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Professor Alan Simpson

Honorary Professor

School of Health and Psychological SciencesDepartment of Nursing

Contact details

Address

Professor Alan Simpson MG20, Myddelton Street Building
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB
United Kingdom

About

Overview

Alan is a mental health nurse researcher with a special interest in the involvement of and collaboration with service users and carers in mental health practice, education and research. He is an Honorary Professor of Mental Health Nursing at City University, London following a career at City that started in 2001. He now works as Professor of Mental Health Nursing at King's College London but remains involved in health services research with colleagues in the School of Health Sciences. Alan is also Co-Director of the NIHR UCL-KCL Mental Health Policy Research Unit.

Qualifications

PhD, PGCert Academic Practice, PGCert Research Methods, PGDip Counselling, BA Hons Social Psychology and Registered Mental Nurse.

Employment

  1. Professor of Mental Health Nursing, King's College London, Feb 2019 – present
  2. Honorary Professor, City, University of London, Feb 2019 – present

Visiting appointments

  1. Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia

Memberships of committees

  1. Mental Health Nurse Academics UK

Teaching

Modules taught on

- Experiencing acute care
- Experiencing long term care, rehabilitation and recovery
- Evidence-based psychosocial interventions in mental health (M level)

Research

Research overview

Alan leads on mental health nursing research with a special focus on service user and carer involvement. He is currently leading a cross-national study of recovery-focused care planning and coordination in England and Wales and recently completed the UK's first pilot trial of peer support for people discharged from mental health units. He was also co-investigator on a national study of 'protected engagement time' on acute inpatient wards and previously worked on studies in inpatient settings aimed at reducing conflict and containment. Alan also conducted a study of care coordination in community mental health teams and led a number of innovative educational evaluations.

Research areas

Service user and carer involvement; case management; care Programme Approach; care coordination; community and inpatient mental health care; recovery-focused care

Grants

- Principle Investigator on a cross-national comparative study of recovery-focused mental health care planning and coordination in inpatient settings. Funded by NIHR Health Service and Delivery Research.

- Principle Investigator on a cross-national comparative study of recovery-focused mental health care planning and coordination in community settings. Funded by NIHR Health Service and Delivery Research.

- Co-investigator on a national study of peer support for people with serious mental illness discharged from hospital. Funded by NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research.

- Principle Investigator on a pilot randomised controlled trial to measure the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of peer support in psychiatric patients discharged from hospital. Funded by NIHR Research for Patient Benefit.

- Co-investigator on a comparison of acute mental health inpatient wards which use Patient Engagement Time, with other wards delivering standard care alone, across three NHS Trusts. Funded by NIHR Research for Patient Benefit.

- Principle Investigator on a process and outcomes evaluation of a new preceptorship programme for newly qualified mental health nurses. Funded by East London NHS Foundation Trust.

- Co-investigator and facilitator of service user involvement in programme of research aimed at reducing conflict and containment in psychiatry. Funded by NIHR Programme Grant for Applied Research.

Principal collaborators

- Dr Julia Jones
- Dr Chris Flood
- Dr Mark Haddad
- Dr Ben Hannigan, Cardiff University
- Dr Michael Coffey, Swansea University
- Dr Aled Jones, Cardiff University
- Ms Alison Faulkner, Independent Service User Researcher/Consultant
- Prof Len Bowers, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London
- Dr Fiona Nolan, UCL
- Prof Eimear Muir-Cochrane, Flinders University, Australia

Research Fellow

- Dr Sally Barlow

Research students

Alison Faulkner

Attendance: Oct 2015 – Sep 2017

Thesis title: 'The Power And Value Of Experiential Knowledge: The Potential of Service User-Led Research to Empower Individuals and Communities in their Relationship to Mental Health Services’

Nafiso Ahmed

Attendance: Oct 2015 – Aug 2018, full-time

Thesis title: Shared Decision Making in Risk Assessment and Risk Management with people with Severe Mental Illness

Role: 1st Supervisor

Emma Etuk

Thesis title: Exploring User Involvement in Mentorship of Student Midwives in Practice

Pam Page

Thesis title: A qualitative appraisal of visiting within adult critical care units

Role: 1st Supervisor

Maggie Grant

Thesis title: Whatever happened to Baby Mei? A study of adoption appraisal

Suzanne Dawson

Thesis title: Recovery-focsed care planning in people under Community Treatment Orders in South Australia

Isaac Tuffour

Thesis title: A Study of the Experiences of Black African Service Users of Mental Health Provision in England: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Publications

Publications by category

Book

Chapters (4)

