Evaluation of a partnership between Samaritans and Anglia Ruskin University

Plain English Summary

Background and study aims
Samaritans and Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) have formed a new partnership to pilot on-campus duty rooms in Cambridge and Chelmsford, the first of their kind in the United Kingdom. People from across the University can undertake the seven-week training course to become a Samaritans volunteer, which enables them to provide emotional support to callers through their online chat service. Samaritans are also offering a virtual placement to students on courses including Mental Health Nursing, Paramedic Science, and Social Work. The study aims are to explore: the views of student nurses, paramedics and social workers in relation to the value of a virtual placement with Samaritans, and how this could be improved; the views of ARU lecturing and management staff around the value of Samaritans one-week virtual placement as a clinical placement; the impact of undertaking volunteer training on individuals; the extent to which the volunteer training and placements help to raise awareness of Samaritan’s service; and, the views of Samaritans staff in relation to their partnership with ARU.

Who can participate?
There will be four groups who will be approached to participate: 1. ARU students who have completed a virtual placement with Samaritans as part of their pre-registration degree course, 2. ARU lecturers who teach a course on which pre-registration students have been allocated a placement with the Samaritans or management staff who have been involved with the development of the partnership between ARU and Samaritans, 3. ARU students and staff undertaking Samaritans volunteer training, and 4. Samaritans staff who have been involved with the development of the partnership between ARU and Samaritans.

What does the study involve?
The study is made up of two distinct parts:
1. An online survey will be used to gather views on the value of the clinical placement experience for students, in addition to the views of Samaritans staff, and ARU students and staff, in relation to the impact of this innovative programme
2. Semi-structured interviews (2-3 participants per group) will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. The interviews will not be video or audio recorded; however, notes will be taken using the live transcription function on Microsoft Teams. Data will be analysed using thematic analysis.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
It is unlikely that there will be any direct benefits to participants because of taking part in the study. The result of this study will be used to inform the placement of future learning opportunities to promote knowledge, skills and confidence for students. The surveys will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and the qualitative interviews will take approximately 30 minutes. There is a small risk of participants being identified from quotes taken from the free text response options in the survey, however, we will endeavour to minimise this through careful selection of wording in our reports.

Where is the study run from?
Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford Campus (UK)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
April 2022 to June 2023

Who is funding the study?
Health Education England (HEE), East of England (UK)

Who is the main contact?
Prof Fiona Nolan (Principal investigator) (UK), fiona.nolan@aru.ac.uk

Study website

Type

Principal Investigator

Contact name

Prof Fiona Nolan

ORCID ID

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6633-341X

Contact details

Anglia Ruskin University
Bishop Hall Lane
Chelmsford
CM1 1SQ
United Kingdom
+44 (0)7557 863875
fiona.nolan@aru.ac.uk

EudraCT/CTIS number

Nil known

IRAS number

ClinicalTrials.gov number

Nil known

Protocol/serial number

Nil known

Scientific title

A multistakeholder evaluation of a partnership between Samaritans and Anglia Ruskin University

Acronym

Study hypothesis

Current study hypothesis as of 11/10/2023:
We will explore the following areas within this evaluation:
1. The views of student nurses, paramedics and social workers in relation to the value of a virtual placement with Samaritans, and how this could be improved
2. Views of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) lecturing and management staff around the value of Samaritans virtual placement as a clinical placement
3. The impact of undertaking volunteer training on individuals
4. The extent to which the volunteer training and placements help to raise awareness of Samaritan’s service
5. Views of Samaritans staff in relation to their partnership with ARU

Previous study hypothesis:
We will explore the following areas within this evaluation:
1. The views of student nurses, paramedics and social workers in relation to the value of a one-week virtual placement with Samaritans, and how this could be improved
2. Views of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) lecturing and management staff around the value of Samaritans one-week virtual placement as a clinical placement
3. The impact of undertaking volunteer training on individuals
4. The extent to which the volunteer training and placements help to raise awareness of Samaritan’s service
5. Views of Samaritans staff in relation to their partnership with ARU

Ethics approval(s)

1. Approved 07/11/2022, Anglia Ruskin University (Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, CM1 1SQ, UK; +44 (0)1245 493 131; research.ethics@aru.ac.uk), ref: ETH2223-1115
2. Approved 25/04/2023, Anglia Ruskin University (Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care) School Research Ethics Panel (Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, CM1 1SQ, UK; +44 (0)1245 493 131; research.ethics@aru.ac.uk), ref: ETH2223-7540 (Significant Amendment)

Study design

Observational cross-sectional study

Primary study design

Observational

Secondary study design

Cross sectional study

Study setting(s)

Other

Study type

Other

Patient information sheet

Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet.

Condition

The value of Samaritans clinical placement experience for ARU health and social care students.

Intervention

The four stakeholder groups are 1. Samaritans staff involved in the development of the partnership, 2. Anglia Ruskin University staff involved in the development of the partnership, 3. Anglia Ruskin University placement students and 4. Anglia Ruskin University staff and students who have completed the 7-week Samaritans volunteer training course. This study has two modules. Module one involves an online survey which will be used to gather views on the value of the clinical placement experience and Module two involves semi-structured interviews which will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. The online survey will be distributed as a link within an e-mail with a participant information sheet attached. Samaritans staff and Anglia Ruskin University staff will be approached to participate in the online survey directly. The survey will be distributed to placement students by the Anglia Ruskin University Placements Team. Volunteers will be sent the online survey via e-mail by a member of the Samarians staff. Only the volunteer stakeholder group will be asked to complete the survey twice, once before and once after the 7-week training course. The end of each of the surveys provides the contact details of the researcher, should participants wish to take part in the semi-structured interview also. A convenience sample of 2-3 participants will be interviewed for each of the four stakeholder groups. Interview schedules will be informed by the interim findings of the survey study.

