quarterly briefing issue 5

This briefing gives an up-to-date account of developments at research in practice, a partnership between the Association of Directors of Social Services, Dartington Social Research Unit, the University of Sheffield and 56 member agencies. Together we are working to improve access to child care research by making it more comprehensible and disseminating its findings more widely and by enabling agencies to implement its lessons.

distinctive features and objectives

research in practice is the biggest child care research implementation project in the country. It was launched in 1996 and now works with 56 member agencies to encourage the use of research in planning and practice and to develop a research ethos -what might be called 'research mindedness' - in the personal social services for children and families.

Evidence based social care describes the practice of a range of professions whose work is grounded in sound understanding of the needs of children. It is informed by:

• The best available evidence on what is effective
  
• the practice expertise of professionals
  
• the experiences and preferences of service users
  
  In a period when much that statutory agencies do is determined by the requirements of others, the research in practice initiative is notable for its voluntary nature. Member agencies join because they want to be key players in an adventurous collaboration between practitioners, policy makers and researchers.

research in practice promotes an integrated style of working
combining the authority of the statutory and voluntary member agencies who want to make best use of research, the insight of children and families and the expertise of professionals who are charged with helping them.

research in practice is a developmental network
advancing research-based improvement via the World Wide Web and through organising exchanges, projects, conferences, publications and professional development work. It collaborates with ambitious agencies - those that have a vision and strategy for change. Together they bring discernment to the process of innovation and evaluation and test methods which others may adopt and replicate. All services are designed to support the principles and requirements of government programmes such as Best Value and Quality Protects.

our approach is underpinned by seven principles :

• Working in partnership with participating agencies
  
• being both proactive and responsive
  
• using a whole system approach - working with every level
  
• developing alliances to enhance the links between research and practice and to gain the best possible services
  
• focusing on the dissemination, adoption and implementation of research

• ensuring that our work and the use of research support initiatives to improve child care services
  
• regularly and transparently evaluating the impact of what we do and the progress made by our members

Member agencies will get the most out of their membership by :

• Seeing it as an opportunity rather than a solution
  
• using research in practice's services as a means to an end rather than an end in themselves
  
• ensuring that membership and the desire to encourage evidence based practice are embedded in their organisational structure

membership

future directions

research in practice reflects a desire on the part of service agencies to be better informed about the needs of their citizens, more confident of their expertise in fashioning effective interventions and more involved in generating and using research evidence. Our work supports their commitment to:

• becoming more evidence based
  
• having greater understanding of the impact of their interventions
  
• learning from the shared experience of members and service users
  
• gaining greater leverage on the research agenda
  
• systematising their engagement with evidence based practice within their Business Planning framework
  
  all in order to provide more consistent, high quality public services to vulnerable children and families.

Our experience bears out wider research evidence that a multi-dimensional approach, using different methods with a wide range of participants, is the best way to foster learning and change in culture and in practice. We will build on these solid foundations and on greater shared understanding of agency needs and their ability to use external support.

By revising membership arrangements we believe we are closer to establishing the idea of a developmental partnership, one that sees full members as collaborators in a continuous process of innovation and experimentation. Additionally, from September 2001, other agencies - including those beyond social services and the larger voluntary organisations - will have greater access to our services.

finances

what research in practice has done during the past year

• produced research focused audiotapes on residential care and on anti-social behaviour, each including contributions from leading researchers and service users and exercises for listeners to use alone or in groups (full references are on our website)
  
• relaunched our website - a learning zone with increased policy and research content and greater relevance and accessibility
  
• developed alliances to deliver more resources to practitioners; current partners include the National Institute for Social Work on the pilot of the Electronic Library for Social Care , the University of Southampton and NISW to develop an internet-based 'Research Mindedness Module', and the Centre for Evidence Based Social Services to develop strategies for evidence based practices in social care agencies
  
• increased our service to ADSS through presentations at the ADSS Spring Seminar, membership of the Research Group and the Children and Families Committee and the mailing of Quarterly Briefings to all ADSS members
  
• accepted a commission from DH to prepare a series of practitioner-focused Quality Protects Research Briefings; the first two on Educational Achievement and on Placement Stability have been sent in bulk to every English local authority; they are also available on our website, fully referenced and supported by discussion groups ; QPRBs are being produced jointly with Making Research Count
  
• brought together leading researchers and elected members to discuss best methods for providing children and adolescents with high quality mental health services
  
• created an opportunity for directors to discuss most effective methods of disseminating parenting support research
  
• supported staff at every level inside local authorities and voluntary organisations - from teams to staff development workers to service heads to directors - in their efforts to develop an evidence based culture within services for children and families
  
• worked with multi-agency groups to consider the evidence on educational needs of looked after hildren and how agencies might work better together to improve outcomes
  
• provided over 1,200 workshop places at 43 workshops on 17 research implementation themes in nine venues
  
• produced a research overview on the latest UK and USA research on the impact on children of domestic violence and the most helpful strategies and services
  
• introduced an evaluation programme to allow member agencies to benchmark their progress towards evidence based practice and to compare outcomes with others
  
• extended membership to a new group of 'Associates'

what research in practice will do during the coming year

• run six symposia to enable researchers to speak on themes related to Quality Protects and Best Value and member agencies to share their own learning and service developments; conference reports will be published on our website
  
• extend links with health workers through two NHS commissions to investigate with others the development of research into practice and the involvement of lay people in research and development
  
• develop the learning zone aspects of the website and encourage networking and information exchange within it
  
• engage children and families in the development of the website and publish service user-focused research summaries
  
• produce six more Quality Protects Research Briefings, two more audiotapes and two research overviews/discussion papers
  
• foster alliances with other organisations working in the research implementation field
  
• publish distance learning action packs for Evidence Based Team working and Organisational Support for Evidence Based Practice
  
• continue evaluation work and strengthen Quality Assurance links
  
• explore the potential for setting up a register of evaluators and research consultants
  
• present up-to-date research findings to directors (Warwick 28/29th June) and elected members (Bristol 12/13th July)
  
• continue to provide core services, including active support to member Link Officers and associate member Support Officers through letters, Newsposters, meetings and email discussion groups
  
• begin implementation of New Directions work programme for 2001 onwards and offer new tiers of membership alongside new contracts

for more information

Celia Atherton at research in practice,
Warren House,
Warren Lane,
Dartington,
Totnes TQ9 6EG,
Tel: 01803 867692
email: celia@rip.org.uk

Jo Cooke at research in practice,
Children and Families Research Group,
Elmfield,
University of Sheffield S10 2TU
Tel: 0114 222 6484
email: j.m.cooke@rip.org.uk