  • Simpson, A. (2008). Acute inpatient care. In Brooker, C. and Repper, J. (Eds.), Mental Health: From policy to practice (pp. 151–163). London: Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-443-10383-4.
  • Simpson, A. (2006). Dual diagnosis: Shared care and interprofessional practice. In Rassool, G.H. and Hussein, R.G. (Eds.), Dual diagnosis nursing (pp. 130–139). Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-4051-1902-3.
  • Simpson, A. and Buss, N. Tvaerfagligt teamwork i psykiatrien. Psykiatrisk sugepleje (pp. 64–77). Denmark: NYT Nordisk Forlag Arnold Busck.
  • Simpson, A. and Brennan, G. Working in Partnership. In Callaghan, P., Playle, P. and Cooper, L. (Eds.), Mental Health Nursing Skills (pp. 74–84). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Conference papers and proceedings (9)

  • Flood, C., Behn, N., Marshall, J., Simpson, A., Northcott, S., Thomas, S. … James, K. (2020). A PILOT ECONOMIC EVALUATION FOR SUPPORTING WELLBEING THROUGH PEER-BEFRIENDING (SUPERB).
  • Hilari, K., Behn, N., Marshall, J., Simpson, A., Thomas, S., Flood, C. … McVicker, S. (2019). Adjustment Post-Stroke and Aphasia: Protocol for the SUpporting Well-Being Through PEeR-Befriending (SUPERB Trial).
  • (2019). Accepted Abstracts from the International Brain Injury Association’s 13th World Congress on Brain Injury.
  • Mcbain, H., Lamontagne-Godwin, F., Haddad, M., Simpson, A., Chapman, J., Jones, J. … Mulligan, K. (2018). Implementation of Type 2 diabetes guidelines in people with severe mental illness (SMI).
  • Mulligan, K., McBain, H., Lamontagne-Godwin, F., Chapman, J., Flood, C., Haddad, M. … Simpson, A. (2018). A survey of factors that influence diabetes self-management in people with severe mental illness.
  • Northcott, S., Thomas, S., Simpson, A., Burns, K., Hirani, S.P., Moss, B. … Hilari, K. (2018). How acceptable is solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) to people with severe aphasia?
  • Huband, K., Dobra, R., Lewis, A. and Simpson, A. (2018). Perceptions of the role of the respiratory Clinical Research Nurse. ERS International Congress 2018 abstracts.
  • Mulligan, K., Lamontagne-Godwin, F., McBain, H., Haddad, M., Jones, J., Flood, C. … Simpson, A. (2017). Diabetes care for people with severe mental illness: a survey of health professionals.
  • Nolan, F., Gray, R., Simpson, A. and Cheston, R. (2015). Results of a programme to evaluate protected engagement time in acute and older adult inpatient wards in England.

Journal articles (169)

Reports (3)

Professional activities

Events/conferences (58)

