Marcello Bertotti

Dr Marcello Bertotti

Professor in Public Health

Professor

Public health, development of conceptual and policy research on urban disadvantaged areas

Research, Innovation and Enterprise , School Of Health, Sport And Bioscience

Marcello is a Reader in Community Health. He applies insights from human geography, sociology and economics to the study of health and health inequalities, integrated care, social prescribing including the development of asset-based approaches to health and well-being.

Qualifications

  • BSc in Economics and Politics
  • MA in Local Economic Development
  • PhD in Economic Geography 

Areas Of Interest

  • Evaluation of community health interventions
  • Evaluation and research on social prescribing
  • Realist evaluation
  • Community engagement
  • Asset based approaches to health
  • Health inequalities
Marcello Bertotti

OVERVIEW

Marcello is  a reader in community health at the Institute for Connected Communities. His main role is to develop research in public health, from securing funding to conducting research and publishing its results, primarily in peer reviewed academic journals.

He has 15 years work experience in research and evaluation of community health interventions, social enterprise, asset based approaches to health, and social prescribing. It has used a range of methodologies and approaches to evaluation including realist evaluation, social network analysis, asset mapping and used approaches to systematic reviews including meta-narrative and systematic mapping to study health interventions and communities. He is a co-founder of the social prescribing network and of the social prescribing youth network. He also co-delivers an accredited Level 3 certificate in social prescribing.

Marcello supervises PhD students working in the areas of health inequalities.  He would welcome supervising doctoral research looking at alternative approaches to promoting health and well-being as well as the economic and social determinants of health and mental health.

External roles

  • Social prescribing co-lead for London for the Social Prescribing Network
  • Steering group member of the social prescribing network
  • UCL Partner Improvement Fellow

CURRENT RESEARCH

  • Digital Social Prescribing: a research project investigating the strengths and weaknesses of online delivered community activities in social prescribing schemes, Sep 2023, UEL Impact Builder funded
  • Common Health Assets: a mixed methods realist evaluation and economic appraisal of how community led organisations impact on the health and wellbeing of people living in deprived areas, Sep 2021, funded by NIHR
  • Capabilities, Opportunities, Places and Engagement: a neighbourhood Community Network Approach for Social Inclusion of Difficult to Reach Young People, Jan 2022, funded by the European Commission (a Social prescribing based model in Italy and Portugal)
  • The use of social prescribing and community-based wellbeing activities as a potential prevention and early intervention pathway to improve adolescent emotional and social development. Sep 2021, funded by Three NIHR Schools Mental Health Research Programme
  • Developing social prescribing to improve mental health and wellbeing for children and young people, July 2020, UKRI Emerging Minds
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PUBLICATIONS

