We are committed to undertaking research which will have an impact on the wellbeing of people, families and communities through influencing adult social care policy and practice. To help us achieve this impact, we engage with people with lived experience of adult social care in how we prioritise, design and undertake our research, and have strong connections with adult social care practice networks in the West Midlands, across the UK and internationally.
Lived Experience Panel
Adult social care research at the University is supported by a panel of people with lived experience of adult social care. This includes people who have directly received practical and/or financial support, and those who have cared for someone accessing such support. The Lived Experience Panel meets every two months with the adult social care cluster leads and researchers undertaking research projects. They help us to identify what are the important topics which should be researched, improve the design of research projects which are being developed, and understand the implications of research findings for people who access social care support. They are also central to our plans of what research should be undertaken in the future.
For more details of our Lived Experience Panel, please email a.p.evans@bham.ac.uk.
West Midlands Region
The University of Birmingham has a strong collaboration with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services in the West Midlands and its associated practice networks (including Principal Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and Commissioners). Related activities include undertaking research projects commissioned by WM ADASS and engaging local authorities and other regional social care stakeholders in research projects funded by other bodies. We are also engaged in a long-term initiative to strengthen the research culture within adult social care in the region in partnership with other universities in the region, the Clinical research network, the Research design service, and Birmingham Voluntary Service Council.
UK and international
As members of national research programmes such as the School for Social Care Research and the Centre of Care, we are actively leading and improving collaboration between adult social care practice and research across the UK. For example, IMPACT is the UK centre for implementing evidence in adult social care, working across the UK to facilitate practical changes on the ground in the realities of front-line services and people’s lives. Building on our extensive research in relation to the implementation of strengths-based practice, we have developed a leadership programme with the Social Care Institute of Excellence which has participants from across the UK and a diverse range of professional backgrounds. We are active contributors to international networks related to adult social care such as the European Social Network and the International Foundation for Integrated Care. The University is also the co-ordinator of the Universitas21 Social Work Community of Practice.
For more details of our practice and policy engagement in the UK or internationally, please email r.s.miller@bham.ac.uk.