use home webcams so that our disabled volunteers can share their stories and

any barriers they encounter directly with students who then investigate potential solutions and feed these back.”

This inclusive approach to teaching and learning earned the team a University Teaching Excellence Award in June 2008, followed by conferences and articles to disseminate good practice.

To further engage support workers and practitioners in AT, course leaders are working with HDTI colleagues and the College of Occupational Therapists to develop a new online resource. The Assistive Technology Learning Tool currently being developed by the Occupational Therapy team uses case based scenarios to enable learners to explore AT solutions such as PivoTell products. PivoTell has developed AT products to support people who need to take pills as part of their healthcare routine. The online tool will increase awareness and skills around electronic AT and will be available in autumn 2009.

Darren said: “It will be a valuable learning opportunity for anyone interested in AT – with or with-out an academic background in the subject – who want to be able to demonstrate up to date learning.”

for more information contact: darren awang d.awang@coventry.ac.uk or gill ward g.ward@coventry.ac.uk or call + 44 (0) 24 7688 8724

user-centred approaches to teaching assistive technology have increased coventry university’s national reputation in the subject

assistive technology education

AT in action: The Pivotell Automatic Pill Dispenser in a dispenser tipper, designed for those unable to lift the dispenser or with limited radial wrist dexterity. Computer support: PivoTell mark 4 and 5 enable computer programming

and alerts a family member / carer in the event of medication not being

dispensed within a preset time.

AT tutors: (back) Darren Awang and (front l-r) Laraine Epstein

and Gill Ward

98

t’s an ambitious plan to take on the world, but the six departments in the Faculty of Health and Life

Sciences are aiming to double the number of international students over the next three years.

It is a goal in line with the University’s internationalisation strategy as well as one that takes advantage of the increasingly globalised health, social care and science agendas.

Working closely with Cambridge Education Group (CEG), one of the foremost providers of pre-university preparation in the UK, the Faculty provides foundation routes for international students to get on to many of its courses. The Faculty is working with CEG on a number of broad initiatives. For example,

from September 2009 the Faculty will be offering a Life Sciences route for undergraduates wishing to study Psychology, Biological Sciences and Health Studies, and a Social Science route for Criminology and Forensic and Investigative Studies students. It also hopes to launch a Postgraduate foundation for students to gain entry to much of its non-clinical taught Postgraduate provision.

The Faculty’s focus is not just on recruiting individual students either; it is also looking at ways to attract a cohort of students on to particular courses. Recently there have been discussions with new overseas partners to develop courses that students would want to study once they have graduated in

their home country. In many parts of the world, health professionals do not need an honours degree for professional registration and are therefore only trained to diploma level. So that these students can obtain a Coventry honours degree, the Faculty is developing top-up courses that take into account any qualification the students have previously received.

The lack of clinical placements for students based outside the EU has historically been a barrier for international health students wanting to gain a UK postgraduate qualification. But new courses, such as the MSc in Advancing Physiotherapy Practice, avoid the need for a placement by offering students the use of the Faculty’s first class clinical skills laboratories instead.

Elsewhere in the Faculty postgraduate courses are being developed that meet the needs of the many students who wish to study the Biological and Biomedical/Pharmacological Sciences in the UK. In some countries, science is taught in a much more theoretical way than in this country and international students can therefore find they do not have the practical skills necessary to study for a UK Postgraduate Biology qualification. However, the development of an MSc in Biology, which builds on the theoretical expertise of these students, will allow them to develop their laboratory experience.

A new MSc in Translational Medicine also harnesses the diversity of expertise across the Faculty. Through this course, students are taught how to translate the science undertaken at the laboratory bench through to the drugs prescribed on the hospital ward.

Alongside the efforts to internationalise the curriculum and attract international students to study at Coventry, the Faculty also works with its international partners to provide courses overseas. For example Psychology and Nursing courses are being developed in Malaysia and in India a grant from the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) is helping to develop a Physiotherapy course at M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Health Science in Bangalore.

Using the expertise of the Centre for Inter- Professional E-Learning (CiPEL), international students can even gain a Coventry qualification through online learning. The Faculty is already delivering courses globally, such as the Postgraduate certificate in Teenage and Young Person Cancer Care. This course, sponsored by the Teenage Cancer Trust, attracts students from across the globe and enables them to interact in real time with students in different countries, and with tutors back in Coventry. The Faculty’s expertise in social and health care leadership has created a range of online courses in Social and Community Studies that are studied by both UK and international students. And in Psychology,

the innovative online MSc in Parapsychology is being actively promoted to the North American market.

