The Research Helpdesk – all the ways we support you

Blog - 2 September 2022

Find out how the Healthwatch England Research and Insight team can help you with your research questions and professional development.
Two women sitting on a bench. They are in a town centre on a sunny day. The woman on the left is wearing a red top. The woman on the right is smiling, wearing sunglasses and wearing a light blue top with Healthwatch logo.

The Healthwatch England Research and Insight team analyses people's experience of care to inform our national policy report. We also offer advice, networking and learning opportunities to build your research skills and support you on projects. We have over 80 years of research experience between us, from market research to clinical trials, and are always happy to help.  

How can we help you?

  • Online clinics – we offer informal research clinics every month. These clinics are a chance to sit down with a member of the team and discuss any research problems you may have. People have spoken to us to refine their surveys, talk through the design of their study, and discuss data analysis. If you’d like to talk to us for an hour, email research@healthwatch.co.uk and one of the team will get in touch to set up a time.
  • Information requests – we can help you find information about different topics, whether you’re working on a specific project or just looking for general insights. We can help you find other local Healthwatch projects, relevant work by other organisations, or publicly available datasets.
  • Research guidance – we can answer specific questions about the research process for you, including questions about planning projects, designing methodology, analysing data, consent, and GDPR. We have also created a range of written guidance and e-learning courses to support you through the research process, including our bank of sample survey questions.
  • Demographics support – collecting demographics is a great way to identify health inequalities in your area. We offer support on how to collect and analyse demographic data, including taxonomies and sample questions. You can also book a research clinic if you want one-to-one support collecting or analysing demographic data.
  • Training and events – we run a range of events throughout the year, including training sessions, reports showcase webinars, networking meetings, and sessions during Healthwatch Week. Keep an eye out for them on the training and events page, or contact Hollie Pope, Programme and Events Manager, for more information.
  • National Healthwatch England project queries – we can provide information, advice and guidance about national projects that Healthwatch England are working on, and what we’re monitoring in the month ahead.

Networking

The Research Helpdesk Workplace page is a friendly group of over 200 research and engagement staff across the Healthwatch community. The Healthwatch England Research Team regularly share updates on what we’re working on, new guidance t, and information about upcoming events. This is a great place to share what you’re currently working on or ask staff from other local Healthwatch for help and support.

Our Research and Insight Network Group is made up of local Healthwatch staff who are interested in research and sharing examples of good practice. Email research@healthwatch.co.uk if you’d like to join our mailing list, to get up-to-date information about what we’re working on and what meetings are coming up.

Sharing data with Healthwatch England

  • Support with data sharing – we know there are many different ways you can share your data with us, and your data is used for different purposes. We can  support you in sharing data with us, to meet your legal obligations . We can also share what your data has been used for and how local Healthwatch data informs the work we do at Healthwatch England.
  • National Reports Library support – we maintain the National Reports Library and support the network to share and upload their reports. Together, we can create a rich data source for the public and the Healthwatch network to use.
  • Digital transformation – we know that how you share your data with us is changing with the retirement of CiviCRM, the introduction of a new data sharing system, and the ability to upload your own reports coming soon. We can signpost you to the people and resources you need to answer your questions about the transformation.

Meet the team

We have expertise in all areas of engagement and research and work hard to support you with your research queries.

Sue Edwards – Intelligence and Research Manager

Sue has been at Healthwatch England since July 2019. Previously, she had worked for Citizens Advice, as an adviser and policy researcher.  She has undertaken research on a wide variety of consumer, financial services and benefit issues, including on gambling-related harm and the impact of lending and debt collection practices on people’s mental health. Sue is happy to help with any research issues.

Nina Marsh – Research & Insight Analyst

Nina joined Healthwatch England in July 2024. Previously, she worked as a research assistant on social care and criminal justice projects, conducting sensitive research in prisons and supporting evidence-based policy reform. She holds an Masters of Research in Human Geography, mostly looking into community based land reform on rainy Scottish islands, and has experience in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Nina has a particular interest in health inequalities and social care systems, and is happy to help with any research projects you have.

Will Howard - Senior Research Analyst

Will joined Healthwatch England in June 2021. Prior to this, he worked in the social housing sector, supporting housing associations to work with the health sector by carrying out research on their health and care services. He is a geography graduate and has an MSc in Sociology. Will has a particular interest in learning disability and mental health services but has a wide range of research experience and is happy to help with any research projects you have.

Alex Tan - Senior Research Analyst

Alex has joined the research team following several years with local Healthwatch as a senior research officer. He joined Healthwatch with a strong interest in the voice of local people and how this can affect change. Over the past years Alex has also worked on improving research quality through the wider Healthwatch network. Analysing people’s comments and writing reports are two aspects of the job found most enjoyable. If you have questions about conducting research do get in touch.

Monika Chandler – Research and Insight Analyst

Monika joined Healthwatch in January 2023. Prior to this, she worked as a researcher in the journalism industry. She completed a Master’s degree in Global Health and Social Justice with a focus on people’s experiences accessing healthcare in the NHS. She is interested in applying qualitative and mixed-method research to better understand health inequalities and barriers. Monika is happy to help with any research project you have.

Astor Gilliland – Research and Insight Analyst

Astor joined Healthwatch in November 2022. Prior to this they studied Anthropology, specializing through an MSc in Biosocial Medical Anthropology. Astor is passionate about centering a mixed-methods approach to understanding peoples’ experiences of health and health inequalities. They have a special interest in LGBTQ+ and maternal health but has a broad range of experience in research and is happy to help with any research project.

Ross Morrison - Senior Research Analyst

Ross joined Healthwatch England in November 2024. Prior to this, he worked in healthcare research consultancy, focusing on patient-centred outcomes. He has conducted and managed qualitative and mixed-methods research with a wide-range of people with long-term conditions. Ross has a Master of Public Health degree, where he concentrated on asset- and-community-based approaches to improving the health of vulnerable communities. He is committed to amplifying the patient voice in health and social care decision making, with a particular interest in working with marginalised groups. Ross is happy to help you with advice on designing, conducting, or managing any of your research projects.

How can you get in touch?

There are two ways to get in touch with us: