Centre for Health Services Studies

Excellence in Health Research


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Dr Sarah Hotham BA, BSc, MSc, PhD, C.Psychol

Senior Research Fellow

 

 

A Chartered Psychologist and Research Fellow, my expertise lies in health psychology and behavioural medicine in public health, with a focus on obesity and physical activity. My PhD in Health/Cognitive Psychology at the University of Kent explored the relationship between eating behaviours and attention using experimental methods such as eye tracking, reaction times and EEG.

Research funding awards include The Big Lottery, Kent County Council, London Triborough Authorities, local NHS Trusts and CCGs. I am currently Principal Investigator for a number of projects exploring the impact of behaviour change techniques on obesity and physical activity and the role of the voluntary sector in delivering health and social care. I also lead a local evaluation - ‘Ageless Thanet’ - of a five year Big Lottery-funded programme to reduce social isolation and loneliness.

I am primary Supervisor for PhD student Susan Potter who is evaluating social prescribing programme in Bexley. I am also a CHSS Mentor.

I peer review for journals including Appetite and Eating Behaviours and carry out expert reviews for the Big Lottery and NIHR research programmes.

Previous employers include Pfizer and the School of Psychology at the University of Kent - working on projects around the role of perfectionism in sporting and academic life. I have completed Stage 1 of the British Psychological Society Health Psychology qualification.

Awards

  • The implementation of virtual consultations for patients accessing NHS psychological interventions: A mixed-methods evaluation to understand what works, for whom and in what circumstances (PI). KMPT. £10,500. August-October, 2020
  • London Sport (2018). Designing a training package to improve physical activity knowledge in social prescribers (PI)
  • Kent County Council (2018). Designing an evaluation to capture effectiveness of the school nurse package of care programme to support children and families to make positive healthy lifestyle changes. (PI)
  • Big Lottery (2018). Ageing Better Programme Intervention Typology Project. (PI)
  • Bexley NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (2018). Developing an evaluation toolkit to assess impact of prevention and early intervention (PEI) grants in Bexley. (PI)
  • NHS North West London Collaboration of CCGs (2017). Improving the competencies of psychological wellbeing practitioners for LTCs. (Co-I)
  • Kent Health VC Scholarship. Evaluation of social prescribing model in Bexley. KentHealth VCs Research grant to fund PhD studentship. (PI)
  • Kent County Council (2016). Impact of conservation volunteering on health & well-being. (PI)Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (2016). Feasibility of using mindfulness in adult Tier 3 weight management services. (PI)
  • Big Lottery(2015) Ageing better programme: Ageless Thanet (Co-I)
  • Kent County Council (2015). Evaluation of KCC physical inactivity pilot (PI)
  • London Triborough Authorities (2015). Evaluation of ‘whole place’ community health lifestyle project. (Co-I)
  • Faculty Research Fund: Social Sciences (2014). The effect of a mindful eating intervention on dieters’ susceptibility to food cues and weight loss. (PI)
  • Kent Health Grant (2014). Support for the qualitative analysis of PCMHS project (PI)
  • East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (2012). Understanding the support needs of disabled children and their families in East Kent (Co-I)
  • PhD Studentship (2009) School of Psychology, University of Kent
  • Pfizer Studentship (2007) MSc in Research Methods in Psychology

Memberships

  • Chartered member of the British Psychological Society: BPS Division of Health Psychology and Cognitive Psychology Section
  • Association for the Study of Obesity
  • UK Society of Behavioural Medicine
  • Higher Education Academy: Associate Fellow
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Also view these in the Kent Academic Repository

Articles
Merritt, R. K., Hotham, S. and Schrag, A. (2023) 'Support needs in Carers of People with Parkinson's from early to later stages: A qualitative study with 36 carers in 11 European countries', Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. doi: 10.1177/08919887231168404.