  1. Personal experiences of preceptorship in newly qualified mental health nurses and their preceptors. London (2013).
    Description: East London NHS Foundation Trust Research Day. St Bartholomew Hospital
  2. The Politics of Peer Support in an Age of Austerity. Warwick (2013).
    Description: 19th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  3. Recovery-focused care coordination and collaboration: the benefits and challenges. Perth (2012).
    Description: Australia College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) West Australia Branch, Fremantle Hospital
  4. Working in collaboration with consumers: reflections on recovery and care in contemporary mental health settings. (2012).
    Description: Flinders University SONM Mental Health Research Team in collaboration with Adelaide Metropolitan Mental Health Directorate
  5. Findings and reflections from a pilot trial of Peer Support in the UK. Adelaide, South Australia (2012).
    Description: School of Nursing & Midwifery and Department of Psychiatry, Flinders Medical Centre
  6. WORKSHOP: SUGAR ADDED: Exploring a facilitated group approach to involving service users and carers in mental health nursing research. Oxford (2012).
    Description: 18th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  7. Experiences of peer support in the transition from hospital to home: A framework analysis. Nottingham (2012).
    Description: 4th Qualitative Research on Mental Health Conference
  8. Peer Support for people discharged from hospital: Results of a pilot RCT in England. London (2012).
    Description: Refocus on Recovery conference
  9. Invited Evidence: "Inpatient Care and Mental Health Nursing''. Manchester (2012).
    Description: Schizophrenia Commission
  10. Preparing and supporting Peer Support Workers: identifying the key aspects for safe, effective and creative practice. Oxford (2011).
    Description: 17th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  11. Invited Evidence: "Inpatient Care and Mental Health Nursing''. London (2011).
    Description: St Bartholomew Hospital
  12. Preparing and supporting Peer Support Workers: identifying the key aspects for safe, effective and creative practice. London (2011).
    Description: Working in Partnership to promote Nursing Excellence, East London NHS Foundation Trust
  13. Peer Support: A global solution for people with mental health problems? London (2011).
    Description: Global Health Research Event, City University London
  14. SUGAR: Sweetening the involvement of service users and carers in mental health research. Nottingham (2010).
    Description: INVOLVE Conference: Public involvement in research: innovation and impact
  15. User involvement in the development of a Kidney Research and Education Initiative (with Nicola Thomas and Fiona Loud). Nottingham (2010).
    Description: INVOLVE Conference: Public involvement in research: innovation and impact
  16. The Peer Support Project: reports from the field. London (2010).
    Description: 8th Annual East London Mental Health Research Presentation Day. St Bartholomew's Hospital
  17. Ways to engage users and carers in renal practice, research and education. London (2010).
    Description: Workshop with Fiona Loud, Chair of User and Carer Group and Chair of Kidney Alliance. Launch of the Kidney Research and Education Initiative (KREI): Contemporary Kidney Care. Great Hall, St Bartholomew's Hospital
  18. The Stupidly Big Star Wards Survey 2009: Results and ramifications. Oxford (2010).
    Description: 16th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  19. SUGAR: Sweetening the involvement of service users and carers in mental health research. Oxford (2010).
    Description: 16th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  20. Chair: INVOLVE (2010) The impact debate. London (2010).
    Description: An invoNET workshop at the King's Fund
  21. Supporting mental health carers: Can improved training alone bring about change? Stafford (2009).
    Description: Research seminar, South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, St George's Hospital
  22. Doors of deception? Does locking ward doors reduce substance misuse on psychiatric wards? London (2009).
    Description: 7th Annual East London Mental Health Research Presentation Day, St Bartholomew's Hospital
  23. Doors of deception? Does locking ward doors reduce substance misuse on psychiatric wards? Oxford (2009).
    Description: 15th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  24. Supporting mental health carers: Can improved training alone bring about change? Nottingham (2009).
    Description: Mental Health Research Network Conference
  25. Doing more harm than good? Teaching student nurses about harm reduction approaches to substance misuse. Oxford (2008).
    Description: 14th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  26. Debate: We need an evidence base for public involvement in research. London (2008).
    Description: invoNET Workshop, INVOLVE, King's Fund
  27. The Mental Health Carers' Support Curriculum Project. Grange-over-Sands (2007).
    Description: Authenticity to Action: Involving service users and carers in higher education. Conference
  28. Listening to the Experts: Evaluation of an online discussion forum involving mental health service users and student nurses. Grange-over-Sands (2007).
    Description: Authenticity to Action: Involving service users and carers in higher education. Conference
  29. Show a little respect: Educating mental health staff to involve and consider the needs of carers. Oxford (2007).
    Description: 13th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  30. What the patients say. Slough (2007).
    Description: Berkshire Healthcare Foundation NHS Trust conference, Acute inpatient care: The forgotten speciality, Wexham Park Hospital
  31. Talking with the Experts: Evaluation of an online discussion forum involving mental health service users and student nurses. London (2007).
    Description: City University Mental Health Research Seminar
  32. The use of e-learning to enhance the contribution that service users can make to health professional education. London (2007).
    Description: Symposium at Health Sciences and Practice Festival of Learning, Royal College of Physicians
  33. Service users' views on staff attitudes, ward rules and structures. London (2007).
    Description: London Mental Health Research Showcase Conference
  34. Talking with the Experts: Evaluation of an online discussion forum involving mental health service users and student nurses. London (2007).
    Description: London Mental Health Research Showcase Conference