The Faculty has been successful in developing partnerships, such as the one with the Teenage Cancer Trust, and has developed a reputation for involving all of its stakeholders – students, employers, placement providers, service users and partner institutions – in the provision of education in the Faculty. It now intends to expand its partnerships internationally and not just for course development, but also for research collaborations and across all facets of its business.

The most important aspects of the Faculty’s internationalisation are ultimately the quality of its courses and the student experience it offers.

The Faculty is well recognised by students, employers, professional and statutory bodies as providing high quality education across its many disciplines. Evidence of this includes its ranking among the highest quality UK providers of nursing education by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and being the first institution in the Midlands to gain Health Professions Council approval for its Biomedical Science degree.

This commitment to quality is central to the efforts the Faculty makes to enhance the learning experience for international students. Not only is the Faculty designing courses specifically tailored towards the needs of international students but also some staff are actively undertaking research projects into the most effective ways to support international students.

Nationally and internationally the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences is dedicated to providing an excellent educational experience for all its students.

for more information about the faculty’s commitment to international students visit: www.coventry.ac.uk/hls/international

a new plan to double the number of international students in the faculty of health and life Sciences over the next three years is already on route to success

a world of good

Dean of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Dr Linda Merriman (right) signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Masterskill University College of Health Sciences, Malaysia.

98

t’s an ambitious plan to take on the world, but the six departments in the Faculty of Health and Life

Sciences are aiming to double the number of international students over the next three years.

It is a goal in line with the University’s internationalisation strategy as well as one that takes advantage of the increasingly globalised health, social care and science agendas.

Working closely with Cambridge Education Group (CEG), one of the foremost providers of pre-university preparation in the UK, the Faculty provides foundation routes for international students to get on to many of its courses. The Faculty is working with CEG on a number of broad initiatives. For example,

from September 2009 the Faculty will be offering a Life Sciences route for undergraduates wishing to study Psychology, Biological Sciences and Health Studies, and a Social Science route for Criminology and Forensic and Investigative Studies students. It also hopes to launch a Postgraduate foundation for students to gain entry to much of its non-clinical taught Postgraduate provision.

The Faculty’s focus is not just on recruiting individual students either; it is also looking at ways to attract a cohort of students on to particular courses. Recently there have been discussions with new overseas partners to develop courses that students would want to study once they have graduated in

their home country. In many parts of the world, health professionals do not need an honours degree for professional registration and are therefore only trained to diploma level. So that these students can obtain a Coventry honours degree, the Faculty is developing top-up courses that take into account any qualification the students have previously received.

The lack of clinical placements for students based outside the EU has historically been a barrier for international health students wanting to gain a UK postgraduate qualification. But new courses, such as the MSc in Advancing Physiotherapy Practice, avoid the need for a placement by offering students the use of the Faculty’s first class clinical skills laboratories instead.

Elsewhere in the Faculty postgraduate courses are being developed that meet the needs of the many students who wish to study the Biological and Biomedical/Pharmacological Sciences in the UK. In some countries, science is taught in a much more theoretical way than in this country and international students can therefore find they do not have the practical skills necessary to study for a UK Postgraduate Biology qualification. However, the development of an MSc in Biology, which builds on the theoretical expertise of these students, will allow them to develop their laboratory experience.

A new MSc in Translational Medicine also harnesses the diversity of expertise across the Faculty. Through this course, students are taught how to translate the science undertaken at the laboratory bench through to the drugs prescribed on the hospital ward.

Alongside the efforts to internationalise the curriculum and attract international students to study at Coventry, the Faculty also works with its international partners to provide courses overseas. For example Psychology and Nursing courses are being developed in Malaysia and in India a grant from the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) is helping to develop a Physiotherapy course at M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Health Science in Bangalore.

