Paula Smith

Senior Lecturer and Joint Programme Leader, Master of Public Health (MPH)
- Email:
- paula.smith@bcu.ac.uk
- Phone:
- 0121 331 7039
Paula Smith brings a wide range of experience, knowledge and skills to her post including:
- Practitioner roles - Public Health/Health Promotion practice leading on the implementation of the Dudley Health Inequalities Strategy (for Dudley Community Partnership – job-share); Senior Health Promotion Officer (Community Development) sitting on Commissioning Boards and Locality Forums for Sandwell Health Authority
- Policy and Research in third sector organisations (Co-Director of the Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART) West Midlands – supporting local authorities and other partner agencies to tackle inequalities in health; Head of Policy and Research for People for Action – the national network of housing associations committed to community development and pioneers of community regeneration and housing and health partnerships.
- Academic Research – working on Economic and Social Research Council programmes on market mechanisms and public services; Joseph Rowntree Foundation on the social investment role of housing associations
- Consultancy as part of Kilbride Smith Partnership – Developing and delivering a Health and Housing Strategy for Walsall Housing Group commended as one of the best and most comprehensive seen by the Department of Health; Developing and Alcohol Strategy for Wolverhampton; Reviewing Community Development across Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and Sandwell Primary Care Trust and making recommendations for its reconfiguration (with CSK Strategies); Developing Mental Health Awareness Training for Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust (with SIFA Fireside)
- Teaching and training in a variety of settings including Birmingham City University (as a Visiting Lecturer); De Montfort University and the University of Birmingham
Current Activity
Paula is currently focusing on:
- Developing the new BSc (Hons) Public Health
- Developing research capacity with partners
- Developing co-learning opportunities with third sector organisations
- Research and consultancy
Areas of Expertise
- Public Health and health promotion
- Health Inequalities
- Mental Health Promotion
- Health overview and Scrutiny
- Community Development
- Housing and Health
- Job-sharing senior posts
- Complementary therapies and body-awareness for people with post-traumatic stress disorder
Qualifications
- MSc Health Promotion (Distinction) applying new institutional theory to health promotion practice.
Memberships
- Fellow HEA
Teaching
Paula teaches on the following programmes:
-
BSc (Hons) Public Health
BSc (Hons) Health Studies (Public Health)
Research
- Improving access to and take-up of physical activity programmes for minority ethnic groups (Evaluation of Tandrusti Project in Dudley; Muslim Women and Sport)
- Mental Health Promotion
Paula Smith is a member of the Promoting Health and Wellbeing Cluster and involved in the development of research on:
- Developing a new model of Public Health practice – in partnership with SIFA Fireside
- Aggression as a Public Health Issue
Publications
APPLEBY, J., SMITH, P., RANADE, W, LITTLE, V., AND ROBINSON, R. (1994). Monitoring Managed Competition. In ROBINSON, R. AND LE GRAND, J. (Eds). Evaluating the NHS Reforms. Newbury, Policy Journals.
APPLEBY, J., SMITH, P., RANADE, W, LITTLE, V., AND ROBINSON, R. (1993). Competition and the NHS: Monitoring the Market. In TILLEY, I. (Ed.) Managing the Internal Market. London, Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.
ARMITAGE, L., DAVIS, H., SMITH, P. AND BIRT, C. (1998) Future Prospects for Public Health: Local Authority and Health Authority Collaboration. Birmingham, School of Public Policy ISBN 0 7044 1881 9
KILBRIDE, L., BAILEY, N. AND SMITH, P. (2003) Developing day care services for Bangladeshi Elders. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
KILBRIDE, L., SMITH, P. AND BAILEY, N. (2002) An audit for social inclusion in Wolverhampton. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
KILBRIDE, L., SMITH, P. AND BAILEY, N. (2002) Participatory Approaches to evaluation: story telling and structured dialogue technique. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
KILBRIDE, L., SMITH, P. AND BAILEY, N. (2000) Making an Impact: Health Impact Assessment. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
KNIGHT, T., KITCHIN, H., ROGERS, S., SMITH, M., SMITH, P. AND SULLIVAN, H. (2003) Health improvement and community planning in Angus. Glasgow, Public Health Institute of Scotland
MACDONALD, G., SMITH, P. AND MULLINEUX, J. (2001) Making the shift: a Report of Two Research Projects Carried out for the Health Development Agency and the Society for Health Education and Promotion Specialists on a Profile of Higher Education Institutions Training the Public Health Workforce to Meet the New Health Agenda and a Profile of Members of SHEPS. Birmingham, University of Central England.
MACDONALD, G. AND SMITH, P. (2001). Collaborative working in primary care groups: a case of incommensurable paradigms? Critical Public Health Vol 11 No 3 pp 253-266
NEWMAN, J., RICHARDS, S. AND SMITH, P. (2000) Modelling Institutional Change: the Making of Markets In RHODES, R. A. W. (Ed) Transforming British Government Volume 2: Changing Roles and Relationship
NEWMAN, J., SMITH, P. AND RICHARDS, S. (1996). Efficiency, Interest and Legitimation: Towards a New Institutionalist Approach to Analysing Competition in the Civil Service. Paper presented to the ESRC Whitehall Programme Theory Conference, University of Birmingham, 16-18 September.
RABIEE, F AND SMITH, P (2007) Being understood; Being Respected: an evaluation of the statutory and voluntary mental health provision in Birmingham for members of the black African and black African Caribbean communities. Downloaded from http://www.bcu.ac.uk/health/research/centre-for-community-mental-health/publications [Accessed 8/7/14]
RABIEE, F AND SMITH, P (2007) Too much overlooking. Mental Health Today. May pp26-29
RABIEE, F AND SMITH, P (2013) Being understood, being respected: an evaluation of mental health service provision from service providers and users’ perspectives in Birmingham, UK. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion. 15(3) pp162-177 Published online and downloaded from http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rijm20 [Accessed 7/10/13]
RABIEE, F AND SMITH, P (2014) Understanding mental health and experience of accessing services in some African and African Caribbean users and carers in Birmingham UK. Diversity and Equality in Health and Care; 11: 125-34
RICHARDS, S., SMITH, P. AND NEWMAN, J. (1996). Shaping and Reshaping Market Testing Policy. Public Policy and Administration, Volume 11, No 2, Summer 1996, pp 19-34.
SMITH, P (1994). The Nature of Contracts in the British NHS. Paper to the Association of Researchers in NonprofitOrganizations and Voluntary Action Annual Conference, held at Berkeley Marina, California, October 20-22.
SMITH, P., KILBRIDE, L. AND BAILEY, N. (2003) Services and support provided in Birmingham Hospitals for People with Dementia. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
SMITH, P., KILBRIDE, L. AND BAILEY, N. (2003) Improving the health of disadvantaged groups. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
SMITH, P., KILBRIDE, L. AND BAILEY, N. (2003) Health at the Interface: Beyond the Usual Suspects. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
SMITH, P., KILBRIDE, L. AND BAILEY, N. (2002) Developing a Community Network in Wolverhampton – Stage Two. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
SMITH, P., KILBRIDE, L. AND BAILEY, N. (2001) Developing a Community Network in Wolverhampton – Stage One. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
SMITH, P., KILBRIDE, L. AND BAILEY, N. (2001) Developing a Community Network and setting up Local Strategic Partnerships: Approaches taken in other areas. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
SMITH, P., KILBRIDE, L. AND BAILEY, N. (2001) Tackling Health Inequalities – a Response for the Wolverhampton Health and Social Care Partnership. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
SMITH, P., BAILEY, N. AND KILBRIDE, L. (2001) Developing a Voucher Scheme for Breaks for Carers. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
SMITH, P.AND KILBRIDE, L (2000) Oral Health Promotion with Asian Muslim Communities. Birmingham, Centre for Health Action Research and Training (CHART)
SMITH, P. AND PATERSON, B. (1999). Making it all add up: Housing Associations and Community Investment. York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
SMITH, P. AND THOMAS, N. (1993). Contracts and Competition in Public Services. Paper to the Association of Directors of Social Services Autumn Research Conference, Bristol.
