Dr Karen Newbigging

Dr Karen Newbigging

Honorary Reader (Associate Professor)

Contact details

Telephone
+44(0)121 414 3067
Email
k.v.newbigging@bham.ac.uk
Address
School of Social Policy, HSMC
Park House
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2RT

Karen joined HSMC as a Senior Lecturer in Healthcare Policy and Management in November 2013. Originally qualifying as a clinical psychologist, Karen has over thirty years’ experience in the health and social care sector, including direct service provision and commissioning. For the past fifteen years Karen has been involved in research, consultancy and system development for a broad range of health and social care organisations including government. Her recent work has focused on the implementation of health and social care policy, patient and public involvement, advocacy and action to tackle health inequalities and discrimination. Karen has a particular interest in mental health, and is a core member of the Institute for Mental Health at the University. She is a Chartered Psychologist, an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health and a Senior Fellow of the School for Social Care.

Specialisms

  • Health and social care policy
  • Mental health transformation
  • Equalities and intersectionality
  • Advocacy and service user involvement
  • Prevention and public mental health

Qualifications

  • PhD in Mental Health Policy, University of Leeds (2013)
  • PGCert in Health Research, University of Leeds (2006)
  • MSc in Ethics of Healthcare, University of Liverpool (1991)
  • Dip. Psych, British Psychological Society (1981)
  • M.A. (Hons) in Psychology, University of Dundee (1978)

Biography

Previous posts held include:

  • Principal Lecturer/Senior Researcher, International school for Communites, Rights and Inclusion, University of Central Lancashire
  • National lead for Gender Equality and Women’s Mental Health, National Institute for Mental Health England
  • Director of Mental Health, Health and Social Care Advisory Service
  • Director of the Centre for Mental Health Services Development, King’s College, The Strand, London
  • Project Manager/Deputy Director, Director, North West Mental Health Development Centre  King’s College, The Strand, London
  • Lead Commissioner for the Mental Health Services, East Lancashire Health Authority
  • Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Burnley Healthcare
  • Senior/Principal Clinical Psychologist, North Manchester District Health Authority

Karen’s regularly presents at national and international conferences and her work on advocacy has been cited by government. Outside of her University role, Karen has been a local councillor and is currently a Trustee of Calderdale Healthy Minds.

Teaching

  • Sociology of health and illness
  • Module lead (with Hilary Brown) for People, Patients and Communities module on M.Sc. in Health Management
  • Course Director for CCG Mental Health Leadership Development Programme funded by NHS England

Research

Recent research (as a PI) includes:

  • The contribution of the voluntary sector to mental health crisis care, (National Institute for Health Research HS&DR)
  • Investigation of the costs of poor mental health to the West Midlands, West Midlands Mental Health Commission (West Midlands Combined Authority)
  • Commissioning for Better Outcomes in adult social care (Local Government Association)
  • Review of the quality of Independent Mental Health Advocate services in England (Department of Health Policy Research Programme)
  • Good practice in social care for asylum seekers and refugees (Social Care Institute for Excellence (Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE))
  • Conceptualisations of mental wellbeing by black and minority ethnic communities in Scotland (NHS Scotland)
  • Knowledge review of specialist mental health advocacy for African Caribbean men (SCIE)
  • Stigma and Black and minority ethnic communities (NHS Glasgow)
  • Evaluation of the involvement of service users and carers in the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMHE)

Other activities

External activities include:

  • Member of the Editorial Board for Ethnicity and Inequalities in Health and Social Care
  • Member of the Department of Health National Taskforce on Women’s Mental Health
  • Trustee of Calderdale Healthy Minds
  • Member of the Womencentre Advisory Board for Department of Education Pilot on Safeguarding Children and Domestic Violence
  • Advisor for Aawaz, the voice of Asian women
  • Member of the Advisory Group for the Corston Review of women with vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system

Publications

Recent publications

Book

Newbigging, K 2015, Independent mental health advocacy: The Right to be Heard –Context, Values and Good Practice. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, London. 