Using the expertise of the Centre for Inter- Professional E-Learning (CiPEL), international students can even gain a Coventry qualification through online learning. The Faculty is already delivering courses globally, such as the Postgraduate certificate in Teenage and Young Person Cancer Care. This course, sponsored by the Teenage Cancer Trust, attracts students from across the globe and enables them to interact in real time with students in different countries, and with tutors back in Coventry. The Faculty’s expertise in social and health care leadership has created a range of online courses in Social and Community Studies that are studied by both UK and international students. And in Psychology,

the innovative online MSc in Parapsychology is being actively promoted to the North American market.

The Faculty has been successful in developing partnerships, such as the one with the Teenage Cancer Trust, and has developed a reputation for involving all of its stakeholders – students, employers, placement providers, service users and partner institutions – in the provision of education in the Faculty. It now intends to expand its partnerships internationally and not just for course development, but also for research collaborations and across all facets of its business.

The most important aspects of the Faculty’s internationalisation are ultimately the quality of its courses and the student experience it offers.

The Faculty is well recognised by students, employers, professional and statutory bodies as providing high quality education across its many disciplines. Evidence of this includes its ranking among the highest quality UK providers of nursing education by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and being the first institution in the Midlands to gain Health Professions Council approval for its Biomedical Science degree.

This commitment to quality is central to the efforts the Faculty makes to enhance the learning experience for international students. Not only is the Faculty designing courses specifically tailored towards the needs of international students but also some staff are actively undertaking research projects into the most effective ways to support international students.

Nationally and internationally the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences is dedicated to providing an excellent educational experience for all its students.

for more information about the faculty’s commitment to international students visit: www.coventry.ac.uk/hls/international

a new plan to double the number of international students in the faculty of health and life Sciences over the next three years is already on route to success

a world of good

Dean of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Dr Linda Merriman (right) signs a Memorandum of Understanding with Masterskill University College of Health Sciences, Malaysia.

10 11

now that user involvement is part of the mainstream policy agendas in health and social care, the practise is being encouraged even more in higher education. Martin Bollard reveals how coventry has faced the challenges of involving service users to enhance student learning

Better involvement

nvolving service users in education has long been regarded as a healthy contribution to the

classroom. Recent political drivers to modernise the delivery of health and social care services through active service user participation demonstrate the eagerness of Government for the practise to be widely used.

It is not a new concept in Higher Education, but HEFCE’s Strategic Plan 2006-2011 has endorsed the use of service user involvement to ensure it is part of academic activities.

The benefits are clear but there is additional time, planning and logistics often associated with developing this aspect of teaching and clinical work that also need to be considered. Many of the challenges surrounding the involvement of users

in educational activities are universal across the Higher Education sector. Overcoming the cries of ‘tokenism’ and ‘populism’ and ensuring effective payment methods to the variety of users that help enhance the learning of our student body are just a few of the pressures involved. At Coventry, some members of academic staff across the Faculty are working with Human Resources and Finance staff to improve the payment methods for our users.

Professionally-based courses have worked hard to value the contribution users can make to complement the learning that already takes place and the following are examples from Social Work, Clinical Psychology, Physiotherapy, Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing courses.

Involving service users and carers from a diverse range of

backgrounds has benefited the teaching of Social Work programmes.

Service users with a visual impairment, mental health problems,

a learning or physical disability, young people, older people with

their respective carers and Asian women from Sahil have all

contributed. With all these groups, the service users and carers

share their expertise, ideas and experience to support students in

making the important links between theory and practice. Service

users and carers also make an important contribution to the annual

Student Recall Day, to ensure that Social Work training is relevant

and fit for purpose.

Service User Coordinator Andrea Horley and colleagues are

developing ways of screening individuals to ensure the level of

involvement is steered by the users themselves and are hoping to

pilot some Anti Oppressive/Values training for a group of service

users/carers this summer.

Social WorkThe Physiotherapy department has involved service users in delivering lectures and in practical sessions over recent years and see its contribution as a key objective. Service users act as patient models for students to work alongside and at the same time can share their individual experience of living with a condition. Focus groups with service users highlighted several factors that were important to them about their experience of physiotherapy and as a direct result the admissions team has made changes to the non-academic admission criteria for the Physiotherapy programme. Changes have also been made to the curriculum to emphasise the importance of professionalism and communication skills, including empathy, good listening skills and the importance of having a positive attitude and a sense of humour. Showing respect for service users was also seen as essential and was integral to the patient-therapist relationship.

To this end, service users have now contributed to recruitment, curriculum development and teaching within the department.

Physio therapy

The Doctorate course in Clinical Psychology has involved service

users and carers in the programme since 2003. There are service

users and carers on the Board, which oversees the running of the

programme, and they are also involved with teaching, research,

selecting trainees, counselling skills, improving access to

psychological therapies (IAPT) and developing funding proposals.

Specifically the teaching has involved service users and carers

from across the region. In the first year they collaborated with first

year trainees in a half-day teaching session called, ‘Listening to and

working with Users of Mental Health Services.’ Service users and

carers shared their experiences of mental health services and in

small group discussions with trainees they said how they would like

to be more involved in the training of clinical psychology.

The outcome of these teaching sessions has been used by the

service user and carer partnership group, who have met regularly for

many years.

A second teaching session involves second year trainees on

a full-day visit to a local organisation of a service user or carer to

build knowledge of organisations and their concerns. It also

increases collaboration with users and carers and develops

relationships with regional organisations. After the day the trainee

must feedback to the rest of the course about their visit.

Senior Lecturer Helen Liebling Kalifani has been active in all these

developments and liaises closely with Universities/User Teaching

and Research Action Partnership (UNTRAP) at Warwick University.

Clinical Psychology

10 11

now that user involvement is part of the mainstream policy agendas in health and social care, the practise is being encouraged even more in higher education. Martin Bollard reveals how coventry has faced the challenges of involving service users to enhance student learning

Better involvement

nvolving service users in education has long been regarded as a healthy contribution to the

classroom. Recent political drivers to modernise the delivery of health and social care services through active service user participation demonstrate the eagerness of Government for the practise to be widely used.

It is not a new concept in Higher Education, but HEFCE’s Strategic Plan 2006-2011 has endorsed the use of service user involvement to ensure it is part of academic activities.

The benefits are clear but there is additional time, planning and logistics often associated with developing this aspect of teaching and clinical work that also need to be considered. Many of the challenges surrounding the involvement of users

in educational activities are universal across the Higher Education sector. Overcoming the cries of ‘tokenism’ and ‘populism’ and ensuring effective payment methods to the variety of users that help enhance the learning of our student body are just a few of the pressures involved. At Coventry, some members of academic staff across the Faculty are working with Human Resources and Finance staff to improve the payment methods for our users.

Professionally-based courses have worked hard to value the contribution users can make to complement the learning that already takes place and the following are examples from Social Work, Clinical Psychology, Physiotherapy, Mental Health and Learning Disability Nursing courses.

Involving service users and carers from a diverse range of

backgrounds has benefited the teaching of Social Work programmes.

Service users with a visual impairment, mental health problems,

a learning or physical disability, young people, older people with

their respective carers and Asian women from Sahil have all

contributed. With all these groups, the service users and carers

share their expertise, ideas and experience to support students in

making the important links between theory and practice. Service

users and carers also make an important contribution to the annual

Student Recall Day, to ensure that Social Work training is relevant

and fit for purpose.

Service User Coordinator Andrea Horley and colleagues are

developing ways of screening individuals to ensure the level of

involvement is steered by the users themselves and are hoping to

pilot some Anti Oppressive/Values training for a group of service

users/carers this summer.

Social WorkThe Physiotherapy department has involved service users in delivering lectures and in practical sessions over recent years and see its contribution as a key objective. Service users act as patient models for students to work alongside and at the same time can share their individual experience of living with a condition. Focus groups with service users highlighted several factors that were important to them about their experience of physiotherapy and as a direct result the admissions team has made changes to the non-academic admission criteria for the Physiotherapy programme. Changes have also been made to the curriculum to emphasise the importance of professionalism and communication skills, including empathy, good listening skills and the importance of having a positive attitude and a sense of humour. Showing respect for service users was also seen as essential and was integral to the patient-therapist relationship.

To this end, service users have now contributed to recruitment, curriculum development and teaching within the department.

Physio therapy

The Doctorate course in Clinical Psychology has involved service

users and carers in the programme since 2003. There are service

users and carers on the Board, which oversees the running of the

programme, and they are also involved with teaching, research,

selecting trainees, counselling skills, improving access to

psychological therapies (IAPT) and developing funding proposals.

Specifically the teaching has involved service users and carers

from across the region. In the first year they collaborated with first

year trainees in a half-day teaching session called, ‘Listening to and

working with Users of Mental Health Services.’ Service users and

carers shared their experiences of mental health services and in

small group discussions with trainees they said how they would like

to be more involved in the training of clinical psychology.

