Amanda Cresswell
- Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education
- Department of Public Health and Children's, Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Nursing
- Centre for Health and Social Care Research
Research Assistant
About
I am a Research Assistant in the Kingston University Intellectual Disability (KIND) Research Group, bringing almost two decades of research experience in the area of cancer, death, dying and intellectual (learning) disability, working with Professor Irene Tuffrey-Wijne. I have worked on many research projects about people with an intellectual disability who have cancer, how to break bad news, and how to help people with an intellectual disability get good care at the end of their life. Our recent studies were the Victoria & Stuart Project (end of life care planning with people with an intellectual disability) and the DAPPLE Project (how to make sure everyone with an intellectual disability gets good care at the end of their life). I also work as part of the co-production group of the LeDeR Programme (NHS England’s programme of reviewing the deaths of people with a learning disability).
As a researcher, I am involved in running focus groups and doing interviews. I help with data analysis and dissemination. We make a lot of videos and put them on our research YouTube channels, so everyone can learn about our research.
I bring lived experience as a person with an intellectual disability, who has experienced bereavement and survived cancer. I have given conference presentations both in the UK and abroad, including a plenary presentation for over 2,000 people at EAPC World Congress in Madrid in 2017.
It is really important that people with an intellectual disability, like me, get the chance to do research. With support, we CAN do it! I am very happy that Kingston University is making it possible for myself and my other colleagues with an intellectual disability to be employed here. Hopefully other universities will follow our lead!
Qualifications
- Attended Special Needs schools
- No formal academic qualifications