Anglia Ruskin University

Aim and Purpose

Jenny Secker is the Professor of Mental Health at Anglia Ruskin University, an appointment that was established jointly by Anglia Ruskin University and the South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Main research areas's include the application of qualitative methods to health services and social care research, with a particular focus on mental health services development. The conceptual frameworks informing the work include phenomenology, realistic evaluation and discourse analysis.

The team works closely with SE-SURG, the South Essex Service User Research Group. This is a group of current or former mental health service users who carry out research and consultancy for commissioners and providers of mental health services.

Research Team and Collaborators

The team consists of researchers and trust research fellows: SEPT - South Essex Partnership NHS Trust Foundation Trust; CSIP's National Social Inclusion Programme; Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health; SE-SURG - the South Essex Service User Research Group; UCLan; SESAMI

The team works closely with SE-SURG, the South Essex Service User Research Group. This is a group of current or former mental health service users who carry out research and consultancy for commissioners and providers of mental health services.

Outputs and benefits

• Arts Mental Health & Social Inclusion: Developing the Evidence Base, with UCLan, funded by Department for Culture Media and Sport and Department of Health
• SESAMI - Social inclusion through Employment Support for Adults with Mental Illness, with University of Nottingham, City University and Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, funded by the Higher Education European Social Fund.
• Evaluation of the Pathways to work Condition Management Programme Pilots, with UCLan, funded by Department of Health

Current Research

• An exploration on how we can enhance learning from incidents of suicide and serious self harm linked to inpatient units
• Developing tools to assess competencies for socially inclusive practice, funded by CSIP's National Social Inclusion Programme
• An evaluation of a primary care based job retention pilot in Cambridgeshire for Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health
• An evaluation of modernised day and employment pilot services for the South West Essex PCT
• An evaluation of a participatory arts initiative for South Essex Primary Care Trust
• Consultancy aimed at obtaining feedback about older people's mental health services for Enfield PCT
• Audit of recovery-orientated practice on one of South Essex Primary Care Trust acute inpatient wards

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