Fishing from opposite banks - same river, different fish?
Can participatory action research bring service users and practitioners
together?
Fishing from opposite banks - same river, different fish?
Andy Cheng [email protected] Imogen Taylor [email protected]
In this presentation
• About the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project
• About the participants• What they wanted• How we brought them together• What we have been getting• Concluding words
About the KTP project
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) supports UK businesses wanting to improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance by accessing the knowledge and expertise available within UK Universities and Colleges.
www.ktponline.org.uk
NCDAServices include:• Nursery• Youth service• Healthy Lifestyles• Family Learning• Open Spaces• Community Centre• Community Action & support• NewCEP• Information Hub• Sompriti• Well-being centres• WRAP & recovery service• Counselling• Education & Well-being
www.ncda.org.uk
Newhaven
Different fish?Service UsersWho want to:• do something worthwhile• build social contacts (addressing
feelings of isolation)• make a contribution (often in
gratitude for past services)• find ways of doing more activities
with NCDA• learn new skills• have a fun and rewarding timeand in some cases• build confidence (for example -
speaking with strangers)
Practitioners (NCDA Staff)Who want to:• maintain good relationships with
service users (to not ‘rock the boat’)• set up realistic expectations• avoid issues that they had no
chance of addressing through their repertoire of services
• ensure results that are relevant to them
• find methods that are not onerous to implement, easy to understand and that deliver tangible results in the short term
Different tackle?Service UsersImportant messages:• Crucial role in project• Recognising and celebrating
personal expertise that comes from lived experience
• Develop a clear and simple message about the purpose of this project (together)
Practitioners (NCDA Staff)Have to be involved (job role)
Important messages:• NCDA “aren't broke”
Help to recognise and celebrate• Ensure products of evaluation are
useful to staff• Ensure Staff stay in control of
services
In the net?• 8 experimental actions (participant led
inquiries)• Some more successful than others
Particularly successful:• themed semi-structured informal
participant inquiries, co-hosted by service users
Already getting new and rich details about impact which staff recognise add value to the standard metrics they carry out.
Helps evidence the feedback they had been receiving informally.
Some services users reporting feeling more confident and that they are learning new skills.
In conclusion?
Can participatory action research bring service users and practitioners together… for the function of service evaluation and impact measurement?
Yes.
Fishing from opposite banks - same river, different fish?
Thank you for ListeningAny Questions?
Andy Cheng [email protected] Imogen Taylor [email protected]
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