The outcome of these teaching sessions has been used by the

service user and carer partnership group, who have met regularly for

many years.

A second teaching session involves second year trainees on

a full-day visit to a local organisation of a service user or carer to

build knowledge of organisations and their concerns. It also

increases collaboration with users and carers and develops

relationships with regional organisations. After the day the trainee

must feedback to the rest of the course about their visit.

Senior Lecturer Helen Liebling Kalifani has been active in all these

developments and liaises closely with Universities/User Teaching

and Research Action Partnership (UNTRAP) at Warwick University.

Clinical Psychology

1312

new HDti building opens for business

new iconic building for the Health Design and Technology Institute opened for the first time

this June. Based on the Technology Park, next door to its

former offices in the Design Hub, the new HDTI building is an impressive construction made from brick, glass and zinc.

The Institute, which was set up to take a national lead in responding to the future challenges of community healthcare provision, has developed the building to further enhance its work in this area.

HDTI helps individuals and businesses launch new and improved products and services that enable people to live independent and fulfilled lives in their own homes and communities, rather than in hospital. Developing these innovative products will be easier now that designers and service users can make use of a new design studio, a dedicated workshop for building prototypes and a mock up area.

The flexible mock up space can be customised to suit most evaluation requirements and includes vehicle access. Clients can also rent the space, which has been set up to ensure confidentiality and Intellectual Property are protected.

Service users who are taking part in product trials can enjoy the relaxing environment of the new usability suite, which includes a lounge area with comfortable furnishings.

Commercial Development Director, Guy Smallman

said the new suite would be an enormous help in carrying out applied research and gathering data. “Monitoring and recording focus groups using discreet cameras and microphones controlled by a remote audiovisual lab is essential as it helps participants feel more at ease,” said Guy. “Usability studies enable clients to validate a product’s performance and get it tested by the intended end users. The report produced at the end of the study is a rigorous, academic or healthcare professional-led document that can be cited by a company in its marketing materials.”

The design of the building, which includes a bistro and seating area on the first floor, encourages collaboration between businesses, academics, healthcare professionals and users.

There are also hot desking facilities for University employees and two seminar rooms, which can be rented out and have already been used for lectures and HDTI business seminars.

The second floor is available for companies to rent and most spaces are now taken.

The ergonomic and inclusive design of the building is compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act, providing easy access for all occupants. It includes an innovative disabled parking scheme, hearing loop systems, appropriate floor and wall coverings, colour schemes and furniture which allow effective depth perception for the partially sighted.

The Learning Disability Nursing programme was commissioned and established in 2005 following a wide consultation with people with learning disabilities. The programme was developed using their feedback to ensure it created nurses with the attributes the consultation had highlighted. Many of the users who were involved in the consultation still help with a range of educational activities that include teaching and recruiting staff and students. A partnership between local advocacy organisation (Grapevine), in particular the H Team from that organisation, and the Learning Disability Team is now well established. Members of the H Team assist with communication training for first year students, the assessment of mental health for second year students and role play/simulation activities for third year students. All Learning Disability staff are committed to supporting useful involvement and see it as an important way to enrich the learning of the students across the Faculty.

Learning Disabi l i t y Nursing

User involvement has been integral to many Mental Health

programmes within Higher Education for a number of years. Senior

Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing Yvette Brown and colleagues from

MIND, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, have

focused on preparing mental health volunteers before they take

part in any educational activity. They have developed awareness

and induction days, along with induction packs to develop teaching

skills, build confidence and give orientation around the University.

Mental Health users are also integral to the recruitment and interview

process for students.

Mental health students now benefit from hearing the first hand

experiences of living with mental health disorders from a range of

service users.

Mental Heal th Nursing

Better involvement

1312

new HDti building opens for business

new iconic building for the Health Design and Technology Institute opened for the first time

this June. Based on the Technology Park, next door to its

former offices in the Design Hub, the new HDTI building is an impressive construction made from brick, glass and zinc.

The Institute, which was set up to take a national lead in responding to the future challenges of community healthcare provision, has developed the building to further enhance its work in this area.

