GLADIOLI study: Group model building to assess dietary health inequalities in English Local Authorities
Participant Information Sheet - Workshop participant
Summary
You are invited to take part in a research study led by the Universities of Cambridge and Hertfordshire. The study aims to understand how English Local Authorities can be better supported to reduce dietary health inequalities — unfair differences in diet and diet-related health between more and less disadvantaged communities.
The workshop that you will attend on [x date] is part of this study. Please read this information carefully before deciding whether to take part in the research study. Participation is entirely voluntary and you are welcome to attend the workshop whether or not you choose to take part in the research study.
Please read this information carefully before deciding whether to take part. Participation is voluntary.
Please take the time to read the following information carefully. Discuss with your colleagues if you wish to do so.
Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part.
If you or your organisation would no longer like to take part you can tell us by email or telephone.
Thank you for your support with our research so far.
1 Why are we doing this study?
People living in more disadvantaged circumstances often experience poorer diets and worse health outcomes. Addressing these inequalities requires collaboration across organisations and sectors. This study is testing a facilitated workshop approach, known as group model building, which brings people together to explore complex problems and identify possible actions.
2 Why am I being asked to take part?
You have been invited because you work in, or alongside, a Local Authority taking part in the study and have relevant experience or expertise. Around 450 workshop participants are expected to take part across England from 30 different Local Authorities.
3 What will happen to me if I take part?
If you agree to take part, during the one-day workshop, you be asked to:
Provide electronic consent for participation in the study
Complete short questionnaires at the start and end of the workshop
Some workshops will be observed by researchers from University of Hertfordshire
4 Possible benefits and disadvantages of taking part
What are the possible benefits of taking part?
Contribution to research and local action.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
There are no anticipated risks.
5 More information about taking part
Do I have to take part?
No. Participation is entirely voluntary. You may withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason.
What if there is a problem?
If you have a concern about any aspect of this study you should ask to speak to the research team who will do their best to answer your questions on gladioli.study@ims.cam.ac.uk.
If you remain unhappy and wish to complain formally, the normal University of Cambridge complaints process is available to you through the University of Cambridge Clinical School Secretary: telephone: 01223 333543 or email: SchoolSec@medschl.cam.ac.uk.
What will happen to information about me collected during the study?
The University of Cambridge is the sponsor for this study based in the United Kingdom. We will need to use information from you to undertake this study. We will act as the data controller for this study – this means that we are responsible for looking after the information and using it properly.
This information will include your questionnaire responses and contributions during the workshop. People will use this information to do the research or to check your records to make sure that the research is being done properly. We will not need to collect any identifiable information from you.
Due to the novel nature of the intervention and unique scenario of having numerous Local Authority professionals in one room at the same time; we will gain consent from you for the information collected throughout the day (including the causal loop diagram and connection circles) to be stored fully anonymised as research data to be analysed in the future.
Your data will not be stored with any information that could identify you, your responses and contributions will be kept anonymous.
Once we have finished the study, we will keep some of the data so we can check the results. We will write our reports in a way that no-one can work out that you took part in the study.
We will keep your study data for the minimum period of time required to undertake the research. The study data will then be fully anonymised and securely archived or destroyed.
How we keep the information collected secure?
Electronic identifiable data be stored in the IMS Epidemiology Secure Research Drive (SRD) which has additional security measures in place to protect your data.
We have procedures in place to deal with any suspected personal data breach. We will tell you and applicable regulators when there has been a breach of your personal data when we legally have to. For further details about UK breach reporting rules visit the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website.
What are your choices about how your information is used?
You can stop being part of the study at any time, without giving a reason, but we will keep information about you that we already have
You have the right to ask us to remove, change or delete data we hold about you for the purposes of the study. We might not always be able to do this if it means we cannot use your data to do the research. If so, we will tell you why we cannot do this (e.g. because we need to manage your information in specific ways in order for the research to be reliable and accurate).
If you withdraw from the study, we will keep the information about you that we have already obtained. To safeguard your rights, we will use the minimum personally-identifiable information possible.
How will we use information about you after the study ends?
Once we have finished the study, we will keep some of the data so we can check the results. We will write our reports in a way that no-one can work out that your Local Authority took part in the study.
We will keep your study data for a maximum of 10 of years. The study data will then be fully anonymised and securely archived or destroyed. You can find out more about how we use your information at: https://www.informationcompliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/dataprotection/medical-research-participant-data
What will happen to the results of the study?
When the study is completed, the results will be published in an academic journal. We may also present the results at scientific meetings and to interested stakeholders and policy makers. No information that could identify you will be published in any report or presentation about this study.
Who is organising and funding the study?
This study is organised by IMS Epidemiology, part of the University of Cambridge. A team from the University of Hertfordshire will be conducting the qualitative data collection for the process evaluation part of the study. The funder is UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Who has reviewed the study?
This study has been reviewed by an independent group of people, called the Research Ethics Committee, to protect your safety, rights, wellbeing and dignity. The study has been given a favourable opinion by The Humanities and social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (University of Cambridge).
6 Contact for further information
If you have any questions regarding the study or how you might be involved further contact information can be found below.
GLADIOLI study team
Thank you for taking the time to consider taking part in this study.
