Time Together
March 2026
Dr Sarah Rose, Dr Victoria Riley, Dr Lorna Sams, Dr Naomi Ellis
Many young children are now showing difficulties with speech, language, and early communication. These challenges can make learning harder in later years, so it is important that families get support before children start school. Time Together is a short, six-week programme designed to help parents and young children build early communication and interaction skills. Our evaluation of Time Together showed the programme has the potential to be a meaningful and effective early intervention approach that could play an important role in supporting young children’s communication development before they start school.
Read the report here.
Voices for Change Report
December 2025
The ‘Voices for Change’ project explored how engagement and accessibility can be improved across the Cheshire Health and Justice Services that are delivered by Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT). It aligns with MPFT’s service user involvement strategy, which seeks to make sure that people accessing these services ‘have a voice’ and feed into future changes and improvements.
CHAD researchers worked alongside people from MPFT and Voices for Change to review engagement and accessibility of the services and develop recommendations. We used a mixed methods approach, combining analysis of anonymised referral data, service user surveys and interviews, partner organisation feedback, and staff workshops.
The report is written by a team from CHAD, MPFT and NHS England. It sets out recommendations related to data collection, publicity, future work with/training for partners, practical considerations and longer term.
To find out more about the Voices for Change project, please contact: Katie Beeston (Head of Business and Service Development, MPFT): katie.beeston@mpft.nhs.uk, Jamie Roberts (Professional Lead for Lived Experience Practice, MPFT), Jamie.roberts@mpft.nhs.uk or Claudia Jamieson (LENSE Research and Innovation Project Manager, MPFT): claudia.jamieson@mpft.nhs.uk.
To find out more about the evaluation, please contact Fiona McCormack (Research Fellow, CHAD): Fiona.mccormack@staffs.ac.uk or Naomi Ellis (Associate Professor and CHAD Director): N.J.Ellis@staffs.ac.uk
Read the report here.
Experiences of neurodivergent women living in communities of Staffordshire – Community Needs Analysis
September 2025
Dr Victoria Riley, Jane Turner, Kim Buckless, Dr Naomi Ellis, Dr Arta Jalili-Idrissi, Grace Podmore Baker
Neurodiversity is often identified in females later in life compared to males due to their ability to mask neurodivergent traits to fit in socially with others.
This report focuses on how women in Staffordshire interact with support services, the barriers they face in healthcare and in society.
The aim of the research was to understand the experiences, opportunities and support requirements of neurodivergent women, focusing on the effectiveness of local service provision.
Read the report here.
Keep Warm, Keep Well
July 2025
Dr Konstantinos Spyropoulos, Lorna Sams, Dr Naomi Ellis
The Keep Warm, Keep Well scheme is a partnership between Staffordshire Community Energy (SCE), Beat the Cold and University Hospitals of the North Midlands.
It was created to tackle fuel poverty through targeted energy advice and practical interventions for vulnerable households, and has been part-funded by SCE, from surpluses from its solar PV installations, since 2016.
Significant additional funding has been provided by the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme via SCE from June 2023 to July 2025, including for the production of this evaluation.
Read the report here.
A review of the Multi-agency Resolution Group (MaRG) – Undertaken as part of the Stoke-on-Trent Changing Futures evaluation
May 2024
Fiona McCormack, Konstantinos Spyropoulos, Naomi Ellis, Lorna Sams, Christopher Gidlow
This report was commissioned by Changing Futures in Stoke-on-Trent. Here, Changing Futures is the local implementation of a national programme to support people experiencing multiple disadvantage (i.e., adults experiencing combinations of, homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse, and contact with the criminal justice system). The programme aims to improve outcomes for ‘the most excluded adults’ that are experiencing multiple disadvantage and may be placing a high demand on local response services, but for whom current systems of support are not working.[1]
A core part of the local Changing Futures programme is the Multi-agency Resolution Group (MaRG). The MaRG is made up of a wide range of statutory and voluntary organisations that come together to try and overcome issues that have led to people with multiple disadvantage becoming ‘stuck’ in the system. Working with the most complex cases, the MaRG aims to achieve more flexible and collaborative solutions that share risk and open up different opportunities for the people involved.