Article

Ismail, S, Odland, ML, Malik , A, Weldegiorgis , M, Newbigging, K, Peden , M, Woodward, M & Davies, J 2021, 'The relationship between psychosocial circumstances and injuries in adolescents: An analysis of 87,269 individuals from 26 countries using the Global School-based Student Health Survey', PLoS Medicine, vol. 18, no. 9, e1003722, pp. 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003722

Newbigging, K, Ridley, J & Sadd, J 2020, 'Realising the right to equal recognition for disabled people: commissioning statutory advocacy in England', Disability and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2020.1745759

Newbigging, K, Rees, J, Ince, R, Mohan, J, Joseph, D, Ashman, M, Norden, B, Dare, C, Bourke, S & Costello, B 2020, 'The contribution of the voluntary sector to mental health crisis care in England: a mixed methods study', Health Services and Delivery Research, vol. 8, no. 29, 08290. https://doi.org/10.3310/hsdr08290

Newbigging, K & Ridley, J 2018, 'Epistemic struggles: the role of advocacy in promoting epistemic justice and rights in mental health', Social Science and Medicine, vol. 219, pp. 36-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.10.003

Ridley, J, Newbigging, K & Street, C 2018, 'Mental Health Advocacy Outcomes from Service User Perspectives', The Mental Health Review Journal, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 280-292. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHRJ-10-2017-0049

Newbigging, K, Mohan, J, Rees, J, Harlock, J & Davis, A 2017, 'Contribution of the voluntary sector to mental health crisis care in England: protocol for a multimethod study', BMJ open, vol. 7, no. 11, e019238. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019238

Newbigging, K, Ridley, J, Mckeown, M, Machin, K & Poursanidou, K 2015, '‘When you haven't got much of a voice’: an evaluation of the quality of Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) services in England', Health and Social Care in the Community, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 313-324. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.2015.23.issue-3

Commissioned report

Newbigging, K, Rees, J, Ince, R, Mohan, J, Joseph, D, Ashman, M, Norden, B, Dare, C, Bourke, S & Costello, B 2020, Illustrated summary: The contribution of the voluntary sector to mental health crisis care: a mixed-methods study. University of Birmingham, Birmingham. 

Burstow, P, Newbigging, K, Tew, J & Costello, B 2018, Investing in a resilient generation: keys to a mentally prosperous nation. University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. 

Newbigging, K & Parsonage, M 2017, Mental Health in the West Midlands: A Report for the West Midlands Combined Authority. University of Birmingham.

Glasby, J, Newbigging, K, Mangan, C, Miller, R & Ward, C 2015, Commissioning for better outcomes: a route map. Local Government Association. 

Conference contribution

Newbigging, K 2015, Mainstreaming gender equity in health: possibilities and pitfalls for policy and practice. in Annals of the Global Health Equity Foundation 2015: Gender discrimination and its impact on health equity. Annals of the Global Health Equity Foundation, no. 2, Global Health Equity Foundation, Geneva, pp. 44-48, Global Health Equity Foundation: “Gender discrimination and its impact on health equity”, Switzerland, 24/10/14. 

Review article

Fleischmann, P, Machin, K, McKeown, M, Ridley, J, Newbigging, K & Sadd, J 2015, 'Using independent mental health advocates', Nursing Times, vol. 111, no. 45, pp. 22-24. 

Web publication/site

Newbigging, K, Addressing unmet needs in women’s mental health, 2018, Web publication/site, British Medical Association. 

Expertise

Mental health and social care - including policy, prevention, changing services, service user involvement and advocacy, promoting equalities, services for women, and public and patient engagement.

Expertise

Health and Social care

Specialises in mental health and social care - including policy, prevention, changing services, service user involvement and advocacy, promoting equalities, services for women, and public and patient engagement.