Dr Vanessa Abrahamson
About
I’m an occupational therapist and my research focuses on community health and social care, long-term conditions and rehabilitation, mostly using realist and qualitative methodology. I enjoy teaching and lead the Research Champions programme, in collaboration with Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust, to build research capacity across their nursing, midwifery and allied health workforce. I also work with Kent County Council, Adult Social Care, to build research capacity with their workforce.
I completed an Economic and Social Research Council funded doctoral thesis at CHSS (2014-17). Before that, I was a Senior Lecturer at Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent. I have an MSc Public Health (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) which helped bridge the gap from clinical work to research. As an occupational therapist, I worked with adults who had a stroke or traumatic brain injury, children with complex needs, and helped set up one of the first Intermediate Care teams. I have worked in England, New Zealand, South Africa and Zanzibar.
Research interests
Stroke/brain injury/neuro rehabilitation
Living with long-term conditions
Occupational therapy and inter-disciplinary working
End-of-life care
Realist and qualitative methodologies
Professional
Health and Care Professions Council
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT)
Current Research
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, ARC Kent Surrey Sussex
I work with Dr Nadia Brookes and Lisa Richardson on the co-production theme. We are working to develop a culture of shared learning across sectors, organisations and geographical areas to build collective understanding about the benefits of co-production; to embed co-production in research and service planning/design; and to promote the value of co-production to commissioners and policy makers to inform strategic planning.
Researcher in Residence, Kent Research Partnership, one of six capacity building social care partnerships funded nationally (NIHR). Working to build relationships between health, social care and third sector organisations, and build research awareness and capacity within the social care workforce.
Recently completed:
The Community and Voluntary Organisation Evaluation Toolkit, CAVEAT, an online toolkit for the evaluation of voluntary sector services for older people (co-applicant, NIHR ARC KSS).
Hospice at Home Toolkit, an interactive online toolkit for optimising Hospice at Home care delivery, building on a previous NIHR funded study (see below).
Realist Evaluation of Autism Service Delivery: a national project examining different models of Autism diagnosis to identify which approaches offer the most timely, cost-effective and high-quality solutions. Commissioned by the NHS to inform https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/a-national-framework-to-deliver-improved-outcomes-in-all-age-autism-assessment-pathways-guidance-for-integrated-care-boards/
Optimum models of hospice at home services for end-of-life care in England: a realist-informed mixed-methods evaluation Health and Social Care Delivery Research, NIHR
Community-based volunteering in response to COVID-19 (COV-VOL), examining the impact of volunteers in supporting older people self-isolating at home during the COVID-19 pandemic (Co-applicant, NIHR ARC KSS)
Teaching
Research Champions introduction to research and evidence-based practice in collaboration with Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
Supervision
Pre-doctoral students on the NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Programme (ICAP) and Research Champions
Doctoral students Katherine Buckeridge and Penelope Klebe
Mentor for ARC KSS.