HDTI helps individuals and businesses launch new and improved products and services that enable people to live independent and fulfilled lives in their own homes and communities, rather than in hospital. Developing these innovative products will be easier now that designers and service users can make use of a new design studio, a dedicated workshop for building prototypes and a mock up area.

The flexible mock up space can be customised to suit most evaluation requirements and includes vehicle access. Clients can also rent the space, which has been set up to ensure confidentiality and Intellectual Property are protected.

Service users who are taking part in product trials can enjoy the relaxing environment of the new usability suite, which includes a lounge area with comfortable furnishings.

Commercial Development Director, Guy Smallman

said the new suite would be an enormous help in carrying out applied research and gathering data. “Monitoring and recording focus groups using discreet cameras and microphones controlled by a remote audiovisual lab is essential as it helps participants feel more at ease,” said Guy. “Usability studies enable clients to validate a product’s performance and get it tested by the intended end users. The report produced at the end of the study is a rigorous, academic or healthcare professional-led document that can be cited by a company in its marketing materials.”

The design of the building, which includes a bistro and seating area on the first floor, encourages collaboration between businesses, academics, healthcare professionals and users.

There are also hot desking facilities for University employees and two seminar rooms, which can be rented out and have already been used for lectures and HDTI business seminars.

The second floor is available for companies to rent and most spaces are now taken.

The ergonomic and inclusive design of the building is compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act, providing easy access for all occupants. It includes an innovative disabled parking scheme, hearing loop systems, appropriate floor and wall coverings, colour schemes and furniture which allow effective depth perception for the partially sighted.

The Learning Disability Nursing programme was commissioned and established in 2005 following a wide consultation with people with learning disabilities. The programme was developed using their feedback to ensure it created nurses with the attributes the consultation had highlighted. Many of the users who were involved in the consultation still help with a range of educational activities that include teaching and recruiting staff and students. A partnership between local advocacy organisation (Grapevine), in particular the H Team from that organisation, and the Learning Disability Team is now well established. Members of the H Team assist with communication training for first year students, the assessment of mental health for second year students and role play/simulation activities for third year students. All Learning Disability staff are committed to supporting useful involvement and see it as an important way to enrich the learning of the students across the Faculty.

Learning Disabi l i t y Nursing

User involvement has been integral to many Mental Health

programmes within Higher Education for a number of years. Senior

Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing Yvette Brown and colleagues from

MIND, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, have

focused on preparing mental health volunteers before they take

part in any educational activity. They have developed awareness

and induction days, along with induction packs to develop teaching

skills, build confidence and give orientation around the University.

Mental Health users are also integral to the recruitment and interview

process for students.

Mental health students now benefit from hearing the first hand

experiences of living with mental health disorders from a range of

service users.

Mental Heal th Nursing

Better involvement

1514

Q. as well as your role as a Visiting Professor at coventry, what else do you do?

a. I am also a Fellow of the University of Warwick Business School and I’m Chairman of the joint commissioning board for NHS Coventry and Warwickshire. We spend £1.3-1.4bn a year on the health service across the city and the county.

I’m also Chairman of the National Health Service Confederation, an organisation that represents the whole of the NHS to Government. It is a voluntary, independent body but we have virtually 100% membership from NHS organisations.

I’m Director of the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre, which was set up by the Health Development Agency half a decade ago to implement the Government’s tobacco policies and most especially make work places and public places compliant. I am also Chief Executive of Public Management Associates (PMA) an independent public health research organisation working with local authorities through major changes.

My weeks consist of hop-scotching between my academic interests, my local Warwickshire interests and my national NHS interests.

Q. what do you see as the current priorities of the health service?

a. The reality is over the next half decade any Government is committed to borrowing around £700bn to fund public service activities and that is a monumental challenge – far greater than anything we have ever seen before. Coming out of the recession is not going to resolve those problems in any way either.

My job – both as an academic as well as in a practical, hands-on role – is to ensure we manage the resources available to the health service in ways that have the greatest impact on improving the health of the nation.

I believe that only by dealing with public health issues such as tobacco control, addressing health inequalities and improving breast feeding rates, are we likely to come through the next five to seven years in reasonably good shape.

