Cohort 2026 Research Placement Project
About The Project
This placement will explore how Ubuntu philosophy, the African concept of interconnectedness and shared humanity (“I am because we are”), might inform trust-building approaches in Nottinghamshire’s healthcare system following high-profile care failures. The successful candidate will develop educational resources on Ubuntu principles and conduct interviews with senior leaders across the Integrated Care Board to assess the acceptability and relevance of this approach.
Nottinghamshire’s healthcare system faces an urgent crisis of trust affecting patients, families, healthcare workers, and communities following multiple high-profile
healthcare failures, particularly in maternity services. The Nottingham Expert Advisory Panel (NEAP) identified Ubuntu’s truth-sharing and reconciliation principles as potentially transformative for healthcare organisations undergoing heightened regulatory scrutiny.
Ubuntu, meaning “I am because we are,” emphasises collective responsibility, empathy, and healing through authentic dialogue. Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) methods based on Ubuntu have proven effective in post-conflict reconciliation processes in South Africa and Canada. However, this approach has not been applied to healthcare contexts in the UK, making this research both novel and timely.
Current approaches to rebuilding trust after care failures often prioritise regulatory compliance and procedural change but provide limited space for meaningful engagement that might restore relational trust between healthcare organisations and the communities they serve. This research explores whether Ubuntu’s emphasis on shared truth, collective healing, and mutual recognition could offer an alternative framework.
Project Aims
The overall aims of the project are:
1. To develop accessible educational resources explaining Ubuntu philosophy and Truth and Reconciliation principles for healthcare leadership contexts
2. To explore senior healthcare leaders’ perspectives on Ubuntu principles as an approach to trust-building and post-crisis recovery in Nottinghamshire healthcare organisations
3. To assess the acceptability and perceived relevance of Ubuntu-informed approaches among Integrated Care Board leadership
4. To produce evidence-based recommendations for the ICB Board on whether and how Ubuntu principles might inform future trust-building strategies
Project Team
- Research Candidate: Lame Batsweleng
- Lead Supervisor: Professor Gemma Stacey (Nottingham Trent University)
- Co-Supervisor: Professor Catrin Evans (University of Nottingham)
- Co-Supervisor: Professor Stacy Johnson (University of Nottingham)
- Community Supervisor: Rosa Waddingham (Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System)