Personal profile
Overview
I am a Senior Research Fellow within Social Care and Society, collaborating with the Health and Justice Research Network. I have 15 years experience of conducting research in prisons focussed on implementing and evaluating complex interventions. My research has focusssed on older prisoners and the social care needs of those in the criminal justice system more broadly.
I am also a Senior Specialist Advisor for the NIHR Research Support Service specialist social care hub.
I am currently co-principal investigator on two large NIHR studies. One involves implementing and evaluating a dementia care pathway in prison and the other is a feasibilty and definitive RCT with nested realist informed process evaluation examining a coordinated approach to social care in prison.
Research interests
My research focusses on the following areas:
1. Older adults' health and social care needs in prison
2. Social care models in prison
3. Women's social care needs in prison
4. Involving 'experts by experience' in prison research
5. Realist methodology
6. Qualitative research methods
7. Complex intervention evaluation
Teaching
I am currently teaching qualitative research methods on the Research Design Module, within Nursing Midwifery and Social Work.
I have experience of supervising students completing their dissertations as part of the Masters in Public Health. I also have experience of teaching qualitative research methods and on the MSc in dementia studies.
I am currently supervising two doctoral students:
Selina Shaw, Doctoral student in Clinical Psychology, University of Manchester, Older adults’ experience of research and service development involvement
Matilda Minchin, PhD student, University of Manchester, social care in prison
Memberships of committees and professional bodies
NIHR Doctoral Award Funding Committee Panel Member
Senior Fellow, NIHR School of Social Care Research
Methods and Research in Service Settings (MARSS) group member
Prison Peer Support Social Care Research Steering Committee member
British Sociological Association member
Methodological knowledge
Complex intervention evaluation
Realist Synthesis
Realist evaluation
Research in prison
Qualitative research methods
Evaluation research
RCTs in prison
Qualifications
PhD - Older adults health and social care needs in prison
Research Methods (MSc)
Sociology BA (Hons)
External positions
Senior Fellow, School of Social Care Research , National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
30 Jun 2030 → …
Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms
- Healthier Futures
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Fingerprint
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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A systematic review of the barriers and facilitators to lived experience involvement in mental health services
Shaw, S., Shirley, L., Schroeder, E., Thompson, G., Watt, K. & Forsyth, K., 23 Jan 2026, In: Frontiers in Public Health. 13, 1737709.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Prison (DECISION) care pathway and training package: protocol for a realist-informed mixed-methods feasibility study
Forsyth, K., Buck, D., Stalker, K., Allgar, V., Shaw, J., Cowley-Sharp, R., Hunter, R., Lennox, C., O'Neill, A., Robinson, C., Ware, S. & Robinson, L., 12 Feb 2026, In: BMJ Open. 16, 2, e115466.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Dementia and mild cognitive impairment in the older prisoner population in England and Wales (DECISION): developing a dementia care pathway for use in prisons
Heathcote, L., Forsyth, K., Domone, R., Senior, J. & Shaw, J., 13 Feb 2026, In: Journal of Forensic Psychology and Psychiatry. 37, 1, p. 193-213Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
The Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Prison Care Pathway (DECISION): An Initial Programme Theory Informed by Umbrella Review and Participatory Co-Design Workshops
Buck, D., O'Neill, A., Mulligan, L., Ware, S., Shaw, J., Robinson, C., Lennox, C., Robinson, L., Senior, J., Heathcote, L. & Forsyth, K., 1 Mar 2026, In: Mental Health Science. 4, 1, e70041.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Women's social care provision in prison has improved but challenges remain: findings from a national survey in England eight years after the 2014 Care Act
Buck, D., O'Neill, A., Marsh, N., Stalker, K., Plugge, E., Hargreaves, C., Brimblecombe, N., Harriott, P., Robinson, C., Shaw, J. J. & Forsyth, K., 1 May 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: BMC Public Health.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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ET: Empowered Together (coordinated social care in prison): A feasibility and definitive randomised controlled trial, with embedded realist informed process evaluation.
Forsyth, K. (PI), Gutridge, K. (CoI), Lennox, C. (CoI), Robinson, C. (CoI), Shaw, J. (CoI), Egan, E. (Researcher) & Scollay, C. (Researcher)
1/10/24 → 30/09/29
Project: Research
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Social Care and Society
Robinson, C. (PI), Clarkson, P. (PI), Mcphillips, R. (Researcher), Sharma, V. (PI), Batool, S. (Researcher), Forsyth, K. (Researcher), Murray, C. (Researcher), Malik, B. (Researcher), Hargreaves, C. (Researcher), Roberts, A. (Researcher), Allen, R. (Researcher), Pearson, A. (Researcher), Wood, D. (PGR student), Ramesh, P. (PGR student), O'Neill, A. (Researcher), Davies, S. (Researcher) & Stalker, K. (Researcher)
4/10/19 → …
Project: Research
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Health and Justice Research Network
Shaw, J. (PI), Senior, J. (CoI), Lennox, C. (CoI), Leonard, S. (CoI), Wainwright, V. (Researcher), Flynn, S. (Researcher), Forsyth, K. (CoI), Walter, F. (Researcher), Robinson, L. (Researcher), Stevenson, C. (Researcher), Heathcote, L. (Researcher) & Bowden, J. (Researcher)
Project: Research
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MH062 - (Task K) - "Compassionate Focussed Therapy" for perinatal women living in prison.
Forsyth, K. (PI)
1/06/24 → 31/03/26
Project: Research
Prizes
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Best outstanding contribution to research impact 2025
Forsyth, K. (Recipient), 16 Sept 2025
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Screening, Assessment and Care for minoritised ethnic groups with Dementia living in prison
Stalker, K. (Speaker) & Forsyth, K. (Speaker)
20 Oct 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research
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Women's Social Care need in Prison: Another missed opportunity to meet complex mental health needs
Forsyth, K. (Speaker)
17 Oct 2025Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research
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Dementia care pathway in prison: The development of a logic model and intervention delivery platform
Forsyth, K. (Speaker)
25 Apr 2024Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research
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Reflections on successfully submitting research funding applications
Forsyth, K. (Speaker)
1 Dec 2023Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research
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The usual suspects: the involvement of 'experts by experience' in criminal justice research
Forsyth, K. (Speaker) & Muller, C. (Speaker)
2 Mar 2023Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation › Research
Impacts
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Collaboration with the Ministry of Justice to inform the older prisoner national strategy
Forsyth, K. (Corresponding participant)
Impact: Policy
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Invited presentation for the Royal College of General Practitioners Secure Environments Group
Forsyth, K. (Participant)
Impact: Awareness and understanding
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NIHR Round Table on Conducting Research in Prison
Forsyth, K. (Participant)
Impact: Health and wellbeing
Thesis
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The effectiveness of the Older prisoner Health and Social Care Assessment and Plan: A Randomised Controlled Trial and Nested Qualitative Study
Forsyth, K. (Author), Shaw, J. (Main Supervisor), Webb, R. (Co Supervisor) & Daker-White, G. (Co Supervisor), 19 Nov 2020Student thesis: Phd
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