Richard Gettings MSc
Embedded Ï㽶ÊÓƵer
Summary
Richard Gettings is an Embedded Ï㽶ÊÓƵer in the Doncaster Health Determinants Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Collaboration, co-locating at the Advanced Wellbeing Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Centre and the City of Doncaster Council offices. 22 years in policing, in the Royal Hong Kong Police and South Yorkshire Police, led to an injury on duty and diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Founding the Daparian Foundation, a lived experience, research and awareness, collective voice for those living with trauma within marginalised communities led to veteran research study work and to employment with Ï㽶ÊÓƵ as an Embedded Ï㽶ÊÓƵer. Richard is passionate about supporting marginalised communities raise their collective voice through lived experience research and awareness raising and an appreciation of the shared trauma journey of such communities.
About
Richard joined the British Merchant navy in 1985, serving for 2 years on small oil and chemical tankers, prior to joining the Royal Hong Kong Police in 1988, as an Inspector with the Marine Police and being a Sub-Unit Commander of a Patrol Boat on the northern border between Hong Kong and China. Leaving Hong Kong in 1991, Richard sought a career as a police officer in the UK, joining South Yorkshire Police in 1993.
Richard passed his PC-Sgt promotion exams and his Detective Course, working within drugs policing, CID, Intelligence and Surveillance policing, along with various uniformed duties, over a 22 year career that was brought to an end due to injury on duty and diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Richard was supported by a veteran PTSD support organisation, Combat Stress, and attended a residential support centre to learn to accept, normalise and manage his PTSD.
Realising the power of peer support within those living with PTSD, and seeing how this power was being missed by organisations involved with support, Richard founded the Daparian Foundation to raise a collective voice for, initially, those within the veteran and bluelight communities living with trauma and PTSD through lived experience research and awareness raising.
Richard gained a Maths degree and Psychology Masters at Ï㽶ÊÓƵ as a mature student, realising that a route into academia to support the ongoing research would be supported by this. This led Richard to working with Northumbria University upon two, Armed Forces Covenant funded, research studies looking at Veteran PTSD Loneliness and Military and Veteran Suicide.
At the conclusion of these two studies Richard commenced employment as an Embedded Ï㽶ÊÓƵer for Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, working within the Doncaster Health Determinants Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Collaboration, in 2023. Richard is currently building trusted and authentic research relationships with multiple communities across Doncaster and the wider South Yorkshire area, building upon his experiences of trauma within marginalised communities.
Teaching
School of Sport and Physical Activity
College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences
- Evaluation of the Doncaster Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Community Health Bus intervention.
- Creation of the inaugural Doncaster Muslim Wellness Conference with collaboration from significant and respected members of the community.
- Ï㽶ÊÓƵ into Doncaster Community Led Organisations and how they manage trauma within their respective communities through holistic, peer support, activities.
Publications
Journal articles
Holding, E., Gettings, R., Foster, A., Dowrick, L., Hampshaw, S., Haywood, A., ... Goyder, E. (2024). . Public Health in Practice.
Gettings, R.D., Kirtley, J., Wilson-Menzfeld, G., Oxburgh, G.E., Farrell, D., & Kiernan, M.D. (2022). . Frontiers in Psychology, 13.
Ypsilanti, A., Gettings, R., Lazuras, L., Robson, A., Powell, P.A., & Overton, P.G. (2020). . Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 559883.
Dowrick, L., Shackleton, V., Nazir-Desforges, S., Gettings, R., Holding, E., Rogerson, M., ... Williams, C. (n.d.). . Perspectives in Public Health.
Other activities
Co-founder of the Doncaster Muslim Wellness Conference