1
FEEDBACK
From event held on the 23rd January 2020
The Spinning Room, Mossley Mill
CONTENTS Pages
Session one: Building a Research Community in NI - Context 2
Agenda from 23rd January 2020 3
Continued with context - Culture 4-5
Building a Research community - continued session one 6-10
Session two: Review of the Social Work Research 11-14 and Continuous Improvement Strategy 2015-2020
Appendix 1 15
Appendix 2 - Appendix 3 16-17
BUILDING A RESEARCH COMMUNITY IN NORTHERN IRELAND
2
Session One: Building a Research Community in Northern
Ireland
Context
Our initiative on Building a Research Community commenced with a successful
meeting on the 11th November 2019 with attendance by over fifty delegates - See
Appendix 1. It built on the foundations of the Social Work Research and
Continuous Improvement Strategy 2015-2020 which was reviewed in 2019. As we
move forward into the next phase of the strategy we wish to built a research
community that will foster mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships.
In January 2020 we arranged a follow up event comprising of representation of
delegates who attended the first event. It included HSC organisations, academics,
other organisations, employees, social workers, service users and carers.
See appendix 2
The meeting was designed to address two things:
Moving forward on Building a Research Community and setting the agenda
for the future; and,
Consideration of revisions to the Social Work Research and Continuous
Improvement Strategy 2015-2020 to reflect phase 2 of the Strategy.
Two working groups co-chaired by Sonia Patton (service user) and Tony
McAllister (South Eastern Trust) and Fiona Templeton (service user) and Shirley
Boyle (Northern Trust) discussed a series of pre - set questions.
Facilitators Group 1:
Fiona Templeton (Service User)
Shirley Boyle (Northern Trust)
Facilitators Group 2:
Sonia Patton (Service User)
Tony McAllister (South East Trust)
3
ECEMBER 2019 NEWSLETTER: ISUE 11 Agenda from the meeting 23rd January 2020
9.30 Tea/coffee and Networking
10.00 Welcome and Opening Remarks Marie Roulston (HSCB)
10.05
Introductions to
Building A Research Community work
Group work
Consideration of feedback
Title
Infrastructure & accountability
Core groups
Synergy with other groups and agendas
Action Plan
Anne McGlade
Facilitators:
Sonia Patton
Shirley Boyle
Fiona Templeton
Tony McAllister
11.15 Comment from HSC R&D Division Gail Johnston
11.20 Tea and coffee and Networking
11.45
Introduction to Social Work Research and Continuous Improvement Strategy
Group work
Consideration of feedback
Consideration of current strategic priorities - suggested
Small core group to take forward
Anne McGlade
Facilitators:
Sonia Patton
Shirley Boyle
Fiona Templeton
Tony McAllister
12.50 Importance of wider networking and
organisational commitment to research
Peter Reynolds
NIGALA
1.00 Thank you and Close Anne McGlade (HSCB)
Lunch and Networking
“Moving from being research aware to more participative and active engagement in social work
research is not an optional extra”
Peter Reynolds - NIGALA
4 Continued
This report reflects the discussion and feedback obtained from delegates who
participated at the event on the 23rd January 2020. The feedback from the
previous meeting on the 11th November 2019 was circulated widely and is also
available at:
http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/download/PUBLICATIONS/SOCIAL%20WORK%20RESEARCH%
20AND%20CONTINUOUS%20IMPROVEMENT/building_a_research_community/barc-event-nov-
feedback-2020-01-24.pdf
In line with the agenda delegates had the opportunity to quality assure the
feedback document from the 11th November 2019 event hosted at Dunsilly
Hotel. The feedback was viewed as thorough and reflective of the discussion.
This has enabled dissemination to the wider group of stakeholders and
facilitates ongoing communications and engagement.
Key themes addressed at the previous event, and reiterated within both
discussions groups. centred on issues of culture, connectivity and
accessibility. The points raised in relation to each are presented in this
feedback leaflet.
“If you say, "let there be light", and then act with all your capacity to make it a
reality, only then there will be light and hope in the world.”
Abhijit Naskar
Focus groups with delegates
23rd January 2020
5
Culture
Creating the culture needs to be supported by those within a sphere of
influence whereby research and evidence is recognised, encouraged and
supported by senior leaders and operational leaders. The messages need to
go from the top to the front line.
Need to ensure that from the time practitioners first join the social work
profession from university there is a focus on research and evidence.
Within the service those with a practice teacher role should put an emphasis
on the use of research evidence.
We have an opportunity now with this work to move forward with a focus on
research mindedness. We need to capitalise on this.
Research mindedness will help ensure that social work practice is
underpinned by a research model. This will avoid dangers of adopting
practice or new models or approaches that are not underpinned by research
and evidence.
