SUSHI study Phase 2 – testing an online social inclusion assessment

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Supporting social inclusion for people with serious mental illness living in supported housing: SUSHI study Phase 2 – Testing an online social inclusion assessment tool

  • IRAS ID

    302829

  • Contact name

    Brynmor Lloyd-Evans

  • Contact email

    b.lloyd-evans@ucl.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    UCL/UCLH Joint Research Office

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    Z6364106/2021/07/134, UCL Data Protection registration number

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 8 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    People with serious mental health problems are often socially excluded. About 60,000 people in England with severe mental health difficulties live in supported accommodation. This includes staffed group homes and outreach housing support to people living independently. Ways to help supported accommodation staff identify areas where someone would like help with inclusion, encourage discussion and guide care planning are therefore of high interest. Our research team has previously developed a validated questionnaire to assess social inclusion and an online tool which can be used to conduct the assessment.

    In this study, we will make an online assessment tool available for use in supported accommodation settings and investigate its acceptability and perceived usefulness. All stages involve supported accommodation services in Islington which support service users of Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. We will:
    1) Seek feedback through qualitative interviews from 12 staff and 12 residents from three supported accommodation services who have used the online assessment.
    2) Make an improved version of the online tool available to all supported accommodation services in Islington, with a strategy to encourage its use (e.g. brief online training, support from service managers). We will monitor the extent of take-up.
    3) Conduct five focus groups in total with supported accommodation staff, residents, and informal carers (6-10 people per group) to explore experience of the online tool, barriers and facilitators to using it, and what additional resources may also be needed to help residents achieve better social inclusion.

    We will use all this information to develop a “programme theory” of how the online tool can help supported accommodation staff support residents with social inclusion. We will hold a final stakeholder event to present and discuss our findings. We will write guidance for service managers about what the online tool is for and what helps get it used.

  • REC name

    London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    21/LO/0657

  • Date of REC Opinion

    4 Nov 2021

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion