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Professor Ian Kessler

Professor of Public Policy and Management

Research interests

  • Public Services Management & Organisation

Biography

Ian Kessler is Professor of Public Policy and Management at King's Business School. He joined King’s College London in September 2012, after almost twenty-five years at the University of Oxford.

He has been involved in various research projects, funded by such bodies as the ESRC, the National Institute of Health Research and the European Union. These projects have explored employee voice, dimensions of pay and reward, and different aspects of employment relations in the British public services.

Over the last decade he has been researching nurse support roles in a variety of health care settings, and the general re-structuring of the nursing workforce. He has co-authored two books: one on healthcare support roles, the other on employment relations in the public sector under New Labour.

In 2005, he was a commissioner on the Local Government Pay Commission. In 2014 he acted as special adviser to the House of Commons Local Government and Communities Select Committee inquiry of senior management pay. In 2018 he was a member of the Health Education England scrutiny committee on the nursing associate role.

He has also advised the Royal College of Nursing, the Royal College of Midwives, the Staff Side of the NHS Staff Council, the Police Federation, the Audit Commission and the National Audit Office. He is Interim Principal Investigator of the core Policy Research Programme work of the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce within the Policy Institute at King's.

Ian's Research Excellence Framework 2021 impact case study was called Improving Care Quality and the Development of the Healthcare Support Worker Role in NHS EnglandRead the impact feature on this case study here.

Research Profile

View CV

Currently accepting new PhD students.

    Research

    NA-780
    Examining the introduction of the Nursing Associate role in health and social care

    Research into the introduction of the Nursing Associate role and the extent to which the role has achieved policy aims.

    Project status: Completed

    pexels-cottonbro-4107278 (1)
    The other keyworkers in care homes: Implications of including domestic staff in social care workforce strategies and practices relating to COVID-19 recovery

    Housekeeping staff in care homes – cleaners, those working in kitchens, laundries, maintenance – are often forgotten but are the backbone of many care homes.

    Project status: Completed

    support worker-780
    Mitigating early attrition amongst Healthcare Support Workers

    Examining Healthcare Support Worker recruitment, retention and career development.

    Project status: Completed

    map of the world-780
    Evaluation of the International Recruitment Fund for adult social care

    The fund aims to increase the number of international recruits entering adult social care, improving ethical international recruitment & employment practice.

    Project status: Ongoing

    Evaluating the Implementation of Apprenticeships in Health and Social Care

    Examining the similarities and differences between the health and social care sectors in how they are carrying out the apprenticeship agenda.

    Project status: Ongoing

    Widening Participation in the Healthcare Workforce

    Examining the use and development of the Widening Participation programme in NHS England.

    Project status: Ongoing

    News

    The NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce Programme of Work

    The Policy Research Unit announces seven new studies commencing this year

    Logo of a research unit

    Understanding the impact of changes to the UK Health and Care Visa System on the adult social care workforce in England

    New report identifies important areas of learning for practice and policy on international recruitment

    Open passport with visa stamps

    Introduction of the Nursing Associate Role in Adult Social Care

    What are the difficulties? How have providers sought to overcome them?

    Nurse helping someone downstairs

    NHS employment pilot shows promise for helping homeless people

    King’s Business School’s Professor Ian Kessler has put forward expert recommendations for rolling out an NHS pilot supporting the recruitment of people with...

    Large NHS sign

    Patterns of employment amongst Nursing Associates: Evidence from the Electronic Staff Record

    New report from the Unit's evaluation of the Nursing Associate role

    Symbols of people connected digitally

    'Opening the door' to employment in healthcare

    New evaluation of a programme targeted at people with lived experience of homelessness

    Green and white abstraction

    Professor Kessler discusses NHS pay review on BBC

    Professor Kessler was speaking on The World This Weekend

    BBC Monitoring

    Take-up and challenges: Nursing Associates in social care

    Part of our evaluation of the introduction of Nursing Associates across health and social care

    Person holding the wrist of another person

    Meeting of the health and social care support worker network

    The latest in a series of meetings bringing together policy makers and practitioners

    Graphic of a network

    Events

    21AprNETWORK-A-780

    Health and social care support worker network

    Presentations from national, regional, and local policymakers and practitioners

    Please note: this event has passed.

