Current Projects

Research Focused on the Praxis Model of Care

Praxis Care has commissioned a series of studies to explore the key components and effectiveness of their services for people with very high levels of complex needs. This research involves a combination of methods to explore services providing very intensive support and to establish what works for whom in what types of setting.

The Research Department has now produced a ‘Frameworks and Interventions Guide’. The guide provides information on the frameworks and interventions which are evidence-based and which are relevant to Praxis Care’s practice. It includes information on intervention definitions, intervention components, their efficacy and links to relevant practice. The ‘Frameworks and Interventions Guide’ is updated annually.

Reviews of the Existing Evidence on the Effectiveness of Praxis Care’s Interventions

We have an ongoing process of identifying and synthesising the existing, international evidence for interventions that are being provided by Praxis Care and new approaches that could be introduced. This aspect of the research programme involves scoping, narrative and systematic reviews of the research evidence.

Five scoping reviews are available here:

• Personality Disorder Services
• Positive Behaviour Support
• Forensic Services
• Autism Services
• Mental Health Services 

Our Research Projects

Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace

This staff led initiative is evaluating the impact of a training course on mental wellbeing in the workplace. The aim is to further support the mental health and wellbeing of everyone who works for Praxis Care. The evaluation is using a quasi-experimental design to provide data on how effective the training is.

Presentation of the findings

This work is ongoing.

Implementing the Mental Capacity Act (NI) 2016

The implementation of the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 provides some excellent opportunities for the development of progressive approaches to supporting people whose ability to make decisions may be impaired. This aspect of the research programme is using a co-produced approach to explore people’s experiences of making decisions and how Praxis staff can help support people in those processes.

The report and two presentations are available here:

• Supported Decision Making Report
• Supported Decision Making Easy Read Report
• Presentation of the Findings
• Presentation on Co-Production by Co-Researchers
• A peer reviewed paper on ‘Service users’ experiences and views of support for decision-making is available online.
• A peer reviewed paper on the ‘Key components of supporting and assessing decision making ability’ is available online.
• A peer reviewed paper on ‘Peer researchers’ experiences of a co-produced research project on supported decision-making’ is available online.

Exploring how to Engage People in Positive Physical Activity

Praxis Care provides support for people’s needs including their physical health. This co-produced project is exploring ways to engage people in physical activity with the aim of improving their physical health but also their mental health and quality of life.

Please see below outputs from this project:

• Policy Briefing: Physical Activity interventions in Northern Ireland for People with Severe and Enduring Mental Health Problems
• Physical Activity Report: Empowering people through physical activity
• Factors that influence participation in physical activity for people with bipolar disorder: a synthesis of qualitative evidence
• Factors that influence participation in physical activity for anxiety and depression: a synthesis of qualitative evidence
• A peer reviewed paper on an ‘Exercise intervention for people with serious mental illness’ is available online

Promoting Involvement in Research

A key component of Praxis Care’s research programme is the involvement of people with lived experience of mental health problems and/or intellectual disabilities in identifying priorities for research, designing studies, conducting research and disseminating the findings. This is an exciting, innovative and central aspect of the research programme.

Praxis Care’s co-researchers have worked as an integral part of the research team on studies of supported decision making and physical activity for people with mental ill health. Praxis Care is therefore committed to working with experts by experience in order to ensure that our research is inclusive, relevant and impactful.

Please see below outputs from this project:

• A peer reviewed paper on ‘Getting involved in research: a co-created, co-delivered and co-analysed course for those with lived experience of health and social care services‘ is available online
• A book chapter on ‘Engaging adults in the assessment’ is available online

Work is also ongoing to support one of our co-researchers through an externally funded MSc in Research Methods at Ulster University.

Green and Blue Spaces: How being outdoors can benefit our mental health

A co-produced research project which looks at the following:

• How do people with serious and enduring mental illness (SMI) perceive, use and benefit from green and blue spaces?
• Does the interaction with green and blue spaces differ between people with SMIs and the general population?