Research mindedness also helps to ensure that research undertaken is
linked to practice.
Culture needs to be supported by an infrastructure and a commitment that
allows staff to engage in research and evidence related activity.
6
Connectivity
Connectivity requires good communications.
The connectivity as proposed within our initial work on Building A Research Community is key.
Encouraged by the idea of collaboration between academics and practice. Building these collaborations is a positive step.
Connections needed with academia, other researchers and practitioners across the statutory sector.
Connections needed with the community and voluntary sector, service users and carers.
It may be helpful to link with co-production approaches within the wider health and social care sector.
Accessibility of research
Make research relevant to practice teams - using Research Highlights or
Short Snapshots of Research Evidence.
A Catalogue of Evidence may aid accessibility to key findings.
Design products with accessibility to the fore to allow easy access to the
research evidence base. Podcasts that are easily downloadable was
suggested.
Consider using other creative initiatives such as a portal. (SCIE noted as an
example).
Create and provide opportunities for learning and development such as a Hub
or/and e-Learning Hub/Podcasts.
“People working together in a strong
community with a shared goal and a
common purpose can make the
impossible possible”
Tom Vilsack
7
Title
There was consensus that in the developmental stage the name and
associated hashtag #BuildingAReserchCommunity is appropriate. When
launching the work this may require further discussion taking cognisance of
the importance of messages of sustainability and connectivity as we move
beyond 2020.
Infrastructure
In developing the infrastructure to support the work there was unanimous
agreement across the two groups of the importance of getting membership of
a Core Group reflective of representatives from key stakeholders. There was
agreement that this group also needed to be a manageable size comprised of
people prepared to take on agreed roles. See Appendix 3
Opportunities were provided to delegates to put their names forward or
suggest others for engagement with the Core Group - namely:
“People who feel that they actively contribute”
As reiterated in the context section of this report delegates comprised
representation from HSC organisations, other statutory and not for profit
organisations, academia, service users and carers. The suggestions for
nominations to date are therefore drawn from these stakeholders reinforcing
our commitment for inclusion and equality of participation of:
Service users and carers;
Academics;
Practitioners (statutory, not for profit
and private);
Managers.
8 Continued
Delegates considered any gaps or areas of expertise and people who could
potentially be approached and encouraged to engage with and support the
research and evidence agenda.
It is not the intention in this feedback report to provide names of people but rather
positions or areas from where representation within the Core Group may be
useful. Comments below reflect views obtained from both of the discussion
groups which were relatively consistent.
Additional inclusion or issues of relevance to the infrastructure
Leadership has been evident at the two meetings to date but the agenda
needs greater buy in and ownership from the Senior Leadership Network.
Social Work Principal and Senior Practitioners within Trusts need to be
involved. Research and evidence had previously been identified for
incorporation into their job descriptions. This issue needs to be pursued to
see what has happened with these job roles.
Funding for the role of Core Group members, if acting as leads or
ambassadors, should be discussed. This task needs to be included in job
descriptions. Medicine was used as comparator profession where this
automatically happens.
Need to look at other models and funding structures including for support for
service users and carers .
The Core Group needs to be viewed as an opportunity not an add on.
The Core Group needs to include leads drawn from a sphere of influence so
that they are in a position to take decisions and be also accountable for
these.
There needs to be an honest conversation about allowing some protected
time for staff engaging in the Core Group recognising already busy work
commitments. If this is not recognised by managers and supervisors as
important it will be difficult to secure commitment.
9
The Core Group must draw on representation from throughout
organisations from the top to the front line to ensure connectivity at
different levels.
Term of Reference (ToF) to be devised and agreed to identify purpose,
direction, roles and responsibilities. The chair and co-chair roles need to
reflect both leadership and the principle of equality. The Core Group also
needs administrative support.
An action plan and work plan could consider a series of events through
the year where smaller groups could meet to discuss issues.
Subgroups
On the issue of whether there was a need for additional subgroups there was
greater support amongst delegates for "Keeping the work straight forward
and uncomplicated”.
There was concern that too many groups may be difficult to manage.
There was agreement on the need to situate any tasks such as identifying
research priorities within the existing structure which will also allow
greater accountability.
Better to avoid duplication.
Look at synergy and linkages with other existing meetings and networks.
Links for example to HSC, Delegated Statutory Functions was one way
suggested that research and evidence can be better embedded and
linked to practice. Linkages to other networks was also suggested as a
better way to share outcomes from research conducted by academics,
other researchers, practitioners, service users and carers.
10
Who else needs to be part of Core Group?
Linkages with National Organisations and initiatives, where relevant, should
be considered by the Core Group (Organisations such as SCIE).
It is important that we learn from what is happening elsewhere in England,
Wales, Scotland and Republic of Ireland.
