There have long been concerns in social work about the gap between research and professional practice. This workshop highlights the issues involved in developing evidence-informed practice in social work and social care. It outlines current developments across a range of Universities which exemplify the effective mobilisation of research into practice. Contributed by: Scottish Universities Social Work Education
Putting it into practice: research, knowledge exchange and knowledge mobilisation S45
1. Putting it into Practice:
Research, Knowledge Exchange
and Knowledge Mobilisation
Andrew Kendrick (Strathclyde University)
Janine Bolger (RGU)
Kathryn Mackay (Stirling University)
2. Research can be viewed as:
Cold-hearted statistics
Selfish or self-indulgent
Exploiting service users and professional
Distant and removed from practice
Expensive/time consuming/lengthy
3. Evidence-based / Evidence-informed Practice
Developing methods to evaluate effectiveness of
practice
Debating the nature of evidence
Building a research and knowledge culture across
the sector
Improving the accessibility of research and improve
dissemination and knowledge mobilisation
Supporting the ntegration of research and evidence
into practice
4. Types of Knowledge
Organisational knowledge
Practitioner knowledge
User knowledge
Research knowledge
Policy knowledge
(Pawson et al, 2003, Types and Quality of Knowledge in
Social Care
5. Post-Qualifying Courses and Short Courses
Social Work/Social Services Management
Child Protection and Child Welfare
Child and Youth Studies
Adult Support and Protection
Mental Heath Officer
Global Social Policy and Social Work
6. Post-Qualifying Courses and Short Courses
Flexible patterns of delivery
Campus – based
Locally / Regionally – based
Distance / Blended learning
Various levels of qualification
Certificate / Diploma / Masters
Increasingly multi-disciplinary student group
Providing: up-to-date knowledge, space for critical
reflection and supporting improvements in
practice
7. Partnership through Centres of Excellence:
Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in
Scotland (CELCIS)
WithScotland
Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability (SCLD)
Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice (CYCJ)
The Dementia Centre (DSCD)
8. Partnership through Centres of Excellence:
Training and courses
Consultancy and specialist expertise
Research
Engagement with policy and practice
Conferences and seminars
9. Collaborative Research and Knowledge
Exchange Projects
Post-graduate research students and professional
doctorates
Practitioner research projects
University and agency partnerships
Action-research projects and co-production projects
with service users and practitioners
Knowledge exchange projects
12. Developments in Scotland
What Works Scotland
Research impact and knowledge exchange
Social Work Services Strategic Review
Research and KE in the strategic review