Research at Northcott
Northcott Disability Services is committed to providing high quality services in building an inclusive society and continually learning about the best way to do this. Research is one way to make sure we are doing what is best.
All research at Northcott is governed by the guidelines established by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
In accordance with NHMRC standards a two tiered framework for research governance has been developed at Northcott. This structure has been designed to foster a collaborative approach to research and promote mutual cooperation, respect and exchange of information at all stages of the research process. The two components within this framework are the Northcott Research Committee and Quality in Research Standing Committee.
The Quality in Research Standing Committee’s role is to support Northcott clients and staff of to undertake research. This support is available throughout the research process, from preparing to submit a Research proposal to the Research Committee through to project completion.
The Northcott Research Committee started in March, 2010. It has ten members, who come from Northcott, other service delivery organisations, and universities. The role of the committee is to help us to do research that will build an inclusive society. It does this by:
- Assisting Northcott to develop a research culture in the context of a community of practice by supporting the active engagement of all stakeholders, mentoring, and ensuring accessible communication of research.
- Developing a research strategy to determine which areas of research will be given priority, based upon which will be most useful to encourage practice improvement, improved managerial decision-making and achievement of client and family outcomes.
- Reviewing staff research proposals and research papers to assist staff to improve their research skills and profiles.
- Advising Northcott on potential sources of research funding and assist in grant applications.
- Developing partnerships to enable high quality, strategically important and relevant research activities.
Click here for more information on Northcott's Research Policy and Procedure.
Northcott Research Fund
There are a number of ways that Northcott is involved in research, via links with universities and through the Northcott Research Fund. The Northcott Research Fund aims to support staff and clients of Northcott to undertake research.
Clients and staff of Northcott Disability Services, have the opportunity to undertake research with financial and mentor assistance from Northcott. The Northcott Research Fund, a unique initiative, aims to support the development of a research culture within our organisation.
These are exciting times for Northcott – Applications for the 2011 Northcott Research Fund are now open!
For more information on research at Northcott
or
if you are a Northcott client (including family members and carers) or a staff member and you have a research idea please contact the Planning and Development Unit on (02) 9890 0100 or email: pduenquiries@northcott.com.au
Community Research Partnerships
Northcott has been provided with funding from Ageing, Disability & Home Care to conduct three Therapy Research Projects. Each of the projects will provide services in Sydney and a regional town. Northcott will be evaluating the service delivery model of each of these projects in collaboration with a university. These universities will work alongside Northcott staff to evaluate the projects.
Click on the name of the study below to find out more about the project currently being undertaken:
Helping to Make Changes: A project to assist adults in transition
Early Intervention Assistive Technology
Kunghah & Guwaala-y School Readiness Program
OTHER PROJECTS
Please see below some other projects that might interest you:
The University of Sydney Medical Program's "My Patient" Project
Project title: Helping to Make Changes: A project to assist adults in transition
Funding Partner: Department of Family & Community Services-Ageing, Disability & Home Care
Investigators: Ms Terri Mears, Northcott Disability Services, Ms Deanna Davy, Northcott Disability Services, Dr Clare Wilding, Charles Sturt University, A/Prof Michael Curtin, Charles Sturt University
Summary: The Adult Transition Project is providing flexible therapy funding and case management support to twenty people with a childhood onset disability aged 40-65 years. This funding is assisting to support the twenty people during a significant change or transition in their life. A transition can be a period of change in work, living situation, significant relationships, and/ or health that causes people to change the way they live, what they do, where they live, or with whom they live. The participants can use the funding to purchase therapy services (such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychology, and/or physiotherapy) to assist them to move successfully through their transition.
The Adult Transition Project will also include gathering people’s stories of their experiences of transitions. Any person with a childhood-onset disability, who is aged 40-65 years and who lives in New South Wales can contribute a story about a transition. People who are carers or guardians of a person with a childhood-onset disability, who is aged 40-65 years and who lives in New South Wales can also contribute a story as a proxy for the person with a disability, with that person’s consent. These stories will assist Northcott to better understand the types of transition experiences that people with disabilities face and the kinds of supports that might be needed for successful transitions.
The information that will be gathered by the Adult Transition Project will be used to inform future service delivery to people with a childhood onset disability aged 40-65 years.
Status: The project has received ethical approval from the Charles Sturt University Human Research Ethics Committee. Northcott is currently recruiting participants to share their stories of their experiences of transition for this project.
