Hello, my name is Louise Marsh and I have just joined the School of Health and Social Care as a Research Associate.
My background is nursing having specialised in Gerontology and Geriatrics, so my professional niche has focused on the older person, their experiences and circumstances as they grow older. I have practiced in both health and social care and, in 2005, established the Evergreen Care Trust, a registered charity providing a wide range of volunteer led interventions and supports including Befriending, Advocacy, Chaplaincy & Listening, Friendship Lunch clubs and Teas. A strong focus in the work is to support older people experiencing social isolation and loneliness. Evergreen also developed two paid for services one of which are CQC regulated. From humble beginnings, we have seen our efforts grow and the model replicated in another market town as well as a London Borough. I am deeply concerned with the experiences of older people and equally so, with the care workforce who support older people in their homes, particularly the domiciliary front line worker.
My new post is for 12 months and is funded by the CRN East Midlands as part of a collaboration to develop social care research and research awareness amongst social care provider organisations. I shall be working closely with Mo Ray (School of Health and Social Care) and Harriet Savage (CRN East Midlands). I shall look forward to telling you more about the post and what we achieve as it unfolds over the coming months.