PhD Studentships
Centre for Ageing and Mental Health

Applications are invited for two PhD studentships based in the Centrefor Ageing and Mental Health, under the supervision of Professor PaulKingston and Professor Stella Mills.

Studentship 1
The student will develop studies to:

* Test the usability of weblogs for patients, families, carers, staff and others in a hospice setting;
* Test the different forms of usage of weblogs of patients, families,carers , staff and others (method - interview and content analysis);
* Analyse the various types of usage and develop a theoretical model of weblog usage;
* Design a variety of weblogs for therapeutic and communicative use by patients, carers, staff and others.
Studentship 2

The student will develop studies to explore the rationale forrecruitment decision-making following Criminal Record Bureau checks.This study will examine and compare employment procedures across a widerange of agencies and professional areas as well as highlighting howindividual decisions are made and qualified within the broader agencyframework. This research will highlight:

* Analyse exactly who is responsible for making decisions concerning offers of employment
* Analyse exactly how trade off decisions for employment are made
* Discover whether or not these decisions are informed by any guidance
* Analyse what impact the knowledge of convictions has upon perceived suitability for employment
* Examine what are the implications for the protection of vulnerable adults
* Evaluate the implications for human rights, civil liberties, discrimination and social exclusion.

Students should hold, or expect to obtain, a good first degree in a health related discipline.

Studentships are available for a period of three years' these covertuition fees and provide a maintenance award of £12,000. It is acondition of these studentships that satisfactory enhanced disclosureis obtained from the Criminal Records Bureau.

Applicants should submit a copy of their CV together with a letter ofapplication indicating which studentship is of interest, why they areinterested in this area of research and outlining how their experienceequips them to undertake research in this area.

Informal enquiries and applications should be made to:

Dr Paul Kingston - Professor of Health and Social Care
Director Centre for Ageing and Mental Health
Faculty of Health and Sciences
Staffordshire University
Blackheath Lane
Stafford
ST18 0AD

(T) 01785 353708