Diane is an established social care researcher with a national and international reputation for research excellence, leading a novel portfolio of work that has generated new knowledge to inform social care policy and practice. She leads impactful social care research with real world application, which has supported change in national social care provision for unpaid carers that is underpinned by significant Welsh Government investment totaling over £12 million.  

Diane’s research and research infrastructure capacity building work has attracted significant external grant funding totaling £12.5 million over the course of her career, as a lead investigator, principal co-investigator, and co-investigator. Her publications include peer review papers, book chapters, and published reports for government and for funding bodies.  They evidence Diane’s contribution to addressing global health and social care challenges, as well as opportunities, associated with population ageing. Diane’s appointment to ministerial advisory positions, and national and international steering groups highlights the esteem with which her work is held.   

Diane’s contribution to the development of a new international research network on participatory approaches to ageing research (PAAR-Net COST Action) reflects her longstanding commitment to collaborative research to improve social care outcomes.  

Diane’s passion and commitment to social care research is further evidenced in her championing of doctoral students and early career researchers, both in the UK and internationally, by securing postgraduate scholarship funding, by delivering international research training, and by mentoring future research leaders.  Diane is a pathway lead for social care, social work and social policy for the ESRC funded Wales Graduate School for Social Sciences.

Responsive to new opportunities, Diane is delighted to be part of the newly established Wales Centre for Vision Services Research.  She is committed to grow social care research that shapes policy and practice solutions in vision services with scientific rigor. 

Diane is Director of Research for the School of Health Sciences, and she is Chair of the North Wales Medical School and School of Health Sciences Academic Research Ethics Committee.

 

I welcome the opportunity to supervise PhD work that addresses social care issues as they relate to older people, including those living with dementia, their unpaid carers and those employed in the social care sector. I particularly welcome qualitative or mixed-methods studies about:

  • Assessment and support planning for people with complex care needs and their unpaid carers
  • Meaningful short breaks (sometimes called respite care) that support positive, sustainable caring relationships
  • Ways to help individuals achieve personal well-being outcomes, with a focus on: 
    • Voice and control  
    • Prevention and early intervention  
    • Co-production of services
    • Integrated, multi-agency working  
  • Nursing and residential care home provision

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2025

  • The importance of unpaid carers to health and social care delivery.

    A seminar delivered by DSDC in the School of Health Sciences, presenting some of the latest research which focusses on supporting unpaid carers. The programme contained:

    • Welcome and introduction to the seminar –Professor Gill Windle, Director of DSDC and Director of Research Impact, School of Health Sciences.

    • Willingness to care: what is it and does it matter? – Professor Val Morrison, School of Psychology and Sports Sciences.

    • Short Breaks: What a Difference a Break Makes – Dr Diane Seddon, Reader in Social Care and Director of Research, School of Health Sciences.

    • Sustaining couplehood in the face of dementia – Marine Markaryan, visiting PhD student, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.

    10 Mar 2025

    Activity: Participation in Academic workshop, seminar, course (Speaker)

2022

  • Online seminar sharing the research process and Cruse report

    Effective partnership working to deliver pre bereavement support for feelings of loss and grief along the journey with dementia

    Cruse Bereavement Support Cymru, have been supporting people affected by dementia with feelings of loss along the journey with dementia, in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society Cymru through their innovative project funded by Gwent Integrated Care Funding until March 2022.

    Following on from the success of the first project of the partnership, Bereaved by Dementia, which supported people with dementia and their families following a bereavement, this new project has its focus on improving access to pre-bereavement support.

    The webinar shared how the training was developed and the benefits of working together to offer innovative support to people during Covid-19. The session also included stories and discussions with volunteers and clients including Teresa Davies and Margaret Carmen who worked with the partners to share the importance of discussing loss and grief openly after a diagnosis or death of loved on with dementia. Bangor University’s research team, led by Dr Catrin Hedd Jones, conducted an independent evaluation of the project and will be sharing the report at the event.

    15 Mar 2022

    Links:

    Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)

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