For Researchers

This page provides more information for those who want to carry out research in the Trust.

All research conducted in the Trust requires approval and further details can be found below. Approvals and registrations for other types of projects including service evaluation, service review and clinical audit is managed by the Trust’s Knowledge and Improvement Team.

‘Research’ is defined in the UK Policy Framework for Health and Social Care Research as:

“the attempt to derive generalisable or transferable new knowledge to answer or refine relevant questions with scientifically sound methods.”

If you are unsure whether your proposed project meets this definition have a look at the links below.

The Health Research Authority’s planning and improving research section.

Is my study ‘research’ – online decision tool on the Health Research Authority’s (HRA) website

Read the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership’s (HQIP) guide for clinical audit, research and service review.

Trust staff can find guidance on StaffNet – Support Services – Research and Development.

Step into the future of nursing. The Mental Health Student Hybrid Placement (MESH) programme gives you the chance to experience real-world mental health research alongside your usual clinical placement — no extra essays, no academic assignments, just practical learning that counts towards your placement hours.

Why get involved?

Research is now part of everyday nursing practice. This placement helps you build confidence, broaden your skills, and see how research directly shapes better mental health care.
Students who’ve taken part describe it as eye opening, rewarding, and far less daunting than they expected.

“I enjoyed having the chance to play an active part in studies relevant to my field. Patients valued knowing their care was informed by up-to-date evidence.”

“A great stepping stone… it made me realise research isn’t as daunting as I thought!”

What you’ll gain

By the end of the placement, you’ll be able to:

• Understand how research is developed and delivered
• Advocate for research in clinical settings
• See potential research career pathways
• Embed research activities into your nursing role
• Work confidently with the Research & Development (R&D) team

What the placement involves

• 6-week programme with 18 hours of research-focused sessions supported by the R&D team
• Fully integrated into your existing clinical placement
• Opportunities to support studies recruiting across LYPFT
• Optional virtual activities to build your skills further

A recent publication highlights the positive impact of the MESH programme: Embedding research in learning disability nursing practice: benefits of the MESH programme.

This is hands-on, practical experience strengthens your nursing practice and helps shape the future of mental health care.

Feel free to refer any students that are on placement with your clinical team using the email address below:

Email research.lypft@nhs.net or speak to your course lead to get involved.

Our service users trust us with their care every day. Research is one of the strongest ways we honour that trust — by improving care, shaping better futures, and ensuring every voice is heard.

And that’s where you come in.

You don’t need research experience to be a Research Champion. What matters is your passion for helping people and your belief in evidence-based care. As a Champion, you become the bridge between your service and the R&D team — opening doors, sparking curiosity, and helping others see what’s possible.

With around 40 active studies across LYPFT at any one time, there are countless opportunities for service users to contribute to something bigger. They just need someone to guide them.
As a Research Champion, you will:

• Advocate for research in your service
• Connect with fellow Champions every two months
• Share opportunities that could change lives
• Bring research into everyday conversations
• Inspire colleagues to get involved

Around twenty-five services already have a Champion, or two — but we need more passionate voices to help drive research engagement.

If you believe in better care, learning from lived experience, and grounding decisions in evidence, this role is for you.

Interested? Email: research.lypft@nhs.net

Volunteers who take part in research play a crucial role in improving the lives of thousands of people every year. Nearly all research needs help from those affected to make this possible. We’ve developed a Consent for Contact information page which explains the benefits of research to potential volunteers and encourages them to give consent to be contacted. This might be useful to anyone embarking on recruiting volunteers.

Please get in touch If you think that the Leeds and York Partnership Foundation Trust might provide a population for your research. Or if you are just seeking general advice regarding your research in Mental Health, the Help from Experts by Experience for Researchers (HEER) group is passionate about it!

The HEER group can help you shape design, improve recruitment and review the appropriateness of methods and language. We are an established Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group. Recent feedback on group involvement includes:

“We made changes to language used, we discussed and used feedback to inform ideas about placement of a device and procedure in a ward intervention. We also asked the group about preferences and feelings about data collection methods (observation on wards), the feedback we received was around how to introduce this sensitively to service users on wards which may have been done differently without this advice. The HEER group also made suggestions about where the current research could lead and what might need to be done next – essentially informing future research priorities.”

We can provide a slot for you at one of our monthly meetings. You can email us at research.lypft@nhs.net.

You can be involved in research in many ways please read below the testimonials of those who have engaged with the department:

Susan Guthrie, Speech and Language Therapist, LYPFT.

Imogen Kinkaid, Mental Health Nurse, LYPFT.

Katie Glazenbrook, Clinical Psychologist, LYPFT.

Tricia Berill, Mental Health Nurse, LYPFT.

Lee Martin, Specialist Dietitian, LYPFT.

Anita Lawson, Healthcare Support Worker, LYPFT.

Hannah Shephard, Mental Health Nurse, LYPFT.

Grace Gee, Speech and Language Therapist, LYPFT.

Gwen Collin, Specialist Trainee Doctor (ST5), LYPFT.

Keri Lodge, Consultant Psychiatrist, LYPFT.

Mary Page, Nurse, LYPFT

Soyeb Aswat, Social Worker Lead, LYPFT

Alwyn Kam, Specialty Doctor in Psychiatry, LYPFT.

You can also read about our Research Heroes here.

If you’ve read all there is to read and you’d appreciate a chat with us, then please drop us a line at research.lypft@nhs.net or give us a ring on 0113 85 52387.