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Background: Parkinson's Disease (PD) is associated with considerable carer burden, but there has been little qualitative research on the support needs of carers of People with Parkinson's (PwP). Methods: Semi-structured in-depth interviews with carers of PwP in 11 European countries. Results: Interviews with 36 carers of PwP were analysed. At the time of diagnosis, carers often felt that they had a role in helping get a diagnosis and then in dealing with the impact of the diagnosis on the family. Information on medication was seen as particularly important for carers, and many of the carers that their informational needs differed from that of the PwPs. Many of the carers also felt that they needed to be present at all appointments to request referrals or ask for medication changes. Carers of those in the later stages of the disease often reported feeling isolated and not having any time for themselves. Conclusions: The involvement of carers should be addressed more actively in the management of Parkinson's.
Ghio, D., Lawes-Wickwar, S., Tang, M. Y., Epton, T., Howlett, N., Jenkinson, E., Stanescu, S., Westbrook, J., Kassianos, A. P., Watson, D. and others. (2021) 'What influences people's responses to public health messages for managing risks and preventing infectious diseases? A rapid systematic review of the evidence and recommendations', BMJ Open. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048750.

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Background: Individual behaviour changes, such as hand hygiene and physical distancing, are required on a population scale to reduce transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. However, little is known about effective methods of communicating risk reducing information, and how populations might respond. Objective: To synthesise evidence relating to what (1) characterises effective public health messages for managing risk and preventing infectious disease and (2) influences people's responses to messages. Design: A rapid systematic review was conducted. Protocol is published on Prospero CRD42020188704. Data sources: Electronic databases were searched: Ovid Medline, Ovid PsycINFO and Healthevidence. org, and grey literature (PsyarXiv, OSF Preprints) up to May 2020. Study selection: All study designs that (1) evaluated public health messaging interventions targeted at adults and (2) concerned a communicable disease spread via primary route of transmission of respiratory and/or touch were included. Outcomes included preventative behaviours, perceptions/awareness and intentions. Non-English language papers were excluded. Synthesis: Due to high heterogeneity studies were synthesised narratively focusing on determinants of intentions in the absence of measured adherence/ preventative behaviours. Themes were developed independently by two researchers and discussed within team to reach consensus. Recommendations were translated from narrative synthesis to provide evidence-based methods in providing effective messaging. Results: Sixty-eight eligible papers were identified. Characteristics of effective messaging include delivery by credible sources, community engagement, increasing awareness/knowledge, mapping to stage of epidemic/ pandemic. To influence intent effectively, public health messages need to be acceptable, increase understanding/perceptions of health threat and perceived susceptibility. Discussion: There are four key recommendations: (1) engage communities in development of messaging, (2) address uncertainty immediately and with transparency, (3) focus on unifying messages from sources and (4) frame messages aimed at increasing understanding, social responsibility and personal control. Embedding principles of behavioural science into public health messaging is an important step towards more effective health-risk communication during epidemics/pandemics.
Presseau, J., Byrne-Davis, L. M., Hotham, S., Lorencatto, F., Potthoff, S., Atkinson, L., Bull, E., Dima, A. L., van Dongen, A., French, D. and others. (2021) 'Enhancing the translation of health behaviour change research into practice: A selective conceptual review of the synergy between implementation science and health psychology', Health Psychology Review. doi: 10.1080/17437199.2020.1866638.

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Health psychology is at the forefront of developing and disseminating evidence, theories, and methods that have improved the understanding of health behaviour change. However, existing evidence dissemination approaches may be insufficient for promoting the broader application and impact of findings to benefit the health of patients and the public. Health psychology is contributing to the science of implementing research into practice. Behaviour change theory and methods typically directed towards health behaviours are now being used to understand and change the behaviour of individuals at different levels of the health system whose own behaviour impacts the delivery of evidence-based health behaviour change interventions. Despite this contribution to the science of implementation, health psychology is perhaps doing less to draw from implementation science. We propose that a redoubled focus on implementation science in health psychology could provide novel prospects for enhancing the impact of health behaviour change evidence. In this article, we report a journal-specific review of reviews of trials of health behaviour change interventions published in Health Psychology Review from inception to April 2020. We identified 34 reviews and assessed whether implementation readiness of health behaviour change intervention was discussed. We then narratively review ways in which implementation science has integrated theory and methods from health psychology and related disciplines to inform the science of how to improve health care. Finally, we demonstrate how greater synergy between implementation science and health psychology could help promote greater follow-through on advances made in the science of health behaviour change.
Gadsby, E., Hotham, S., Eida, T., Lawrence, C. and Merritt, R. (2020) 'Impact of a community-based pilot intervention to tackle childhood obesity: a "whole-system approach" case study', BMC Public Health. BMC. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09694-2.

