Harjinder Kaur-Aujla

• PhD, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Birmingham (In Progress)
• MSc in Advancing Practice, University of Birmingham
• PGCHP, Stafford University
• Postgraduate CBT course, Coventry University
• Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing with Distinction, University of Central England
• BA (Hons) Psychology and Sociology, Wolverhampton University

Harj has worked within various disciplines across the voluntary, statutory and private sector to develop practice with vulnerable clients, including domestic violence, older adults, housing, challenging behaviour, and mental health.

She has embarked on various clinical specialties within the NHS, namely forensic mental health/learning difficulties, acute care, psychiatric liaison, addictions and crisis mental health teams. She has supported many patients with her CBT qualification - national homicide trauma cases working with traumatised/bereaved families through victim support. Between 2012-2013 she treated police officers within a UK based police force to support with trauma. She has extensive experience in treating Road Traffic Accident (RTA) Victims.

Her commitment to equality work has been lifelong, initially rooted in community development work for a Race Equality Council. In later years she achieved a Keele Excellence Award for her role as BAME Staff Network Lead/School Equalities Lead.

Harj has participated in Athena Swan and Race Equality Charter processes along with University policy initiatives in the past. She is currently involved in the European Recognition and Education in Violence, Abuse and Neglect for Medical and Healthcare Practitioners (REVAMP) project. She remained actively involved in equality forums at Staffordshire University to promote the Race Equality Charter and, further, the Decolonisation agenda.  Harj has appeared on South Asian media programmes talking about mental health and impact on South Asian families. She has made international links to fundraise in India during Covid and built good relationships abroad.

Harj is currently undertaking doctoral research by exploring Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) in Sikh families, and the mental health impact on Sikh Women.

Contributes to clinical and theoretical modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

• BNurs
• MNurs

Module Lead - BNurs/MNurs Year 2: Therapeutic Nursing in Mental Health Care.

• Doctoral Research- Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) in the Sikh Community, Supervisors: Dr Chris Wagstaff
• REVAMP - European DVA Project (Staffordshire University July 2020- April 2021)
• Keele Women’s Health FReT subgroup
• Risk Abuse and Violence Research Programme (University of Birmingham)
• Carer - Local Authority Research on needs of South Asian Carers of Adults with Learning Needs
• Race Equality Research- Community Research Race Equality Schemes and Implementation, Shropshire County Council/ Telford Race Equality Council
• Research Interests: NGO’s in India, Loss and Greif, Ambiguous Loss, Disenfranchised Greif, Trauma, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Equalities.

• September 2021, contributed to the Consultation on Triple Zero City Strategy Birmingham 2020-2030, identified and evidenced alcohol prevalence in the Punjabi Sikh Community that required address.
• Mental Health Training Provision, YMCA, Wolverhampton (Consultancy)
• Mandatory Training, Risk Management Training, Mental Health NHS Trust, Stoke on Trent (Keele University)
• BAME Staff Network Lead, Race Equality Charter, Keele University
  • Co- Winner of Keele Excellence Award for promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (2018)
  • Founding Member of the Keele University’s Decolonisation Manifesto
• European Conference on Domestic Violence 2015 (Queen’s University, Belfast) Workshop:  Honour/ Shame Based Violence
• BBC Asian Network (Radio) Mobeen Azhar Show. Speaker: ‘Digital Death in South Asian Communities’.
• Akaal TV (2018)  Invited Speaker by Professor Gurnam Singh (Coventry University). Panel Discussion of Film ‘ A Boy with a Top Knot’- Mental illness, Domestic Violence and Abuse and Stigma in Sikh Community
• Invited speaker at Staffordshire University: Black History Month- Back to the Future: 20 years back, 20 years forward https://youtu.be/Yp_-xXb39UI 
• Equality Champion, Staffordshire University