Health, wellbeing and educational partnerships

The Portsmouth-Brawijaya Centre for Global Health, Population, and Policy (PB Centre) is a partnership between us and the University of Brawijaya in Malang, Indonesia.

Through this partnership we conduct evidence-based and policy-led research on basic and applied bio-social determinants of health. The goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of people worldwide through research, teaching and training.

Research expertise within this partnership includes:

• Gender relations
• Family-planning
• Food security
• HIV transmission
• Domestic violence

The centre recently completed a research project – supported by a £510,577 funding award from the Medical Research Council – to explore whether financial incentives and access to free services in private health facilities can reduce the rates of premature deaths and poor health in pregnant women and their newborn in India and Bangladesh. The results of this project will help determine how barriers to health care services can be reduced, and support improved health goals for women and children in both countries.

This partnerships benefits:

• Future scientists by providing the methods to do more complex data analysis challenges
• Practicing researchers by supporting postgraduate and continuing professional programmes that will develop their knowledge of population health

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Beyond the School Gates was originally set up as a research partnership between the Universities of Portsmouth, Brighton and Sussex and West Sussex Parent Carer Forum. It was funded initially by SLN: COP (2018-2019) and has recently been extended with funding from Southern Universities Network (2019-2020). The extended project partners include University of Portsmouth and Releasing Potential School, Havant. In April 2020, Beyond the School Gates was established as a charity.

Through the project, former excluded students and their parents are trained as researchers, and given the opportunity to listen to the voices and experiences of current excluded students and their parents through focus groups and interviews. Data analysis of interviews forms the framework that guides a subsequent mentoring service where the researchers mentor excluded secondary school students to consider what a ‘successful life’ looks like them, and what they want to achieve in the future.

As well as receiving support to build their skills and confidence, student are also given access to the resources they need to meet their developmental and educational needs, and help to re-engage education to achieve their goals.

The partnership benefits:

• Students: Those who have been excluded and marginalised from or refuse to attend secondary education
• Students and their Parents: By developing positive relationships between students and parents, they can work together to achieve the education needs and aspirations of the student
• Parents: Those who need support to develop confidence and skills can access resources that will support their children to re-engage their education
• Schools: By listening to the voices of their students, schools can better address systemic and structural issues that form barriers to these students’ learning

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ACRE was created as a collaboration between us and Portsmouth City Council, Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council, Isle of Wight Council and Autism Hampshire.

Only 16 percent of adults on the spectrum are in full-time employment, compared to 47 per cent of people with other disabilities (National Autistic Society).

ACRE works to empower and support autistic people to realise their full employment potential. Specially, they aim to:

• Promote the rights of autistic people to contribute to our society
• Enable the provision of personalised support tailored to their individual strengths and needs
• Strengthen a commitment to the regional, national and international community

ACRE's goal is to help people on the autism spectrum — without or with mild learning disabilities — into work. It was founded in 2014 and shortly after received a grant of £65,000 from the Department of Health’s Autism Innovation Fund. In 2016, the centre received the Outstanding Adult Services award from the National Autistic Society.

The partnership benefits people on the autism spectrum by:

• Giving them the tools they need to prepare for and find work, and to identify their strengths and values
• Enhancing their job opportunities through sharing knowledge on the needs of people on the autism spectrum with employers
• Improving their chances to retain work by supporting their employers to make workplace adaptions, tailored to their needs

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Portsmouth has been chosen as the home of the UK's first PLAYCE - a versatile and colourful multi-skills activity space, designed to get the community moving and built on a Dutch scientific model for movement.

The PLAYCE is a collaborative project between the us, Portsmouth City Council (PCC), and the Athletic Skills Model (ASM) Company. It will be built to be accessible for people of all ages and skill levels, including those with disabilities. There will be no separate play areas for different groups, but an integrated activity space for all.

Portsmouth's PLAYCE will offer:

• A colourful outdoor activity space purpose-built to get people moving by challenging them to think outside the box when it comes to physical activity.
• A space for the local community to exercise and socialise, including schools, sports clubs, health centres, sports coaches and carers carrying out training or exercise programmes. 
• Athletic Skills Model (ASM) training for a number of local exercise professionals so they can help people make the most of the space, thanks to additional funding from Portsmouth City Council’s community infrastructure levy fund. 

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