A new national project has been launched in collaboration between SHSC and the University of Sheffield to help NHS services to respond to ongoing workforce challenges.

To bolster the mental health workforce a range of new roles, such as Nursing Associates, Physician Associates and Peer Support Workers, have been created. However, introducing new roles in mental health teams can lead to disruption in how care is organised and delivered.

With £800,000 of funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), researchers from Sheffield University Management School (SUMS) and the School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR) will study how best to introduce new roles in mental health to strengthen and support the healthcare system as a whole, for the benefit of service users and those delivering care.

The project, 'New Roles, New Challenges: Understanding boundary work to support the implementation of new roles in mental health Trusts', will take a novel approach to this challenge.

More information about the project can be found on the University of Sheffield website.