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Reference no 15 Involvement Opportunity

Safeguarding in Adult Social Care and Coercive Control – An opportunity to share your experiences of Adult Social Services safeguarding and domestic abuse – YOUR VOICE, YOUR STORY

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funding a doctoral research project carried out by the University of Sheffield to learn from female survivors of domestic abuse. The study focuses on women who have care and support needs and have been through an adult social care safeguarding enquiry (a process where social services look into someone’s safety and well-being). The researcher wants to understand women’s personal journeys. By listening to their life stories, the project aims to find out what went well and what needs to change. The ultimate goal is to improve how adult social services recognise abuse, and support and protect women from abuse in the future based on survivor narratives.

 

Who they are looking for: 

  • Females, aged 18 or over
  • Live anywhere in England or Wales
  • Experienced domestic violence/abuse from a partner, ex-partner, or family member, and had care and support needs
  • Had Adult Social Services involvement due to the abuse

 

Expected commitment from participants:

  • Activity:
    • Taking part in one in-person interview where the participant can share their life history and experiences in a comfortable environment
    • Requesting their safeguarding files (only) from adult social services and sharing them with the researcher. This is for the researcher to check whether the social services fully understood and effectively supported the victim-survivor at the time
  • Tme:
    • Because these life history interviews are detailed and handled with great care, the interviews will allow the participants to tell their story at their own pace
  • Where and When:
    • The interviews will take place in person at a private, safe, and mutually convenient venue (such as a pre-booked library room)
    • The project is open now, with recruitment ending in August 2026

 

Closing date to apply: 31 August 2026

 

The NIHR is committed to making sure everyone can take part safely. The researcher will help overcome barriers to participation by:

  • Choosing neutral, quiet, and fully physically accessible interview spaces
  • Supporting those with caring responsibilities to take part
  • Supporting participants who wish to discuss the study with their support worker before moving forward

How to Apply

You can contact Lucy Jacobs, the researcher, directly via email at libjacobs1@sheffield.ac.uk. Link to the online form: https://forms.gle/myL3Ntujg3DwgPTU7

Involvement Payment Details

Participants will receive a £50 high street voucher as a thank you for their time, insight, and vital contribution to this research. Please note that, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), 'high street or gift vouchers may be treated as earnings and viewed by the benefits authorities in the same way as other forms of payment. These payments need to be declared in the same way as cash, cheques or bank transfers (https://www.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-are/policies-and-guidelines/public-contributor-reward-policy/payment-public-considering-involvement).