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Simone Willis
(she/her)
FHEA
Systematic Reviewer
- WillisS5@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 29208 75088
- Neuadd Meirionnydd, Room 602F, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4YS
Overview
I am a Systematic Reviewer for the Specialist Unit for Review Evidence (SURE) and joined the department in 2018. I am experienced in systematic review methods and evidence synthesis in health and social care topics. I have experience in all aspects of the review process including protocol and search development, systematic literature searching, critical appraisal, data extraction, and evidence synthesis.
Currently, I provide systematic review expertise to the Centre for Healthcare Evaluation, Device Assessment and Research (CEDAR) and contribute to evidence reviews of medical technologies for NICE Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme and Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC).
My previous work includes evidence reviews on school and community counselling for the Welsh Government, and reviews on children’s mental health and wellbeing for the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). I also contributed to a systematic review of case management practices for the Centre for Homelessness Impact.
I am also involved in teaching courses on evidence synthesis and contribute to the SURE Systematic Review course.
Publication
2024
- MacDonald, S. et al. 2024. Mental health and wellbeing interventions for care-experienced children and young people: Systematic review and synthesis of process evaluations. Children and Youth Services Review 156, article number: 107266. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107266)
- Evans, R. et al. 2024. What mental health and wellbeing interventions work for which children and young people in care? Systematic review of potential outcome inequities. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal (10.1007/s10560-023-00956-7)
2023
- Copeland, L. et al. 2023. School and community-based counselling services for children and young people aged 7-18 in the UK: a rapid review of effectiveness, implementation and acceptability. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research (10.1002/capr.12688)
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. and Wasley, D. 2023. Exploring occupational demands, appraisal, resources, and well-being of professional classical musicians’ lived experiences: An IPA approach. Presented at: International Symposium on Performance Science, Warsaw, Poland, 17 - 20 August 2023.
- Evans, R. et al. 2023. Interventions targeting the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people in higher-income countries: Evidence map and systematic review. Systematic Reviews 12(1), article number: 111. (10.1186/s13643-023-02260-y)
- O'Connell, S., Chong, H. Y., Willis, S., Kiseleva, M., Rahim, A., Dale, M. and Morris, R. 2023. Medical technologies guidance: MTG575 GaitSmart rehabilitation exercise programme for gait and mobility issues: External Assessment Group report. Documentation. NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-mt575/documents/supporting-documentation
- Kolovou, V., Bolton, N., Crone, D., Willis, S. and Walklett, J. 2023. Systematic review of the barriers and facilitators to cross-sector partnerships in promoting physical activity. Perspectives in Public Health (10.1177/17579139231170784)
- Weightman, A. L. et al. 2023. Exploring the effect of case management in homelessness per components: A systematic review of effectiveness and implementation, with meta‐analysis and thematic synthesis. Campbell Systematic Reviews 19(2), article number: e1329. (10.1002/cl2.1329)
- Chong, H. Y., Knight, L., Dale, M., Morris, R., Willis, S. and O'Connell, S. 2023. Early Value Assessment: MT589 Digitally enabled therapies for adults with anxiety disorder: External Assessment Group report. Documentation. NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/hte9/documents/supporting-documentation-2
- Rahim, A., Willis, S. and O'Connell, S. 2023. Exploring incorporation of critical appraisal methods into rapid evidence reviews. Presented at: 27th Cochrane Colloquium, London, UK, 4-6 September 2023. London, UK: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (10.1002/14651858.CD202301)
- Rahim, A., Dale, M., Willis, S., O'Connell, S., Chong, H. Y. and Morris, R. 2023. Medical technologies guidance: MT582 Kurin Lock for blood culture collection: External Assessment Group report. Project Report. [Online]. NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-mt582/documents/supporting-documentation
2022
- Weightman, A. L. et al. 2022. PROTOCOL: Exploring the effect of case management in homelessness per components: A systematic review of effectiveness and implementation, with meta-analysis and thematic synthesis. Campbell Systematic Reviews 18(1), article number: e1220. (10.1002/cl2.1220)
- Hewitt, G. et al. 2022. Review of statutory school and community-based counselling services: Optimisation of services for children and young people aged 11 to 18 years and extension to younger primary school aged children. Project Report. [Online]. Welsh Government. Available at: https://gov.wales/review-school-and-community-based-counselling-services
- O'Connell, S., Dale, M., Bird, S., Rahim, A., Willis, S. and Morris, R. 2022. MTG570 AposHealth for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee: External Assessment Group report. Project Report. [Online]. NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg76/documents/supporting-documentation
2021
- Stabler, L. et al. 2021. A scoping review of system-level mechanisms to prevent children being in out-of-home care. British Journal of Social Work 52(5), pp. 2515-2536., article number: bcab213. (10.1093/bjsw/bcab213)
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. and Wasley, D. 2021. Occupational stress and well-being of professional and conservatoire musicians: Preliminary study. Presented at: 16th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition; 11th European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music, Sheffield, UK, 28 - 31 July 2021.
