Dr Martin Stevens

Biography

Martin has 30 years’ experience as a social care researcher, initially for a local authority and from 2004, as a Research Fellow, then from 2014 as a Senior Research Fellow at the NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce (HSCWRU). Since January 2019, Martin has also worked as a Research Adviser for the NIHR Research Design Service. He currently chairs the National Social Care Research Ethics Committee and also leads on social care for the Local Area Research and Intelligence Association, a network organisation for local authority researchers.

During Martin’s time at the HSCWRU, he has led a wide variety of research projects, including Helping or hindering in adult safeguarding: an investigation of practice and Who Wants to Be an Approved Mental Health Professional? He led two major studies for NIHR School for Social Care Research on risk, safeguarding and personal budgets and organisational models for adult safeguarding. Current projects include the Accessibility of s12 Approved Doctors, which he is leading and the Migration Observatory. Martin co-ordinates a Making Research Count series of workshops on Learning Disability research. His research areas of interest include personalisation; learning disabilities; safeguarding; and interactionist perspectives.

After a philosophy degree, Martin worked for five years in a residential service for people with learning disabilities: he obtained his first research post, with Hampshire Social Services Department, in 1992. In his 12 years in this post, he undertook work on community care, child protection and learning disability services, amongst other topics. He completed his PhD during this period. Martin is interested in all aspects of research methods, particularly interactional perspectives, and working with all stakeholders in social care to develop approaches to research and enhance its influence. More substantive research interests include people with learning disabilities, personalisation, safeguarding adult protection.

Martin Stevens: ORCID iD | Research Profile at King's