SPURGEON, P., SMITH, P., DEAKIN, N., THOMAS, N. AND WALSH, K. (1997). The Experience of Contracting in Health Care. In FLYNN, R. and WILLIAMS, G. Contracting for Health. Oxford, Oxford University Press
SPURGEON, P., SMITH, P. AND THOMAS, Y. (1998). Public Partnership in Health Promotion. Paper submitted to the NHS Executive (West Midlands) R & D Directorate.
WALSH, K., DEAKIN, N., SPURGEON, P., SMITH, P. AND THOMAS, N. (1996). Contracts for Public Services: A Comparative Perspective. In CAMPBELL, D. AND
VINCENT-JONES, P. (Eds.) Contract and Economic Organisation: Socio-Legal Initiatives. Aldershot, Dartmouth.
WALSH, K., DEAKIN, N., SMITH, P., SPURGEON, P. AND THOMAS, N. (1997). Contracting for Change: Contracts IN Health, Social Care, and Other Local Government Services Oxford, Oxford University Press.
WATT, P. AND SMITH, P. (1997). Civil Service Contracting: Theory and Practice. Paper presented to the Public Services Research Unit Conference, Cardiff Business School, 26-27 March.
Work With Industry
Paula Smith is currently working with the BCU Public Health Team (led by Anne Robbins) to deliver support for public health practitioners looking to join the UK Public Health Register. She is also a certified Assessor for the UK Public Health Register
Since 2004, Paula Smith has delivered consultancy for partners independently and with Kilbride Smith Partnership and CSK Strategies including:
- Evaluating the SIFA Fireside Change For Life Health and Well Being Project
- Evaluating the New Opportunities in Walsall Programme for Walsall Housing Group
- Developing a marketing strategy for the Staffordshire Consortium of Infrastructure Organisations
- Evaluating the Guide Neighbourhoods Standard Assessment Project (for Castle Vale Community Regeneration Services, Chamberlain Forum and Balsall Heath Forum)
- Editing content for a website to welcome migrant communities to the West Midlands (for Walsall Council).
- A feasibility study on setting up a crisis food project for Walsall Housing Group and Walsall Primary Care Trust.
- Writing successful funding bids (e.g. for the Volunteering Fund, Reaching Communities, the Active Citizenship Fund, the Adult and Community Learning Fund) for Youth Action Network and SIFA Fireside totalling approximately £300,000.
- Evaluating projects funded by T-Mobile for Youth Action Network. These include projects to increase the quality and quantity of youth led volunteering across England and Wales.
- Developing (and refreshing) a health and housing strategy for Walsall Housing Group and Walsall Primary Care Trust. This was commended as one of the best and most comprehensive seen by the Department of Health.
- Feasibility study on setting up an intermediate labour market for people with mental health problems funded by Walsall Housing Group and Walsall Primary Care Trust.
- Developing an alcohol strategy for Wolverhampton funded by Safer Wolverhampton Partnership.
- Developing a three year health strategy and action plan for the North Sparkbrook and Farm Park area of Birmingham funded by Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust.
- Supporting voluntary and community organisations effectively to bid for funding to tackle inequalities in health in Ladywood funded by Heart of Birmingham teaching Primary Care Trust.
- Supporting the development of an on-line training programme and associated website and published resource on youth action for Youth Action Network.
- Research on mental health services for African and Caribbean communities in Birmingham for the University of Central England.
- Evaluating a structured education programme on diabetes for South Asian communities funded by the SSATHI project.
- Evaluating the Healthier and Safer Old Age and Enhanced Nursing Services projects in Greets Green, Sandwell funded by the Greets Green New Deal for Communities Partnership Board.
- Supporting the Directorates of Housing and Strategy and Social Care and Health within Birmingham City Council to implement a programme of Equality Impact Assessments.
- Independent Advisor on Health Overview and Scrutiny, including Local Involvement Networks (includes work for Bath and North East Somerset Local Authority, Telford and Wrekin and Wolverhampton).
- Carrying out research and consultancy for the University of Central England on the implications of policy developments for education and training for public health staff.
- Research and evaluation for Coventry Local Education Authority with Jenny Purbrick (Supportive Psychology) including schools-based projects on emotional literacy; social inclusion for students with moderate learning difficulties; and training for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators.
Links and Social Media
- BCU Public Health Facebook
- Twitter: @PaulaBCUPH