- Evans, R. et al. 2021. Care-experienced cHildren and young people's Interventions to improve Mental health and wEll-being outcomes: Systematic review (CHIMES) protocol. BMJ Open 11(1), article number: e042815. (10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042815)
- Willis, S., Morgan, H., Morgan, F. and Scourfield, J. 2021. Use of systematic review terminology and methodological quality in children’s social care. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work 18(6), pp. 667-688. (10.1080/26408066.2021.1938827)
2020
- Turley, R. et al. 2020. Promoting the retention, mental health and wellbeing of child and family social workers: a systematic review of Workforce interventions. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Systematic-Review-of-Workforce-Interventions_July-2020.pdf
2019
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. C. and Wasley, D. 2019. The relationship between occupational demands and well-being of performing artists: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology 10(MAR), article number: 393. (10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00393)
- Brand, S. et al. 2019. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the entry of children and young people into statutory care: a systematic scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 9(8), article number: e026967. (10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026967)
- Stabler, L., O'Donnell, C., Forrester, D., Diaz, C., Willis, S. and Brand, S. 2019. Shared decision-making: What is good practice in delivering meetings? Involving families meaningfully in decision-making to keep children safely at home: A rapid realist review. Technical Report.
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. and Wasley, D. 2019. The relationship between occupational demands and well-being of performing artists: A systematic review. Presented at: International Symposium on Performance Science, Melbourne Conservatory of Music, Melbourne, Australia, 16-20 July 2019.
2018
- Brand, S. et al. 2018. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the number of children and young people in statutory care: A systematic scoping review. Technical Report.
- Willis, S., Woolridge, B. and Mellick, M. 2018. How musicians and athletes could learn from each other when it comes to coping with stress. The Conversation 2018(1 Mar)
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. and Wasley, D. 2018. Stress and well-being of performing artists: A systematic review. Presented at: Royal Musical Association: Music, Wellbeing and Mental Health, York, UK, 12 - 13 May 2018.
Articles
- MacDonald, S. et al. 2024. Mental health and wellbeing interventions for care-experienced children and young people: Systematic review and synthesis of process evaluations. Children and Youth Services Review 156, article number: 107266. (10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107266)
- Evans, R. et al. 2024. What mental health and wellbeing interventions work for which children and young people in care? Systematic review of potential outcome inequities. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal (10.1007/s10560-023-00956-7)
- Copeland, L. et al. 2023. School and community-based counselling services for children and young people aged 7-18 in the UK: a rapid review of effectiveness, implementation and acceptability. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research (10.1002/capr.12688)
- Evans, R. et al. 2023. Interventions targeting the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced children and young people in higher-income countries: Evidence map and systematic review. Systematic Reviews 12(1), article number: 111. (10.1186/s13643-023-02260-y)
- Kolovou, V., Bolton, N., Crone, D., Willis, S. and Walklett, J. 2023. Systematic review of the barriers and facilitators to cross-sector partnerships in promoting physical activity. Perspectives in Public Health (10.1177/17579139231170784)
- Weightman, A. L. et al. 2023. Exploring the effect of case management in homelessness per components: A systematic review of effectiveness and implementation, with meta‐analysis and thematic synthesis. Campbell Systematic Reviews 19(2), article number: e1329. (10.1002/cl2.1329)
- Weightman, A. L. et al. 2022. PROTOCOL: Exploring the effect of case management in homelessness per components: A systematic review of effectiveness and implementation, with meta-analysis and thematic synthesis. Campbell Systematic Reviews 18(1), article number: e1220. (10.1002/cl2.1220)
- Stabler, L. et al. 2021. A scoping review of system-level mechanisms to prevent children being in out-of-home care. British Journal of Social Work 52(5), pp. 2515-2536., article number: bcab213. (10.1093/bjsw/bcab213)
- Evans, R. et al. 2021. Care-experienced cHildren and young people's Interventions to improve Mental health and wEll-being outcomes: Systematic review (CHIMES) protocol. BMJ Open 11(1), article number: e042815. (10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042815)