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Background Go-Golborne was a three-year pilot programme to test an innovative, community-based 'whole system' approach to preventing overweight in children in Golborne ward, London. Whilst there is a growing interest in local whole systems approaches to obesity, understandings of what they look like in practice are newly emerging. Go-Golborne was designed, implemented and evaluated within this context. Methods The evaluation used a case-study design and theory of change approach to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Height/weight measurements of children in the six participating primary schools were recorded annually for 4 years. For behavioural outcomes, children aged six-11 completed four annual on-line surveys (total 4331 responses). Parents were surveyed in year one and year four (177 responses). Three focus group discussions were held with children aged 10–11 (N = 21); interviews were conducted with parents (N = 11), and school representatives (N = 4). Stakeholders were surveyed twice (37 responses), and interviews were conducted with key stakeholders (N = 11). An extensive range of programme documents were reviewed and additional process data was collected from the programme team. The RE-AIM framework was used to synthesise findings and examine public health impact. Results Go-Golborne reached a diverse range of partners across Golborne. Events were attended by over 3360 local children and families and all six primary schools in the ward actively engaged in activities. The proportion of children in the above healthy weight categories remained stable over time. A number of changes in home, school and neighbourhood environments to support healthy behaviour change were evidenced. There was some qualitative evidence of positive changes in children's behaviours, though significant or sustained changes were not evidenced by the quantitative data. Conclusions Go-Golborne helped stakeholders and parents to develop a shared commitment to improving healthy weight in children, to identify barriers to a healthy lifestyle, and to start to make changes in their services/behaviours. The campaigns and changes made at micro-level appeared to be insufficient, in the face of counteracting forces and personal factors, to achieve significant behaviour change within 3 years. This highlights the need for local initiatives to be reinforced by supporting action at regional, national and global levels.
Hamilton-West, K. E., Milne, A. and Hotham, S. (2020) 'New Horizons in Supporting Older People's Health and Wellbeing: Is Social Prescribing a Way Forward?', Age and Ageing. Oxford University Press, pp. 319-326. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afaa016.

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Older people's health and care needs are changing. Increasing numbers live with the combined effects of age-related chronic illness or disability, social isolation and/or poor mental health. Social prescribing has potential to benefit older people by helping those with social, emotional or practical needs to access relevant services and resources within the local community. However, researchers have highlighted limitations with the existing evidence-base, while clinicians express concerns about the quality of onward referral services, liability and upfront investment required. The current article provides a critical review of evidence on social prescribing, drawing on the RE-AIM Framework (Glasgow et al., 1999) to identify questions that will need to be addressed in order to inform both the design and delivery of services and the evolving research agenda around social prescribing. We emphasise the need for researchers and planners to work together to develop a more robust evidence-base, advancing understanding of the impacts of social prescribing (on individuals, services and communities), factors associated with variation in outcomes and strategies needed to implement effective and sustainable programmes. We also call on policymakers to recognise the need for investment in allied initiatives to address barriers to engagement in social prescribing programmes, provide targeted support for carers and improve access to older adult mental health services. We conclude that social prescribing has potential to support older people's health and wellbeing, but this potential will only be realised through strategic alignment of research, local level implementation and national policy and investment.
Schrag, A., Zhelev, S., Hotham, S., Merritt, R. K., Khan, K. and Graham, L. (2019) 'Heterogeneity in progression of prodromal features in Parkinson's disease', Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. Elsevier, pp. 275-279. doi: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2019.05.013.

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Background: In the pre-diagnostic phase of Parkinson's disease (PD), a range of motor and non-motor symptoms can occur. However, there is considerable variability in their onset and currently little information exists on the pattern of progression of clinical features before diagnosis. Methods: We analysed data from a survey amongst patients with PD from 11 European countries by the European Parkinson's Disease Association. They completed questions on first occurrence of 21 pre-diagnostic features. A principal component analysis (PCA) with varimax rotation was performed to determine the co-occurrence of these features. Findings: 1,467 patients were included. Changes in movement were the most commonly reported features up to 4 years before diagnosis. However, at five or more years before diagnosis loss of sense of smell, sleep problems, fatigue and other non-motor features had been experienced most frequently. PCA of pre-diagnostic features' duration revealed three factors with eigenvalues over Kaiser's criterion of 1: a) a neuropsychiatric factor comprised of anxiety, depression, apathy, stress, and sleep problems; b) an axial factor defined by difficulty eating and/or swallowing problems, freezing, and falls/balance problems; and c) a motor factor with additional non-motor features. Bladder/bowel problems and tremor had low factor loadings on all components. However, in those with disease duration less than 5 years the autonomic features were associated with the axial factor and tremor loaded on both the motor and psychiatric symptom factors. Interpretation: The identified symptom complexes in the pre-diagnostic stage of PD may be reflective of a shared pattern of pathological disease progression.
Hamilton-West, K. E., Gadsby, E. W. and Hotham, S. (2019) 'Improving the evidence base for social prescribing', British Medical Journal. BMJ. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l744.