    13Novldss-780

    Preparing for work: Young people with learning disabilities

    Young people with disabilities face formidable challenges in finding paid jobs, reflected in the fact that well under ten percent are in employment.

    Please note: this event has passed.

    24Janldss-780

    Supported employment for young people with disabilities: Lessons from the NHS as an employer

    This webinar will provide insights into how to design and implement supported employment programmes for people with learning disabilities.

    Please note: this event has passed.

    23Sepmbchf-780

    Margaret Butterworth Care Home Forum

    Survivors of stroke. Apprenticeships.

    Please note: this event has passed.

    Spotlight

    Building the first comprehensive picture of NHS England's Healthcare Support Workers

    Study has laid the foundation for better training for staff who are key to patient comfort and care

    Nurse dressing 3

      Research

      NA-780
      Examining the introduction of the Nursing Associate role in health and social care

      Research into the introduction of the Nursing Associate role and the extent to which the role has achieved policy aims.

      Project status: Completed

      pexels-cottonbro-4107278 (1)
      The other keyworkers in care homes: Implications of including domestic staff in social care workforce strategies and practices relating to COVID-19 recovery

      Housekeeping staff in care homes – cleaners, those working in kitchens, laundries, maintenance – are often forgotten but are the backbone of many care homes.

      Project status: Completed

      support worker-780
      Mitigating early attrition amongst Healthcare Support Workers

      Examining Healthcare Support Worker recruitment, retention and career development.

      Project status: Completed

      map of the world-780
      Evaluation of the International Recruitment Fund for adult social care

      The fund aims to increase the number of international recruits entering adult social care, improving ethical international recruitment & employment practice.

      Project status: Ongoing

      Evaluating the Implementation of Apprenticeships in Health and Social Care

      Examining the similarities and differences between the health and social care sectors in how they are carrying out the apprenticeship agenda.

      Project status: Ongoing

      Widening Participation in the Healthcare Workforce

      Examining the use and development of the Widening Participation programme in NHS England.

      Project status: Ongoing

      News

      The NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce Programme of Work

      The Policy Research Unit announces seven new studies commencing this year

      Logo of a research unit

      Understanding the impact of changes to the UK Health and Care Visa System on the adult social care workforce in England

      New report identifies important areas of learning for practice and policy on international recruitment

      Open passport with visa stamps

      Introduction of the Nursing Associate Role in Adult Social Care

      What are the difficulties? How have providers sought to overcome them?

      Nurse helping someone downstairs

      NHS employment pilot shows promise for helping homeless people

      King’s Business School’s Professor Ian Kessler has put forward expert recommendations for rolling out an NHS pilot supporting the recruitment of people with...

      Large NHS sign

      Patterns of employment amongst Nursing Associates: Evidence from the Electronic Staff Record

      New report from the Unit's evaluation of the Nursing Associate role

      Symbols of people connected digitally

      'Opening the door' to employment in healthcare

      New evaluation of a programme targeted at people with lived experience of homelessness

      Green and white abstraction

      Professor Kessler discusses NHS pay review on BBC

      Professor Kessler was speaking on The World This Weekend

      BBC Monitoring

      Take-up and challenges: Nursing Associates in social care

      Part of our evaluation of the introduction of Nursing Associates across health and social care

      Person holding the wrist of another person

      Meeting of the health and social care support worker network

      The latest in a series of meetings bringing together policy makers and practitioners

      Graphic of a network

      Events

      21AprNETWORK-A-780

      Health and social care support worker network

      Presentations from national, regional, and local policymakers and practitioners

      Please note: this event has passed.

      13Novldss-780

      Preparing for work: Young people with learning disabilities

      Young people with disabilities face formidable challenges in finding paid jobs, reflected in the fact that well under ten percent are in employment.

      Please note: this event has passed.

      24Janldss-780

      Supported employment for young people with disabilities: Lessons from the NHS as an employer

      This webinar will provide insights into how to design and implement supported employment programmes for people with learning disabilities.

      Please note: this event has passed.

      23Sepmbchf-780

      Margaret Butterworth Care Home Forum

      Survivors of stroke. Apprenticeships.

      Please note: this event has passed.

      Spotlight

      Building the first comprehensive picture of NHS England's Healthcare Support Workers

      Study has laid the foundation for better training for staff who are key to patient comfort and care

      Nurse dressing 3