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Since completing his MSc in Public and Social Policy at Edinburgh University Mike has regularly included research activities in his portfolio. His dissertation examined differences in views on the significance of quality indicators between service users and providers, and achieving a concensus on rank ordering. The approach in bringing service providers and users together remains a significant theme in Mike's research work, and he has had particular interests in working on service user voice in transitions between services for over 20 years.
Research commissions can be undertaken as solo activities, although Mike is experienced in forming groups of varied professional make-up to carry out work, and he has been recruited by others to join their teams.
Commissions with research components include:
- ACE Advocacy West Lothian, service evaluation to secure continued statutory funding
- Alzheimer Scotland, research into potential for new legislation leading to new business opportunities
- Bield Housing Association, carrying out a customer satisfaction survey for users of dementia day services
- Enable, independent evaluation of a European funded transnational project examining financial abuse of people with learning disabilities
- Haringey Council, two commissions: establishing basis for joint work between local authority social and education departments and the NHS to deliver Health Action Plans for people with learning disabilities; and, an evaluation of child/adult service transitions
- Midlothian Council, research into the costs and quality of care for services to families with a disabled child
- NHS QIS now Health Care Improvement Scotland, as well as being a reviewer of learning disability services since the mid-1990s, Mike was commissioned to develop the involvement of service users and carers alongside professional reviewers in the 18 month national survey of all Scottish Health Boards' services for people with a learning disability
- Open University, in addition to Mike's teaching commitments, he has carried out research into barriers to disabled students wishing to enter social work education; he has also acted as a critical reader for course development, worked on user and carer involvement in selection of social work students, evaluation of existing course materials for developing CPD short course programmes, and evaluation of course materials in relation to SSSC childcare requirements
- Quarriers, research into adults with learning disabilities living in the parental home
- Scottish Government, contract with partners Lucy Johnston Research and Quarriers to map Scotland's disability organisations
- Shelter, evaluation of their Dumfries Children's and Families Service in relation to continued external funding
- South Lanarkshire Council, an 18 month project to examine the needs of older carers of people with learning disabilities, with Lucy Johnston Research
Publications since commencing consultancy:
1. ‘Older family carers and learning disabled adults cared for at home: Their views, experiences and thoughts on future care’ A report by Lucy Johnston and Mike Martin for South Lanarkshire, Social Work Resources, Adult Services. August 2005
2. NHS Quality Improvement Scotland. 2004-2005 Learning Disabilities Review Programme: Involving people with learning disabilities, carers and supporters. Evaluation Report. February 2006
3. Widening Participation: Experiences of students with disabilities in Social Care and Social Work training. A report produced by the Open University in Scotland on behalf of the South East Forum. Mike Martin and Glo Potter. July 2007.
4. Campbell, M. & Martin, M. (2009) Reducing health inequalities in Scotland: The involvement of people with learning disabilities as NHS reviewers. British Journal of Learning Disabilities.
Case StudyWith a formal research background for his MSc in examining user and provider perspectives of quality indicators, Mike is particularly interested in |