Professor Ewen Speed
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Email
esspeed@essex.ac.uk -
Telephone
+44 (0) 1206 872847
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Location
2S2.5.11, Colchester Campus
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Academic support hours
13:00 - 14:00 Monday or by appointment
Profile
Biography
Dr Ewen Speed is Professor of Medical Sociology in the School of Health and Social Care. He has research interests in health policy, particularly in the area of citizenship and the UK National Health Service. He is also interested in critical approaches to understanding engagement and involvement in healthcare, and in critical approaches to psychology and psychiatry. He is a member of the National Institute of Health Research East of England Applied Research Collaboration, where he is deputy lead for the Inclusive Involvement in Research for Practice theme. He is also a trustee of the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness where he is chair of the Mildred Blaxter Fellowship awards panel. He is chair of the Critical Public Health Network (CPHN) and an Associate Editor of the recently established OA Journal of Critical Public Health. He is also currently a member of the review panel of the Research Council of Finland.
Qualifications
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B.A.(Hons) Social Sciences Glasgow Caledonian University,
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M.Sc. Research Methods University of Strathclyde,
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Ph.D. Sociology University of Dublin Trinity College,
Appointments
Other academic
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Trustee, Foundation for Sociology of Health and Illness (1/10/2020 - present)
Research and professional activities
Research interests
Governance and citizenship in context of health and healthcare
Neoliberalism, the third sector and health care provision
Discourse analysis, interpretive policy analysis
Current research
Health Determinants Research Collaboration
Funded by the National Institute for Health Research this is a 5 year collaboration with Essex County Council to develop research in the impact of Health Disparities in the Greater Essex area. Ewen is the lead investigator for the Vulnerable Populations theme.
More information about this project
Conferences and presentations
Dynamics of Devolved Health Policy Panel: NHS regimes across the UK as distinct forms of political performativity
Invited presentation, Social Policy Association Annual Conference, Glasgow, 3/7/2024
Sociology and critique: the Cost of Living blog as a natural experiment in public sociology
British Sociological Association Medical Sociology Conference, Brighton, United Kingdom, 13/9/2023
The Role of Volunteering in Older Adult Volunteers' Lives
British Society for Gerontology Annual Conference, British Society for Gerontology, Norwich, United Kingdom, 5/7/2023
Rearticulating the Cost of Living crisis as a cost of inequality crisis
Invited presentation, The Cost of Living Crisis – impacts from a multi-disciplinary perspective, Research Centre for Organisations and Society, Durham, United Kingdom, 9/6/2023
Problematising participatory practice in service and policy design: identifying barriers and opportunities
Discourse Theory: Ways Forward (2nd edition), Centre for the Study of Democracy, Signification and Resistance, Brussels, Belgium, 23/3/2023
Celebrating 10 years of the Cost of Living Blog, and looking to the future of Medical Sociology
Invited presentation, British Sociological Association Medical Sociology Conference, Lancaster, United Kingdom, 15/9/2022
Nothing about us without us”: The challenges and opportunities of collaborative approaches to data collection and analysis
School of Health and Social Care Staff & Student research Conference, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom, 15/6/2022
Pandemic policy making affecting older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in the four nations of the UK
50th Anniversary Annual Conference of the British Society of Gerontology, Online event, 9/7/2021
"Uncovering recovery" – The effects of politicizing recovery
Invited presentation, The Politics of Recovery: controversy and co-option in the era of austerity, Norway, 16/6/2021
Who designs Welfare Policy?