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Hamilton-West, K. E., Gadsby, E. W. and Hotham, S. (2019) 'Helen Salisbury: Social prescribing and the No 17 bus', BMJ. BMJ Publishing Group. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l271.

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Merritt, R. K., Hotham, S., Graham, L. and Schrag, A. (2018) 'The subjective experience of Parkinson's disease: a qualitative study in 60 people with mild to moderate Parkinson's in 11 European countries', European Journal of Person Centered Healthcare. European Journal of Person Centered Healthcare. doi: 10.5750/ejpch.v6i3.1536.

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Objective: To describe the experience of being diagnosed and living with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (PD). Method: Semi-structured in-depth interviews with people with Parkinson's (PwP) in 11 European countries. Results: Interviews with 60 PwP (52% male) with a mean age of 63 (SD 8.1) years and a disease duration of 9.6 (SD 6.9) years were analysed. PwP often delayed help-seeking due to lack of awareness of symptoms, and there was sometimes a delay in specialist referral. The diagnosis typically came as a "shock", making PwP unable to absorb all the information, but having a diagnosis for the symptoms was sometimes described as a "relief". Prompt referral to a specialist, a clear and sensitively communicated diagnosis with reassurance about life expectancy, and a follow-up appointment with a PD nurse or other health care professionals a short interval after diagnosis were all positively viewed. Many reported worries and negative experiences with medications and wished for more time and information before initiating these. Reactions from family, friends, and work colleagues when communicating the diagnosis were typically positive. During ongoing care, longer appointments with specialists and provision of information from health care professionals, patient organisations, and self-help groups were considered important to many PwPs and helped them feel as if they could "take control" and manage their disease more effectively. Conclusions: Taking into account these findings has the potential to improve the experiences of PwP through improved communication, tailoring of appointments and information provision including self-help approaches. ? Introduction The impact of Parkinson's disease (PD) on patients health-related quality of life has been studied extensively, demonstrating that all aspects of physical and emotional functioning can be affected in PD even at the earliest stages of the disease (Schrag et al., 2000). Management of PD aims at improving quality of life in people with Parkinson's (PwP) using pharmacological, surgical and non-pharmacological strategies (Ferreira, et al. 2013). In order to improve quality of life in PwP, research has primarily focussed on quantitative assessments of motor and non-motor symptoms to optimise their medical treatment and thereby PwP' wellbeing (Nicoletti et al., 2017). However, relatively little is known on the experience of being diagnosed with and living with PD from the point of view of PwP. This is particularly relevant when advising health care providers and clinicians on the non-medical aspects of managing PwP in current health care systems. We here report the results of a qualitative study in 60 individuals with a diagnosis of PD from 11 European countries on their experiences of being diagnosed and living with this disorder. Methods In 2014 and 2015, a qualitative research study was conducted as part of the "My PD Journey" project by the European Parkinson's Disease Association (EPDA). Semi-structured interviews on the experiences of being diagnosed and living with PD were conducted with people with Parkinson's (PwP) in 11 countries. Principles of Grounded Theory were used to guide the sampling, data collection, and data analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 2009).
Schrag, A., Khan, K., Hotham, S., Merritt, R., Rascol, O. and Graham, L. (2018) 'Experience of care for Parkinson's disease in European countries: A survey by the European Parkinson's Disease Association', European Journal of Neurology. Wiley, pp. 1410-e120. doi: 10.1111/ene.13738.