  35. Users' experiences of empowerment and disempowerment on psychiatric wards (and other tales from the Tompkins Acute Ward Study). London (2006).
    Description: Mental Health Qualitative Research Network
  36. Telling it like it is: Evaluation of an online discussion forum involving mental health service users and students. Swansea (2006).
    Description: School of Health Sciences Research Seminar, University of Wales
  37. Telling it like it is: Evaluation of an online discussion forum involving mental health service users and students. Oxford (2006).
    Description: 12th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  38. Users' experiences of empowerment and disempowerment on psychiatric wards (and other tales from the Tompkins Acute Ward Study). Oxford (2006).
    Description: 12th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  39. Runaway Success: Using research evidence to reduce absconding. London (2006).
    Description: Nursing Research Conference, Kingston University
  40. Interprofessional working in acute psychiatry. Oxford (2006).
    Description: Royal College of Nursing Research Institute
  41. Occupational therapists on acute psychiatric wards: time to 'muck in'? London (2005).
    Description: Fifth Annual East London Mental Health Research Presentation Day, St Bartholomew's Hospital
  42. What do service users think about staff attitudes and ward rules? Collaborating to obtain the service user viewpoint in the Tompkins Acute Ward Study. Oxford (2005).
    Description: 11th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference
  43. Do we really need more teamwork on acute psychiatric wards? London (2005).
    Description: Interprofessional working in acute inpatient psychiatry: Results from the Tompkins Acute Ward Study. Mental Health Seminar, City University
  44. Interprofessional working in acute psychiatry. London (2005).
    Description: LoMR&D Virtual Institute Research Showcase Conference
  45. Multidisciplinary team working in acute inpatient psychiatry - The Tompkins Acute Ward Study. London (2004).
    Description: Fourth Annual East London Mental Health Research Presentation Day, St Bartholomew's Hospital,
  46. Do you see what I see? Multi-professional views of teamwork on acute psychiatric wards. Oxford (2004).
    Description: 10th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference, 'Something old... Something new...'
  47. Multi-professional views on acute psychiatric wards: inter-professional approaches to conflict, containment and teamwork. Cambridge (2004).
    Description: National Mental Health Nursing Conference
  48. Conflict and containment on acute psychiatric wards: what different professional staff think of each other and their teams. Brighton (2004).
    Description: South Downs Health NHS Trust/University of Brighton Joint Conference: 'Collaboration, conflict and compromise: Working together in health and social care', University of Brighton
  49. The Tompkins Acute Ward Longitudinal Study: a longitudinal study of change on acute psychiatric inpatients wards and intensive care units (PICUs). London (2004).
    Description: LoMHR&D's Second One-Day Showcase Conference
  50. Symposium: Insider-outsider perspectives in mental health: the role of the researcher. Oxford (2003).
    Description: 9th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference, 'Addressing Discrimination and Difference: New Territory, Old Map?'
  51. User and Carer Involvement in Mental Health Education and Research. Brighton (2003).
    Description: The 4th Mental Health Nursing Conference, incorporating the 2nd Marion Beeforth Lecture, University of Brighton. Conference report: Byrne, D., Clarke, L., Grant, A. & McGowan, B. (2003) User Involvement in Curriculum and Nursing Practice Development, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 10, 4, 505-507
  52. The Care Programme Approach in England: Were we 'sold a pup'? London (2003).
    Description: 8th European Mental Health Nursing Conference 'Rewind-refocus on global mental health nursing'
  53. Developing Service User and Carer Involvement in Learning, Teaching and Research in Mental Health, with Ian Light, User and Carer Consultant. London (2002).
    Description: St. Bartholomew School of Nursing & Midwifery Time Out Day, 'Is the Customer Always Right?' Barbican Centre
  54. Teams and trusts and blame: are CPNs valued? Portsmouth (2002).
    Description: Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust Education Forum, St James' Hospital,
  55. The trouble with teams: Challenges to interprofessional working in mental health practice. London (2002).
    Description: Department of Mental Health & Learning Disability Seminar, St Bartholomew School of Nursing & Midwifery, City University
  56. From CPN to Research Fellow: Career Pathways. London (2002).
    Description: Ward Manager's Leadership Programme, South London and the Maudlsey NHS Trust Headquarters, Waterloo
  57. Patient-staff conflict on psychiatric wards: Developing a typology of conflict behaviours. Oxford (2002).
    Description: 8th International Network of Psychiatric Nursing Research Conference 'Research Journeys: Travelling Together'. University of Oxford
  58. Teams and trusts and blame: are CPNs valued? Cambridge (2002).
    Description: National Mental Health Nursing Conference 'Laying the Cornerstones: Valuing mental health nursing in a time of change'

Keynote lectures/speeches (6)

  1. Invited Keynote: Service User and Carer Involvement in Research: Opportunities and Knocks. (2014). Patient and Public Involvement Models of Good Practice in Mental Health: A conference for service users, carers and other professionals, Tavistock Centre
  2. Invited Keynote: Peers, professionals and politics: mental health nursing in an age of austerity. (2013). East London NHS Foundation Trust Research Day. St Bartholomew Hospital
  3. Invited Keynote: Evidence-based practice and street-level bureaucracy: influence at the 'coal-face'. (2013). 18th Annual NAPICU Conference, University of Keele
  4. Eileen Skellern Lecture: Peers, professionals and politics: mental health nursing in an age of austerity. London (2013). City University London
  5. Invited Keynote: COCAPP: Cross national study of recovery-focused care planning. London (2013). Research into Recovery Network (RRN), Institute of Psychiatry
  6. Invited Keynote: Professionals, peers and politics: Mental health nursing and peer support in an age of austerity. Darwin, Australia (2012). Australia College of Mental Health Nurses (ACMHN) International Mental Health Conference, Darwin Convention Centre