British Sociological Association annual conference, 14/4/2021
Populism as a form of Political Performativity
Discourse Theory: Ways Forward, Centre for Study of Democracy, Signification and Resistance, Brussels, Belgium, 7/2/2019
Translational Research and the Politics of Evidence
Invited presentation, Translational research: How to produce research that makes a difference, Translational Research Workshop, London, United Kingdom, 17/10/2018
Integrated care as fragmented care
European Health Policy Group Autumn meeting, London, United Kingdom, 21/9/2018
Populism as political performativity: implications for health policy
British Sociological Association Medical Sociology Conference, Glasgow, United Kingdom, 12/9/2018
Populism as political performativity: implications for policy
Invited presentation, London Medical Sociology Study group seminar series, London, United Kingdom, 25/1/2018
The rise of populism in Western liberal democracies: implications for health policy
European Health Policy Group Spring meeting, Health Services Management Centre, Birmingham, United Kingdom, 22/9/2017
NHS England as an Arm's Length Body: On Questions of Sponsorship and Accountability
Invited presentation, Governance of Health Conference, Liverpool, United Kingdom, 12/7/2017
This research has implications for policy on... - Why nobody listens to psychologists
British Psychological Society Annual Conference, British Psychological Society Annual Conference, Brighton, United Kingdom, 4/5/2017
Being Informed: ICT as Technique of Governmentality in the NHS
British Socioloigical Association Annual Conference, British Socioloigical Association Annual Conference, Birmingham, United Kingdom, 4/4/2017
Digital Cycling: What's big health data good for?
Open University and Cost of Living Blog workshop, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, 27/4/2016
Transforming a public good into a private bad: Political legitimacy, wilful deceit and the reform of the English NHS
Invited presentation, Workshop on Decentering Health Policy: Narratives, Resistance, Practices, Berkeley, United States, 14/1/2016
Teaching and supervision
Current teaching responsibilities
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Social Determinants of Health (HS869)
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Qualitative Health Research (HS948)
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Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Context (LW930)
Current supervision
Previous supervision
Degree subject: Health and Organisational Research
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 17/6/2025
Degree subject: Social Care Education
Degree type: Professional Doctorate
Awarded date: 13/3/2025
Degree subject: Clinical Psychology (D Clin Psych)
Degree type: Professional Doctorate
Awarded date: 13/2/2024
Degree subject: Health and Organisational Research
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 17/10/2022
Degree subject: Clinical Psychology (D Clin Psych)
Degree type: Professional Doctorate
Awarded date: 5/7/2022
Degree subject: Clinical Psychology (D Clin Psych)
Degree type: Professional Doctorate
Awarded date: 22/4/2022
Degree subject: Applied Psychology
Degree type: Professional Doctorate
Awarded date: 4/5/2021
Degree subject: Health Studies
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 27/1/2021
Degree subject: Occupational Therapy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 2/4/2019
Degree subject: Nursing Studies
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 10/8/2018
Degree subject: Social Policy
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 11/7/2017
Degree type: Professional Doctorate
Awarded date: 20/10/2016
Publications
Journal articles (52)
Arguedas-Ramírez, G., Speed, E., Berger, ZD. and Mannion, R., (2025). Pandemics, populism and bioethics: A critical approach. PLOS Global Public Health. 5 (5), e0004576-e0004576
Grotz, J., Armstrong, L., Edwards, H., Jones, A., Locke, M., Smith, L., Speed, E. and Birt, L., (2024). Pandemic policymaking affecting older adult volunteers during and after the COVID-19 public health crisis in the four nations of the UK. Quality in Ageing and Older Adults. 25 (2), 122-131
