Staff Profile

Current Role 

I am currently a Research Associate in the School of Applied Health Research and Population Health Sciences Institute, working on a research project called “Establishing Evidence to Inform Culturally Competent Mental Health Services in the UK” (EVOLVE).

Previous Positions

Recently, I completed a national evaluation (funded by NIHR School for Public Health Research) focusing on Integrated Care for children and young people. The study findings have informed the implementation of Integrated Care Systems in England. 

Prior to developing expertise in public health research, I was a research associate in Social Work for nine years in the Department of Sociology, Durham University. I have extensive research experience ranging from development of public policy for looked after children to social work practice research. In relation to the latter, I was involved in a series of longitudinal evaluation studies all commissioned by the Department for Education in the UK conducting national assessment of professional social work qualification programmes (the Step Up to Social Work Programme, Frontline and Think Ahead Programme).

Methodologically, I am a qualitative researcher with particular expertise in conducting interviews, focus groups and participant observations with various groups of participants ranging from leading experts in a government sector to marginalised and vulnerable populations including families, children, ethnic minorities and patients with mental health problems.

My research interests cover such areas as child development and welfare, health and health inequalities, and marginalisation. In this context, I am deeply involved in the synthesis of best-available evidence, collaboration with public and professional stakeholders, and translation of research findings into policy development.

Publications: 

Hope, S., Hillier-Brown, F., Dedat, Z., Stepanova, E., Owen, E., Hargreaves, D., Nichols, D., Scott, S., Summerbell, C. and Viner, R. (2022) ‘Improving Young People’s Health and Well-Being through Integrated Care Systems (ICS) in England’ Research Briefing. School for Public Health Research, July, 2022.

https://sphr.nihr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Research-briefing_ICS-survey_Final_V.1.pdf

Smith, R., Venn, L., Carpenter, J., Patsios, D., Stepanova, E. (2018) 'Strivers', 'doers' and 'seekers': social workers and their commitment to the job, Child and Family Social Work , 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12623

Stepanova, E. and Hackett, S. (2013) ‘Understanding Care Leavers in Russia: Young People’s Experiences of Institutionalization’, Australian Social Work, Special Issue ‘Young People Transitioning from Care: an Issue of Social Justice’, 67:1, pp. 118-134. https://doi.org/10.1080/0312407X.2013.868011