Connecting evidence with decision making

Historically, there hasn’t been much funding for research in adult social care or much investment in developing the sector’s capacity to produce and use research.

There is often a mismatch between the research produced by universities and other organisations and the needs of those working in adult social care or who use their services. Evidence from healthcare research highlights how important it is to bring the worlds of research and practice closer together, involve service users and carers, and invest in capacity building among social care staff.

Project aims

This project, also known as ConnectED, aims to create a research culture in adult social care. The project team is a partnership of:

  • three local authorities and their clinical commissioning group
  • two service providers
  • two universities
  • representatives from a service user and carer advisory panel

We intend to bring the worlds of research and practice together in ways that will help social care managers and practitioners use research to:

  • make the best decisions they can
  • build research capacity
  • ensure that researchers address the things that matter to service users and carers and practitioners

To do this we will:

  1. Place a researcher in each local authority and service provider. These ‘researchers in residence’ will help practitioners access research that is relevant to them and to the service users and carers with whom they work.
  2. Provide protected time for a social care worker to act as an ‘evidence champion’ in each agency. They will work closely with the researchers to develop practitioners’ understanding of research and how to use it in social care and learn something about the design and conduct of research.
  3. Meet regularly to share experiences, discuss challenges and find solutions; conduct small pilot studies when research gaps are identified; organise regular workshops to share learning more widely; and develop a range of accessible learning tools.

What we hope to achieve

We want to help decision-makers in adult social care make better decisions by increasing their ability to use research well.

Lead collaborators

Partners on this project

Bristol City Council

The council plays a vital role in the health community as public health is part of its remit. Its role is to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population of Bristol. Its activities aim to provide conditions in which people can be healthy and it focuses on the population as a whole, not on individual patients or diseases.

Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board

The Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for the day-to-day running of the NHS. The NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB takes account of population needs, arranges for the provision of services and manages the NHS budget.

North Somerset Council

North Somerset Council is responsible for public health services in the area, including preventing disease and promoting healthy living. They work to improve and protect the health and wellbeing of everyone in North Somerset, with a focus on those with the poorest health.

South Gloucestershire Council

South Gloucestershire Council has responsibility for public health in its area, including encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, smoking cessation and vaccination uptake.

University of Bristol

The University of Bristol is internationally renowned and one of the very best in the UK, due to its outstanding teaching and research, its superb facilities and highly talented students and staff. Its students thrive in a rich academic environment which is informed by world-leading research. It hosts the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research.

University of the West of England (UWE Bristol)

UWE Bristol is one of Britain's largest universities with a consistent reputation for high graduate employment, quality in teaching and growth in research. It is at the heart of dynamic partnerships that deliver real impact in the world. UWE hosts the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, the largest academic centre for multi-disciplinary robotics research in the UK.