Completion Date: 31 December 2012
Further Information & how to become involved in this project:
Adult Flexible Therapy - Riverina/Murray
Adult Flexible Therapy - South West Sydney
Project title: Early Intervention Assistive Technology
Funding Partner: Department of Family & Community Services - Ageing, Disability & HomeCare
Investigators: Ms Haley Gozzard, Mr Michael Berryman, Ms Deanna Davy & Ms Terri Mears, Northcott Disability Services.
Summary: The Early Intervention Assistive Technology Project is providing a range of assistive technology services to children aged 0-6 years attending six early childhood centres, the centre staff and their parents/carers. The assistive technology is providing the children with access to activities that they may have difficulties participating in, such as communication, using a computer or playing with toys. The types of assistive technology Northcott has introduced to the centres include communication books or devices, a different mouse or computer keyboard, or the use of switches to play with toys or the computer. The team are providing Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology and Early Education services to the children that require further assistance to access the assistive technology. The families and early childhood centres are also being provided with training and support to develop their capacity to include assistive technology within their everyday activities. The effectiveness of the service provision, training and support provided to all the participants in the project is being evaluated to inform future service delivery for young children. Ethics approval for this project was provided by Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee.
Status: The children, their families and the staff at the six centres are actively participating in the project through a range of activities including training, therapy intervention and home visits.
Completion Date: 31 June 2012
Project title: Kunghah & Guwaala-y School Readiness Program
Funding Partner: Department of Family & Community Services - Ageing, Disability & Home Care
Investigators: Ms Terri Mears, Northcott Disability Services, Dr, Karen Fisher, University of New South Wales, Mrs Marianne Rajkovic, University of New South Wales, Ms Ariella Meltzer, University of New South Wales.
Summary: The Aboriginal School Readiness program will assist and support the development of school readiness skills for Aboriginal children aged 0 to 8 years and enhance the capacity of Aboriginal families, community members, and preschool/school staff to support the children in an ongoing way. The school readiness program will provide therapy, education and information services in playgroups, preschools and schools to the children and their families. These children may have undiagnosed disabilities, a developmental delay or limited school readiness skills. Education sessions, practical strategies and resources will be provided to parents, families, teachers and local communities to support the children’s transition to school. This program will be provided in a Sydney metropolitan area and a regional town. In collaboration with the Social Research Policy Centre at the University of New South Wales, Northcott will evaluate the effectiveness of this model of therapy service in assisting Aboriginal children to transition to school and remain engaged in the school environment.
Status: The Aboriginal Medical Services in the communities where this program will be provided have granted Northcott permission to work in their local community. This project has received ethical approval from the University of New South Wales Human Research Ethics Committee. Northcott is currently recruiting participants for this project.
Completion Date: 31 December 2012
Further Information and how to become involved in this project:
Guwaala-y School Readiness Project
Kung-hah School Readiness Project
Project title: “My Patient” Project
Investigators: The University of Sydney Medical Program
Summary: The aim of the “My Patient” Program is to help medical students understand the impact of chronic disease (i.e. cerebral palsy) on patients, and their family and friends, beyond the hospital environment. To do this, they will be asked to follow a person living with a chronic health problem over a period of up to 14 months.
Participants are being asked to share their experience of chronic illness with a medical student. This can be done by (with participant consent):
• Meeting at a mutually agreeable place to discuss their experiences. This could be at home, a clinic or another suitable public place.
• Meeting with the participant’s family or carers.
• Accompanying the participant to a health care service appointment as an observer.
• Contacting participant’s by phone, email or other means (e.g. Skype) if face-to-face meetings are impractical.
• Recording contacts either electronically or in writing.
The content of these meetings may include but are not limited to:
• A history of the participant’s experience and a profile of their personal risk factors and preventative strategies for their illness(es).
• A profile of their community and a discussion about where they live, and how that affects their health and health care.
• Questions about the costs of their health care, how they manage that and what impact cost has on their ability to receive care.
• Their understanding of health messages about their condition given to them by doctors, organizations and the media.
• Cultural issues impacting on their health care. These might be, for example, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, or socio-economic status.
Contact between the participant and medical student would take place approximately every six to eight weeks between 1 April 2012 and 30 June 2013. There would be no more than six contacts over that time period. The time is negotiable between the participant and the student but it is anticipated that no single contact would need to exceed one hour in duration. The maximum time commitment over the 14 month period is 6 hours.
Status: The University of Sydney Medical Program is currently recruiting participants to share their stories of their experiences of transition for this project.
Completion Date: 30 June 2013
Further Information & how to become involved in this project:
For further information or to register your interest, please contact Ms Jennifer Walsh on 9351 5102 or via jennifer.walsh@sydney.edu.au
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