Psychology students' views about the factors that would act as facilitators and barriers to a career in intellectual disability services

Participant Information Sheet

You are being invited to take part in this research study. Before you decide if you would like to take part, it is important that you read this document so you understand why the study is being carried out and what it will involve. Reading this information, discussing it with others, or asking any questions you might have will help you decide whether you would like to take part.

What is the Purpose of the Study?

People with an intellectual disability (often referred to as 'learning disability' in the UK) have significant difficulties with their intellectual functioning and day to day skills that have been present since childhood. Research suggests that it can be difficult to recruit staff to work in services for people with an intellectual disability, but little is known about the reasons why. The aim of the study is to explore the views of psychology students about the factors which may encourage or discourage them from undertaking a career in intellectual disability services.

Why have I been invited to take part? 

You can take part if you:
-are aged 18 years or older, 
-provide informed consent, 
-are a psychology university student in the UK, 

Do I have to take part? 

There is no obligation to take part and if you decide to participate you can withdraw from the study at anytime without providing a reason. After you have completed the research, you can still withdraw your data by contacting one of the research team (their contact details are provided in the last section) within 2 weeks of participation, and giving them your unique participant code that you will provide on the next page. After this date, it might not be possible to withdraw your individual data as the results might already have been published. 

What will happen if I take part? 

If you decide to take part you will be asked to: 
1. Provide your consent, name and contact details 
2. Complete a short demographic questionnaire, including sex, age, and race. 
3. Take part in an interview via Microsoft Teams or phone, whichever you prefer. The interview will last  between 30- 60 minutes. This will ask about  your views about the factors which may encourage or discourage you from undertaking a career in intellectual disability services.

Once the study is completed the researcher will provide you with debrief information explaining the nature of the research, how you can find the results after the study, and how to withdraw your data if you wish. 

The interviews will be held individually and will be arranged at a time convenient to you. They will be audio recorded and later transcribed. 

What are the possible disadvantages of taking part? 

The topic areas are not designed to cause any distress, however, some of the questions may make you feel a bit uncomfortable. You can choose not to answer these and to stop the interview at any point.  If you experience distress, you may wish to consider contacting a support organisation or your university support service. 

For Northumbria University students, please contact: Support for students: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/study-at-northumbria/support-for-students/

For mental health support for all students contact: Student Minds: https://www.studentminds.org.uk/

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

There will be no financial rewards for undertaking the study, however you will be contributing to research about the ways in which recruitment into intellectual disability services can be improved.

Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential and anonymous?

Here at Northumbria University we take confidentiality very seriously. We will ask you to provide your name and contact details below. This information will be stored securely and separately from your other information and interview transcript.  Your name will not be written on any of the data we collect; the information you provide will have an ID number, not your name. Your name will not be written on the recorded interviews, or on the typed up versions of your discussions from the interview, and your name will not appear in any reports or documents resulting from this study. The data collected from you in this study will be confidential. The only exception to this confidentiality is if the researcher feels that you or others may be harmed if information is not shared.

How will my data be stored, and how long will it be stored for?

The information we collect will be securely stored on One Drive, which is password protected and/or a password protected computer and will only be accessed by the researcher and her supervisor. Transcripts from the interview will be anonymised and will be stored securely as outlined above. All the electronic data will be stored under password protection. Any personally identifying data e.g. your contact information, will be destroyed at the end of the study. All data will be stored in accordance with Northumbria University guidelines and the Data Protection Act (2018).

What categories of personal data will be collected and processed in this study?
As part of the questions we ask to characterise the people who take part in our study we will ask you for demographic information (age, gender, ethnicity). Each of these different elements are important for our study, we need to be able to describe the people who take part in our studies. We will also ask for your contact details in order to arrange the interview. The information you provide will be treated confidentially.

What is the legal basis for processing personal data?
The legal basis for processing the data from the study is that: “processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest” and '“processing is necessary for scientific and historical research purposes”.

Who are the recipients or categories of recipients of personal data, if any?
 We have asked you for your name and contact details so that we can get in touch with you to arrange an interview. The UK based researcher at Northumbria University and her supervisor will be the only people who will have access to this information. Your interview information will be identified by code. Your name and contact details will be stored separately in a password protected file, until any papers from this study have been published and then this file will be deleted.

What will happen to the results of the study? Could personal data collected be used in future research?
The results will be used for postgraduate thesis that will be examined as part of an MSc Psychology degree. Occasionally some results might be presented at a conference or published in a journal, but they will always remain anonymous. All information and data gathered during this research will be stored in line with the Data Protection Act and in line with Open Data policies, deidentified data may be held indefinitely, but at no point will your personal information or data be revealed. We can provide you with a summary of the findings from the study if you email the researcher at the address listed below.

Who is organising and funding the study?

The study is organised and funded by Northumbria University.

Who has reviewed this study?
The research project, submission reference 9120 has been approved in Northumbria University’s Ethics Online system. It has been reviewed to safeguard your interests and the researcher has been granted approval to conduct the study.

What are my rights as a participant in this study?
You have a number of rights under GDPR, including the following: a right of access to a copy of the information comprised in your personal data (to do so individuals should submit a Subject Access Request); a right in certain circumstances to have inaccurate personal data rectified; and a right to object to decisions being taken by automated means. If you are dissatisfied with the University’s processing of personal data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office. For more information see the ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/


Contact for further information: 

Researcher: Aoife Dwane (a.dwane@northumbria.ac.uk)
Supervisor: Karen McKenzie (k.mckenzie@northumbria.ac.uk)

Name and contact details of the Records and Information Officer at Northumbria University, Duncan James (dp.officer@northumbria.ac.uk). 
You can find out more about how we use your information at our GDPR webpage (https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/leadership-governance/vice-chancellors-office/legal-services-team/gdpr/), or by contacting a member of the research team.

If you would like to take part in this study, please read the statement below and click ‘I agree’. By clicking on “I agree”, I indicate that:

 I am willing to take part in this research study.

 I understand how Northumbria University will process my personal data, and that this information will be used only for the purpose(s) set out in the Participant Information Sheet supplied to me, and my consent to participate in this study is conditional upon the University complying with its duties and obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 which incorporates General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). You can find out more about how we use your information here Research Participant Privacy Notice.

That I have read and understood the purpose of the study and have had the chance to ask questions about the study and these have been answered to my satisfaction.

That I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time and that this will not affect my treatment/education/care.

That I understand the processing of my personal information required as part of my participation and the lawful basis for processing, as described in the Participant Information Sheet. 

I consent to my personal data being processed.

I agree to my interview being audio recorded for the purposes of the study and to allow the researcher to listen back to what was said. This conversation will later be transcribed. The recordings will be destroyed after transcription. 

I understand that my research data may be published as a report, in an appropriate journal/textbook, or on an appropriate Northumbria University webpage. My name or other personal information will never be associated with the transcribed recording(s). I understand that I have the right to withdraw consent at any time prior to publication, but that once the recording(s) are in the public domain there may be no opportunity for the effective withdrawal of consent.