Prior to Changing Futures, the MaRG started as a cooperative working initiative with Stoke-on-Trent city council and developed further through the VOICES programme (which was evaluated by the CHAD team 2021[2]). This learning helped shape the MaRG as it is now with Changing Futures.
For this review, we focused primarily on the newer elements of the MaRG as it operates currently , i.e., the role of the independent chair, customer representation and lived experience involvement, and sustainability. We collated and reviewed anonymised material on cases considered by the MaRG and conducted interviews with members of the MaRG and other professionals.
The report sets out the findings and recommendations for the future of the MaRG.
Read the report here.
GoTeach Evaluation
October 2023
Sian Parry and Christopher Gidlow
‘GoTeach’ is a careers-based intervention delivered by employees of the logistics company DHL Business. Sessions are organised by the DHL UK Foundation and involve secondary schools based in predominately socio-economically disadvantaged areas. The classroom-based sessions aim to teach secondary school students about careers, develop employability skills and to increase students’ knowledge and confidence for their future education and employment.
CHAD researchers conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of GoTeach, funded by DHL UK Foundation. The evaluation aimed to understand the impact on Year 9/10 students taking part in four GoTeach sessions via questionnaires pre and post the intervention. Perceptions of the programme, including recommendations for improvement, were also explored through focus groups and interviews with students, Career Leads and Coordinators, DHL Colleagues and other Stakeholders involved with the GoTeach programme.
Read the report here.
Research into the use of the psychoactive substance known as ‘Monkey dust’ in Stoke-on-Trent
July 2023
Fiona McCormack, Sarah Page and Sophia Fedorowicz.
This summary outlines the key findings and the recommendations from research that explored the use of psychoactive substances referred to as ‘Monkey Dust’ in Stoke-on-Trent. The research was commissioned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, to find out more about how and why ‘Monkey Dust’ is used in Stoke-on-Trent, and to help inform next steps locally.
The research was a collaboration between the Centre for Health and Development (CHAD), Staffordshire University’s Centre for Crime, Justice and Security, and Expert Citizen’s Community Interest Company. A team of Expert Citizens volunteers were also involved as peer-researchers.
We conducted three strands of qualitative data collection:
- Interviews with 13 people with experience of taking NPS known as ‘monkey dust’
- Focus groups with 9 concerned and affected members of two local communities
- Online world café with 17 professionals to discuss impact on services of NPS known as ‘monkey dust’ and co-produce solutions.
For each, participants were asked to identify key issues related to the use of ‘monkey dust’, perceived impact and solutions.
The report identifies a range of recommendations. We are pleased to be working with partners locally, including Stoke-on-Trent City Council, on the next steps to address issues related to the NPS referred to locally as ‘monkey dust’.
Read the Executive Summary here.
A video of the researchers explaining the findings of the report can be found here.
Evaluation of Trucks and Child Safety: Findings from children, teachers, and demonstrators
Report commissioned by the DHL UK Foundation. Ethical approval was obtained by Staffordshire University in March 2020.
June 2023
Dr Naomi Ellis, Dr Jacky Forsyth, Aman Mankoo, Grace Podmore Baker, Sophia Fedorowicz, Professor Christopher Gidlow.
The research outlined in this report was conducted by the Centre for Health and Development (CHAD).. CHAD was established as an innovative partnership between Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire County Council and Staffordshire University. Its purpose is to contribute to the reduction of health and social inequalities and improve health and wellbeing through carrying out high quality translational and internationally recognised research.
According to the World Health Organization, 1.2 million people die annually in road collisions worldwide and about 20 to 50 million more people are injured. Most traffic deaths and injuries involve vulnerable road users, such as children who are walking or cycling.
Read the report here.
Changing Futures Stoke-on-Trent Evaluation
April 2023
Changing Futures Stoke-on-Trent is local implementation of a national programme to support people experiencing multiple disadvantage through systems change. It builds on learning from VOICES, the eight-year (2014-2022) National Lottery-funded partnership programme.
