Dr Rachael Gribble joins the SCiP Alliance Impact Centre – and co-authors a new book chapter with the team

Connecting research evidence to impact

To improve support for Service children, we need to use the best quality research evidence. At the SCiP Alliance Impact Centre, we believe in the importance of robust evidence for making a difference.

That’s why we’re delighted to welcome Dr Rachael Gribble, Senior Lecturer in War & Psychiatry at King’s College London, to the SCiP Alliance Impact Centre as Research Advisor.

Rachael’s research focuses on military-connected families and how high-risk jobs can affect the wellbeing of partners, children, parents and siblings. Her expertise will help us connect research more closely with the decisions that shape support for Service children.

Connecting evidence and expertise

As Research Advisor, Rachael will join the Impact Centre Management Group and provide academic guidance on how we communicate and share evidence.

Her research has explored issues including the psychological health and wellbeing of UK military and veteran families, the impact of weekending on families, and reservist families’ understanding of welfare. Through her involvement with the Garnet Families network, she will also help the Impact Centre stay connected to emerging UK and international research on Armed Forces families.

Rachael said:

“I am delighted to join the Impact Centre. Supporting a strategic approach to the health and wellbeing of children and young people from military and veteran families is extremely important for ensuring real-life impact for children’s lives as well as for helping those who help Service children. I look forward to working with the team and the sector more widely.”

Celebrating the publication of our new book chapter

Rachael is already working alongside the Impact Centre and practitioners to help make research useful to those supporting Service children. This week sees the publication of a new book chapter co-authored by Rachael, Dr Liam Satchell, Director of the SCiP Alliance Impact Centre, and Dan Alfieri, Headteacher of St Nicholas C of E Primary School.

The chapter, “Children in Armed Forces Families: Understanding the Benefits and Vulnerabilities for Wellbeing”, is published in Pedagogies of Wellbeing in the Primary School and provides an information resource on Forces life for those working in primary schools.

It is also a celebration of the existing collaboration between Rachael, the Impact Centre and practitioners – bringing academic evidence and professional experience together to build understanding and strengthen support for Service children.

Building on strong foundations

Rachael’s appointment – and the chapter – build on the Impact Centre’s strong relationship with the King’s Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR).

The Impact Centre was co-founded by KCMHR’s Professor Nicola Fear CBE, who sadly passed away earlier this year. We are grateful to continue this valued relationship, with Rachael and KCMHR working alongside the Impact Centre to strengthen research and evidence for the Armed Forces community.

Explore the research

Find out more about Rachael’s work in her recent Meet the Expert interview with the Centre for Evidence for the Armed Forces Community.

You can also explore the new chapter:

Satchell, L.P, Alfieri, D., & Gribble, R. (2026) Children in Service Families: Understanding the Wellbeing Benefits and Vulnerabilities associated with forces Life in Randell, V & Love, R. (Eds) Pedagogies of Wellbeing in the Primary School. Emerald Publishing. https://bookstore.emerald.com/pedagogies-of-wellbeing-in-the-primary-school-hb-9781837421688.html