The OH BRC Academic Career Development (ACD) team remains committed to delivering high-quality, impactful training as part of their Training Programme. The Winter term is well underway, having already hosted two successful training sessions and a networking event for National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)Academy Members.
Mental Health Awareness Training for Patient and Public Involvement Engagement and Participation (PPIEP) Leads
On 15 January, twelve PPIEP Leads from across OH BRC gathered at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine for a pioneering pilot training session. This initiative was the result of a collaborative effort between the Training & Academic Career Development and PPIEP teams, alongside Dr. Ruth Collins, the Staff Mental Health Training Coordinator at the University of Oxford. The session aimed to adequately equip researchers and professionals who work with PPI contributors with lived experience of mental health challenges, ensuring they feel more confident in safeguarding both their own well-being and that of their contributors.
OH BRC PPIEP Coordinator, Emily Tammam, shared her reflections:
“The training has given excellent guidance on how to start out, with robust guidelines and group facilitation policies, which will help avoid challenges within a group. We learnt about the importance of boundaries and confidentiality, how to recognise and manage distress in a group setting and how to respond to challenges and risk, particularly in relation to self-harm and suicide. Finally, we learnt about the importance of taking care of ourselves and the risks of vicarious trauma, as members of staff. I really felt much more equipped to understand and support a distressed person in a PPI group, irrespective of why they might be distressed and about the importance of sign posting and staying within my own remit. I was pleased to hear that there are plans to rerun the session for others and that our feedback will help in improving what was already an excellent training session. It really was incredibly helpful and clear. The venue was comfortable and the catering, particularly the pastries, were of a high standard. An all-round successful training and even more impressive that it was only a pilot.”
Practical Introduction to Qualitative Analysis
On 21 and 22 January, the Common Room at the Department of Psychiatry welcomed a group of OH BRC researchers for the Practical Introduction to Qualitative Analysis training. The sessions were led by Dr. Charlotte Albury, Associate Professor at Primary Care Health Sciences, and drew an enthusiastic gathering. The energy in the room was clear, with participants actively engaging and sharing positive feedback throughout both mornings.
Holly Haines, OH BRC Dementia Theme Research Assistant, said:
“These sessions were highly relevant to an upcoming qualitative study that we will be conducting. Charlotte was a brilliant educator, explaining things very clearly (especially as this was a new research area for most attendees – all from different backgrounds!) and thoroughly engaging.”
NIHR Academy Members Networking Event
On 4 February, NIHR Academy Members from the Oxford Health BRC gathered for the first in a series of exclusive networking events. These sessions are designed to foster collaboration, provide a platform for discussing challenges, and stimulate new ideas for future training and events. The event was a great success, with engaging discussions and a strong sense of community.
The session was enriched by the presence of ACD Lead Dr. Kate Saunders and ACD Co-Lead Dr. Marion Waite.
Reflecting on the event, Academy Member and Senior OH BRC Fellow Dr. Jiedi Lei expressed:
“Thank you so much for such a successful kick-off event for NIHR Academy members, such a great opportunity to meet other researchers that I would not have had the opportunity to connect with, and very excited for the next one!”
As the Winter term continues, the ACD team looks forward to further training sessions, reinforcing its mission to support the professional development of researchers across the OH BRC.
All information about OH BRC Training can be found on their webpage.
Email the OH BRC Training & Career Development team: training.ohbrc@psych.ox.ac.uk
