It's hard to believe that six months have already flown by in my role as a Research Engagement Lead. A key aspect of my role is to embed a research culture and create research capacity across 14 local authorities across the West Midlands. This is no mean feat and will require small, firm and steady steps. Thankfully, I am not pursuing this big undertaking on my own, and I am part of the research development group, the eclectic group of research enthusiasts looking continuously at ways to progress the research agenda for the region.
What I Have Seen and Learnt So Far
From the previous research on barriers to engagement that I undertook with my research champion colleagues, Vicky Croft and Jemma White, I learned that research knowledge is valued by adult social care workers and people who access adult social care. One participant shared:
“I'd like them sometimes to talk about research they're reading, and for me to have some input into that and to say, yeah, that's really interesting or no, I have a different view than that.”
This may not be news to many, but it is encouraging and serves as a further reason to engage in research. The study also observed the importance of adult social care leaders promoting research engagement.
Research is frequently undertaken within local authorities, and we are not talking about it enough! Speaking with principal social workers, I observed that they regularly conduct evaluations, thematic analysis to monitor gaps in service delivery and to understand who is or is not accessing their services and how to address these issues.
We need to share new knowledge and celebrate it within the region. And no, I’m not looking for an excuse to party! Appreciating the value of sharing knowledge reminds me of the African philosophy each one, teach one! Each one teach one promotes the idea of sharing knowledge and skills. The origin of the philosophy is from a darker time in history, but its relevance remains. By sharing research-based knowledge, we learn from each other's successes and may even prevent mistakes.
Being Part of Transformative Change
Speaking of celebrations, five social workers in the Midlands participated in a study, concerning Social Work with Older People. The research was part of the NIHR funded Social Work with Older People (SWOP) research project led by the University of Birmingham, the University of Bristol and Effective Practice. Some key findings included:
- Social workers play a crucial role in supporting older people particularly in life changing circumstances such as a hospital admission.
- There is a need for better public information about the role of social work.
- Social workers make a positive difference and are valued.
Overall, the study illustrates the importance of social workers participating in research and contributing towards transformative change. To learn more about the findings please check out the Summary Findings and open access article journal article published in the British Journal of Social Work.
Building Relationships is Central to My Role.
Building relationships has been a central focus of my role. I’ve been connecting with local authorities, universities, social care practitioners and research positive partners such as West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership. I have been fortunate to have great discussions about research with occupational therapists, social workers and social care practitioners. I have supported and encouraged practitioners to sign up to the British Journal of Social Work since it is currently free to social care practitioners in the West Midlands. Recently, I attended the PSW network meeting where I discussed the purpose of my role and ways in which we can achieve a sustainable research culture together. It has been inspiring to see the enthusiasm for research through these engagements. I'm also mindful of the challenges practitioners face when engaging in research. Little by little, we'll get there.
Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk
I have spent a few years encouraging practitioners to apply for funding to undertake research opportunities. I decided to take my own advice. I applied for funding through British Association of Social Work International Development Fund to attend the IFSW European Regional Conference in Onslo, Norway. I was successful! This will be the first time I am travelling abroad alone for a conference. But I am hopeful I will safely arrive in the right country. The joy of growth is often coupled with discomfort. I’ll be sure to share my experience in future blogs.
Highlights
One of the highlights over the six months was being invited to present at the NIHR webinar, “Inspiring Adult Social Care Workers into Research” Watch here. During the session, I discussed the need for more adult social care practitioner researchers and the importance of our voices being heard in research. I also shared my experience as a self-funder, and the realities of balancing my professional doctorate with work and family life. I highlighted funding opportunities for adult social care workers through NIHR.
The systematic review titled, “Research Mindedness in Adult Social Care: a Systematic Review” undertaken with the three research champions was citied in a fantastic article titled, ‘practitioner as researchers – experiences of four people working in hybrid roles in two local authorities and university’ (Woolham et al, 2025). I will be sharing my reflections on this in the near future.
Watch Out For
As part of building a research culture I will be calling upon social care practitioners to join me in developing a community of practice (CoP) for adult social care practitioners within the West Midlands. The CoP will focus on adult social care research. A Community of Practice is a shared space, whether physical or online, where groups of individuals who care about a particular topic or issue come together to interact regularly. This collaborative environment fosters mutual learning and knowledge exchange (Wenger et al., 2002). The CoP will provide a great opportunity to embed a research culture and collaborate with people who access adult social care, universities and research positive stakeholders in the region. Let's come together to make transformative change, share insights, and drive forward the future of adult social care through research!
The School for Social Care Research has announced the latest round of Career Development Awards is now live! One of the School for Social Care Research’s flagship career development opportunities, this award offers £20k to £75k for individuals to undertake personalised training activities and advance their professional development in social care research. The deadline for applications is 5pm Thursday 25 September 2025. The full guidance, FAQs and details on how to apply is available on the SSCR website.