Evaluation of integration in health and social care

Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC)
The Care Policy and Evaluation Centre (CPEC) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is an international research centre working mainly in the areas of long-term care (social care), mental health, developmental disabilities and other health issues. The Centre is affiliated to the Department of Health Policy at LSE. It has been involved in a number of key policy and practice developments.

The successful applicants will join the Department of Health Policy's MPhil/PhD programme and work closely with their supervisors and colleagues in CPEC at LSE.
The Department of Health Policy trains and inspires people passionate about health by advancing and challenging their understanding of health and social care systems and the social, economic and political contexts in which they operate. The Department’s PhD programme is an integral part of the academic environment at LSE, producing doctoral graduates of the highest quality. The programme draws upon multidisciplinary perspectives, notably from economics, social policy, and public policy.

The research students will benefit from the excellent research environment within CPEC at LSE and will join a thriving cohort of
research students in the Department.

NIHR ARC North Thames
NIHR ARC North Thames is a research partnership committed to identifying the health and care problems that most concern everyone in our region and beyond, designing innovative research in response to those needs and then quickly putting the findings into practice. Led by Professor Rosalind Raine (UCL), the ARC is a collaboration of 50+ partners, including leading universities, NHS trusts, local authorities, clinical commissioning groups, UCLPartners, industry and organisations representing patients and the public. The following studentship is available in the mental health research Theme.

Project Description
This full-time studentship is funded through the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North Thames, in which CPEC is a partner. The ARC is led by Professor Rosalind Raine at UCL, and represents a partnership of over 50 organisations from across North Central and North East London, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, bringing together leading universities, the NHS, councils, people with lived experience, communities, charities and industry who share a commitment to improving health and social care services, and people’s health. The ARC aims to identify the key health and care problems facing organisations within the partnership, design innovative research in response and rapidly put findings into practice across the North Thames region and beyond.

Studentship
The doctoral student will be required to conduct research linking local authority and NHS data to measure associations between wider health determinants (such as social isolation, housing, deprivation) and use of NHS and social care, to predict demand for care, and facilitate tailoring of integrated services.

The successful applicant will be expected to participate in activities organised by the ARC North Thames, particularly activities that involve other PhD students funded under this programme at other universities, and, as appropriate, other National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and NIHR Academy activities. The doctoral student will join a community of students benefiting from training and support provided for PhD students from across NIHR ARC North Thames, as well as the community of PhD students in the Health Policy Department at LSE.

Training opportunities
In addition to PhD training opportunities at their host institution, all ARC PhD students will benefit from training provided by the ARC Academy. This brings together PhD students from across the ARC, to create a community of students training in applied health research. The Academy will equip students with the skills needed to work at the interface of academia and health services.
Our doctoral programme focuses on practical aspects of applied health research, e.g. the skills required to undertake research in healthcare and public health settings, engaging patients/public in research, how to navigate ethical/research governance approval systems. We also aim to give students an understanding of how their work fits into NHS structures and applied public health environments. PhD students will be expected to attend and present at scientific meetings aimed at disseminating the findings of ARC research.

Entry requirements
Applicants are not required to have existing expertise on each topic, but they must meet the requirements for PhD applicants set by the LSE (see http://www.lse.ac.uk/health-policy/study/mphilphd-programme). Applicants will normally need master's degree marks equivalent to an LSE high merit grade, with an overall average of at least 65% in their MSc (or equivalent) and at least 65% in their dissertation (or equivalent); any conditional offer for a place on the MPhil/PhD programme will be subject to obtaining such marks.

Application process
In order to be considered for each studentship, applicants should apply for the MPhil/PhD programme in Health Policy at the LSE, marking their application with the relevant studentship name. Information about how to apply is available here: http://www.lse.ac.uk/health-policy/study/mphilphd-programme

As part of the application process applicants will be asked to submit a research proposal. This is a 1,500 word document explaining - in light of the topic focus outlined for each studentship - the research proposed to undertake during the studentship.
Along with an application form supporting documents are required and further information on these (as well as guidance on completing the application form) is available at http://www.lse.ac.uk/study/graduate/enquirer/howToApply/completingYourApplication/home.aspx

Informal enquiries
Informal enquiries should be sent to Dr Jose-Luis Fernandez ([Email Address Removed]).