Peer-reviewed journal articles

  • Farina, I., Sangiorgi D., Bertotti M (accepted; in press) ‘Link Workers in Social Prescribing for Young People work: a case study from Sheffield Futures’, International Journal of Integrated Care 
  • Baker, R M, Ahmed M., Bertotti, M (2023) ‘Common Health assets protocol: a mixed-methods, realist evaluation and economic appraisal of how commmnity-led organisations (CLOs) impact on the health and well-being of people living in deprived areas’, BMJ Open 2023;13:e069979. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2022-06997 
  • Hayes D, Olsson A, Begum S, Bertotti M, Jarvis-Beesley P, Stapley E (2023) ‘Barriers and facilitators to social prescribing in child and youth mental health: Perspectives from the frontline’, Eur Child Adolescent Psychiatry 
  • Liebmann M, Pitman A, Hsueh Y-C, Bertotti M, Pearce E (2022) ‘Do people perceive benefits in the use of social prescribing to address loneliness and/or social isolation? A qualitative meta- synthesis of the literature’ BMC Health Services Research 
  • Bertotti M, Hayes D, Berry V, Jarvis-Beesley P, Husk K (2022) ‘Social Prescribing for children and young people’,Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(22)00248-6/fulltext
  • Moore A, Bertotti M, Hanafiah A, Hayes D (2022) ‘Factors affecting the sustainability of community mental health assets: a systematic review’, Health and Social Care in the Community, available https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13929
  • Jani A, Bertotti M, Lazzari A, Drinkwater C, Addarii F, Conibear J and Gray M (2019) 'Investing resources to address social factors affecting health: the essential role of social prescribing', Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, DOI: 10.1177/0141076819
  • Frostick C, Bertotti M (2019) 'Social Prescribing in General Practice', British Journal of General Practice, 69 (688): 538-539
  • Frostick C, Bertotti M (2019) 'The frontline of social prescribing - How do we ensure Link Workers can work safely and effectively within primary care?', Chronic Illness, doi: 10.1177/1742395319882068
  • Bertotti M, Frostick C., Hutt P, Sohanpal R. and Carnes D (2018) 'A Realist Evaluation of social prescribing: an exploration into the context and mechanisms underpinning a pathway linking primary care with the voluntary sector', Journal of Primary Healthcare Research and Development, 19(3): 232-245
  • Bertotti M, Rao M, Dan-Ogosi Ifeoma (2017) 'Workplace Well-being in London Chinese Business Community', International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 10 (2): 86-100
  • Watts, P, Hayee, M., Bertotti, M. & Tobi, P. (2017). Social, cognitive, behavioural and neighbourhood characteristics associated with sedentary time in men and women living in deprived neighbourhoods. European Journal of Sport Science, 17 (7): 904-912 I attached a copy of this article with the submission of this application
  • Bertotti M, Han Y, Netuveli G, Sheridan, K and Renton, A (2014) 'Governance in South Korean Social Enterprises: are there alternative models?', Social Enterprise Journal, 10 (1): 38-52
  • Jamal F, Bertotti M, Lorenc T, Harden A (2013) 'Reviewing conceptualisations of community: reflections on a meta-narrative approach' Qualitative Research, 15 (3):314-333
  • Sheridan K, Adams-Eaton F, Trimble A, Renton A, Bertotti M (2011) "Community Engagement using World Café: The Well London Experience", Groupwork and Wellbeing, 20 (3): 32-50
  • Bertotti M, Leahy G and Sheridan K (2011) "To what extent do social enterprises measure their social and environmental impact?", British Journal of Healthcare Management, 17 (4): 152-156 m)
  • Bertotti M, Adams-Eaton F., Sheridan K and Renton A. (2012) "Key barriers to community cohesion: views from residents of 20 London deprived neighbourhoods", GeoJournal, April 2012, 77 (2): 223-234
  • Syrett, S and Bertotti, M (2012) "Reconsidering Private Sector Engagement in Sub-National Policy", Environment and Planning A, 44 (10): 2310-2326
  • Bertotti M, Harden, A, Renton, A and Sheridan, K (2012) "The contribution of social enterprise to the building of social capital in a disadvantaged urban area of London", Community Development Journal, 47 (2): 168-183
  • Yu, G., Renton, A., Schmidt, E. Tobi, P., Bertotti M, Watts, P., and Lais, S. (2011) "A multilevel analysis of the effect of bonding social capital on leisure time physical activity: evidence from 40 disadvantaged areas in London", Health and Place, 17: 1023-1029
  • Smallbone D, Bertotti M, and Ekanem I (2005) 'Diversification in ethnic minority business. The case of Asians in London's creative industries', in Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 12, (1): 41-56
  • Bertotti, M, Frostick, C., Hutt, P, Sohanpal, R. and Carnes, D (2018) 'A Realist Evaluation of social prescribing: an exploration into the context and mechanisms underpinning a pathway linking primary care with the voluntary sector', Journal of Primary Healthcare Research and Development, 19(3): 232-245
  • Carnes D, Sohanpal R, Frostick C, Hull S, Rohini M, Netuveli G, Tong J, Hutt P, Bertotti M (2017) 'The impact of a social prescribing service on patients in primary care: an evaluation', BMC health services research, 17 : 835: 1-9

