research in practice, a department of the Dartington Hall Trust, has been run as a subscribing, collaborative network of children's services agencies and support organisations since 1996. It was set up as a joint initiative between Dartington and the ADSS (now the Association of Directors of Children's Services), with its first office being on the Dartington estate. This strong relationship continues today, joined in 1998 by the University of Sheffield, where our second office is located. research in practice also works in partnerships with a growing number of national initiatives including being a Core Partner in the Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People's Services (C4EO), and a leading partner in the Local Authorities Research Consortium (LARC).
research in practice is a facilitated and facilitative network which demonstrates its commitment to thoughtful use of research evidence - linking research to the promotion of professional knowledge, integrity and independence. It is cognisant of, but not driven by central government; it is from but not limited to social care; it is research-minded while deeply connected to practice. Over half the local authorities in England are individual Partners while the 22 local authorities in Wales have developed the Wales College as the partnership framework for our work with them. It has an annual budget of approximately £2m, and raises all its own income. Around 75% of this income comes from Partner agency fees.
research in practice also has practice and research links in Northern Ireland and Scotland - and increasingly abroad in Europe, North America and Australasia, where it is seen as a model for those who want to support the kind of practice-led commitment to improvement epitomised by the research in practice network.
Its work programme is strongly influenced by regular consultation across all levels of its Partner network. This includes the Partnership Board which comprises Directors of Children's Services and Chief Executive Officers from our Partner agencies, supported by key research advisors. This Board plays a central role in strategy formation, while the Dartington Hall Trust hold financial and legal responsibility.
research in practice delivers a range of services to its network of Partner agencies - through Change Projects, learning programmes, publications and a website - all held together by the size and strength of the network. The network IS our business model. In an era where 'knowledge is cheap' the real value is in a network, where we are 'going to new places together'.
research in practice is ready to grow, in size and range. It faces its future with excitement and anticipation, knowing that new directions, founded on success to date, will require something different from research in practice, both organisationally and individually. research in practice's success is the result of the network - between our Partner agencies, with our own staff, and beyond both. Our horizons are expanding as we build our portfolio of experience and services. Our staff have been and remain essential to our future direction and this plan envisages considerable investment in the growth of their skills and knowledge. This will be essential if our aspirations to grow the research in practice brand, which has proved valuable to both organisations and people, is to bear fruit.
Our ambition over the next five years is to double our influence in the use of research in services for vulnerable children and families with the aim of improving outcomes for children.
research in practice is relevant to all services for children, including education and health and with special regard for social care, where integrated practice and improved outcomes for children are the key focus. Our style - will always be:
- Accessible - through robust reviewing and customer-focussed presentation in language and media, suited to a wide range of learning styles
- Accountable - to our network of 100+ Partner agencies who 'own' research in practice and direct our work
- Alert - to the pressing issues for children's services
- Authoritative - experienced as a trusted source of reliable evidence and guidance on its use
- Active - delivering for the right audience, at the right time, in the right way.
research in practice is distinguished by its ownership being in the hands of its network of users, its singular focus on evidence-informed practice, and its independence from government. It:
- believes that quality-assured research evidence improves practice, and improves children's lives
- has front-line practice at its heart, delivering practical tools for research implementation tailored to the needs of professionals at all levels in our Partner organisations, and to a wide range of learning styles
- brings a breadth of knowledge and strong offer across children's services from its roots in social work and social care
- develops and champions outcomes-focussed, what works for children, cultures - helping agencies do what they must and want to do
- is more than a service - a participatory, collaborating national network, owned and managed together - driving quality practice.
research in practice has two 'sister' organisations:
- research in practice for adults (ripfa), established in Dartington in 2005 at the request of Directors of Social Services, exists to encourage those working in adult health and social care to question their practice and ensure they are acting in light of the most up-to-date evidence.
- Practice and Research Together (PART), established in Ontario, Canada, in 2007 as a child welfare membership organisation dedicated to linking research to practice.
research in practice is one of the key elements of the Dartington Social Justice programme, currently also encompassing research in practice for adults, the C4EO Capacity Building team, and new projects to develop a retirement community at Dartington, and to support rehabilitation work for ex-offenders. The programme will build over the next few years - working to establish strong lines of activity in practical experimentation, direct research to match our proven strength in professional service support, and the development of opportunities for wider reflection and debate about pressing issues in the region, the UK and globally. As a member of the Social Justice Management Team the new director of research in practice will be an essential part of the development of this programme.
