Dr Jenni Brooks MA, BA
Senior Lecturer in Sociology
Summary
I am a sociologist and social policy researcher with a background in social care. My research focuses on the experiences of disabled and older people and the family and professionals who support them. I enjoy teaching about health, the environment, and qualitative research methods.
About
I have worked at Sheffield Hallam University since January 2016, and prior to this spent nearly 6 years as a research fellow at the Social Policy Research Unit, University of York. I have an interdisciplinary background and have meandered through sociology, environmental management, town and regional planning and social policy.
Much of my research has focused on the experiences of disabled and older people, and the family and professionals who support them. I am interested in how people navigate health and social care systems to (hopefully) get the support they need, and how people who work in those systems are supported too. My current research focuses on the experiences of people with dementia who live alone and who do not have anyone to support them to navigate services or act as a point of contact.
I am happy to collaborate in both teaching and research so please do get in touch for a chat.
Teaching
Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Sociology
I teach on the BA (Hons) Sociology degree, and the MRes Social Science.
- Experiences of Health, Illness and Disability;
- Health and Inequalities
- Graduate development;
- Qualitative Research methods;
- Dissertation Supervision.
Research
I lead a new collaborative research project titled 'Living alone with dementia: managing without informal support to contact and navigate services'. This has been funded by a £296,000 grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and is being carried out alongside partners at University College London, Innovations in Dementia, and Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group. The research will review services for this group of people with dementia, as well as talking to people with dementia themselves to understand their needs.
Link 1: https://www.shu.ac.uk/news/all-articles/latest-news/living-alone-with-dementia
Publications
Journal articles
Aspinal, F., Willcox, A., Murphy, D., Sanders, T., & Brooks, J. (2023). Living alone with dementia - managing without informal support to contact and navigate services: A mixed methods protocol. Journal of Long-Term Care, 135-141. http://doi.org/10.31389/jltc.194
Brooks, J., & Savitch, N. (2022). Blogging with dementia: writing about the lived experience of dementia in the public domain. Dementia: the international journal of social research and practice, 21 (8), 2402-2417. http://doi.org/10.1177/14713012221112384
Maddison, J., Brooks, J., Graham, K., & Birks, Y. (2022). They exist but they don't exist’: personal assistants supporting physically disabled people in the workplace. Work, Employment and Society. http://doi.org/10.1177/09500170221075532
Graham, K., Brooks, J., Maddison, J., & Birks, Y. (2021). Two jobs in one day: exploring the dynamics of personal assistance relationships in the workplace. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. http://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.761
Kara, H., & Brooks, J. (2020). The Potential Role of Comics in Teaching Qualitative Research Methods. The Qualitative Report, 25 (7), 1754-1765.
Brooks, J., Gridley, K., & Parker, G. (2019). Doing research in care homes: the experiences of researchers and participants. Social research practice, 8 (Autumn), 19-27. https://the-sra.org.uk/SRA/Publications/Social-Research-Practice.aspx
Mitchell, W., Beresford, B., Glendinning, C., Brooks, J., & Moran, N. (2017). Taking on choice and control in personal care and support : the experiences of physically disabled young adults. Journal of Social Work, 17 (4), 413-433. http://doi.org/10.1177/1468017316644700
Brooks, J., Mitchell, W., & Glendinning, C. (2017). Personalisation, personal budgets and family carers: Whose assessment? Whose budget? Journal of Social Work, 17 (2), 147-166. http://doi.org/10.1177/1468017316638554
Brooks, J., Gridley, K., & Savitch, N. (2017). Removing the 'gag': involving people with dementia in research as advisers and participants. Social Research Practice, 3-14. http://the-sra.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/social-research-practice-journal-issue-03-winter-2017.pdf
Gridley, K., Brooks, J., Birks, Y., Baxter, K., & Parker, G. (2016). Improving care for people with dementia: development and initial feasibility study for evaluation of life story work in dementia care. Health Services and Delivery Research, 4 (23). http://doi.org/10.3310/hsdr04230
Glendinning, C., Mitchell, W., & Brooks, J. (2014). Ambiguity in practice? Carers' roles in personalised social care in England. Health and Social Care in the Community, 23 (1), 23-32. http://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12123
Gridley, K., Brooks, J., & Glendinning, C. (2014). Good practice in social care: the views of people with severe and complex needs and those who support them. Health and Social Care in the Community, 22 (6), 588-597. http://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12105
Mitchell, W., Brooks, J., & Glendinning, C. (2014). Carers' roles in personal budgets: tensions and dilemmas in front line practice. British Journal of Social Work, 45 (5), 1433-1450. http://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcu018
Gridley, K., Brooks, J., & Glendinning, C. (2013). Good practice in social care for disabled adults and older people with severe and complex needs: evidence from a scoping review. Health & Social Care In The Community, 22 (3), 234-248. http://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12063
Book chapters
Mitchell, W., Brooks, J., & Glendinning, C. (2014). Personalisation : where do carers fit? In Needham, C., & Glasby, J. (Eds.) Debates in Personalisation. (pp. 65-74). Bristol: Policy Press: http://www.policypress.co.uk/display.asp?ISB=9781447313427&
Brooks, J. (2012). Practice example 5, George: 'It's like having a friend around'. In Davies, M. (Ed.) Social Work with Adults: Policy, law, theory, research and practice. (pp. 82). London: Palgrave Macmillan
Reports
Brooks, J., Morrison, J., & Goodwin, P. (2019). Evaluation of 'Dancing for Health' partner dancing programme for people affected by incurable illness. Sheffield Hallam University.
