Mrs Barbara Bradbury

• Centre for Research on Work and Organisations
• Bladder and Bowel Management
• Ageing and Dementia

Dementia and Continence (DemCon 2):  This is Barbara’s current research area. Following recruitment and interviewing  of people with dementia, data will be analysed to identify the specific resources that will enhance their ability to remain living independently at home, supported by appropriately informed health and social care providers. Bespoke resources specifically focussed on the management of continence will be developed based on the data analysis, field-tested and evaluated. Refinement of the resources will be made following testing and prior to publication on a bespoke website.

Resources specifically tailored to homecare workers are also being developed in this project. These are designed to help them provide appropriate support to people living with dementia and experiencing continence problems. The resources are being developed with significant input from a stakeholder group of homecare workers. The protoptype will be tested and evaluated prior to refinement and publication on a bespoke website.   

Multi-media resources will be developed to provide alternative formats of information on the management of continence for people who have dementia. These will be of particular help for people who have dementia, their family carers, homecare workers and healthcare professionals.

Flexible Working Practices: Barbara was the Research Fellow on a project looking into the flexible working arrangements in five case study organisations post COVID-19, including an NHS Trust, retail sector, professional services, banking and local government. She was involved in participant recruitment, conducting interviews, thematic data analysis and report writing. The project completed at the end of March 2023.

 Organisational Resilience and Responsible Leadership: Barbara’s PhD focussed on identifying the strategic leadership behaviours that leaders in the NHS employed to develop and sustain organisational resilience. A key finding was that of Responsible Leadership as the key leadership approach in both case study organisations. A new model of organisational resilience was developed as a result of the research findings.

Barbara is interested in conducting further research into health and social care leadership and its impact on the care of people who are living with dementia.