Changing Futures evaluation – Time 1 Situational Analysis
Report commissioned as part of the Stoke on Trent Changing Futures evaluation
Kostas Spyropoulos, Christopher Gidlow.
Read the evaluation here.
Experience and perceptions of commissioning, – Final report
Lorna Sams, Christopher Gidlow, Andy Meakin, Naomi Ellis, Aman Mankoo.
Read the report here.
An exploration of physical activity and related opportunities for older people in Staffordshire
March 2023
Konstantinos Spyropoulos, Christopher Gidlow, Grace Podmore, Naomi Ellis
The aim of this report was to support scaling up healthier ageing initiatives through understanding the impact of COVID-19 on physical activity participation of the population >55 years of age in Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent, and identify needs, opportunities, and solutions for community and systems level approaches.
Data were collected through eight workshops with community members (total n=83) and interviews with stakeholders (n=15) who represented relevant organisations in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Written materials were requested from the local authorities to provide relevant policy and strategic context. All data fed into Situational Analysis, a flexible, data-driven, qualitative methodology used to understand systems. In this case, the situation was the system of community-level supports for physical activity in Staffordshire.
Read the full report here.
The Longer-Term Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions On Women’s Postpartum Experience in England: A Follow-Up Qualitative Exploration
March 2023
Dr Victoria Riley, Lorna Sams, Dr Jennifer Taylor, Dr Naomi Ellis
The coronavirus pandemic has profoundly impacted on women’s mental health during pregnancy and postpartum period, yet knowledge of the longer-term effect on new mothers is limited. Our initial exploration of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on women’s pregnancy and post-partum experience found that participants expressed increased emotional and physical distress following isolation from friends, family and health professionals, in addition to limited information about the risk of COVID-19 on pregnancy and pregnancy-related care.
Read the full report here.
Final Evaluation: Five to Thrive Reaching Out Startwell Final Report
October 2022
Dr Naomi Ellis, Lorna Sams, Sophia Fedorowicz, Grace Podmore-Baker, Kim Buckless, Professor Christopher Gidlow.
There is evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the mental health and well-being of various population groups. Following Stoke-on-Trent City Council being awarded the Prevention and Promotion for Better Mental Health Grant Funding, interventions were put in place to support vulnerable groups. This evaluation centred on three of these groups; new parents, residents of Stoke-on-Trent who are struggling to access support and young people in schools.
The aim of this evaluation was to assess the impact of three interventions: ‘Five to Thrive’, ‘Startwell’ and ‘Reaching Out’ Each intervention was aimed at a different population group and was developed to mitigate mental health impacts arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the full report here.
Women, homelessness and multiple disadvantage: Building on insight from the Specialist homeless women’s worker project within Housing First Stoke-on-Trent
February 2022
Fiona McCormack, Sophia Fedorowicz and Rachele Hine.
Women’s homelessness is often described as ‘invisible’ and ‘hidden’. This report aims to improve understanding of local women’s experiences of homelessness and multiple disadvantage in Stoke-on-Trent. The research is a collaboration between Centre for Health and Development (CHAD) and Expert Citizens C.I.C. It was commissioned by Housing First Stoke-on-Trent through Brighter Futures.
The report explores perceptions of: (1) the experiences of local homeless women with experience of multiple disadvantage/complex trauma, (2) the perceived impact of Housing First Stoke-on-Trent’s Women’s Worker Project, and (3) opportunities for improvement and implications for the wider system of services in Stoke-on-Trent. Ultimately, it sets out recommendations that seek to improve the commissioning and delivery of future gender-informed services for women in Stoke-on-Trent.
Read the full report here.
HARD EDGES Stoke-on-Trent: Reducing the costs of multiple needs to people and services: The third financial analysis of VOICES
December 2021
Professor Christopher Gidlow, Kostas Spyropoulos, Fiona McCormack, Rachele Hine.
The VOICES partnership was Stoke-on-Trent’s implementation of the National Lottery’s Fulfilling Lives programme; one of 12 programmes across the country aiming to improve support for people who experience multiple disadvantage, to enable them to better manage their lives.VOICES wanted to explore the idea of ‘Hard Edges’ in Stoke-On-Trent, and commissioned Hard Edges reports in 2016 and 2018.