Etherington, D., Jeffery, R., Thomas, P., Brooks, J., Beel, D., & Jones, M. (2018). Forging an inclusive labour market - empowering workers and communities : an interim report on low pay and precarious work in Sheffield. Sheffield: Sheffield Trades Union Council.
Grant, S., Atherton, A., Brooks, J., Colbeck, M., Fortescue, D., & Vanderhoven, D. (2016). Experiences of Homelessness and Brain Injury. Homelessness and Head Injury Research Group.
Mitchell, W., Brooks, J., Beresford, B., Moran, N., & Glendinning, C. (2015). Taking on and taking over : choice and control for physically disabled young adults. NIHR School for Social Care Research. http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/pubs/pdf/sscrToto.pdf
Gridley, K., Brooks, J., Birks, Y., Baxter, K., & Parker, G. (2015). Improving care for people with dementia: development and initial feasibility study for evaluation of Life Story Work in Dementia care. NIHR/Social Policy Research Unit. http://www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/159727/FLS-11-2000-11.pdf
Mitchell, W., Brooks, J., & Glendinning, C. (2013). Carers and personalisation. School for Social Care Research, National Institute for Health Research. http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/pdf/SSCRcp.pdf
Glendinning, C., Mitchell, W., & Brooks, J. (2013). Carers and personalisation. York: Social Policy Research Unit, University of York. http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/pdf/PandCarersDHdiscuss.pdf
Gridley, K., Brooks, J., & Glendinning, C. (2012). Good support for people with complex needs: What does it look like and where is the evidence? NIHR School for Social Care Research. http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/pubs/pdf/complex.pdf
Media
Glendinning, C., Mitchell, W., Beresford, B., Moran, N., & Brooks, J. (2014). Taking on and taking over: physically disabled young adults and their care and support arrangements. [video]. http://php.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/summs/TOTO.php
Other publications
Brooks, J. (2020). Keeping connected, staying social, getting virtual. Social Research Association: https://the-sra.org.uk/SRA/Blog/Keepingconnectedstayingsocialgettingvirtual.aspx
Brooks, J., & Bishop, B. (2019). Oh no! Not another boring research report! https://the-sra.org.uk/SRA/Blog/Oh%20no%20Not%20another%20boring%20research%20report.aspx
Brooks, J. (2017). The 'do it yourself' future of social care. Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies: https://sheffieldinstituteforpolicystudies.com/2017/06/14/the-do-it-yourself-future-of-social-care/
Brooks, J. (2014). Workplace personal assistants : what do we need to know? Revaluing Care Research Network: http://revaluingcare.net/workplace-personal-assistants/
Other activities
Member of NIHR Research for Social Care committee
Trustee, Social Research Association
Co-Chair, Social Research Association (North)
Advisory Board Member, Sociology of Health Open Access Gateway, F1000Research
Research Representative, Sheffield Dementia Strategy Implementation Group
Postgraduate supervision
Current doctoral students' titles:
Exploration of the role of fathers in UK child protection cases
Understanding 'home' for adults aged 18-35 living in long-term residential care
Marketisation of care: an ethnographic case study of a private nursing home in the UK