Baxter, V., Kennedy, M., Speed, E. and McPherson, S., (2024). Meeting the needs of patients with dementia to reduce hospital stays: a qualitative exploration of patient pathways and services. Mental Health Practice. 27 (5)
Dunn, M., Turner-Moss, EJC., Carpenter, B., Speed, E., Dixon, KC. and Blumenfeld, T., (2024). The effects of literacy on health in Gypsies, Roma and Travellers (GRT): a systematic review and narrative synthesis. BMJ Global Health. 9 (11), e017277-e017277
McPherson, S., Oute, J. and Speed, E., (2023). Quality-of-life measurement in depression trials: A consumerist relic. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health, Illness and Medicine. 27 (5), 647-663
Speed, E. and Reeves, A., (2023). Why is Lived Experience Absent from Social Security Policymaking?. Journal of Social Policy. 54 (1), 22-37
Baxter, V., Speed, E., Ioakimidis, V. and Ross, M., (2023). Lessons learnt while integrating services for children: qualitative interviews with professional stakeholders. BMC Health Services Research. 23 (1), 323-
Green, J., McLaren, L., Colvin, C., Dew, K., Haines-Saah, R., Speed, E., Bell, K. and Bunton, R., (2023). Moving on in uncertain times: a goodbye. Critical Public Health. 33 (5), 503-505
McPherson, SJ. and Speed, E., (2022). NICE rapid guidelines: exploring political influence on guidelines. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. 27 (3), 137-140
Kapilashrami, A., Otis, M., Omodara, D., Nandi, A., Vats, A., Adeniyi, O., Speed, E., Potter, JL., Eder, B., Pareek, M. and Bhui, K., (2022). Ethnic disparities in health & social care workers’ exposure, protection, and clinical management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Critical Public Health. 32 (1), 68-81
Pettican, A., Speed, E., Bryant, W., Kilbride, C. and Beresford, P., (2022). Levelling the playing field: Exploring inequalities and exclusions with a community‐based football league for people with experience of mental distress. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 69 (3), 290-300
Speed, E., Carter, S. and Green, J., (2022). Pandemics, infection control and social justice: challenges for policy evaluation. Critical Public Health. 32 (1), 44-47
Hoorens, V., Scambler, S., Deschrijver, E., Coulson, NS., Speed, E. and Asimakopoulou, K., (2022). Comparative Optimism, Self-Superiority, Egocentric Impact Perception and Health Information Seeking: A COVID-19 Study. Psychologica Belgica. 62 (1), 152-165
Ioakimidis, V., O’Connell, L., Baxter, V., Chard, K., Speed, E. and White, G., (2022). Challenge and opportunity: Making sense of the ‘first lockdown’ experience of families with young children and health and social care practitioners in Southend-on-Sea (the United Kingdom). International Social Work. 65 (3), 406-420
Speed, E. and McLaren, L., (2022). Towards a theoretically grounded, social democratic public health. Critical Public Health. 32 (5), 589-591
Pettican, A., Goodman, B., Bryant, W., Beresford, P., Freeman, P., Gladwell, V., Kilbride, C. and Speed, E., (2022). Doing together: reflections on facilitating the co-production of participatory action research with marginalised populations. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. 15 (2), 202-219
Mehta, J., Taggart, D., Clifford, E. and Speed, E., (2021). “They say jump, we say how high?” conditionality, sanctioning and incentivising disabled people into the UK labour market. Disability and Society. 36 (5), 681-701
De Cleen, B. and Speed, E., (2021). Getting the Problem Definition Right: The Radical Right, Populism, Nativism and Public Health Comment on "A Scoping Review of Populist Radical Right Parties’ Influence on Welfare Policy and its Implications for Population Health in Europe". International Journal of Health Policy and Management. 10 (8), 523-527
Pettican, A., Speed, E., Kilbride, C., Bryant, W. and Beresford, P., (2021). An occupational justice perspective on playing football and living with mental distress. Journal of Occupational Science. 28 (1), 159-172
Mannion, R. and Speed, E., (2021). Populism, pestilence and plague in the time of Coronavirus. International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare. 14 (2), 175-181