Please see below outputs from this project:

• A peer reviewed paper on ‘Lifts your spirits, lifts your mind: a co‐produced mixed‐methods exploration of the benefits of green and blue spaces for mental wellbeing‘ is available online

Scoping Review: Physical design of supported accommodation for people with mental ill health, learning/intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour

• Presentation on design, mental health and intellectual disabilities
• Context report

Please see below outputs from this project:

• A book chapter on ‘Physical design of supported accommodation for people with mental health problems and intellectual disabilities’ is available online.

Social Value

A project to design an economic model which will investigate how Praxis Care adds value to the lives of the people with whom it works, with a particular focus on Plasden Court service in England.

Influencing Adult Safeguarding Policy

Praxis Care provides support for people with intellectual disabilities. This co-produced study identifies the best approaches for people with a learning disability to influence adult safeguarding and associated policy and legislation.

A number of reports are available here:

• Full report
• Executive summary
• Executive summary – easy read
• Action plan
• A peer reviewed paper on ‘Getting our voice heard: empowering people with a learning disability to influence adult safeguarding policy’ is available online
• A peer reviewed paper on ‘Peer researchers’ roles and experiences on a qualitative study of adult safeguarding policy’ is available online

PhD Projects

Praxis Care facilitates and/or provides funding for a number of PhD projects in the following areas:

• Housing need in Irish mental health services
• Decision making processes within mental ill health and learning disability
• Staff understanding of trauma and its implication for adults with learning disability
• A virtual reality and 360 video based intervention for individuals with ASD and social anxiety
• Exploration of the effectiveness of a bespoke service offering individualised intensively supported accommodation to adults with complex needs
• Implementation of Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) in routine service provision
• Co-designing immersive virtual reality experiences with people with dementia
• How regulations are implemented in disability services

Staffing Recruitment, Development and Retention

Praxis Care has commissioned a staff-related research project which aims to:

• Conduct a rapid review to identify the international evidence on the most effective approaches to staff recruitment, development and retention in social care.
• Complete in-depth interviews with key Praxis stakeholders to explore the current work to address these issues and the ongoing challenges.
• Design and conduct an online survey, informed by the rapid review and the in-depth interviews, to be completed by Praxis care staff to provide further direction on what would work for Praxis.

Please see below outputs from this project:

• A report on ‘Rapid review on the most effective approaches to staff recruitment, development and retention in social care’ is available online.

Praxis Care is also administering a staff survey which will look at job satisfaction, psychological safety, coping styles and burnout.

This work is ongoing.

Peer Support Work

A scoping review of the international literature was commissioned by the Peer Support Five Year Strategy Working Group, established by the Health Service Executive (HSE) Mental Health Engagement and Recovery (MHER) Office. The aims of this scoping review were to undertake a comprehensive review of the literature on peer support work and to identify how such work may be best implemented in specified, specialist areas.

Please see below outputs from this project:

• An international scoping review of peer support work is available online.
• Peer support work: an international scoping review – summary report is available online

Care Leavers

A study examining “the profile of care leavers with mental health and/or intellectual disabilities in order to better inform how best to configure child and adult service systems to meet their transitional needs”.

Please see below outputs from this project:

• A peer reviewed paper on ‘Raising the profile of care leavers with mental health and/or intellectual disabilities: A contribution from Northern Ireland’ is available online.

Social Care and Technology

Praxis Care has commissioned a number of reports to examine how technology can be used to enhance the lives of people we support.

A number of reports are available here:

• A rapid evidence review on ‘Digital interventions in social care: supporting service users’ is available online
• A rapid evidence review on ‘Technology to support staff learning and development in social care’ is available online

Social Skills Groups

A review which is looking at the effectiveness of social skills groups for improving social competence, social communication and quality of life for people with ASD. The findings from this review will be used to inform our practice by providing the best evidence for interventions with autistic people.

This work is ongoing.

Prioritising research on the mental health and learning disability needs of those with offending histories

A research project which aims to better understand the needs of young people and adults with mental health and learning disabilities across Northern Ireland who have offended or are at risk of offending. The project team includes people who will be involved in the design and management of the project.

This work is ongoing.

Social and Therapeutic Horticulture

The Research Department provides support to measure outcomes for a person-centred Social and Therapeutic Horticulture service in Cork for autistic adults.

This work is ongoing.