
Professor Pauline Heslop
BSc, PhD, RGN, RSCN
Expertise
Current positions
Emeritus Professor of Intellectual Disabilities Studies
School for Policy Studies
Contact
Press and media
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Research interests
Pauline was the Programme Manager for the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) Programme for England from 2015 - 2021.
She was the lead researcher for the Confidential Inquiry into Premature Deaths in People with Learning Disabilities, commissioned by the Department of Health from 2010 – 2013, which reported its findings in March 2013. The Inquiry was undertaken in partnership with colleagues from Community-based Medicine at the University of Bristol, Bristol PCT and the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Pauline was the Principal Investigator on the 'Hidden pain?' research project, which was about the perspectives of people with learning disabilities who self-injure. The research was undertaken in partnership with Bristol Crisis Service for Women from 2006-2009.
Pauline was also a co-investigator on a project funded by the Department of Health and managed by Mind, the national mental health charity. ‘Putting us First’ aimed to increase the number of people with mental health support needs receiving a personalised approach to their support. The project ran from 2008-2010.
Since working at Norah Fry, Pauline has also completed research projects about befriending and short-break services, transition from children’s to adults services, and understandings of psychotropic medications by people with learning difficulties prescribed this treatment.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
Evaluation of the impact of being a part of Diverse
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
22/05/2023 to 30/09/2023
NI mortality work
Principal Investigator
Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
02/10/2017 to 31/10/2019
Learning disability and Northern Ireland: Achieving proportionate universalism through administrative data research
Role
Other
Description
This project will use data-linkage techniques to develop the most comprehensive population-based estimates of the prevalence of learning disability (as recorded in the 2011 Census), and the variation of these…Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/10/2017 to 30/04/2019
National LD Mortality Review Programme
Principal Investigator
Description
The Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) Programme is delivered by the University of Bristol. It is commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) on behalf of NHS England.
Work on…Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/06/2015 to 31/05/2020
Tackling disabling practices: co-production and change
Role
Researcher
Description
It is based at Norah Fry Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Bristol, and led by Val Williams. Our work also involves key partners including Disability Rights UK…Managing organisational unit
School for Policy StudiesDates
01/04/2015 to 31/05/2018
Thesis supervisions
Using grounded theory to establish the views of looked after children, specifically around their experiences in the education system
Supervisors
Designated Teachers Experiences of Supporting Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children within Secondary Schools
Supervisors
Non-spoken stories
Supervisors
Professionals’ perceptions of people who self-harm
Supervisors
The increasing use of permanent exclusion by primary schools
Supervisors
Beyond accommodations
Supervisors
Class repetition
Supervisors
‘I don’t know what I’d change. I think I’m quite fine
Supervisors
“I just want to be seen as me” Children and young people’s experiences of having a sibling with severe and complex needs
Supervisors
The perceptions of secondary school leaders on reducing or preventing exclusions and suspensions for persistent disruptive behaviour
Supervisors
Publications
Selected publications
01/04/2022Establishing a national mortality review programme for people with intellectual disabilities
Journal of Intellectual Disabilities
Cancer in deceased adults with intellectual disabilities
BMJ Open
The Confidential Inquiry into premature deaths of people with learning disabilities
Lancet
Recent publications
01/06/2024Health and healthcare of people with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom through the COVID-19 pandemic
British Journal of Learning Disabilities
Strategies to prevent or reduce inequalities in specific avoidable causes of death for adults with intellectual disability
British Journal of Learning Disabilities
Access to and use of health and social care services for people with learning disabilities during COVID-19: a longitudinal study
Tizard Learning Disability Review
Cancer in deceased adults with intellectual disabilities
BMJ Open
Digital participation of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities during the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK
British Journal of Learning Disabilities