In 2016, we reviewed self-care research published so far. We were really surprised to find that there was hardly any!
We worked with parents, young people and professionals to identify that research into self-care in children is needed, and developed a plan for that research. As a result, our self-care projects:
- Explore what early self-care development in children looks like.
- Advance self-care interventions that work and are worth families’ time and effort.
- Investigate the wider context of personalised-care, and how it shapes self-care supports.

Our current self-care studies:
Early developmental trajectories of self-care (EASIER). PhD study, Newcastle University. 2017-2022
Therapy services for children with neurodisability: pathways to personalised care. PhD study, Newcastle University. 2017-2022
Completed projects:
Enabling self-care in children with developmental disabilities: pre-protocol research for a cluster randomised trial. UKOTRF. PhD Thesis and manuscripts under preparation.
Proof-of-concept pilot of the Menu of Self-Care Interventions. MSc study, Newcastle University. Manuscript under review.
A rapid review and co-design of self-care interventions. FMSEngage. Main results are here.
A rapid systematic review of community interventions to support safe and sustainable stay at home for children with complex healthcare needs. HEE/NIHR Internship. Manuscript under review.