Speed, E. and Gabe, J., (2020). The reform of the English National Health Service: professional dominance, countervailing powers and the buyers’ revolt. Social Theory and Health. 18 (1), 33-49
Speed, E. and Mannion, R., (2020). Populism and health policy: three international case studies of right-wing populist policy frames. Sociology of Health and Illness. 42 (8), 1967-1981
Asimakopoulou, K., Hoorens, V., Speed, E., Coulson, NS., Antoniszczak, D., Collyer, F., Deschrijver, E., Dubbin, L., Faulks, D., Forsyth, R., Goltsi, V., Harsløf, I., Larsen, K., Manaras, I., Olczak‐Kowalczyk, D., Willis, K., Xenou, T. and Scambler, S., (2020). Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID‐19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice. Health Expectations. 23 (6), 1502-1511
Flintoff, A., Speed, E. and McPherson, SJ., (2019). Risk assessment practice within primary mental health care: A logics perspective. Health. 23 (6), 656-674
Goodchild, T. and Speed, E., (2019). Technology enhanced learning as transformative innovation: a note on the enduring myth of TEL. Teaching in Higher Education. 24 (8), 948-963
Hammond, J., Speed, E., Allen, P., McDermott, I., Coleman, A. and Checkland, K., (2019). Autonomy, accountability, and ambiguity in arm’s-length meta-governance: the case of NHS England. Public Management Review. 21 (8), 1148-1169
Speed, E. and Taggart, D., (2019). Stigma and Mental Health: Exploring Potential Models to Enhance Opportunities for a Parity of Participation. Journal of Ethics in Mental Health. 10 (VI)
Speed, E. and Mannion, R., (2018). The Politics and Power of Populism: A Response to the Recent Commentaries. International Journal of Health Policy and Management. 6 (4), 365-366
Green, J. and Speed, E., (2018). Critical analysis, credibility, and the politics of publishing in an era of ‘fake news’. Critical Public Health. 28 (2), 129-131
Walker, C., Speed, E. and Taggart, D., (2018). Turning psychology into policy: a case of square pegs and round holes?. Palgrave Communications. 4 (1), 108-108
Pavolini, E., Kuhlmann, E., Agartan, T., Burau, V., Mannion, R. and Speed, E., (2018). Healthcare governance, professions and populism: Is there a relationship? An explorative comparison of five European countries. Health Policy. 122 (10), 1140-1148
Walker, C., Artaraz, K., Darking, M., Davies, C., Fleischer, S., Graber, R., Mwale, S., Speed, E., Terry, J. and Zoli, A., (2018). Building spaces for controversial public engagement – Exploring and challenging democratic deficits in NHS marketization. Journal of Social and Political Psychology. 6 (2), 759-775
Carter, S., Green, J. and Speed, E., (2018). Digital technologies and the biomedicalisation of everyday activities: The case of walking and cycling. Sociology Compass. 12 (4), e12572-e12572
Mehta, J., Clifford, E., Taggart, D. and Speed, E., (2018). When your mental health disappears overnight: Constant anxiety of benefit sanctions is toxic for mental health of disabled people. Clinical Psychology Forum. 312 (312), 4-6
Georgiadis, A., Corrigan, O. and Speed, E., (2017). Frontline Healthcare Staffs’ Experience of Organizing Complex Hospital Discharges: An Ethnographic Study. Ethics & Behavior. 27 (4), 335-350
Speed, E. and Mannion, R., (2017). The Rise of Post-truth Populism in Pluralist Liberal Democracies: Challenges for Health Policy. International Journal of Health Policy and Management. 6 (5), 249-251
Madden, M. and Speed, E., (2017). Beware Zombies and Unicorns: Toward Critical Patient and Public Involvement in Health Research in a Neoliberal Context. Frontiers in Sociology. 2
Speed, E., (2016). A note on the utility of austerity. Critical Public Health. 26 (1), 1-3
Speed, E., Davison, C. and Gunnell, C., (2016). The anonymity paradox in patient engagement: reputation, risk and web-based public feedback.. Med Humanit. 42 (2), 135-140
Barratt, C., Green, G. and Speed, E., (2015). Mental health and houses in multiple occupation. Journal of Public Mental Health. 14 (2), 107-117
Glynos, J., Speed, E. and West, K., (2015). Logics of marginalisation in health and social care reform: Integration, choice, and provider-blind provision. Critical Social Policy. 35 (1), 45-68
Goffey, A., Pettinger, L. and Speed, E., (2014). Politics, Policy and Privatisation in the Everyday Experience of Big Data in the NHS. Studies in Qualitative Methodology. 13, 31-50
