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Staff Profile

Dr Hayley Alderson

NIHR Advanced Fellow and Senior Research Associate

  • Address: Population Health Sciences Institute
    Faculty of Medical Sciences
    Newcastle University
Background

Background:

I am an NIHR Advanced Fellow and Senior Research Fellow based within the Population Health Sciences Institute. 


I have been working in Academia since January 2016 and since being at Newcastle I have been involved as a co-applicant on grants generating £4,120,627. My role within these grants has included study PI, Co-applicant and study co-ordinator, member of the steering group and qualitative researcher.


Prior to working in academia I was a drug and alcohol practitioner and I have worked within a variety of substance misuse settings (criminal justice, residential and in the community) between 2004- 2016. I also have experience of working alongside a team of Social Workers within the Emergency Duty Team addressing Health and Social Care problems across North Yorkshire and York.


Qualifications:

Ba (Hons) Criminology and Psychology- University of Northampton- 2004

MSc Criminology- Teesside University- 2007

PhD- Newcastle University- 2016 


Research Interests:

Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence

Social Care

Substance Misuse

Criminal Justice

Mental Health

Young People





Research

I am a practitioner-researcher working at the interface of Social Care and Public Health. My research focuses on individuals with multiple disadvantage and complex needs particularly in the arena of domestic violence and abuse (DVA), mental health, substance use and safeguarding. Prior to commencing a career in research, I had 12 years’ practitioner experience working in voluntary, community or social enterprise organisations, local authorities and the HMP Prison service.


My practitioner experience has equipped me with skills and knowledge to engage with community groups often excluded from academic research. My combined practitioner background and researcher experience supports me to undertake pragmatic research that can have real world impact.


I commenced my academic journey working as a research Interventionist within Newcastle University on PAReNTS: ‘Brief interventions to reduce hazardous and harmful drinking in parents referred to children’s social care: a feasibility study’; AESOPS: a randomised controlled trial of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of opportunistic screening and stepped care interventions for older hazardous alcohol users in primary care; ACCEPT: A pilot feasibility trial of alcohol screening and brief intervention in the police custody suite setting; and SIPS JNR: Developing and Evaluating Interventions for Adolescent Alcohol use Disorders Presenting Through Emergency Departments.


Since 2016, I have been involved in 39 successful grant applications of which 25 have been successfully completed and 14 are ongoing. Of these grants, I have led 16 as PI (13 successfully completed and 3 ongoing).


Current PI projects include my NIHR Advanced Fellowship- RESPONSE: Rape and Sexual Assault: developing a trauma-informed framework to providing health and social care support to survivors; OUTCOMES: Domestic Abuse- Understanding the impact of Outcome 16 on racially minoritised women’s participation in Domestic Abuse investigations and INCLUDE: Understanding and developing father Inclusive Practice in Children’s Social Care.


An example of key projects within the domestic abuse space are VISTA: 'Integrating social care in response to Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse: supporting the adult and child victim'; RIVA: ‘Evaluating models of health-based Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) within maternity services’ and “PROTECT COVID- 19: Exploring lived experiences of the impact of intimate partner violence and abuse on children, affected family members and perpetrators during the COVID- 19 global pandemic”


Furthermore, a number of projects have focused on social care and care experienced young people inclusive (but not limited to), RELATE: 'Leaving care: supporting positive Relational transitions of carE LeAvers and their birTh familiEs'; EXIT: ‘Innovation for Looked after Children Experiencing Post-16 Transition’ and SOLID: Supporting Looked After Children and Care Leavers in Decreasing Drugs and Alcohol

 

As my research career has developed, it has increasingly focused upon domestic/sexual violence and abuse. My research interests are driven by a commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable individuals, inclusive of children and families.

Teaching

Teaching:

I have been involved in teaching single sessions on the following modules;

MSc Fundamentals of Research module- Newcastle University

MSc Health Policy- Newcastle University

MSc Public Health Interventions- Newcastle University.

Tutor, Essential Junior rotation in Public Health, Medical school, Newcastle University


I have also delivered guest lectures in partner universities Durham and Teesside on the following courses;

Tutor, BSc Criminology (Drugs and Society module)-Teesside University

Guest Lecturer MSc Contemporary Issues in drug use- Teesside University

Guest Lecturer MSc Social Work- Durham University

Publications