Published reports

  • Bertotti M, Frostick C, Sharpe D, Temirov O (2020) ‘A two-year evaluation of the Young People Social Prescribing (YPSP) pilot. An outcome, process and economic evaluation of social prescribing for young people in three English sites’, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care 
  • Polley M, Bertotti M, Jarvis-Beesley P and Mitchell D (2020) ‘Social Prescribing for Children and Young People. Guidance for developing an accessible, all-age model’, commissioned by NHS-E 
  • Bertotti M, Temirov O (2020) ‘Outcome and economic evaluation of City and Hackney Social Prescribing Scheme’, commissioned by the City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group 
  • Bertotti M, Frostick C and Temirov O (2020) ‘An evaluation of Social Prescribing in the London Borough of Redbridge: final evaluation report’, July 2020 commissioned by the London Borough of Redbridge and the Redbridge Clinical Commissioning Group, Health and Well-being Fund (DHSC) 
  • Bertotti M, Haque H, Lombardo C, Potter S, and Harden A (2019) A Systematic Map of the UK literature on navigation roles across primary care: social prescribing link workers in context, commissioned by the Greater London Authority 
  • Ogilvie F, Bertotti M, Frostick F. and Findlay G. (2018) Newham Health Networks Pilot Project. End of Project Evaluation Report, commissioned by Newham Borough Council 
  • Findlay G, Netuveli G., Tobi P, Sheridan K, Frostick C, Tong J, Bertotti M., Ikeme M, Farr R, Syed A, Harden A (2017) Mitigating the impact of dynamic populations (Churn) on health outcomes and primary care in Newham’, End of project report, UCLPartners 
  • Polley M, Bertotti M, Pilkington K, Kimberlee R. and Refsum C. (2017) A Review of the evidence assessing impact of social prescribing on healthcare demand and cost implications, commissioned by NHS England 
  • Polley M, Fleming J, Anfilogoff T, Carpenter A, Kimberlee R, Bertotti M, Dixon M, Drinkwater C, McGregor A, Poole J, Pilkington K, Wheatley J (2017) ‘Making sense of social prescribing’, funded by NHS England 
  • Bertotti M, Frostick F, Tong J and Netuveli G. (2017) The Social Prescribing Service in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Final evaluation report, commissioned by the London Borough of Waltham Forest and the Waltham Forest Clinical Commissioning Group 
  • Bertotti M, Frostick C and Hutt P (2016) ‘From isolation to interaction: developing a network, to share learning, develop outcome measures, and ensure the potential of social prescribing meets the needs of the NHS, Health Foundation (Spreading improvement, supporting dissemination)
  • Polley, M., Seers, H., Toye, O., Henkin, T., Waterson, H., Bertotti, M. & Chatterjee, H.J. (2023). Building the economic evidence case for social prescribing. Report — October 2023. London: National Academy for Social Prescribing. Available on the National Academy for Social Prescribing website.
  • Bertotti M, Hanafiah A, Canitrot D (2022) ’Evaluation of the integrated social prescribing model in Redbridge’, funded by London Borough of Redbridge
  • Hayes, D, Bertotti M, Moore A, Hanafiah A and Frostick C (2021) 'Sustainability as a behaviour? An exploration of sustainability of community assets for mental health using the Behaviour Change Wheel and the Theoretical Domains Framework', funded by UKRI MARCH Network
  • Bertotti M, Frostick C, Findlay G, Netuveli G, Tong J, Harden A, Renton A (UEL); Carnes D, Sohanpal R, Hull S (Queen Mary) (2015) 'Social Prescribing: integrating GP and Community Assets for Health', report commissioned by Health Foundation (shine award)
  • Dawn C, Sohanpal, Mathur R, Homer K, Hull S (Queen Mary); Bertotti M, Frostick C, Findlay G, Netuveli G, Tong J, Harden A, Renton A (UEL) (2015) 'City and Hackney Social Prescribing Service: Evaluation Report', commissioned by City and Hackney Clinical Commissioning Group
  • Bertotti M, Farr R, and Akinbode A (2015) 'Assessing the Social Return on Investment of Highway House, a homeless shelter in Haringey, London', University of East London, Civic Engagement grant

FUNDING

Marcello has held research grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Netherland Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), Health Foundation (Shine), NHS England (NHS-E), Department of Health and has led on other research consultancy projects for Public Health England, Newham Clinical Commissioning Group, Greater London Authority and for the private sector.

  • Sep 2023 Bertotti (Co-I) Digital Social Prescribing, UEL Impact Builder

  • March Bertotti (PI) Evaluation of the integrated social prescribing model in Redbridge, Redbridge council

  • Jan 2022 Bertotti (Co-I) Capabilities, Opportunities, Places and Engagement: a neighbourhood Community Network Approach for Social Inclusion of  Difficult to Reach Young People, European Commission
  • Sep 2021 Bertotti (Co-I) The use of social prescribing and community-based wellbeing activities as a potential prevention and early intervention pathway to improve adolescent emotional and social development, Three NIHR Schools Mental Health Research Programme
  • Sep 2021 Bertotti (Co-I) Common Health Assets: a mixed methods realist evaluation and economic appraisal of how community led organisations impact on the health and wellbeing of people living in deprived areas, NIHR
  • July 2020 Bertotti (Co-PI) Developing social prescribing to improve mental health and wellbeing for children and young people, UKRI Emerging Minds
  • Sep 2020 Bertotti (Co-PI) Sustainability as a behaviour? Exploring the sustainability of community assets for mental health using the Behaviour Change Wheel and the Theoretical Domains Framework, UKRI (March Network)
  • Mar 2016 Bertotti, M (PI) An evaluation of the social prescribing pilot in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest Council and Waltham Forest CCG

TEACHING

Marcello delivers the accredited Level 3 certificate in Social Prescribing with Conexus and Bromley by Bow Centre.

Marcello's teaching areas include: social enterprise, research methods, critical practices and perspectives in health promotion, health policy.

He has supervised students on the UEL undergraduate course on social enterprise and is currently supervising four PhD students (two as Director of Studies) in the areas of reciprocity and altruism (time banks), the validation of a quality of life measurement (CASP) in Pakistan, physical activity and superdiversity, and civic engagement and health.

Publications

The last four years of publications can be viewed below. 

Full publications list

Visit the research repository to view a full list of publications

Research repository