Health and Social Care Workforce - Development and Education Research Group
Health and social care workforce research
Transforming the health and social care workforce
Driving research and innovation to support health and social care professionals.
HESCADE (Health & Social Care Workforce - Development and Education Research Group) is a multidisciplinary research team focused on enhancing the education, development and well-being of the health and social care workforce.
Through innovative projects, we aim to address critical challenges for professionals in this vital sector.
Our focus areas
HESCADE’s research explores:
- Supporting well-being: Interventions to enhance the mental and emotional health of health and social care professionals.
- Innovative education: Effective methods for training current and future professionals.
- Retention and growth: Strategies to retain and develop the workforce.
- Embracing innovation: Exploring the impact of new roles, skills and approaches in health and social care.
Meet the team
Led by Professor Ann Ooms, our group includes experts from diverse fields such as nursing, social work, midwifery, physiotherapy, pharmacy and more. Our network spans leading universities, NHS trusts and social care organisations.
Professor Ann Ooms, Professor in Higher Education Research, Kingston University(Lead)
- Professor Vari Drennan, Professor of Health Care and Policy Research, ÖØ¿ÚζSM
- Dr Mary Halter, Associate Professor Emergency Cardiovascular and Critical Care Research, ÖØ¿ÚζSM
- Professor Rick Hood, Professor of Social Work, ÖØ¿ÚζSM
- Professor Jayne Price, Professor of Children's Nursing, ÖØ¿ÚζSM
- Professor Claire Thurgate, Head of School of Nursing, Allied and Public Health, ÖØ¿ÚζSM
- Boamah, Yvette, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Chamanga, Edwin, CSH Surrey
- De Rezende, Helena, Bournemouth University
- Dicken, Carol, Kingston University- Social Work
- Evans, Sharon, Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership
- Favato, Giampiero, Kingston University- Business School
- Gillman, Lindsay, Kingston University– Midwifery
- Heaton-Shrestha, Celayne, Kingston University– Research Fellow
- Leliopoulou, Chrysi, University of East Anglia
- Matthews, Claudine, Anglia Ruskin University - Dietician & Nutrition
- McGowan, Catherine, St Georges University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Menezes, Antoinette, University of West London
- Micallef, Ricarda, Kingston University- Pharmacy
- Muleya, Wilson, Kingston University- Social Work
- Mupaya, Wadzanai, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Nebel, Ulrike, Developing Together Social Work Teaching Partnership
- Nikoletou, Dimitra, St George's University of London - Physiotherapy
- Nilsson, David, Kingston University- Social Work
- Royle, Finlay, NHS South East London – Pharmacy
- Shamim, Atif, NHS England – Pharmacy
- Stroumpouki, Dora, Kingston University– Nursing, Allied and Public Health
- Taylor, Francesca, Kingston University– Nursing, Allied and Public Health
- Wu, Lihua, Kingston University- Nursing, Allied and Public Health
Key projects
Community nurse retention: Identifying strategies to prevent community nurses from leaving their roles in high-demand areas.
SkillMix study: Investigating the integration of non-medical practitioners into emergency and urgent care to optimise team composition and patient outcomes.
Addressing workplace concerns: Exploring the psychological and social effects on healthcare professionals and students when raising or silencing concerns.
Recent publications
HESCADE researchers contribute to impactful studies in healthcare and social care, including:
- A mixed-methods study on non-medical practitioners in emergency departments (Drennan et al., 2023).
- Research on enhancing well-being in high-pressure clinical environments (Ooms et al., 2022).
- The PRACTICE framework for pharmacist lifelong learning (Micallef et al., 2022).
Get involved
Join HESCADE and help shape the future of health and social care. Collaborate on groundbreaking projects, connect with experts and contribute to meaningful advancements in education and workforce development.
Contact Professor Ann Ooms for more information.
