We are committed to undertaking research which will have a positive 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.
Adult Social Care Cluster and Adult Social Care Network
The Adult Social Care (ASC) research cluster is led by Professor Catherine Needham and comprises of a group of researchers from the School of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham who collaborate on the theme of adult social care. The associated meetings serve as a hub for knowledge sharing, idea generation, and innovative research practices and can facilitate the development of new research projects and grant applications.
The ASC cluster meets online once a month and members are encouraged to share news of their successes in their research and funding applications. The main part of the meeting comprises of a presentation from a researcher in adult social care usually in relation to a project they are researching, and this is followed by a question-and-answer session. The meeting concludes with more opportunities for researchers to share news of publications and relevant news and events.
The Adult Social Care (ASC) network follows the same format except the membership is wider and includes researchers from around the University whose research is in adult social care.
An e-newsletter ‘Care Compass’ is sent out to members monthly and includes notes from the meetings along with news from adult social care research both internal and external to the university.
If you are a member of staff at the University of Birmingham and would like to join the ASC cluster or network, please get in touch with either Catherine Needham or Ann Evans sscr@contacts.bham.ac.uk and we will add you to the mailing list.
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 sscr@contacts.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 for 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.