This project is funded via a Co-operative Awards in Science and Technology (CAST) studentship. The voluntary sector partners are Here NI.

Supervisors: First supervisor Dr Danielle Mackle, Second supervisor Professor Audrey Roulston

Background on project:

The aim of this project is to understand the needs and experiences of the ageing LGBTQIA+ population in Northern Ireland. Across the UK, services for older people generally are very deficient and specific needs of LGBTQIA+ people require particular attention. Limited research exists that explores the human development, well-being or lived experiences of the ageing LGBTQIA+ community and what is available has been described as small and underdeveloped (Kneale et al., 2019). Further, it is unclear whether service providers recognise the specific needs of the LGBTQIA+ community (Hughes et al., 2011). According to Westwood (206; 2017a; 2017b) social care for older people is perceived to be heteronormative, heterosexist and homo/bi and transphobic by LGBTQIA+ people. Studies have also shown that palliative and end of life care, including bereavement support providers are ill-equipped to deal with the needs of older LGBTQIA+ people (Fenge and Fannin, 2009; Almack et al., 2010).  Caceres et al. (2020) highlighted that LGBTQIA+ individuals shared fears of discrimination from long-term support providers and the need for training to improve care.

Project overview:

It is clear from the literature available that there are gaps in knowledge, particularly in relation to the ageing LGBTQIA+ population in Northern Ireland, regarding their physical and mental health needs, their experiences of health and social care services and what impact these have on their overall well-being.

The proposed objectives for this research are to:

1. Assess the current legal, policy, and practice initiatives for supporting the ageing LGBTQIA+ population by developing a systematic literature review.
2. Explore the views and experiences of ageing among the LGBTQIA+ population using a mixed methods quantitative and qualitative approach.
3. Explore the views and experiences of stakeholders regarding ageing among the LGBTQIA+ population using either a mixed methods or qualitative approach.
4. Evaluate whether current service delivery and planning identifies the specific needs of older LGBTQIA+ people and assess if current support services are fit for purpose in line with the transformation of adult social care in NI.

Overview:

QUB Supervisors: Dr. Mary-Louise Corr and Dr. Catherine McNamee

Project Partner: Save the Children UK

Background:

Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989), every child has the right to an adequate standard of living and Article 27 states that States Parties shall take appropriate measures to assist parents and others responsible for children to implement this right, particularly with regard to nutrition, clothing and housing. However, this right is not implemented fully in the UK with three in ten children experiencing poverty and one million children experiencing destitution in 2022. In Northern Ireland, the recent Child Poverty Strategy, concluded in 2022, failed to ‘turn the curve’ and reduce numbers of children living in poverty, impacting on health, educational and wellbeing outcomes.

Despite their vulnerability to the impact of poverty and social security policies, children’s voices are absent from debate and there is a lack of research with children on child poverty (Shier, 2023). As such, measures of child poverty and social security policies designed to tackle poverty are developed without an understanding of children’s views and experiences.

Project Overview:

The research will form part of an ongoing collaboration between the Centre for Children’s Rights (QUB), Save the Children UK and Ulster University which focuses on developing methodological approaches to participatory research with children on poverty. This project aims to understand poverty from children’s own perspectives. Children’s views and experiences of an adequate standard of living will be used to create a new measure of child poverty, enabling policymakers to develop more effective and equitable policies grounded in children’s views and experiences of poverty.

Research Aims:

• To capture detailed accounts of children’s experiences of poverty in Northern Ireland, with a particular focus on the impact of social security policies

• To use children’s accounts to develop and test a child-led measure of poverty based on children’s views of what constitutes an adequate standard of living for children in the UK. 

Methods:

The project will be underpinned by a child-rights based approach (Lundy & McEvoy, 2012). It is envisaged it will consist of 3 key strands: work with a children’s advisory group to inform the study design, development of research instruments and analysis and interpretation of data; in-depth accounts with up to 30 children capturing their experiences of poverty and impacts of social security policies on their ability to enjoy an adequate standard of living; and, develop and test a new measure of child poverty.

QUB Supervisors: Professor Bronagh Byrne and Dr Catherine McNamee

Project Partner: National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS)

Background: Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC,1989) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2006), deaf children and young people (and their families) have the right to access appropriate and accessible health care provision and to be educated in an environment that best meets their needs. These rights encompass the provision of accessible communication and information whether in the form of sign languages and requiring access to interpreters across health and education settings; captioning or through the use of communication devices such as loop systems. There is, however, lack of an evidence-base on the extent to which these rights are reflected in national law, policy and practice in Northern Ireland.

These issues are situated in the critical wider context of the Northern Ireland Children’s Strategy (2020-2030), the Children’s Services Cooperation Act (2016), the Department of Education’s End to End Review of Special Educational Needs, and Priority 5 of the 2024-2027 draft Programme for Government which calls for ‘Better Support for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs’. What is not clear, however, is the extent to which the particular needs and rights of deaf children and young people are reflected across these core documents.

Project overview: This project will adopt a children’s rights-based approach to understanding availability of, access to, adaptability and acceptability of supports and services for deaf children and young people and their families across health (including audiology) and education (including early years), and the extent of co-operation between these areas.

