About the West Midlands Adass Research Programme
WM ADASS has been working, since 2022, with the National Institute of Health and Social Care Research and the University of Birmingham on a programme to develop a sustainable research culture and infrastructure for adult social care in across the West Midlands.
Following a successful bid to NIHR, we have funding for various inititives to embed research activity at the heart of practice improvement. All 14 authorities in the West Midlands are behind the initiative, which reflects a wider appetite for change to the current situation in which:
- There has not been a culture nationally for research in local authorities for adult social care
- Many policy posts have been lost over the past decade
- Research generally takes place in universities or by clinicians in health settings
- There is a lack of infrastructure in local authorities for research in adult social care.
- The Chief Social Worker identified as a priority area for 2022/23 the need to promote and advise on investment in research
To sustain the initial progress made in 2022/23 funding has been secured for extending the Research Champions posts throughout 2023/24. In addition:
- WM ADASS has agreed to fund access for the British Journal of Social Work for 12
months for all adult social care practitioners in the region to continue to raise awareness
and build momentum for research - WM ADASS is to seek funding to recruit a Research Associate post for the region to
support the identification of priorities, establish a research governance process, manage
bids for research funding, and begin to develop and deliver an adult social care research
programme - WM ADASS is working with the University of Birmingham to develop collaborative adult
social care research projects with WM-ARC (Applied Research Collaborations)
Activity Highlights
As part of our programme to develop a sustainable research culture and infrastructure for adult social care in region we are:
- Hosting three research champions to support the programme
- Providing access to the British Journal of Social Work for all practitioners and other staff working in adult social care in our region
- Progressing a research study Research-mindedness amongst ASC staff in partnership with colleagues at the University of Birmingham. Please complete our survey.
- Producing individual local authority research engagement plans - see our local authority engagement events programme
- Providing support to fellow practitioners to become research champions and also to those wishing to further their research career development
- Developing research and evidence informed practice e.g a WM resource for frontline staff ‘How can NICE guidance support evidence informed SW practice’ (in conjunction with NICE implementation field team)
- Producing proof of concept for Communities of Practice to support sharing of best practice, knowledge, learning and identification of research priorities, building on the already established WM ADASS Community of Practice for Learning Disability and Autism
- Engaging with the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership to ensure effective models of research dissemination and learning from research seminars
- Running an events programme for 2023/24 including our local authority engagement events programme
Watch the recording of our Research Engagement Event 18 July 2023, attended by more than 170 practitioners.
You can access the main slide deck from the event on 18 July in our resources section.
Watch the recording of our Research Engagement Event 16 May 2023, attended by more than 100 practitioners.
You can access the main slide deck from the research engagement event from 16 May in our resources section.
In our resources section you can also access the NIHR slide deck that describes its Local Authority programme
Use this link to access the NIHR slide deck Considering a Practitioner Academic Career - Opportunities with the NIHR