Professor Deborah Michelle James BSc, MA, PhD

• My paper, James, et al, 2021 (Challenging Behaviour around Challenging Behaviour) influenced state policy and provision of video review therapy for primary school aged children in the Netherlands. 
   
• The consultancy work and contract research I led on the use of relationship-based coaching for systems leadership is shaping the leadership components of the GMCA’s Early Years Academy 

• My scientific knowledge on children’s reading development influenced the choice of measures for the School Readiness Programme across GMCA 
   
• Evidence from our child and family lab research at the NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing at Nottingham University is guiding intervention policy and practice for in Wales 
   
• Video Interactive Guidance, an intervention I have researched and developed is now on NICE Guidance for Autism and Children with Social and Emotional Wellbeing

2021    Senior Academic Advisor on: Local learning, national change: data and voice to improve children’s lives. Nuffield Strategic Fund award (£2M over 5 years).

2021    Co-design leadership coaching for early years systems transformation (January 2021 to December 2022) £100K. PI. Awarded. Commissioned by GMCA

2021    Working for Inclusion. £5000. Consultancy. Commissioned by mainstream primary school with funding from Children’s Social Care

2019    Pathways to Talking (DfE funded Early Outcomes Fund) research evaluation P.I. with Julie Marshall (£200K)

2019    Pathways to Talking (DfE funded Early Outcomes Fund) commissioned to lead the leadership coaching. P.I.  (£60K)

2019    Training and CPD in Video Interaction Guidance in Early Help Services in Newcastle upon Tyne City Council. Value £800. January 2019. (P.I)

2018    Supervision at Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Grenfell Support Services. The Social Work Company. Value £2500. September 2018. (P.I)

2017    Building Narratives for Social Support. The Social Work Company. Clinical Supervision for Grenfell Tower Support Group. Value £30,000. (C.I).              

2015    Commissioned to undertake the national evaluation of Parent Infant Partnership (PIP UK). Consultancy. Value £20,000. (P.I.).

2015    Embedded Researcher at Durham County Council. Commissioned by TNS. Value £20,000 (co-applicant, Dr Hellmuth Weich P.I.). 

2015    Child in the Centre of Challenging Behaviour: Creating space with video feedback. Contract research with a Special School in England Value £15,000. (P.I)

2014     I led a commissioned project for NHS England to support the health visiting service across the North East and Cumbria, £47,000.  (P.I.)

2013     Implemented Video Interaction Guidance in Newcastle City Council Social Work in Children’s Services Directorate. £50,000. (P.I.)

2013     Appointed to the delivery group for Children North East’s bid for Better Start Lottery Initiative. Value of the contract £14,000. (P.I.)

2012     Innovation in Psychosocial Interventions for the Workforce Caring for People with Learning Disability who Display Challenging Behaviour. The Bailey                       Thomas Charitable Fund. Ingham & James 2012, value of £12,000.  Co P.I.

2011     Secondment to Newcastle City Council via the HEIF Staff Exchange Fund. Evaluation of Family-Centred Interventions. HEIF secondment, £11,000. (P.I.)

2010     Child & Family Lab Infrastructure at NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Hearing. Capital funding to build Child & Family Lab. Nottingham University                         Hospitals Trust. James 2010, £55,000. P.I.

2009     Longitudinal Methods in Speech and Language Therapy. Research Methods. Closed Call for capacity building in methods for NHS research. National                     Institute for Health Research. Henderson, James, & Peebles, 2009,  £55,000, Co-applicant.

2009     Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Tyne and Wear Autistic Society (funding from ESRC and Technology Strategy Board for three-year social science                   KTP) £189, 000. (P.I.).

2009     Knowledge Transfer Partnership with North Tyneside Local Authority (funding form ESRC and Technology Strategy Board for two-year social science                       KTP) £133,000. (P.I. at time of award)

2007     Research capacity in the speech and language therapy services in three NHS primary care trusts. The North of the Tyne Research Capacity Building                       Partnership attracted £32K of funding from North of Tyne NHS to pump prime research in the community of practice.

2003     Delineation of mechanisms of normal and abnormal development using neurophysiological measures. ESRC.  Riddell, Cooper, Murray, Schafer & James,               £190,000. Co-applicant.

Postgraduate teaching

I have taught at post-graduate levels for students on vocational health, social work and education degrees and for students on post-qualification programmes and across faculties (health, education and applied sciences). Most recently, I led the parenting pathway on the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme at Northumbria University. I enjoy learning through research dissertation supervision with post-graduate students. Several supervisions have led to joint publications in peer review conferences and peer reviewed journals.

I am currently developing a taught post-graduate PG Cert using co-design principles with Greater Manchester Combined Authority to develop relational leadership for early years transformation. 

My ambition is to create courses that will widen participation into psychologically based careers leading to more people from diverse backgrounds and multi-cultural communities in the workforce.

Subject areas

Education

Completed as principal supervisor:

• ESRC funded studentship on the links between language and literacy in Deaf/deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Evi Kyritsi, no revisions 
• NIHR funded studentship exploring perspective transformation in family-centred interventions. Luke Collins, no revisions (co PS)
• VC Funded Scholarship at Northumbria University onscreen fictional representations of children and young people in the Looked After System. John Hickman, minor revisions
• Professional Doctorate in Psychoanalytical Studies, The impact of infant observation on the observed and observer in the context of psychoanalytically informed psychotherapy training. Jan McGregor Hepburn, minor revisions.
• Professional Doctorate in Education, ‘A no go area’: exploring the constructed reputation of a primary school, Louise Golamhossen, minor revisions
• Professional Doctorate in Education, Inclusion for the excluded: applying critical realism with an alternative provision academy for excluded primary school pupils, Chris Fielding, minor revisions

Current Students

• ESRC White Rose Doctoral Partnership (Education), Incorporating family voices in the planning and delivery of
  parenting support - collaborative PhD with Home Start (HOST), Rachel Prest (Michael Gallagher, PS) 
   
• NIHR Clinical Research Fellow. Unspoken voices: What are the perspectives of people who use alternative and
  augmentative communication (AAC) on the impact and effectiveness of AAC equipment? Kath Broomfield (Karen Sage, PS)
   
• ESRC White Rose Doctoral Partnership (Health and Wellbeing). Working Towards an Evidence Base: Developing Meaningful Outcome Measures for Animal Assisted Interventions for Children and Young People with Autism, Alex Northover (Sue Caton, PS)
   
• Exploring Saudi mothers’ experiences of education and their children with learning disabilities. Ghrob Algwifly. (PS)

My academic career was born out of my interest in the relationships between language and literacy. I work with and around children and families who have complex circumstances for development.  

My reserach lens has been shaped through partnerships with public sector services in health, local authorities, education and the community and voluntary sector. I use a range of tools for inquiry and research including quantitative, qualitative and creative methods.  

Media appearances or involvement

2021  ESRC Festival of Social Science. What makes a good digital home visit? Led four regional workshops to explore social science behind digital home visiting with Home Start Host.

International Centre for Life, Baby Banquet, radio interview and web-based coverage. (2013)

James, D. (2013) Exhibitor. See Successful Communication Between You and Your Child. British Science Festival. International Centre for Life, Newcastle. (2013)

BBC television interview on regional news, Midlands Today, on the results from the NIHR Child and Family Lab which I led. (2012)

BBC interview on regional news, Midlands Today, on the opening of the NIHR Child and Family Lab that I led at the BRU in Nottingham. (2010)

BBC television interview on regional news, South Today, on the use of baby signing. (2004)