This report builds on Hard Edges 2016 (customers 2014-2016, n=22) and 2018 (customers 2014-2018, n=56), analysing data for all 116 customers across the total VOICES customer base (2014-2020) for whom at least 12 months of data were available.
Read the full report here.
Multi-agency Resolution Group (MaRG): Evaluation report
December 2021
Professor Christopher Gidlow, Fiona McCormack and Kostas Spyropoulos.
The Multi-agency Resolution Group (MaRG) is hosted by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and comprises a range of statutory and voluntary sector organisations. The professionals involved collaborate to help overcome perceived barriers for people with multiple disadvantage that have become ‘stuck’ in the system. The MaRG attempts to broker flexible solutions for complex cases, to manage and share risk across relevant agencies by promoting flexibility and a coordinated response.
This research was funded by The National Lottery Community Fund through VOICES. We are grateful to Andy Meakin for his support throughout the process. We are also grateful to all the members of the group who shared their insights with us, both through the interviews for the evaluation and the workshop.
Read the full report here.
Welfare Benefits: Leading and Learning (WBLL) model in Stoke-on-Trent – Evaluation report
September 2021
Professor Christopher Gidlow, Fiona McCormack, Victoria Riley and Kostas Spyropoulos.
Following the success of the model of Specialist Welfare Advice and Advocacy at VOICES, the Welfare Benefits: Leading and Learning (WBLL) project was introduced in April 2019.
WBLL involved embedding a specialist adviser from Citizen’s Advice within different organisations who support people with severe and multiple disadvantage, to support staff in advising their customers in benefit claims.
This research was funded by The National Lottery Community Fund through VOICES. We are grateful to Andy Meakin for his support throughout the process. We would also like to acknowledge all interview participants and the WBLL staff for their assistance throughout the evaluation: Karen Dunn, Lisa Kearns and John Ryan from Citizens Advice Staffordshire North and Stoke on Trent.
Read the full report here.
Evaluation of Housing First in Stoke-on-Trent
August 2021
Professor Christopher Gidlow, Fiona McCormack, Kostas Spyropoulos, Sophia Fedorowicz and Rachele Hine.
This report summarises the findings from an evaluation of Stoke-on-Trent’s Housing First programme conducted by the Centre for Health and Development, in collaboration with Expert Citizens.
Housing First is a housing-led model of housing and support that represents a shift from ‘treatment first’ approaches. It places chronically homeless people in to ordinary private accommodation, rather than offering housing as a reward for progress in treatment.
This evaluation, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund through VOICES, aimed to better understand outcomes and processes of Housing First in Stoke-on-Trent to inform future service.
Read the full report here.
Evaluation of the heart age test (HAT)
July 2021
Dr Victoria Riley, Sophia Fedorowicz, Professor Chris Gidlow.
This report summarises the findings from an evaluation of the heart age test (HAT), conducted by the Centre for Health and Development, in collaboration with Public Health England.
The HAT is an online test to indicate an individual’s potential cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk through estimated Heart Age, which can be compared to your actual age. The test aims to increase understanding of CVD risk, provide information and signpost individuals to resources, improve heath literacy, and encourage individuals to take up the offer of an NHS Health Check.
Read the full report here.
COVID-19 and Homelessness: National policy at the local level
December 2020
Victoria Riley, Sophia Fedorowicz, Naomi Ellis, Rachele Hine, Christopher Gidlow.
The Centre for Health and Development (CHAD)set out to explore the ‘Everyone In’ initiative during the first emergency COVID response to rough sleeping (March-June 2020), and how the national policy was playing out at the local level. We interviewed a range of stakeholders at the local level (in Stoke-on-Trent), regional level (West Midlands) and nationally.
As the COVID-19 situation and government response has evolved, much changed in the months following data were collection, but some of the learning and take home messages remain relevant.
This was a collaborative project CHAD, Expert Citizens, VOICES of Stoke-on-Trent and Public Health England. The research was made possible by the National Lottery Community Fund through VOICES.
