International Health Humanities Network Membership

I am a dually qualified mental health professional (RMN and DipSW) with many years experience. For example, I have worked as a staff nurse for Leicestershire Health Authority, as a social worker for Warwickshire County Council and for ten years as a team leader and dementia specialist for Anchor Trust. In addition, after completing a PhD and an ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Social Gerontology, I have worked as a researcher on individual and team based projects at various universities, especially in the areas of older age and mental health, these projects have included:

The evaluation of an art for health intervention involving the provision of instruction in painting and drawing to community groups identified as being vulnerable to developing mental health problems http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1519896&show=abstract

The evaluation of a musical intervention for people with dementia called 'Soundtrack to My Life'.

The evaluation of a theatrical event called 'Inside Out of Mind', an innovative project aiming to seek engagement from health care assistants and other care workers, helping them to find effective new and meaningful ways of enhancing the care of people with dementia.

Most recently, I have been working as a senior research fellow at the University of Nottingham on a project called 'Clay Transformations' (www.claytransformations.info).  This is part of a larger programme called 'Creative Practice as Mutual Recovery: Connecting Communities for Mental Health and Wellbeing' which is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.