Kay Mafuba

Professor Kay Mafuba is a Professor of Learning Disabilities at the College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare at the University of West London (UWL), where she has been an academic for over twenty years. She completed her PhD at UWL, focusing on the public health roles of community learning disability nurses. She integrates teaching, research, and clinical practice, contributing across undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional doctorate programs.

Education:

• PhD in Public Health Roles of Community Learning Disability Nurses, University of West London

Her research interests span learning disabilities, nursing roles, workforce development, public health policy, and multiple research methodologies. She is particularly known for her work on role clarity, staffing levels, and the public health impact of intellectual disability nursing. Her recent publications form a four-part series analyzing the contributions and impacts of intellectual disability nursing, including scoping reviews, evaluations, and intervention compendiums. She has also authored textbooks and book chapters on learning disability nursing practice.

The trends in her scholarly output reflect a consistent focus on evidence-based improvements in intellectual disability nursing, with emphasis on safe staffing, role definition, public health roles, and intervention effectiveness. Her work combines academic rigor with practical application in healthcare settings.

Professional Service and Recognition:

• Peer-reviewed journal editor
• Grant reviewer for NIHR (HSDR programme), UK Research and Innovation, and RCN Foundation
• External examiner nationally and internationally
• External referee for professorial appointments
• Quality assurance for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

She has supervised research across BN(Hons), Masters, Professional Doctorates, and PhDs in fields including Global Health, Nursing, and Midwifery. She has led collaborative research funded by NHS Improvement, Public Health England (now UKHSA), RCN Foundation, and Respond, producing reports on safe staffing, context of care tools, and public health approaches.

Labs and Research Teams: While no formal lab is mentioned, Professor Mafuba leads a research team focused on intellectual disability nursing, collaborating with researchers such as Hazel Chapman, Dorothy Kupara, Chiedza Kudita, Marc Forster, and Bob Gates. This team has developed tools like the Tool for Measuring the Context of Care Delivery in Learning Disability Settings (TCOC-LDS) and conducted large-scale scoping studies.