The HSC Research and Division (R&D) are already linked with the Four
Nations Research Group and it is important that we build on our established
links with R&D within this work.
Ensure we have links with Community and Voluntary Sectors (not for profit
organisations).
A provision was also added that whilst links were important how this is managed is
also important. Our objective is to have a Small Core Group. Making the group too
wide with too many people involved may be difficult to manage.
We need to keep the focus on establishing: -
“A small energetic motivated group to move the agenda forward with the membership prepared to take actions and deliver them”.
“We are living in a smaller country. It is important that we capitalise on the partnership that we already have especially between academia, practice and
service users and carers”.
“The group needs to be sustainable”.
“ The key is to make the existence of the Research Community known in the wider community”.
Immediate Task
Overwhelmingly the feedback on our immediate task was to:
Establish a Core Group with agreed Terms of Reference.
Previous terms and reference, of groups that have been in
place to date in relation to the Social Work Research and Continuous
Improvement Strategy, are a good foundation and should be reviewed and
revised.
Develop an agreed plan on a page and a detailed action plan with clear
measurable goals, targets and timelines and an associated immediate and
longer term work plan. Evidence to be collated on how well we are changing
Continued
11
the mind-set and culture.
The development of communications is important to keep the conversations
alive regionally and locally.
Session two: Review of the Social Work Research and Continuous
Improvement Strategy 2015-2020
In 2019 a review in Social Work Research and
Continuous Improvement Strategy was
undertaken which was also shared and
discussed at the previous meeting on 11th
November 2019. Delegates had the opportunity
to quality assure the feedback from that
meeting prior to wider dissemination.
Delegates agreed that there was still a need for a
Regional Strategy as we move forward post 2020.
This will ensure that the necessary governance,
accountability and oversight issues are in place. In
considering the issues that are relevant in relation to
the next phase of the strategy delegates reiterated
that wider ownership and consistency is needed.
The strategy has resulted in a number of achievements and we have evidence of
an increased number of enthusiastic practitioners and service users and carers
engaged and interested in research and evidence.
12 Continued
This enthusiasm, it was noted, has not however been consistent. The way ahead
is to address this. There was optimism for the new collaborative approach being
proposed albeit that the potential challenges in changing the culture were not
underestimated. There was a recognition that this would still take time to achieve.
Seven strategic priorities were identified within the previous strategy (2015-2020)
which were intended to support a culture of research mindedness. Delegates had
the opportunity to reconsider these. In the main these seven strategic remain
relevant. The key issues is about ownership of the priorities, and driving these
forward in addition to identifying the progress and the difference made. This is
ongoing work.
Part of the task of Building Research Community will the:
Revision of the Strategy and agreeing an Implementation Process
Some current regional initiatives were identified by delegates as examples where
greater research and evidence, pre introduction and roll out, should have been
better considered. If a research culture had been fully embedded the research
evidence base would have automatically been addressed as a pre-requisite to any
agreed regional work. This needs to be addressed.
Key initiatives identified for regional application need to embrace the evidence
base as a rationale for why this is the case. Other regional issues include court
decisions where it was noted that social workers need attention to robust research
evidence. Lack of analysis in court evidence needs to be addressed.
To build the culture as, envisaged by the vision of the original Research and
Continuous Improvement Strategy and reiterated in the review, a number of
elements were addressed in the group discussion. Quite a bit of the discussion
reiterated the discussions that had taken place in the earlier session on Building a
Research Community.
13
A summary of points is included here:
There needs to be greater questioning from peers on why practitioners are not
using research. This needs to come from managers and supervisors, inclusive
of social work professional and multi–professional groups. Social work
practitioners need to be asked what element of research and evidence
informed their decisions.
Social work practice needs to stand up to scrutiny, leaders therefore need to
also model this behaviour in order to enhance credibility, confidence and
credibility within the workforce.
Need to engage Principal Practitioners to help bring other staff in the
workforce along with the agenda.
Need to build the capacity of staff recognising this needs adequate time to
engage.
Co-production in it’s widest sense is the approach that needs to be embraced
in the development and implementation of the future Strategy. We need to
demonstrate this through practice.
The entire Core Group for Building a Research Community needs to be
engaged in identifying research priorities. This cannot be just the decision of
the chair of the Core Group albeit they have a role to support any agreed
outcomes.
Developing the capacity of staff is about changing hearts and minds and the
Core Group needs to support this through a revision and implementation of
the new Social Work and Research and Continuous Improvement Strategy.
Use of accessible research language is important given that words like
research or evidence still remain alien to some staff. Greater awareness
needed.
We need effective communications and proactive events and workshops to
engage staff across various boundaries, geographic and professional.
Listening and addressing the real challenges on the ground will ensure
effective implementation of the revised Strategy’s vision and intentions.