- Willis, S., Morgan, H., Morgan, F. and Scourfield, J. 2021. Use of systematic review terminology and methodological quality in children’s social care. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work 18(6), pp. 667-688. (10.1080/26408066.2021.1938827)
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. C. and Wasley, D. 2019. The relationship between occupational demands and well-being of performing artists: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology 10(MAR), article number: 393. (10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00393)
- Brand, S. et al. 2019. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the entry of children and young people into statutory care: a systematic scoping review protocol. BMJ Open 9(8), article number: e026967. (10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026967)
- Willis, S., Woolridge, B. and Mellick, M. 2018. How musicians and athletes could learn from each other when it comes to coping with stress. The Conversation 2018(1 Mar)
Conferences
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. and Wasley, D. 2023. Exploring occupational demands, appraisal, resources, and well-being of professional classical musicians’ lived experiences: An IPA approach. Presented at: International Symposium on Performance Science, Warsaw, Poland, 17 - 20 August 2023.
- Rahim, A., Willis, S. and O'Connell, S. 2023. Exploring incorporation of critical appraisal methods into rapid evidence reviews. Presented at: 27th Cochrane Colloquium, London, UK, 4-6 September 2023. London, UK: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (10.1002/14651858.CD202301)
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. and Wasley, D. 2021. Occupational stress and well-being of professional and conservatoire musicians: Preliminary study. Presented at: 16th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition; 11th European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music, Sheffield, UK, 28 - 31 July 2021.
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. and Wasley, D. 2019. The relationship between occupational demands and well-being of performing artists: A systematic review. Presented at: International Symposium on Performance Science, Melbourne Conservatory of Music, Melbourne, Australia, 16-20 July 2019.
- Willis, S., Neil, R., Mellick, M. and Wasley, D. 2018. Stress and well-being of performing artists: A systematic review. Presented at: Royal Musical Association: Music, Wellbeing and Mental Health, York, UK, 12 - 13 May 2018.
Monographs
- O'Connell, S., Chong, H. Y., Willis, S., Kiseleva, M., Rahim, A., Dale, M. and Morris, R. 2023. Medical technologies guidance: MTG575 GaitSmart rehabilitation exercise programme for gait and mobility issues: External Assessment Group report. Documentation. NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-mt575/documents/supporting-documentation
- Chong, H. Y., Knight, L., Dale, M., Morris, R., Willis, S. and O'Connell, S. 2023. Early Value Assessment: MT589 Digitally enabled therapies for adults with anxiety disorder: External Assessment Group report. Documentation. NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/hte9/documents/supporting-documentation-2
- Rahim, A., Dale, M., Willis, S., O'Connell, S., Chong, H. Y. and Morris, R. 2023. Medical technologies guidance: MT582 Kurin Lock for blood culture collection: External Assessment Group report. Project Report. [Online]. NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-mt582/documents/supporting-documentation
- Hewitt, G. et al. 2022. Review of statutory school and community-based counselling services: Optimisation of services for children and young people aged 11 to 18 years and extension to younger primary school aged children. Project Report. [Online]. Welsh Government. Available at: https://gov.wales/review-school-and-community-based-counselling-services
- O'Connell, S., Dale, M., Bird, S., Rahim, A., Willis, S. and Morris, R. 2022. MTG570 AposHealth for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee: External Assessment Group report. Project Report. [Online]. NICE. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg76/documents/supporting-documentation
- Turley, R. et al. 2020. Promoting the retention, mental health and wellbeing of child and family social workers: a systematic review of Workforce interventions. Project Report. [Online]. London: What Works Centre for Children's Social Care. Available at: https://whatworks-csc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/WWCSC_Systematic-Review-of-Workforce-Interventions_July-2020.pdf
- Stabler, L., O'Donnell, C., Forrester, D., Diaz, C., Willis, S. and Brand, S. 2019. Shared decision-making: What is good practice in delivering meetings? Involving families meaningfully in decision-making to keep children safely at home: A rapid realist review. Technical Report.
