SPEAK Study: coaStal dePrivation and the role of focusEd cAre worKers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Speak Study: coaStal dePrivation and the role of focusEd cAre worKers
IRAS ID
327956
Contact name
Avril Culatto
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) represented by the University of Kent
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 30 days
Research summary
Coastal communities comprise 18.5% of the population in England and are amongst the most deprived. People living in these areas with higher levels of deprivation have multiple complex problems causing higher prevalence of chronic disease, smoking, obesity leading and poorer health outcomes. Due to the multiple effects of deprivation e.g. poor housing, isolation, fewer employment opportunities, food insecurity people’s working lives are shorter due to effect of earlier onset of these multiple co-morbidities, further perpetuating the cycle of poverty. Crucially these areas often have poorer access to good medical and social care and those most vulnerable struggle to access care.
Focused care workers are a model of care (developed in the context of urban deprivation) providing support to patients who have complex needs related to living in the context of deprivation. Patients are referred to them by the primary care worker e.g. nurse, GP, receptionist. They assess their holistic needs and work a plan alongside the patient to help them overcome problems they may be experiencing e.g. damp housing, lack of food, loneliness and isolation or anxiety to attend a hospital appointment.
The study will be exploring the experiences of these patients referred to the focused care worker. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with approximately 5 referrers to the FCW (usually healthcare professionals) as well as 12-15 patients who have been referred. Analysis of the interviews will look at whether there was value added by intervention of the focused care worker and if so what was this and how was this done. It is hoped this study will provide greater insight of the challenges those face living in areas of coastal deprivation and understanding in to ways this population can be better supported.
The research is being undertaken by Dr Avril Culatto, GP research fellow at Kent and Medway Medical School.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0154
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jun 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion