Professor Kerry Allen

• ILM 5 Coaching and Mentoring (2024)
• Senior Fellowship Higher Education Academy (2023)
• PG Cert in Academic Practice (2015) (with distinction, University of Birmingham Programme prize winner 2015)
• Ph.D Medical Sociology, University of Leicester (2007) (Phil Strong Memorial prize for Medical Sociology winner 2007)
• MSc Social Research, University of Leicester (2002) 
• BSc (Hons) Sociology, University of Leicester (2001) (1st class) 

Before joining HSMC in March 2009, Kerry worked as a European research manager for Ecotec Research and Consulting (now Ecorys UK). In this role Kerry worked on health and equalities research for the European Commission. Prior to this Kerry completed her PhD in Medical Sociology at the University of Leicester, exploring the management of Prader-Willi syndrome within the context of the family.

Kerry is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy. From 2021-2024 Kerry waseducation lead for the School of Social Policy and Society, with a portfolio of programmes in social policy, sociology and criminology, social work and health services policy and management.

Kerry supervises a number of postgraduate research projects and is interested in supervising PhDs that focus on the following policy and practice areas:

• social care governance
• perspectives of people using care services
• experience of illness and long-term conditions.

Kerry has methodological expertise in qualitative, mixed methods and participatory research methods

Current and recent projects: 

• Achieving closure? Improving outcomes when care homes close, NIHR
• Inter-CEPt: Intervening to eliminate the centre effect variation in home dialysis use, NIHR
• Intervening to eliminate the centre-effect variation in home dialysis use, NIHR
• Renal treatment transitions, Baxter.
• Exploring experiences of work for people with rheumatoid arthritis in India, UoB India Institute
• Shifting Shapes: How can local Care Markets support quality for all? Department of Health
• Decision making for the treatment of cancer in older people across the UK (2016)
• Evaluation of the contribution of micro-enterprises to adult social care. Economic and Social Research Council
• Finance directors’ perspectives on the impact of capital spending restrictions on service quality. The Health Foundation
• Approaches to increasing the uptake of renal home therapies. West Midlands Central Health Innovation & Education Cluster
• A study of acute children’s safeguarding activities. ‘Enhancing Safe Practice at the Interface between Hospital Services and Children’s Social Care’. National Institute for Health Research
• Does smaller mean better? Evaluating Micro-enterprises in Adult Social Care. Economic and Social Research Council  
• A study of acute children’s safeguarding activities. ‘Enhancing Safe Practice at the Interface between Hospital Services and Children’s Social Care’. National Institute for Health Research (2012)
• Evaluation of case study sites for home therapies for people with chronic kidney disease, West Midlands Central Health Innovation and Education Cluster. (2013)
• Local evidence in prevention for older people. National Institute for Health Research, School for Social Care Research. (2011-2012)
• Models of medical leadership and their effectiveness. National Institute for Health Research, Service Delivery and Organisation. (2011-2012)
• Scoping review on the research agenda for the future role of the third sector in delivering social care. National Institute for Health Research, School for Social Care Research. (2011-2012)
• EU-funded research (DG Research, FP7) into long-term care for older people. Interlinks- Modelling the INTERfaces and LINKS between prevention, rehabilitation, quality of services and informal care. (2009-2012)
• An evaluation of the modernisation of older people’s services in Birmingham. Birmingham City Council (2009-2011)
• Review of Commissioning Across Government. National Audit office (2010)
• Integrating Health and Social Care: a Rapid Review of Lessons from Evidence and Experience. Leeds City Council (2009-2010)
• Study on the situation of women with disabilities in light of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. European Commission: DG Employment, PROGRESS (2008)
• Ex-post evaluation of Socrates Programme. European Commission: DG Education and Culture (2008)