- Brand, S. et al. 2018. Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the number of children and young people in statutory care: A systematic scoping review. Technical Report.
Research
I work as a Systematic Reviewer and specialise in methods related to evidence synthesis. This involves working on systematic reviews, rapid reviews, scoping reviews, health technology assessments, and other types of evidence synthesis. This work allows questions about a specific topic to be answered by summarising evidence using methods that reduce bias. Systematic reviews can answer questions related to the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions across a variety of health and social care topics. Systematic reviews can also look at the barriers and facilitators for implementing interventions. My role involves developing questions that can be answered in systematic reviews, designing search strategies, critically appraising the evidence of medical devices and interventions, and synthesising different types of data.
Health Technology Assessments
As part of my work with the SURE team, I collaborate with colleagues in the Centre for Healthcare Evaluation, Device Assessment and Research (CEDAR). This involves working on Health Technology Assessments (HTAs) for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as part of the Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme. The programme evaluates medical devices and technologies, assessing their effectiveness and suitability for use in the NHS. A recent project I worked on was about digital therapies for adults with anxiety. The technologies assessed included 11 apps that deliver psychological interventions with support also provided by a therapist or practitioner. Following the assessment, NICE made the recommendation that six apps can be used within the NHS to treat adults with anxiety disorders while additional evidence is collected on their effectiveness. You can read more about the assessment of digital therapies for anxiety and the recommendations on the NICE website.
Research spotlight
I have also worked on systematic reviews of interventions for health and wellbeing of children and young people. One example is a systematic review of interventions to improve mental health and well-being for children and young people who have experienced care (CHIMES systematic review). The review was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and was a collaborative project with colleagues in the School of Social Sciences and the School of Medicine as well as academics at the University of Exeter and Bangor University. The systematic review assessed a large body of international evidence of interventions targeting wellbeing, mental health, and suicide. We found that studies often focused on improving social and emotional skills of young people or changing parenting style of foster carers. The review identified mentoring as a potential intervention to support children and young people who have experienced care. Additionally, the review identified that more support was needed to help carers, organisations, and professionals work together. You can read the peer-reviewed publication about the CHIMES systematic review, which was published in the journal Systematic Reviews.
Selected grants and funding
- Clinical and Economic Evidence Assessment including Medical Technologies Evaluation Programme, NICE, 2022 - 2025
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Interventions for Care-experienced Children and Young People: Systematic review of intervention theories, process, effect and equity, NIHR PHR (£289,788). 2020-2022.
- Review of Statutory School and Community-Based Counselling Services for primary aged children, Welsh Government. (£149,982), 2020-2021
Teaching
SURE Systematic Review course
I teach on the SURE Systematic Review course, which is an introductory course on the systematic review process. As part of this, I deliver sessions on reference management, critical appraisal of qualitative and quantitative research, data extraction and development of data extraction forms, and synthesising research studies.
Biography
- 2018 – present Systematic Reviewer, SURE, Cardiff University
- 2016 – 2021 Associate Tutor, CSSHS, Cardiff Metropolitan University
Education & Qualifications
- 2016 – present PhD, CSSHS, Cardiff Metropolitan University
- 2009 – 2014 BMus Hons, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
Professional memberships
- Advance HE Fellowship (FHEA)
- PRINCE2 Project Management Foundation and Practitioner
Committees and reviewing
- 2020 MARCH Mental Health Network Funding Review Panel
Reviewer for:
- British Journal of Social Work
- National Institue for Health and Care Research Journals
Research themes
Specialisms
- Evidence-based care
- Systematic reviews
- Evidence synthesis
- Health technology assessment