Q. what interests you the most about health policy? a. How we address the unequal health experiences in Britain. We have got an extraordinary gap in life expectancy between the poorest and the richest in our society. And the overall effect of that is to diminish all of us, not just the poor but the most affluent too. Professor Richard Wilson has written about this most recently in his book The Spirit Level and he points out that it’s not the richest societies in terms of gross domestic product which are the healthiest, it is the societies which are egalitarian, where no one is allowed to fall off the wagon. In Scandina-vian social democracies we find far better health experi-ences, not just for the poor but for the rich also. The more equal a society the better is the health of everyone. That’s intellectually really interesting. Coventry University has the most to offer here because it educates professional staff that go out and engage with the very people experiencing those inequalities. Understanding what that means and addressing those issues, as academic researchers as well as NHS practitioners, is the most exciting and valuable thing we could do at the moment in the health service.

Q. what drew you to academia? a. After my first degree I did Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in Africa but unusually I found myself teaching social science in the University of Malawi – the fifth poorest nation in the world. It was that understanding of how academic thought could be practical that drew me

into this. I returned to England to do a higher degree and ended up staying at Birmingham University to set up a Health Services Management Centre just at the point where the NHS was undergoing its first major reorganisation since its inception in 1948. The realisation that you really could make a difference from a university base drew me into academia.

It was for that reason I also allowed myself to be put on the Birmingham Health Authority and a whole variety of other organisations. I have rattled around the system but always with that academic interest behind it.

What excites me most is the idea of grounded theory and it’s that balance between the world of academia on the one hand and practice on the other that motivates me. Making sense of the pragmatic interventions we make to improve health in our society is what is most valuable.

Q. what role can coventry play in the future of healthcare?

a. We educate the frontline troops – the clinical staff, the nursing staff, the physiotherapists, the raft of professions allied to medicine, the people who are in hands-on contact with the patients and carers on a daily basis. We also think about how to improve the ways in which those services are provided. In terms of the applied sciences and applied information technology, Coventry is up there with the best and doing really innovative and challenging work – it is potentially at the very forefront of the next wave of technological advances in healthcare.

Professor Louise Wallace has been leading groundbreaking academic research in this area and I think her work is as important as anything else being done at the moment across the public health sphere in the NHS.

My priority for the next couple of years is to address what I think is the most severe challenge we’ve had in the NHS specifically and in the public sector generally in terms of reductions in resources. There are likely to be 10-15 percent reductions in the resources available and I want to be part of the answer to that and how we handle it in ways that don’t affect service.

Coventry can make an incredibly powerful contribution too by being at the forefront of developing solutions and answers to those issues rather than just analysing them,

It was Karl Marx who said ‘philosophers have only interpreted the world. The point is to change it!’ and universities like Coventry understand that. There’s no sterility in the work Coventry does, it is using practical forensic analysis to craft solutions to the challenges that we confront.

Visiting Professor Bryan Stoten plays a major role in local and national healthcare policy and believes academia, especially coventry university, is vital to the future of the uK’s health service

Putting theory into practice

1514

Q. as well as your role as a Visiting Professor at coventry, what else do you do?

a. I am also a Fellow of the University of Warwick Business School and I’m Chairman of the joint commissioning board for NHS Coventry and Warwickshire. We spend £1.3-1.4bn a year on the health service across the city and the county.

I’m also Chairman of the National Health Service Confederation, an organisation that represents the whole of the NHS to Government. It is a voluntary, independent body but we have virtually 100% membership from NHS organisations.

I’m Director of the Tobacco Control Collaborating Centre, which was set up by the Health Development Agency half a decade ago to implement the Government’s tobacco policies and most especially make work places and public places compliant. I am also Chief Executive of Public Management Associates (PMA) an independent public health research organisation working with local authorities through major changes.

My weeks consist of hop-scotching between my academic interests, my local Warwickshire interests and my national NHS interests.

Q. what do you see as the current priorities of the health service?

a. The reality is over the next half decade any Government is committed to borrowing around £700bn to fund public service activities and that is a monumental challenge – far greater than anything we have ever seen before. Coming out of the recession is not going to resolve those problems in any way either.

My job – both as an academic as well as in a practical, hands-on role – is to ensure we manage the resources available to the health service in ways that have the greatest impact on improving the health of the nation.

I believe that only by dealing with public health issues such as tobacco control, addressing health inequalities and improving breast feeding rates, are we likely to come through the next five to seven years in reasonably good shape.

