Reflections from September: A New Beginning
By Sandra Simpson, Research Engagement Lead, 20 October 2025
September was a month full of new beginnings. I had the privilege of attending my first Communities of Practice (CoP) for adult social care commissioners in the West Midlands, hosted by my colleague, Patrick Hall, our embedded research fellow with West Midlands ADASS from the University of Birmingham. This experience provided me with valuable insight into the work of commissioners and how they plan to incorporate research evidence into their roles. Although I was supposed to be there to support with facilitation, I found myself so engrossed in the conversations that I ended up joining in. Sorry Patrick!
The following week, it was my turn to facilitate a CoP for adult social care workers, ‘Connecting with Research: Establishing a Community of Practice for Adult Social Care Workers in the West Midlands’. Unlike the previous week, I was not feeling as relaxed and chatty as I was in my assigned "facilitator role." They say a watched phone never rings, but in my case, a watched door never opens. I have never focused on a door so much. I was apprehensive about the turnout; however, 14 attended. While this may not sound like a lot for a regional event, the reality is that it is really challenging to get practitioners away from work due to workload and workforce challenges. I could not have wished for a better turnout. There was so much passion in the room for research and pushing forward. A lot of brain power was involved. Luckily, a nice lunch followed to take the edge off. It was a lesson for me to be mindful of the cognitive load work like this involves. Thinking is tiring!
From my own perspective, it was the first time I organised a Community of Practice (CoP), and doing something new can always be a bit daunting. However, what is essential is to remember the ‘why’. The ‘why’ is that there is a deep need to embed a research culture within adult social care across the West Midlands and nationally. Underpinning the ‘why’ is the drive to improve the lives of people who access adult social care. The hope is that the CoP will contribute towards that cultural change. Like all big cultural changes, the important thing is to start and just keep going, growing and learning.
Reflecting on the first CoP session, there are definitely a few things I would do differently, and I can perhaps start implementing them in the future. Firstly, I would send out the slides and discussion points beforehand to give people an opportunity to think and write notes. Although there was a diverse range of members working in different roles, I would like to put more effort into including support workers and carers working in adult social care.
I also regret not inviting a guest speaker to provide a different perspective and inspiration. It would have given members a break from my voice. Additionally, making use of technology to break up the experience to make it more engaging would have been beneficial. More importantly, though, I should have brought more sweets! Every day is a school day.
Another first for me was being invited as a guest speaker to the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership visioning event. I felt so welcomed by all the attendees. I presented my CAPE model, a potential framework for building a research culture. CAPE is an acronym for the following domains: Consume, Apply, Participate, and Encourage. I hope that by implementing these habits in everyday practice, we will develop a research culture. The model speaks to a wide range of practitioners; it may include a practitioner who just wants to read research (Consume) or a practitioner who would like to undertake research. The model has something to offer everyone; it is not about making every social care practitioner an academic. It is about meeting people where they are on their research journey and supporting. The level of engagement and feedback from the model blew me away. The Q&A session was dynamic, and I gained tremendous insight into the dedication and work involved in the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership. One of my biggest takeaways was how much partners care about the future of the profession and beyond.
Additionally, I received positive feedback regarding my public speaking abilities from several partners. Obviously, I am now going to put myself forward for a TEDx talk! On a serious note, if you are interested in embedding a research culture and you want to learn from my triumphs and failures, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
September was full of transformative experiences. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be a part of embedding a research culture in adult social care across the West Midlands.
Our second Community of Practice will be held online in November 2025. The date and time are to be confirmed, but if you are interested, please do contact me via email at sandra.simpson@wm-adass.org.uk