Ms Rhonda Riachi

Senior Lecturer, Lead for Service User and Caregiver Involvement

School of Sport, Nutrition and Allied Health Professions

r.riachi@brookes.ac.uk

Role

I lead the recruitment and management of service users (i.e. patients) and caregivers to work with registered programmes in the Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, such as Dietetics, Nursing, OT, Paramedic Science, Physiotherapy and Social Work. I liaise with community and patient groups, researchers and health providers to share good practice. I also chair the informal UK network for Developers of User and Carer Involvement in Education (DUCIE).

Research

I’m interested in applied multidisciplinary research projects promoting healthy ageing and care. My current research is exploring how to make Oxford a better place to grow old, with a particular focus on older people in minority groups in the community. My other research interests include communication in dementia care, end of life care, spiritual care, and wellbeing for health and care staff.

Research Projects:
Vivensa Academy Ignition Fund (Co-Investigator) (Jan to Dec 2026)
Title: Laying the Groundwork for an Age-Friendly Oxford: Mapping Needs, Generating Evidence and Building

Research group memberships:
Community and Older Person Nursing Network (COPNN)
Healthy Ageing and Care Network Co-Lead (2024 – 2026)
Oxfordshire Patient and Public Involvement Leads

Grants, funding and awards:
NHS England service improvement project (Co-applicant) (Oct 2020 – Jan 2022)
Title: Listen, Share, Hold, Respond (LiSHoRe)
Led by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust. £139,103

HEE Thames Valley Workforce Wellbeing Support (Project Lead) (Apr 2019 – Mar 2021)
Title: Thames Valley Wellbeing Network. £45,000

Research impact

I work with local authorities, community groups, health providers and charities to influence provision and policy in care practice.

Publications

Riachi R, Markwell S, Improving well-being in dementia care for clients and carers
Journal of Public Mental Health: The art, science and politics of creating a mentally healthy society 19 (4) (2020) pp.321-326 ISSN: 1746-5729
Riachi R, Person-centred communication in dementia care: a qualitative study of the use of the SPECAL® method by care workers in the UK
Journal of Social Work Practice 32 (3) (2017) pp.303-321 ISSN: 0265-0533 eISSN: 1465-3885

Roberts G, Riachi R, (ed.), Making Connections: British perspectives on learning technology developments in Netherlands Higher Education. ,
Association for Learning Technology (2004) ISBN: 9780954587024

Professional information

Memberships of professional bodies

The Alister Hardy Trust - Editor of De Numine, the AHT Magazine (2020 - )
Steering group member of the Oxford Centre for Spirituality and Wellbeing (OxCSWell)
The Scientific and Medical Network