Primary Care and Mental Health Away Day
Last week the Department of Primary Care and Mental Health met for their annual ‘Away Day’, held at the Novotel in Paddington Village, Liverpool. The event focussed on the Department’s research and teaching activities, which aim to enhance excellence in primary, community, mental health and social care at a local and global level.
Professor Fiona Rowe, Head of the Department, welcomed attendees to a day that celebrated successes and shared best practice. Topics were selected to inform and empower staff.
Dr Gemma Cherry led a session in which she addressed how staff and students could collaborate across the department. Other sessions provided insights into teaching in the department, intellectual property and securing open access for journals. Research topics also featured, covering grant applications, themes, groups and centres, as well as research ethics, integrity and contract management.
Darren Charles, Communications Lead for NIHR ARC NWC, and Sian Cunningham, NIHR ARC NWC Communications Officer, engaged attendees in a group activity to create a ‘Collaborative Community’ on a budget. This was in response to a key departmental challenge of ‘community based approaches to tackle health inequalities.’
Dr Clarissa Giebel highlighted best practice in patient and public involvement in research, sharing her insights from her research into dementia. The day finished with an opportunity for colleagues to network.
Professor Fiona Rowe commented: "It was wonderful to have so many staff together from teaching, research and professional services, to catch up and share experiences and ideas."