Dr Amanda Bates

About

Amanda is a Co-Chair for the Staff Disability Network.
dsnchair@kent.ac.uk
I am the Patient Experience and Public Involvement Lead for the Centre for Health Services Studies (CHSS). As a service user researcher, I have a personal and professional interest in promoting engagement and involvement in research. I work with service users and community groups to promote their interest and involvement in research. I also provide tailored advice and guidance to CHSS researchers and students about the various ways of engaging and involving service users in research, from reviewing recruitment strategies to the dissemination of results. I initiated and now manage theCHSS Opening Doors to Research Group [12](ODRG). ODRG is made up of members of the public who advise CHSS researchers and students on aspects of their research to ensure that it is both useful and relevant to end users.
I have a BA (Hons) in Psychology, an MSc in Health Psychology, and have recently completed a PhD in Applied Psychology. I am also a Chartered Psychologist. My PhD focussed on children and young people with learning disabilities, and clefts, and qualitatively explored their appearance self-perceptions, social experiences, and whether or not they felt involved in decisions about their NHS care.
My service user and research experiences have resulted in a number of invitations to speak at various national and European conferences such as The European Cleft and Craniofacial Initiative for Equality in Care, The Craniofacial Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Appearance Collective.
I am an active member of The University of Kent’s Public Engagement with Research Advisory Group, and am also the Co-Chair of the Disability Staff Network.