Staff Participant Information
Project title: Sefton Mental Resilience in Young People – Stage 2
Name of Researchers: Nadia Butler, Zara Quigg, Kim Ross-Houle and Lisa Jones, Public Health Institute
You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide it is important that you understand why the research is being done and what it involves. Please take the time to read the following information. Take time to decide if you want to take part or not.
What is the purpose of the study?
Sefton Council has commissioned researchers from Liverpool John Moores University to conduct a survey which aims to explore levels of mental wellbeing and resilience among primary and secondary school students and staff. The study is open to all schools across Sefton and your school has agreed to take part. The information gathered from the project will provide a baseline to measure future interventions against, and inform prevention and intervention strategies.
Why have I been invited to take part?
Your school head teacher has agreed for your school to take part and provided you with the link to complete the survey.
Do I have to take part?
No. Participation is voluntary. It is up to you to decide whether you would like to take part. You are free to withdraw at any time and without giving a reason. You do not have to answer all the questions if you do not want to. After you have completed the survey however you will not be able to withdraw your information from the study as the survey is completely anonymous and we will not be able to identify which answers are yours.
What will happen to me if I take part?
If you decide to take part, you will be invited to participate in a short self-report survey online. The first section of the survey includes questions about your demographics and role within the school and number of years working in the education sector. The second section of the survey asks about your satisfaction with the provision of wellbeing activities in your school for staff and students. The final section contains some questions about your current mental wellbeing and sources of support and resilience.
Are there any risks / benefits involved?
There are no direct benefits or risks for taking part in the study. The information you provide however will be used by Sefton Council to identify levels of need across Sefton and may be used by Sefton Council/your school to implement and/or support prevention and intervention strategies.
Will my taking part in the study be kept confidential?
Yes. We take confidentiality very seriously. No names will be recorded. On request, each school may receive their own individual school cohort level and/or raw data for both staff and students (disaggregated by student year group). This will be shared securely via Sharepoint software. All data which may make individuals identifiable (e.g. staff role, years working in school/educational sector) will be removed prior to sharing the raw data. Further, no raw data will be shared with schools where participants numbered less than 5. Thus, your responses will not be identifiable to your school.
Who is organising and funding/commissioning the study?
This study is organised by Liverpool John Moores University and commissioned by Sefton Council. The research team or commissioners have no conflict of interest.
Who has reviewed this study?
This study has been reviewed by, and received ethics clearance through, the Liverpool John Moores University Research Ethics Committee (Reference number: 19/PHI/018). The study has also been reviewed and passed by Sefton Public Engagement and Consultation Panel.
What if something goes wrong?
If you have a concern about any aspect of this study, please speak with your head teacher or contact the relevant investigator who will do their best to answer your query. The researcher should acknowledge your concern within 10 working days and give you an indication of how they intend to deal with it. If you wish to make a complaint, please contact the chair of the Liverpool John Moores University Research Ethics Committee and your communication will be re-directed to an independent person as appropriate. If you feel distressed or upset by any of the questions in the survey please seek help from your GP or contact Samaritans who are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 116 123 or via their website.
Data Protection Notice
The data controller for this study will be Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). The LJMU Data Protection Office provides oversight of LJMU activities involving the processing of personal data, and can be contacted at secretariat@ljmu.ac.uk. This means that we are responsible for looking after your information and using it properly. LJMU’s Data Protection Officer can also be contacted at secretariat@ljmu.ac.uk. The University will process your personal data for the purpose of research. Research is a task that we perform in the public interest. Your rights to access, change or move your information are limited, as we need to manage your information in specific ways in order for the research to be reliable and accurate. If you withdraw from the study, we will keep the information about you that we have already obtained. You can find out more about how we use your information by contacting secretariat@ljmu.ac.uk.
If you are concerned about how your personal data is being processed, please contact LJMU in the first instance at secretariat@ljmu.ac.uk. If you remain unsatisfied, you may wish to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Contact details, and details of data subject rights, are available on the ICO website.
Contact Details
If you have questions or would like to discuss the study, please contact the project coordinator or lead investigators using the information detailed below.
Project Co-ordinator:
Nadia Butler, Researcher, PHI, Liverpool John Moores University. Tel: 0151 231 4148
Lead investigator:
Dr Zara Quigg, Reader in Behavioural Epidemiology, PHI, Liverpool John Moores University. Tel: 0151 231 4513