14
Implementation also needs to include the support of staff from the bottom up
and top down.
Research needs to be timely. We may need more Evidence Reviews that are
short and coherent. We need information to fill research gaps, as in reality,
research to create generalizable evidence takes a number of years to
produce and disseminate.
Accessible and timely provision of current information on research and
evidence outcomes remains a priority.
Organising events to bring people together on topic areas is important; taking
cognisance of the fact that social work is not a single activity. We work within
a multi-professional integrated system. Collective leadership is therefore
important.
Infrastructure
The infrastructure for the Research Strategy is in accordance with the wider
Research Community and the establishment of the Core Group. One of the key
components of the Terms of Reference for the Core Group needs to be the
delivery of a revised Social Work Research and Continuous Improvement
Strategy.
Conclusion
This short paper provides a summary of the energetic discussion that took place
at the Building a Research Community Event on 23rd January 2020.
The commitment by those in the room was infectious. The time is right to
Build the Research Community.
This is our immediate task.
15
Appendix 1:
List of attendees on the 11th November 2019 in Dunsilly hotel
1 Alison Shaw NISCC
2 Anne McGlade HSCB
3 Berni Kelly QUB
4 Brenda Horgan NISCC
5 Brian Taylor Ulster University
6 Bronagh Hamill NHSCT
7 Catherine Cooke NHSCT
8 Caroline McGonigle NHSCT
9 Carole Kirk NHSCT
10 Colm Burns PACC
11 Dawn Shaw BHSCT
12 Deborah Dalton NHSCT
13 Edna McConville SETRUST
14 Eileen McKay DOH
15 Fiona Templeton SERVICE USER
16 Frances Nicholson DOH
17 Geraldine O'Hare PBNI
18 Geraldine Patterson SETRUST
19 Gillian Thomas WHSCT
20 Helen Dunn HSCB
21 Joe Elliott WHSCT
22 John Hand BHSCT
23 Judith Brunt HSCB
24 Karen Bester SERVICE USER
25 Kathryn Carmichael NHSCT
26 Laura Doyle VOYPIC
27 Lisa Bunting QUB
28 Lorna Montgomer QUB
29 Marie Roulston HSCB
30 Martina Jordan BASW NI
31 Mary Donaghy HSCB
32 Maxine Gibson CYPSP
33 Megan McElwee HSCNI
34 Michaela Glover HSCB
35 Noeleen Higgins BHSCT
36 Owen O'Connor VOYPIC
37 Pam Borland BHSCT
38 Pamela Fillis SETRUST
39 Paula McFadden Ulster University
40 Paul Doran DOJ
41 Paul McStravick WJJC
42 Peter Reynolds NIGALA
43 Roisin O'Hare SEHSCT
44 Ross Kennedy BHSCT
45 Ruth McKelvey PBNI
46 Sara Templer HSCB
47 Sharon McAteer NISCC
48 Shirley Boyle NHSCT
49 Sonia Patton SERVICE USER
50 Stephanie Kerr BHSCT
51 Tony McAllister SETRUST
52 Trasa Canavan BARNADO'S NI
16
Appendix 2:
List of attendees on the 23rd January 2020
No Name Organisation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Dawn Shawn
Fiona Templeton
Joe Elliott
Lorna Montgomery
Marie Roulston
Peter Reynolds
Shirley Boyle
Sonia Patton
Tony McAllister
Tràsa Canavan
Anne McGlade
Caroline Brogan
Campbell Killick
Gail Johnston
Michaela Glover
Bronagh Hamill
Judith Brunt
Lisa Bunting
Barbara Campbell
Tricia Devlin
BHSCT
Service User
WHSCT
QUB
HSCB
NIGALA
NHSCT
Service User
SETRUST
Barnado’s NI
HSCB
BHSCT
Ulster University
R&D Division
HSCNI
NHSCT
HSCB
QUB
SETRUST
NISCC
17
No Name Organisation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Brian Taylor
Dawn Shawn
Shirley Boyle
Tràsa Canavan
Bronagh Hamill
Lisa Bunting
Tricia Devlin
Sonia Patton
Tony McAllister
Eileen McKay
Fiona Templeton
Marie Roulston
Anne McGlade
Mary Donaghy
Peter Reynolds
UU
BHSCT
NHSCT
Barnado’s NI
NHSCT
QUB
NISCC
Service User
SETRUST
DoH
Service User
HSCB
HSCB
HSCB
Nigala
Appendix 3:
Nominees to Core Group suggested (not complete)
18
NOTES:
Social Care and Children’s Directorate
12-22 Linenhall Street
Belfast, BT2 8BS
Anne McGlade Social Care Research Lead (HSCB)
Contact No: 02895363017
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.hscboard.hscni.net/our-work/social-care-and-children/swresearch
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