Scambler, G., Scambler, S. and Speed, E., (2014). Civil society and the Health and Social Care Act in England and Wales: Theory and praxis for the twenty-first century. Social Science & Medicine. 123, 210-216
Speed, E. and Gabe, J., (2013). The Health and Social Care Act for England 2012: The extension of ‘new professionalism’. Critical Social Policy. 33 (3), 564-574
Harper, DJ. and Speed, E., (2012). Uncovering recovery: The resistible rise of recovery and resilience. Studies in Social Justice. 6 (1), 9-26
Glynos, J. and Speed, E., (2012). Varieties of co-production in public services: time banks in a UK health policy context. Critical Policy Studies. 6 (4), 402-433
Taggart, D. and Speed, E., (2012). It’s your problem but you need us to help you fix it: The paradox at the heart of the IAPT agenda. , Asylum Magazine for Democratic Psychiatry-Special Issue on Anti-Capitalism and Mental Health,. 19 (3), 23-24
Harper, DJ. and Speed, E., (2012). Uncovering recovery: The resistible rise of recovery and resilience. Studies in Social Justice. 6 (1), 9-26
Speed, E., (2007). Discourses of consumption or consumed by discourse? A consideration of what “consumer” means to the service user. Journal of Mental Health. 16 (3), 307-318
Speed, E., (2006). Patients, consumers and survivors: A case study of mental health service user discourses. Social Science & Medicine. 62 (1), 28-38
Speed, E., (2002). Irish Mental Health Social Movements: A Consideration of Movement Habitus. Irish Journal of Sociology. 11 (1), 62-80
West, P., Sweeting, H. and Speed, E., (2001). We Really Do Know What You Do: A Comparison of Reports from 11 Year Olds and Their Parents in Respect of Parental Economic Activity and Occupation. Sociology. 35 (2), 539-559
Books (1)
(2014). De-Medicalizing Misery II. Palgrave Macmillan UK. 9781137304650
Book chapters (12)
Mannion, R. and Speed, E., (2023). The rise of right-wing populism and the implications for health care during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. In: Social Justice in a Turbulent Era. Editors: Craig, G., . Edward Elgar Publishing. 10- 23. 1803926147. 9781803926148
Speed, E., (2023). Discourse analysis. In: Encyclopedia of Health Research in the Social Sciences. Edward Elgar Publishing. 98- 102. 9781800885684
Speed, E., Crawford, L. and Rutherford, A., (2022). Voluntary Action and the Pandemic across the UK. In: Mobilising Voluntary Action in the UK Learning from the Pandemic. Editors: Hardill, I., Grotz, J. and Crawford, L., . Policy Press. 19- 39. 1447367227. 9781447367222
Acheson, N., Crawford, L., Grotz, J., Hardill, I., Hayward, D., Hogg, E., Jones, RD., Linning, M., Rees, S., Rutherford, A., Speed, E., McGarvey, A., Goodall, C., Stuart, J. and Maltman, D., (2022). Mobilising the voluntary sector: Critical reflections from across the four UK nations. In: Covid 19 and the Voluntary and Community Sector in the Uk Responses Impacts and Adaptation. 17- 29
Grotz, J., Hogg, E., Jochum, V. and Speed, E., (2022). Foreword. In: Mobilising Voluntary Action in the UK: Learning from the Pandemic. Editors: Hardill, I., Grotz, J. and Crawford, L., . Policy Press. xv- xix. 9781447367222
Speed, E. and Mannion, R., (2021). Performing Populist Health Policy: The Case of the English National Health Service. In: Managing Healthcare Organisations in Challenging Policy Contexts. Editors: Kislov, R., Burns, D., Mørk, BE. and Montgomery, K., . Palgrave Macmillan. 49- 66. 9783030810931
Speed, E., McPherson, S. and Beresford, P., (2020). Questioning the Patient Participation Imperative. In: Health and Wellbeing: The University of Essex Reader. Editors: Boncori, I. and Loughran, T., . Editoriale Scientifica. 169- 186. 9788893916639
Speed, E., (2020). Social Value. In: Critical Reflections on the Language of Neoliberalism in Education Dangerous Words and Discourses of Possibility. Editors: Themelis, S., . Routledge. 28- 34. 0367629569. 9780367629564
Fitzpatrick, R. and Speed, E., (2018). Society and Changing Patterns of Health and Disease. In: Sociology as Applied to Health and Medicine. Editors: Scambler, G., . Palgrave Macmillan. 3- 22. 1137577398. 9781137577399