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Background: Few studies report on experience of care for Parkinson's disease (PD) from patients' own point of view. Methods: Analysis of a survey in 11 European countries on self-reported access to services and satisfaction with different aspects of care. Results: 1,775 people with PD (PwP) participated with disease duration ranging from <1 to 42 years. Initial referral to specialists had taken <3 months in most but medication reviews occurred every 3 months in only 10%, every 6 months in 37%, once a year in 40%, and every two years or less frequently in 13%. Waiting times to therapists were usually at ?4 months. Satisfaction with care was highest for involvement of PwP in decisions (63% of respondents satisfied) and involvement of family/carer (62%) followed by communication with PwP (57%), information received (54%), frequency of treatment reviews (52%), suitability of treatment for the individual condition and circumstances (52%), but lowest for availability and accessibility of treatment when needed (48%) and collaborations between healthcare professionals in delivering care (41% satisfied). The main factors associated with overall satisfaction scores with care were the overall satisfaction with initial consultation (r=0.26, p<0.0001), the sensitivity with which the diagnosis was communicated, the quantity of information provided (both r=0.24, p<0.0001) and the frequency of medication review (r=0.17, p<0.0001). Conclusion: More coordinated and responsive care, tailored to the individual, with regular and timely medication reviews and treatment referrals, is likely to improve satisfaction with care in current health care pathways.
Schrag, A., Modi, S., Hotham, S., Merritt, R., Khan, K. and Graham, L. (2018) 'Patient experiences of receiving a diagnosis of Parkinsons's disease', Journal of Neurology. Springer, pp. 1151-1157. doi: 10.1007/s00415-018-8817-8.

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Objective: To report patients' own experiences of receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and to identify factors influencing this experience. Methods: A survey by the European Parkinson's Disease Association in 11 European countries. Results: 1775 patients with an average age of 69.7 years participated of whom 54% were male. Those living in rural areas reported having waited longer to seek medical help (p < 0.05). A possible diagnosis of PD was made at the first appointment in a third of respondents. When the diagnosis was made, only 50% reported that the diagnosis was communicated sensitively. 38% of patients reported having been given enough time to ask questions and discuss concerns, but 29% did not. 98% of participants reported having been given information about PD at the time of diagnosis but 36% did not find the information given helpful. Patient satisfaction with the diagnostic consultation was positively associated with more sensitive delivery of diagnosis, the helpfulness and quantity of the information provided and time to ask questions (all p < 0.001). Where diagnosis was given by a specialist, participants reported greater perceived satisfaction with the diagnostic consultation, greater sensitivity of communicating the diagnosis, time to ask questions, provision and helpfulness of information, and earlier medication prescription (all p < 0.0001). Conclusions: There is a need to improve how the diagnosis of PD is communicated to patients, the opportunity to ask questions soon after diagnosis, and the amount, timing and quality of life information provided, as this is associated with greater satisfaction with the diagnostic process.
Hamilton-West, K. E., Hotham, S., Yang, W., Hedayioglu, J. and Brigden, C. L. (2017) 'Evaluation of a pilot service to facilitate discharge of patients with stable long-term mental health needs from secondary to primary care: the role of Primary Care Mental Health Specialists', Primary Health Care Research and Development. Cambridge University Press, pp. 344-353. doi: 10.1017/S1463423617000184.

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We aimed to evaluate a pilot service to facilitate discharge of patients with stable long-term mental health needs from secondary to primary care. Patients with stable long-term mental health conditions are often not discharged from secondary mental health services when no longer needed due to insufficient systems and processes to enable safe, effective, recovery-focussed treatment and support. The Primary Care Mental Health Specialist (PCMHS) Service was developed to address this gap; new PCMHS posts were introduced to act as a conduit for patients being discharged from secondary care and a single point of referral back into secondary care, should it be required. The two-year pilot, across six Clinical Commissioning Groups in South East England, began in March 2013. Interviews were conducted with all PCMHS employed in the pilot service (n=13) and a sample of service users (n=12). The views of professionals working alongside the service, including GPs, Psychiatrists and Mental Health Nurses, were captured using a brief online questionnaire (n=50). Time and Activity Recording Sheets were used to capture data required for economic analysis. Our findings indicate that the service is working well from the perspective of patients; staff employed within the service and professionals working alongside the service. Patients described the service as a 'safety net' they could fall back on in case of difficulties, whereas staff used the analogy of a 'bridge' to describe the way the service improved communication and collaboration between the various professionals and organisations involved in the patient's care. Improvements in well-being were seen to result from increased support for those transitioning from secondary to primary care, a more pro-active approach to relapse prevention and increased engagement in daily activities. Each PCMHS covered 36 patients in a one-month period, with a unit cost of £73.01 per patient.
Hotham, S., Hamilton-West, K., Hutton, E., King, A. and Abbott, N. (2017) 'A study in to the effectiveness of a postural care training programme aimed at improving knowledge, understanding, and confidence in parents and school staff', Child: Care, Health and Development. Wiley, pp. 743-751. doi: 10.1111/cch.12444.