Intervention type

Other

Primary outcome measure

Current primary outcome measure as of 11/10/2023:
The value of a virtual placement with Samaritans measured using a survey developed specifically for the study by the research team completed by students following the virtual placement

Previous primary outcome measure:
The value of a one-week virtual placement with Samaritans measured using a survey developed specifically for the study by the research team completed by students following the one-week virtual placement

Secondary outcome measures

1. The impact of undertaking volunteer training on individuals measured using a survey comprised of one questionnaire developed by the study team and five validated measures, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Role Clarity (RCL) Scale, before and after the 7-week volunteer training
2. The extent to which the volunteer training and placements help to raise awareness of the Samaritan’s service measured using Likert scale questions at one timepoint following the one-week virtual placement
3. Views of Samaritans staff in relation to their partnership with ARU measured using eight Likert scale questions and four free-text questions at one timepoint. These were developed specifically for the study by the research team.

Overall study start date

01/04/2022

Overall study end date

30/06/2023

Reason abandoned (if study stopped)

Participant inclusion criteria

Current inclusion criteria as of 11/10/2023:
Placement students:
1. Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) students
2. Completed a virtual placement with Samaritans as part of their pre-registration degree course between June 2021 and June 2023

ARU lecturing and management staff:
1. ARU staff
2. Lecturers who teach a course on which pre-registration students have been allocated a placement with the Samaritans, or management staff who have been involved with the development of the partnership between ARU and Samaritans

Student and staff volunteers:
1. ARU students and staff
2. Completed the 7-week Samaritans volunteer training course between June 2021 and January 2023

Samaritans staff:
1. Samaritans staff
2. Involved with the development of the partnership between Samaritans and ARU

Previous inclusion criteria:
Placement students:
1. Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) students
2. Completed a one-week virtual placement with Samaritans as part of their pre-registration degree course between June 2021 and January 2023

ARU lecturing and management staff:
1. ARU staff
2. Lecturers who teach a course on which pre-registration students have been allocated a placement with the Samaritans, or management staff who have been involved with the development of the partnership between ARU and Samaritans

Student and staff volunteers:
1. ARU students and staff
2. Completed the 7-week Samaritans volunteer training course between June 2021 and January 2023

Samaritans staff:
1. Samaritans staff
2. Involved with the development of the partnership between Samaritans and ARU

Participant type(s)

Learner/student, Mixed

Age group

All

Sex

Both

Target number of participants

Survey: 70 participants; Interviews: 10 participants = 80 participants in total

Total final enrolment

102

Participant exclusion criteria

Current exclusion criteria as of 11/10/2023:
Placement students:
1. Non-completion of one-week virtual placement with Samaritans
2. Completion of a placement prior to June 2021
3. Completion of a placement post June 2023

ARU lecturing and management staff:
1. Lecturers who teach a course on which pre-registration students have not been allocated a placement with the Samaritans
2. Management staff who have not been involved with the development of the partnership between ARU and Samaritans

Student and staff volunteers:
1. Non-ARU students and staff
2. Non-completion of the 7-week Samaritans volunteer training course
3. Completion of the 7-week volunteer training course prior to June 2021
3. Completion of the 7-week volunteer training course following January 2023

Samaritans staff:
1. Samaritans staff who have not been involved with the development of the partnership between Samaritans and ARU

Previous exclusion criteria:
Placement students:
1. Non-completion of one-week virtual placement with Samaritans
2. Completion of a placement prior to June 2021
3. Completion of a placement post January 2023

ARU lecturing and management staff:
1. Lecturers who teach a course on which pre-registration students have not been allocated a placement with the Samaritans
2. Management staff who have not been involved with the development of the partnership between ARU and Samaritans

Student and staff volunteers:
1. Non-ARU students and staff
2. Non-completion of the 7-week Samaritans volunteer training course
3. Completion of the 7-week volunteer training course prior to June 2021
3. Completion of the 7-week volunteer training course following January 2023

Samaritans staff:
1. Samaritans staff who have not been involved with the development of the partnership between Samaritans and ARU

Recruitment start date

01/08/2022

Recruitment end date

30/06/2023

Countries of recruitment

England, United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Anglia Ruskin University
Bishop Hall Lane
Chelmsford
CM1 1SQ
United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Samaritans
The Upper Mill
Kingston Road
Ewell
Surrey
KT17 2AF
United Kingdom

Organisation

Anglia Ruskin University

Sponsor details

Bishop Hall Lane
Chelmsford
CM1 1SQ
England
United Kingdom
+44 (0)1245 493131
researchgrantspostaward@aru.ac.uk

Sponsor type

University/education

Website

http://www.anglia.ac.uk/

ROR

https://ror.org/0009t4v78

Funder type

Government

Funder name

Health Education England, East of England

Alternative name(s)

Funding Body Type

Funding Body Subtype

Location

Publication and dissemination plan

Planned publication in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal

Intention to publish date

31/10/2024

Individual participant data (IPD) sharing plan

The datasets generated during the current study will be available upon request from Professor Fiona Nolan (Principal Investigator), fiona.nolan@aru.ac.uk. Types of data that will be shared include summaries of the quantitative data from the online surveys. These will be available following 31st March 2023. Free-text responses from the online surveys and interview transcripts will not be available due to the small sample size of the four stakeholder groups, and the risk of identification.

IPD sharing plan summary

Available on request

Study outputs