Speed, E., (2017). Transforming a Public Good into a Private Bad: Political Legitimacy, Wilful Deceit and the Reform of NHS in England. In: Decentring Health Policy: Learning from British Experiences in Healthcare Governance. Editors: Bevir, M. and Waring, J., . Routledge. 187- 204. 9781138232990
Speed, E., (2011). Discourses of acceptance and resistance: Speaking out about psychiatry. In: De Medicalizing Misery Psychiatry Psychology and the Human Condition. 123- 140. 9780230242715
Speed, E., (2011). Applying Soft Bureaucracy to Rhetorics of Choice: UK NHS 1983-2007. In: Managing Modernity: The End of Bureaucracy?. Editors: Clegg, SR., Harris, M. and H�pfl, H., . Oxford University Press. 9780199563647
Reports and Papers (6)
Mehta, J., Clifford, E., Taggart, D. and Speed, E., "Where your mental health disappears overnight: Disabled people's experiences of the Employment and Support Allowance Work Related Activity Group
O'Connell, L., Baxter, V., Ioakimidis, V. and Speed, E., (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on families and services in Southend
Thiel, D., Speed, E. and Cristo, SM., (2015). The Impact of Welfare Reform in Essex: A Report for the Essex Housing Officers' Group
Anderson, B. and Speed, E., (2010). Social Media And Health: Implications For Primary Health Care Providers
Glynos, J., Howarth, D., Norval, AJ. and Speed, E., (2009). Discourse Analysis: varieties and methods
Anderson, B. and Speed, E., (2009). An Evidence-Based Approach To Digital Inclusion for Health
Grants and funding
2025
Research Capability Funding (RCF) 2024-25 for Traveller grant
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS)
Improving Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Access to healthcare
University of Essex (QR Impact Fund)
2024
NIHR ARC Contract extension
National Institute for Health Research
Greater Essex Health Determinants Research Collaboration
National Institute for Health Research
Academic research capability funding awards 2024-25
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS)
2023
LCRN Host Organisation Contract
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Pursuing Independent Paths KTP
Innovate UK (formerly Technology Strategy Board)
2022
Evaluation of the impact of COVID 19 on methodological innovation: An analysis of ESRC/UKRI social science research projects (July 2020 � July 2021)
Northumbria University
Building a community of practice to identify strengths, barriers and prioritise solutions to the right of access to healthcare for Travelling Communities
National Institute for Health Research
2021
Summative Evaluation of the A Better Start Southend programme
Southend Borough Council
2020
Exploring access to healthcare with people and communities living on Traveller sites in the East of England
SHI Foundation (Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Ilness)
Mobilising Voluntary Action in the four UK jurisdictions: Learning from today, prepared for tomorrow.
UK Research and Innovation
NIHR CRN Eastern Social Care Research Readiness Project
National Institute for Health Research
2019
Patient Outcomes Project
Alzheimer's Research UK
Engagement �values�: theory, policy and practice in comparative perspective
SHI Foundation (Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Ilness)
Community engagement and scoping exercise to identify possible collaborative partners and to assess the extent of cultural, social, economic and other barriers to participation in Thurrock and surrounding area
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
2018
Self care programme bid
Eastern Academic Health Science Network
2016
Timebanking in Essex: Developing an Impact Evaluation Methodology
Colchester Community Voluntary Services
67% - The design and development of a scalable, avatar based, digital healthcare platform, driven by AI and Machine Learning technology.
Technology STrategy Board
2014
Hospital Discharge
Healthwatch Essex
2013
To map the impacts of social welfare reform and produce a dynamic digital map of welfare support service provision
Colne Housing Society Ltd
2010
PEBL
Secretary of State for Health
2009
Digital Inclusion & Social Knowledge
Solihull Care Trust
Contact
Academic support hours:
13:00 - 14:00 Monday or by appointment
