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Spotlight on the Research Team

This week, meet some of the members of Engage to Change’s research team! The team is led by Dr Stephen Beyer at Cardiff University‘s National Centre for Mental Health and they are responsible for collecting data ethically and efficiently for the purposes of evaluating the project and influencing policy change. They produce reports in relation to the current policy climate and work to ensure the sustainability of the project and its legacy.

In addition, the team have linked up with the DFN Project SEARCH programme currently running and funded by Engage to Change with Cardiff University as the host employer. As a result, during the third semester two interns from DFN Project SEARCH have joined the team with responsibilities including data entry. Meet one of them here.

Dr Elisa Vigna, Research Assistant

What is your role on Engage to Change?

I am performing a variety of tasks: data collection (interviews with young people and their families), data analysis, reporting on what we have found.

I keep in contact with the delivery partners to keep the data flow going!

I am also mentoring two DFN Project SEARCH interns.

I keep up to date with current policies on learning disability and autism in Wales and England.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I am really passionate about interviewing young people and listening to their voices.

I really enjoy mentoring our DFN Project SEARCH interns and seeing how their learning develops over the weeks.

What has been your proudest Engage to Change moment?

It is great to see that young people get into employment.

Tell us a few of your favourite things…

I love my children, going to the gym, swimming and cycling. I really enjoy cooking (not just Italian food!)

 

Andrea Meek, Research Assistant

What is your role on Engage to Change?

I am part of the team at Cardiff University that is evaluating the Engage to Change project. I help collect and analyse the data and information which we need to show that the project is working and is needed in Wales.  I interview young people, families and employers to see what they think is working or what might be done better.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Everything (apart from doing statistics)! I like meeting all of the people that are involved in Engage to Change and I enjoy interviewing people to hear what they think about the project.

What has been your proudest Engage to Change moment?

We recently attended an international conference on supported employment in Belfast where we gave a presentation on the Engage to Change project, we thought that we would be talking to about 10 to 20 people, but about 200 turned up! It was good to know that so many people from all across the world were hearing about Engage to Change!

Tell us a few of your favourite things…

Some of my favourite things are:

  1. My children (William age 9 and Maisy age 7)
  2. My dogs Mabel and Moose
  3. Visiting the beach
  4. Disneyworld, Florida
  5. Rollercoasters (the bigger the better)!

Jacob Meighan, Research Intern

What is your role on Engage to Change?

I help out with the data entry, I am responsible for checking the information that comes in my email, I log and send it back to the supported employment agencies.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I like working in a team with the people I work with and I like working on the data entry work.

What has been your proudest Engage to Change moment?

Finding out exactly what job I could and would like to do-data entry.

Tell us a few of your favourite things…

  • Playing Video Games
  • Building Lego Sets
  • Going to the Cinema
  • Going out to eat with my family