Q. what interests you the most about health policy? a. How we address the unequal health experiences in Britain. We have got an extraordinary gap in life expectancy between the poorest and the richest in our society. And the overall effect of that is to diminish all of us, not just the poor but the most affluent too. Professor Richard Wilson has written about this most recently in his book The Spirit Level and he points out that it’s not the richest societies in terms of gross domestic product which are the healthiest, it is the societies which are egalitarian, where no one is allowed to fall off the wagon. In Scandina-vian social democracies we find far better health experi-ences, not just for the poor but for the rich also. The more equal a society the better is the health of everyone. That’s intellectually really interesting. Coventry University has the most to offer here because it educates professional staff that go out and engage with the very people experiencing those inequalities. Understanding what that means and addressing those issues, as academic researchers as well as NHS practitioners, is the most exciting and valuable thing we could do at the moment in the health service.

Q. what drew you to academia? a. After my first degree I did Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) in Africa but unusually I found myself teaching social science in the University of Malawi – the fifth poorest nation in the world. It was that understanding of how academic thought could be practical that drew me

into this. I returned to England to do a higher degree and ended up staying at Birmingham University to set up a Health Services Management Centre just at the point where the NHS was undergoing its first major reorganisation since its inception in 1948. The realisation that you really could make a difference from a university base drew me into academia.

It was for that reason I also allowed myself to be put on the Birmingham Health Authority and a whole variety of other organisations. I have rattled around the system but always with that academic interest behind it.

What excites me most is the idea of grounded theory and it’s that balance between the world of academia on the one hand and practice on the other that motivates me. Making sense of the pragmatic interventions we make to improve health in our society is what is most valuable.

Q. what role can coventry play in the future of healthcare?

a. We educate the frontline troops – the clinical staff, the nursing staff, the physiotherapists, the raft of professions allied to medicine, the people who are in hands-on contact with the patients and carers on a daily basis. We also think about how to improve the ways in which those services are provided. In terms of the applied sciences and applied information technology, Coventry is up there with the best and doing really innovative and challenging work – it is potentially at the very forefront of the next wave of technological advances in healthcare.

Professor Louise Wallace has been leading groundbreaking academic research in this area and I think her work is as important as anything else being done at the moment across the public health sphere in the NHS.

My priority for the next couple of years is to address what I think is the most severe challenge we’ve had in the NHS specifically and in the public sector generally in terms of reductions in resources. There are likely to be 10-15 percent reductions in the resources available and I want to be part of the answer to that and how we handle it in ways that don’t affect service.

Coventry can make an incredibly powerful contribution too by being at the forefront of developing solutions and answers to those issues rather than just analysing them,

It was Karl Marx who said ‘philosophers have only interpreted the world. The point is to change it!’ and universities like Coventry understand that. There’s no sterility in the work Coventry does, it is using practical forensic analysis to craft solutions to the challenges that we confront.

Visiting Professor Bryan Stoten plays a major role in local and national healthcare policy and believes academia, especially coventry university, is vital to the future of the uK’s health service

Putting theory into practice

16

If you would like to find out more

about any of the articles within this

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about applied research, or to

subscribe to future issues of Health,

please contact:

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Email: gail.williams@coventry.ac.uk

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Full-time Undergraduate open days:

10 October and 24 October 9am-4pm

Now you can read Health magazine online – and look through previous issues of the publication.

If you have been missing out on your copies of Health, catch up now at

www.coventry.ac.uk/healthmagazine

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Develop your

careerYour training may already be benefiting you in the workplace.

Why not let Coventry enhance your career further?

Postgraduate and part-time study offers you the chance to add a range

of specialist skills to your portfolio and advance your career options.

We also offer Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training

programmes through our School of Lifelong Learning to further

enhance your career progression.

Come along to one of our Postgraduate and Part-time open days to

find out about the opportunities:

12 November 4pm – 7pm

14 November 10am – 2pm

Subject experts will be available to advise you about our courses

and you can tour round our dedicated facilities for Postgraduate,

Part-time and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) students.

Our open days take place in the Graduate & CPD Centre, Jaguar

Building on the City Centre campus, accessible from Gosford Street,

off Junction 3 of the ring road.

For further information and to register:

Email: gradopendays.uni@coventry.ac.uk

Visit: www.coventry.ac.uk/postgraduate

Call: +44 (0) 24 7688 8614