Tell us about yourself

I am a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of Lancashire. Formerly a paramedic, I completed a PhD at the University of Manchester (2021) on trauma and resilience in psychosis and now lead applied research on mental health across emergency services. I have also started training to become a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist.

My work focuses on police responses to mental health crisis, inter-agency collaboration, and the implementation and consequences of Right Care, Right Person. I direct mixed-methods programmes with UK police forces (e.g., the UPSKILL psychosis training), supervise PhD projects on firefighters’ and paramedics’ mental health, and collaborate with partner agencies to translate evidence into practice.

My methods include qualitative interviewing, Delphi studies, realist-informed synthesis, and routine data analysis. I have delivered training and briefings for operational staff and senior leaders and contributed to policy-relevant outputs, conference presentations, and practice resources. My current projects examine how policing cultures, demand pressures, and service configurations shape frontline decision-making and outcomes for people in crisis, with an emphasis on stigma reduction, de-escalation, and equitable pathways to care. I am committed to co-production and to strengthening police–NHS partnerships to improve public safety and wellbeing.

Why did you want to become a Research Affiliate?

I wanted to join the Centre as an Affiliate to contribute practice-relevant research on police responses to mental health crises and to collaborate with a network committed to improving outcomes for vulnerable people, particularly having met several Centre colleagues at the LEPH 2025 conference in Ottawa.

Affiliation helps me connect this programme to complementary strands across policing, health and social care, and to develop co-produced studies that address gaps identified by practitioners. I was keen to share methods and findings through Affiliate profiles, blogs and events and to contribute to invitation-only workshops. I also wanted to join to collaborate on comparative and longitudinal work (e.g., demand measurement, de-escalation practice, inter-agency pathways, stigma reduction) as well as on PhD supervision. I hope to add value by bridging research, policy and practice in areas central to the Centre’s agenda and to connect to like-minded colleagues.

How does your research connect to the Centre’s mission and values?

My research centres on reducing harm and improving outcomes for people who encounter policing at points of vulnerability, with a particular focus on mental health crises and the operational consequences of Right Care, Right Person in England. I work in partnership with forces in the Northwest to co-produce research questions, methods and outputs. This aligns with the Centre’s commitment to collaborative, ethical, and impact-oriented research that supports safer, fairer practice.

Methodologically, I use mixed-method approaches, prioritising data security, proportionate governance and transparency, and I embed trauma-informed and anti-stigma principles throughout fieldwork, analysis and dissemination. My projects are designed for translation: briefings, training resources, and feedback loops to frontline staff and senior leaders. I am especially interested in inequalities, de-escalation, inter-agency pathways and demand measurement, areas where the Centre champions rigorous evidence and actionable recommendations.