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Background: Parents and school staff lack knowledge and confidence when providing postural care to physically disabled children. This can act as a barrier to the successful implementation of therapy. To address this problem, we developed a novel training programme to improve knowledge and confidence in providing postural care and evaluate the impact of the training programme in parents and school staff. Methods: The postural care training programme included three elements: a 2-h interactive workshop facilitated by physiotherapists and occupational therapists, a follow-up home/school visit and a follow-up telephone call. The Understanding, Knowledge and Confidence in Providing Postural Care for Children with Disabilities questionnaire was utilized to evaluate the impact and includes subscales assessing knowledge and understanding, concerns and confidence in providing postural care. The Understanding, Knowledge and Confidence in Providing Postural Care for Children with Disabilities questionnaire was completed at baseline and 6 weeks later. The training programme was delivered to N = 75 parents and school staff. Of these, N = 65 completed both baseline and follow-up measures and were used in the data analysis. Participants and therapists were also invited to provide further feedback on the overall training programme via interviews and focus groups. Results: Paired samples t-tests were used to determine statistically significant differences between baseline and follow-up scores for each of the three subscales. Mean levels of understanding and knowledge and confidence improved (P < 0.001), while concerns decreased (P < 0.001). Qualitative data were collected via interviews and group discussions providing an in-depth perspective on how participants experienced change. Discussion: Results suggest improvement in knowledge, understanding and confidence in parents and school staff that care for children with significant physical postural care impairments.
Fairhurst, A. and Hotham, S. (2017) 'Going further than the 'Daily Mile'', Perspectives in Public Health. Sage, pp. 83-84. doi: 10.1177/1757913916685639.

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Monographs
Hamilton-West, K. E., Bates, A., Hotham, S. and Wilson, P. M. (2017) Improving competencies of PWPs/counsellors to work with people with long-term conditions: Final Report. University of Kent.

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Hotham, S. (2017) Evaluation of a physical inactivity pilot delivered in primary care. Kent County Council.

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September, 2016 Commissioned by Kent County Council
Research reports (external)
Hotham, S., Osborne, J., Mikelyte, R., Walker, S., Barnes, A., Callis, J., Cooper, E., Cowe, R., Dunleavy, T., Goodearl, E. and others. (2021) The Implementation of Video and Telephone Psychological Therapy for Adults Accessing Secondary NHS Community Mental Health Services A mixed-methods Evaluation to Understand What Works, for Whom and In What Circumstances. Centre for Health Services Studies and Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.

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Background The urgent response to the COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated many changes in the delivery of health services. One such change is the introduction of telemedicine (i.e. virtual consultations) at pace and in services that had previously relied on face-to-face interaction. NHS mental health services are at the forefront of this change, with the delivery of therapeutic interventions transitioning to virtual consultations rapidly. Healthcare innovation is rarely a simple linear process; accordingly, it is crucial evaluation approaches focus on how contextual factors influence implementation success or failure. The discipline of implementation science provides this approach, defined as the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings into routine practice. Aim The study used an implementation science to evaluate the implementation of virtual therapy consultations and assess impact on service user outcomes.
Hutton, E., King, A., Hamilton-West, K. E. and Hotham, S. (2016) Understanding the support needs of disabled children and their families in East Kent. East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust.

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Title: Understanding the support needs of disabled children and their families in East Kent Objective: Explore the support needs of parents and carers of children with physical disabilities (< 18 years) within a therapy service in the South East of England. Method: Qualitative methods were used including focus groups and interviews with 9 parents/carers of children with a physical disability. Framework analysis approach was used to analyse the data. Results: Data was organised into the following themes. ? Parent and carer experiences of using services including direct experience of therapy services ? Education ? Organisation of services and access to information ? Impact of disability on family and carer life ? Experiences and views of personalised care. Conclusions: Parents and carers had varied experiences of therapy services. Parents and carers valued close relationships established over time when therapists had knowledge and understanding of their child and family situation. Families experienced most difficulty over the provision of equipment and poor liaison between different parts of the care system added to stress and frustration. Few parents and carers had knowledge or awareness of personal health budgets and were unsure about whether a personal budget would improve their access to or experience of therapy.
Conference or workshop items
Hamilton-West, K. E. and Hotham, S. (2019) 'Embedding behavioural science in social prescribing research, policy and practice', in. Society of Behavioural Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting. Available at: https://www.sbm.org/meetings/2020-annual-meeting-webinar-series.

