Research & Development

“We expect services to make a positive difference to our lives. We are people first.”

Developing a research and development strategy

In a partnership between The Scottish Government and the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS – formerly SIESWE), a national steering group was established in 2007 to oversee work to develop a research and development strategy for social services in Scotland. Members include those from social work, research and academic bodies, the Care Commission and the Social Work Inspection Agency. The aim of the strategy will be to increase the quantity and quality of research activity, its dissemination and integration into practice in order to improve and develop social services. Though not a specific change programme, the research and development strategy provides the evidence base to underpin development in service delivery of the change programme agenda.

Through Kate Skinner, the Institute Lead for Research, Development and Application, three short-life working groups have been established, drawing on a similar range of members, to report to the national steering group on:

• Embedding research in social services organisations
• Increasing research capacity
• Creating a social services research infrastructure

News of the Research and Development Strategy will appear on the IRISS website. Check on their home page for the latest news items.

Success Criteria

The capacity of social services workers to deliver social care services based on sound evidence is strengthened.

Good quality social work research informs professional practice. This will be achieved by:

• Increasing research capacity in the sector;
• Improving the quality of research conducted;
• Ensuring that research is driven by practice concerns;
• Greater collaboration between higher education institutions and practice;
• Improved ways of communicating research findings within the sector;
• Developing research career pathways for social work practitioners;
• Identifying national research priorities;
• Service user and carer involvement in research and development agenda;
• Improved Scottish Government Social Care Research governance mechanisms.

The article ‘ Research & Development: Case Conversations’ appeared in the Changing Lives Newsletter Spring/Summer 2008.

Social Services Knowledge Scotland (SSKS): A new portal

Please click here for an article on the SSKS portal from the Changing Lives Newsletter Spring/Summer 2008.