Dr Lorna Rouse

Professional biography

I am a Research Associate in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies currently supporting DAPPLE, an NIHR project exploring models of palliative and end of life care for people with learning disabilities. Previously I worked as a Research Associate for the Victoria and Stuart project, conducting a rapid scoping review of existing End of Life Care Planning resources for people with learning disabilities End Of Life Care Planning | The Victoria And Stuart Project.

I have a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the Open University and an MSc in Research Methods in Psychology from Anglia Ruskin University. I completed my PhD with the Open University on the social construction of quality diabetes care appointments in primary care by adults with learning disabilities, their supporters and healthcare professionals. My MSc dissertation explored the social construction of responsiblity for diabetes management by people with learning disabilities and those who support their diabetes care.

As a Visiting Researcher I have supported multiple Open University projects within WELS and STEM, with a focus on conducting literature reviews and qualitative data analysis on health and social care related topics including: the role of self-advocacy groups in supporting the health and wellbeing of adults with learning disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic, the funding of self-advocacy groups for people with learning disabilities, cyber-victimisation of people with disabilities and long-term conditions, challenging reproductive injustice for women with learning disabilities and young mothers’ experiences in West Africa.

I am currently a member of the Open University's Social History of Learning Disability (SHLD) research group Social History of Learning Disability |and have supported the organisation of conferences for the SHLD and Learning Disability England. I formerly edited the Newsletter for the Open University Psychological Society and served as regional Chair running local events in Cambridge. During my PhD I served as an OUSA Appointed HREC Research Student on the University’s Human Research Ethics Committee.

Research interests

My research interests include the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities and chronic illness. I have a strong interest in qualitative research methods.

External collaborations

I am working with Learning Disability England and the University of East Anglia on projects relating to the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities.

I was a Research Assistant on the PROMISE project, a mixed methods project which aimed to reduce the use of restraint in mental health services at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. 

International links

As a member of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD): Health Special Interest Research Group, I contributed to the development of International Consensus Guidelines: Reasonable Adjustments in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes in Adults with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Int-Consensus-Guidelines-Management-of-Type-2-Diabetes-Intellectual-Disabiliteis-IASSIDD-Taggart-et-al.-2021.pdf.