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Hamilton-West, K. E. and Hotham, S. (2018) 'Introduction to Evaluability Assessments: Using the methodology to improve evaluation of behaviour change interventions.', in. UK Society for Behavioural Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting.. Available at: http://www.uksbm.org.uk/.

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Hamilton-West, K. E., Bates, A., Hotham, S. and Wilson, P. M. (2018) 'Development and Evaluation of a Long-Term Conditions Training Programme for Primary Care Mental Health Workers', in. European Health Psychology Society Conference.

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Eida, T. J., Gadsby, E. W., Hotham, S. and Merritt, R. K. (2017) 'Go Golborne Action Learning Event: Partner survey and interviews', in. Action Learning Event.

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The causes of obesity are complex; tackling the problem requires evidence-led action at every level, from the individual to society, and across all sectors. As part of their whole system strategy to halt and reverse the rising trend in childhood obesity, the London Bi-borough Public Health team are delivering Go Golborne, an innovative 3 year community-based pilot (2015-2018), in a highly diverse and deprived ward in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), with elevated levels of childhood obesity. CHSS is conducting a 4 year theory-led evaluation of the pilot to assess the effectiveness, feasibility and replicability of this 'whole place' multi-stakeholder approach. This presentation details the early findings of an online survey distributed to project partners and interview findings with project partners.
Lawrence, W., Hamilton-West, K. E., Godfrey, E., Rovner, G. and Hotham, S. (2017) 'Training healthcare professionals in novel health psychology strategies and tools.', in. European Health Psychology Society Conference.

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Hamilton-West, K. E., Lawrence, W., Godfrey, E. and Hotham, S. (2016) 'Training Health and Community Workers in Skills to Support/Promote Health Behaviour Change.', in. BPS Training Centre Workshop.

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Confidential reports
Gadsby, E. W., Hotham, S. and Eida, T. J. (2017) Evaluation of the Go Golborne pilot: Report 2 - Early Findings. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

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Go Golborne is an innovative community-based programme developed by the Three Boroughs public health team for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The aims of the programme are to prevent obesity in children through a system-wide, multi-stakeholder approach. The ground-breaking programme is being piloted over three years (2015-2018). The University of Kent were commissioned to work collaboratively with the public health team to design and conduct a robust evaluation of the programme. This report details the interim outcomes for 2015-2017, as well as the early findings from the process evaluation.
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Information obtained from the Kent Academic Repository. The University of Kent official repository of academic activity.
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Psychology, quantitative methods, public health and behaviour change, social prescribing, eating behaviours, health behaviours, self-efficacy theory, voluntary sector role in health and social care, training healthcare professionals.

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Convenor Intercalated BSc in Management in Primary Care
SO734: Research and Evaluation Methods

Convenor Applied Health Research - MSc
SO955: Quantitative Methods in Health Research

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My motivation for mentoring

I’m a BPS Chartered Psychologist who specialises in behavioural medicine with a focus on weight management and physical activity. I received my PhD in 2013 from the University of Kent for exploring the relationship between maladaptive eating behaviours and attention using experimental methods such as eye tracking, reaction times and EEG. Since working in CHSS my interests has moved to more applied health research, working with Local Authority Public Health teams, CCGs and NHS Trusts to develop and evaluate behaviour change interventions. I am also interested in the training of healthcare professionals, improving their capacity to understand and use behaviour change techniques in everyday practice. Outside of my university role I work as a consultant and provide one-to-one support to individuals making healthy lifestyle changes. 
I have been lucky enough throughout my academic career to have benefited from fantastic support and mentorship and thus appreciate the impact this positive relationship can have. I’m excited to be part of the CHSS mentorship scheme as it provides an opportunity for me to give something back, share what I’ve learnt, and build a helpful and encouraging relationship with a colleague.
I’m also keen athlete so happy to have mentoring sessions while out running, although obviously this is not compulsory!

Apply for mentorship

If you would like me to be your mentor, please fill in the mentor application form here.

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Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NF

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Last Updated: 19/10/2021