pepe271

research in practice

FIRM FOUNDATIONS: Creating a climate for research utilisation across

children’s services

Colleen Eccles, Assistant Director, research in practice

PEPE conference, Edinburgh , 2008

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Aims of Today’s Session

1. What works in implementing strategies to encourage research use and evidence-informed practice in policy and practice

2. To look at the ‘change project’ model as a means of engaging practice with research and producing tools for change

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research in practice: who we are

Since 1996, we have developed into the UK’s largest research utilisation project in the children and families field with a network of over 80 participating agencies. We cultivate an active relationship with participating agencies that is:

•collaborative•supportive - sharing ideas and resources•developmental•committed to developing learning organisations•designed for life-long learning

research in practice offer a six-strand programme that supports the development of an evidence-informed culture - encouraging critical thinking and engaging policy makers, managers and front-line staff.

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Barking & Dagenham Birmingham Blackpool Bournemouth

Bracknell Forest Brent Brighton & Hove Bristol City

Buckinghamshire CAFCASS Cambridgeshire Cheshire

Children’s Society Cornwall Coventry Cumbria

Derbyshire Devon Dorset Dudley

Durham County East SussexEssex Gloucestershire

Hackney Hammersmith & F’ham Hampshire Harrow

Hertfordshire Kensington & Chelsea Lambeth Lancashire

Leicester City Leicestershire Medway MENCAP

Merton Newham North Yorkshire Northamptonshire

Northumberland NSPCC Plymouth Portsmouth

Reading Sheffield Slough Somerset

Southampton Southwark St Helens Staffordshire

Stockport Suffolk TACT Tameside

Together Trust Torbay Waltham Forest West Berkshire

West Sussex Westminster Wigan Wiltshire

Windsor & Maidenhead Wolverhampton Barnsley

The network

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The six strands of our work

Change Projects:Organisational SupportLeadershipUsing research in evidence in CourtYoung women and alcohol

Publications:Practice handbooksResearch reviewsNetWorkAudio CDs and DVDsResearch briefingsChampions for Children

Website:www.rip.org.uk

Network Exchange:Email exchange groupsRegional meetingsNational events

Learning Events:Research message and support workshopsCase study workshopsPartnership conferencesE-learning

Joint work with RiPfA:New sister organisation working with adults

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Evidence-informed practice:about the approach

Evidence-informed is an approach which seeks to:

•increase research-mindedness•encourage critical thinking•cultivate innovation, experimentation, reflection, evaluation and review•support research dissemination•support implementation and adoption of research findings•promote decision making informed by sound research evidence

We use the term evidence-informed rather than evidence-based to reflect combining the best available research evidence with the practice expertise of professionals and the views of service users.

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Consensus?

best available evidence should INFORM practitioners’ decisions

practitioners draw on different types and sources of evidence

a considered and thoughtful process

influence of research often subtle and indirect

multi-disciplinary teams make clarity about the social care evidence-base even more important

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Debate?

what counts as ‘best evidence’?

practitioners finding and using research to inform individual cases?

explicit reference to the influence of research on decisions and proposals?

who’s responsible for developing research knowledge and use?

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Whose responsibility?

National requirements

‘Research, analyse, evaluate and use current knowledge of best social work practice.’

National Occupational Standards for SW

‘90 hours or 15 days of study, training, courses, seminars, reading, teaching or other activities which could reasonably be expected to advance the social worker's professional development, or contribute to the development of the profession as a whole.’ GSCC re-registration policy

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Whose responsibility?

Quality Strategy for Social Care

‘Excellent councils will ensure…that there are clear mechanisms for keeping staff up-to-date with practice development, research findings and active participation in research and learning networks…[and] that there is a shift to a culture of continuous improvement.’

Department of Health (2000)

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Whose responsibility?

research in practice’s experience

There are limits to what (even very committed) teams and individuals can achieve alone. They need:

leaders who embed the use of research in the organisation’s culture and bloodstream

processes that reinforce these expectations

enabling facilities and opportunities

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Echoes in other people’s findings

‘The role of leadership and senior management was noted to be crucial in demonstrating the value of research as a source for new ideas, in accessing and making use of research, in encouraging research by practitioners and in active collaboration with research producers.’

Barnardo’s (2000)

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Change Project Method

Stage 1: Idea generation

Stage 2: Scoping Study

Stage 3: Experts Knowledge Exchange

Stage 4: Recruit and run CP group

Stage 5: Produce an Action Pack

Stage 6: Pilot and Evaluate Action Pack

Stage 7: Produce a Handbook

Stage 8: Launch and Publicise

Stage 9: Promote and support use

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Leading Evidence-Informed Practice

A tried and tested handbook

31 agencies involved theoretical ideas tools / exercises ‘wise words’ & ‘top tips’ audio CD of experiences real examples ‘dig deeper’ resources on

the website

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What the Handbook covers

• Looks at motivational leadership

• How to encourage learning and improvement

• Sustaining change and momentum

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Tools

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Firm Foundations handbook

Guidance Ideas and advice Tools / exercises Video CD Links to real

examples and ‘dig deeper’ resources

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The Firm Foundations handbook covers:

Why use research evidence? How to gain and maintain

organisational support for evidence-informed practice

How to develop strategy How to improve access to and

learning from research How to support local research

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Five ‘firm foundations’

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Research Use in Court

Scoping Study Practical guidance Tools Video CD Links to real

examples and ‘dig deeper’ resources

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Key Issues

How do we define social work expertise?

How do we convey and assert social work expertise?

Are expert witnesses appointed thoughtfully?

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Key Issues

What level of confidence do other professionals working in the family court have about the evidence presented by social workers?

How are the judiciary research informed?

How can we improve the confidence and Competence of social workers?

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Focus on Practice

•Highlights innovative practice found within the Network.

•Practice examples are also on film

Page 64

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Conclusion

EIP is a shared responsibility Leadership influences the culture of an organisation,

therefore it is of utmost importance to have leadership support for EIP

Organisational support is essential to embed the approach so that it amounts to more than the enthusiasm of a few individuals

Individual practitioner awareness and confidence in applying critical thinking is central to making good evidence informed decisions

[email protected] www.rip.org.uk