Research aims:

• Explore the extent to which the rights of deaf children and young people are reflected in law, policy and practice in Northern Ireland.
• Identify key supports and services for deaf children and young people and their families.
• Examine the perceptions of deaf children and young people, and their families, on the key enablers and barriers in accessing such supports.
• Develop recommendations for future services and supports.

Research methods:

• It is anticipated that the project will consist of four key strands: a critical analysis of law and policy in Northern Ireland; semi- structured interviews or focus groups with selected key stakeholders across health and education (including audiology services and teachers of the deaf); participatory research with deaf children and young people that prioritises accessible communication; and focus groups with families of deaf children and young people.

Supervisors: 1^st Dr Paul McCafferty & 2^nd Professor Davy Hayes

Background and overview of the project: The Department of Health Northern Ireland's recent review highlights a shift in social care from a child protection focus to a more supportive approach, recognizing care-experienced young mothers as particularly vulnerable. A significant number of these women become pregnant before leaving care, exposing gaps in legislation and support systems such as The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and the Children (Leaving Care) Act (Northern Ireland) 2002. Feedback from Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC), one of Northern Ireland’s leading charities supporting young people in care, highlights that many care-experienced young mothers feel judged and unsupported. This perception discourages them from seeking help, ultimately worsening outcomes for both them and their children.

This qualitative PhD, completed in partnership with VOYPIC, seeks to address the knowledge gap regarding care-experienced young mothers, aiming to improve policies, services, and legislation to better meet their needs. It focuses on creating empathetic, non-judgmental support systems, guiding policy development, and ensuring equitable treatment in care.

First supervisor Dr Nichola Booth

Second supervisor Dr Paul Best

Assistant PhD Supervisor: Dr Stephen Gallagher, Ulster University, PEAT

The objective of this project is to improve access to an airport for neurodiverse individuals using behaviour analytic principles while improving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion practices.

Travelling by air can, and should be, accessible to all which is a sentiment enshrined in EU regulation (No 1107/2006) which stipulates that “…disabled persons…should have opportunities for air travel comparable to those of other citizens” (Europa.eu, 2024 p.1). However, for many travellers air travel can result in heightened challenges particularly for individuals with disabilities. While travel constitutes a social right (O’Byrne, 2001), it is noteworthy that not all travel environments, airports included, are systematically configured to ensure universal access. This project aims to redress the absence of this social right.

The objectives of the project are to:

• Identify the barriers that are preventing access to a transport hub, namely an airport, for individuals with disabilities with a focus on those with autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, and down syndrome.
• To develop a replicable, improved protocol of an existing model used for increasing airport access for the above-named clinical populations for other regional airports.
• To analyse the direct impact that the new model for increasing access has had on recipients of the support.
• To improve Equality, Diversity and Inclusion practices within a working airport.

Autism in the air is a long-standing initiative between QUB and Belfast City Airport which provides access for children and young people with an autism diagnosis (and associated disabilities) to have access to a working airport prior to a holiday. It is the only one of its kind within the United Kingdom and Europe. This research will further develop this initiative so that a replicable protocol can be developed that can be implemented with fidelity in other regional airports. Essential Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) practices will also be identified that could be adopted by airports.

The research will be carried out in collaboration between two research centres in QUB: the Centre for Behaviour Analysis (CBA) and the Centre for Technological Innovation in Mental Health and Education (TIME).

Supervisors:

First Supervisor: Professor Audrey Roulston

Second Supervisor: Dr Paul Best

Third Supervisor: Stephen Herron (QUB)

Background on project

The aim of this project is to reduce waiting times for people known to palliative care services who present with depression and would benefit from Behavioural Activation.

Project Overview

Palliative care improves the quality of life of patients and families facing problems associated with life-limiting illness (WHO, 2002), which should be met holistically through psychological, social and spiritual support (NICE, 2004). According to Hasson et al. (2020), international palliative care research priorities include: ‘training and education’ of hospice and palliative care specialists and addressing ‘inequality of access’ to palliative care services. A priority identified by James Lind Alliance is finding ‘the best ways to recognise and treat depression and low mood in people who are dying’, including those with non-malignant diseases (i.e. Heart Failure, COPD, MND, Parkinson’s, Dementia, etc) or their carers (active or bereaved).

Specialist psychological services are difficult to access due to prohibitive waiting times and costs. According to Stein et al. (2021) Behavioural Activation improves depression. Upskilling hospice social workers will enable them to offer Behavioural Activation to the increasing number of individuals with palliative care needs presenting with depression, and informal carers, either pre- or post-bereavement.

The proposed objectives are for the PhD student to:

1. Explore research evidence on the benefits of Behavioural Activation for depression.
2. Access two clinical placements in the inpatient, outpatient or community services, alongside the multi-disciplinary teams in Marie Curie Belfast and Southern Area Hospice.
3. Undertake formal training in Behavioural Activation and attend regular clinical supervision.
4. Co-deliver an evidence-based 5-day BA training programme to social workers in palliative care.
5. Introduce evidence-based methods into practice for screening individuals for depression.
6. Develop and conduct a pre-test/post-test evaluation capturing qualitative and quantitative data from approx. 50- 60 participants at 3 time points (i.e. baseline, post-intervention, 6-week follow-up) using validated measures for depression, quality-of-life and life engagement).