Building community-centred learning for Manchester's future nurses

The Neighbourhood Study is a service learning project that places first-year nursing students into Greater Manchester communities to explore local health resources and verify online public service information for partner councils. This strengthens our students' understanding of public engagement and civic responsibility while benefiting local communities.

Service learning is a feature of some of our courses that has a two-way benefit for Manchester students and local people. It sees our students carry out practical work in communities that both contributes to their learning outcomes and provides an important service to the public.

For nursing students beginning their journey at Manchester, understanding the communities they will serve is a crucial part of their education and professional growth. Many new students arrive in September to a city they've never visited before, unfamiliar with both the local communities and the systems that shape health and wellbeing.

The Neighbourhood Study is trying to change that. This collaborative initiative is delivered in partnership with Manchester City, Trafford and Stockport Councils. It bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world public service by integrating community exploration into the first semester of the Manchester BNurs nursing degree.

Kevin Bayley

Kevin is a Programme Director and Senior Lecturer in Adult Nursing in the Division of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work at The University of Manchester.

It introduces students to the vital role of nurses as community advocates, building communication and assessment skills early, while deepening their understanding of the social context in which healthcare is delivered.

Learning through community engagement

Students are divided into small groups and randomly assigned a local neighbourhood in Greater Manchester. They are then tasked with looking beyond the classroom and exploring these areas through different lenses such as geography, culture and community-led action.

They consider the questions that matter to residents. For example, accessibility to local health services and hospitals, which community groups provide social or wellbeing support, and which charities are tackling local needs.

"We wanted students to think about what is happening beyond the NHS […] to recognise the charities, social enterprises and local groups that are already supporting people in these neighbourhoods," says Kevin Bayley, who co-led the programme with fellow adult nursing lecturer Elizabeth Winfield.

Each council maintains legally required information online about local services, community groups and support networks. Students work with the councils to verify listings and update webpages to ensure all information is current, reliable and up to date.

This is important for the diverse range of community members served by local services, who range from individuals seeking support to families participating in community groups or leisure activities.

Shaping future nurses

This work is already having an impact. For example, students verifying information on Trafford Council's website found several services that were not listed online. Their recommendations included wellbeing groups, socials and specialist activities such as a yoga group, gardening club, a Parkinson's dance group and an English conversation café.

The students' findings have helped councils to meet statutory requirements while ensuring communities receive accurate information about the resources available to them.

The Neighbourhood Study is designed to support nursing students as they transition into university-level learning, fostering both professional growth and a sense of belonging. According to the staff involved, the project successfully promotes teamwork and collaboration, creating opportunities for students to learn from one another in real-world contexts.

Elizabeth Winfield

Elizabeth is an Adult Nurse Lecturer and the Academic Lead for Practice at The University of Manchester, with responsibility for practice learning quality across courses.

And according to our students, there's another lasting impact: many students have felt inspired to continue engaging with their communities through additional volunteering.

Looking ahead

Like any growing initiative, the project continues to evolve. Staff want to strengthen long-term collaboration with partners and expand the initiative across Greater Manchester.

A current priority is establishing participation from Tameside Council. Other next steps include working with local councils to evaluate public engagement with council websites, and assessing how often residents access the information verified and updated by our students.

Staff are also looking at helping students make clearer connections between the study and their future practice through new approaches. In addition, the initiative is testing innovative tools: students have begun using AI to support research while reflecting on the technology's limitations and ethical implications.

In Greater Manchester, the Neighbourhood Study is transforming how Manchester students think about their role as nurses - not only as healthcare professionals, but as contributors to the communities where people, live work and seek support.