The Clinical Research Hub

Hub Partners: Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides a specialist service to people with a learning disability including in-patient assessment and treatment and community based services across the North West.

Historically, we have hosted research from University associates and supported student research, both from within and outside the Trust through University contacts. We have also undertaken a number of in-house research studies, funded and supported by the Trust, as well as participating in a small number of NIHR portfolio studies. We have a number of research active personnel in the Trust and the interest in this field has been growing rapidly over the past 12 months. We feel the time is now right to extend our research capability and for this reason Calderstones was very pleased to join the Clinical Research Hub in September 2011.

By joining the Hub we hope to develop our clinical research expertise and be able to attract research funding with a view to taking part in and developing national research studies in the learning disability field. We are looking forward to working with Dr Sally Spencer on site and to developing closer links with other University personnel and wider NHS Trusts.

Research Activity

This includes the development and trial of new or existing psychological therapies adapted for use with people with a learning disability; development of clinical care pathways, staff and service user experiences of living and working in the hospital; and service user views on experiences which led to them being admitted to the hospital and aspects of their treatment and care.

Research Infrastructure

The R&D department is located under the Medical Directorate with strong links to the Governance department.

The department is managed by Paula Johnson and supported by 2 full time and 2 part time research staff. There is also one speech and language therapist co-opted part time to the R&D department for a specific project.

The department has strong links with all departments including Clinical Governance, the Medical Directorate, the Learning & Development department and Library services, the Psychological Treatments Service and, most importantly, the clinical areas. There are research active personnel working in all these departments and areas of the Trust.

Strengths

Our key strengths at present include Trust Board commitment to research and the enthusiasm and motivation to stretch our research activity and develop expertise in conducting larger, national, externally funded studies. We have good links with a number of Universities in the North West and are very hospitable to research personnel who wish to work with us to improve the quality of care and evidence based practice for people with a learning disability.