Engagement and Partnerships

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.

West Midlands Region

The University of Birmingham has a strong partnership with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) West Midlands and its associated professional networks, including Principal Social Workers, Occupational Therapists and Commissioners. Through these collaborations, we work closely with adult social care leaders and practitioners to address regional priorities and support evidence-informed policy and practice.

Our activities include:

• Undertaking research projects commissioned by WM ADASS to address issues of strategic importance to the sector.
• Working with local authorities and other regional stakeholders to develop and deliver externally funded research projects.
• Supporting the translation of research evidence into adult social care policy and practice across the region.

We are also a key partner in a long-term initiative to strengthen research capacity and culture within adult social care across the West Midlands. This work brings together universities, the NIHR Clinical Research Network West Midlands, the Research Design Service, and Birmingham Voluntary Service Council to increase opportunities for collaboration, build research capability, and support the use of evidence to improve outcomes for people who draw on care and support.

UK and international

Our research has influence and reach across the UK and internationally through collaborations with leading research, policy and practice organisations. As members of national research programmes, including the School for Social Care Research and the Centre for Care, we contribute to strengthening the evidence base for adult social care and improving connections between research, policy and practice.

We play a leading role in IMPACT, the UK centre for implementing evidence in adult social care. Through IMPACT, we work with partners across the four nations to support the use of high-quality evidence in practice, helping to improve services and outcomes for people who draw on care and support.

Building on our extensive research on strengths-based approaches, we have developed a leadership programme with the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). The programme brings together professionals from a wide range of sectors and disciplines across the UK to support innovation and leadership in adult social care.

Internationally, we contribute to networks that promote learning, collaboration and knowledge exchange in adult social care, including the European Social Network and the International Foundation for Integrated Care. The University of Birmingham also coordinates the Universitas 21 Social Work Community of Practice, fostering collaboration among researchers and educators from leading universities around the world.

For more information about our practice and policy engagement activities in the UK and internationally, please contact r.s.miller@bham.ac.uk.

Lived Experience Panel

Our adult social care research is shaped and strengthened by the insights and expertise of people with lived experience. The University's Lived Experience Panel includes people who draw on adult social care support, as well as family members and unpaid carers who support others to access care and support services.

The Panel meets regularly with our adult social care researchers and cluster leads to help ensure that our research addresses the issues that matter most to people and communities. Their contributions play a vital role in:

• Identifying priorities for future research.
• Shaping the design and development of research projects.
• Ensuring research is relevant, accessible and meaningful to people who draw on care and support.
• Helping researchers understand the real-world implications of their findings for policy, practice and everyday lives.

The Panel is central to our commitment to co-production and helps guide the future direction of our adult social care research programme.

For more information about the Lived Experience Panel, please contact sscr@contacts.bham.ac.uk.