Read the full report here
Young People and Self-harm
December 2019
Sian Parry, Fiona McCormack and Professor Chris Gidlow.
The Centre for Health and Development (CHAD) at Staffordshire University was asked to carry out research and a consultation exercise for Stoke-on-Trent City Council. The aim was to discover why the rate of hospital admissions as a result of self-harm for children and young people (CYP) in Stoke-on-Trent had increased. A literature review was conducted to understand the prevalence, outcome and risk factors for CYP that self-harm, worldwide and in the United Kingdom (UK).
Read the full report here
The provision of support services for women in Stoke-on-Trent: Project Report
December 2019
Fiona McCormack, Sophia Fedorowicz and Professor Chris Gidlow.
This report focuses on gender-specific services for women in Stoke-on-Trent. The research is a partnership between CHAD, Brighter Futures (the commissioners) and Expert Citizens.
This research was commissioned by Brighter Futures and we are grateful to Emma Davis and Lisa Lindley-Seath for their input, including their support with recruiting participants. We are also grateful to Rachele Hine and Samantha Fairbanks of Expert Citizens for their crucial role in conducting the focus group with ‘experts by experience’.
Read the full report here
Hospital Discharge and Homelessness: Local stakeholder perspectives
Fiona McCormack, Sian Parry and Chris Gidlow, November 2019, read
November 2019
We (the CHAD team) were approached by VOICES to carry out this piece of research. This was on the back of previous research we had partnered on, which used an assets-based approach to explore city centre rough sleeping and street activity in Stoke-on-Trent (McCormack et al., 2016; Massie et al., 2018). VOICES commissioned this research to explore stakeholders’ views and experiences of the hospital discharge process for homeless people, with the hope of highlighting gaps and strengths across the system.
Read the full report here
End of Life Care in Staffordshire: Health Professional Perspective
November 2018
Dr Rachel Massie, Fiona McCormack, Matilda Hanjari, Judy Kurth.
End-of-life care refers to the final year of a person’s life. End-of-life care in hospital settings has been suggested to be sub-optimal (e.g., Al-Qurainy et al., 2009). The aim of this study was to explore health professionals’ views and experiences of providing end-of-life care in Staffordshire and how this could be improved. Sixteen health professionals working in primary care (three general practices) or acute care (one NHS acute hospital trust) participated in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.
Read the full report here
Evaluation of the North Staffordshire Cancer Lifestyle Project
September 2017
Fiona McCormack, Dr Rachel Massie, Matilda Hanjari and Dr Chris Gidlow.
This report summarises the findings from the independent evaluation of The Beth Johnson Foundation’s Cancer Lifestyle Project in North Staffordshire. The North Staffordshire Cancer Lifestyle Project was established in November 2015 with 2 years’ funding from Macmillan Cancer Support. Its main aim was to increase the levels of physical activity, healthy eating and wellbeing in people aged 50+ who are living with or after a diagnosis of cancer.
Read the full report here
Evaluation of Thinking Active Project Report
July 2017
Rachel Massie, Matilda Hanjari, Fiona McCormack, Chris Gidlow.
This report details the findings of a feasibility study which focussed on the implementation of Thinking Active in Staffordshire from August 2016 to May 2017. ‘Thinking Active’ is a multi-modal community based intervention designed by Staffordshire County Council to slow the onset of dementia for people with an early diagnosis.
Read the full report here
City Centre Rough Sleeping and Street Activity – Project Report
November 2016
Fiona McCormack, Rachel Massie, Richard Machin, Penny Vincent, Judy Kurth, Jane Morton, Chris Gidlow
VOICES, Expert Citizens and Staffordshire University have collaborated on a research project which aims to help inform the debate locally about perceived city centre homelessness and anti-social behaviour. This is with a view to further inform the development of positive city centre solutions which recognise the needs of people who are engaged in street activity alongside those who live, work and shop in the city centre.
This report presents and discusses the findings from stakeholders and core participants (those perceived to be homeless). It concludes with nine recommendations and a stakeholder action plan. Read the full report here