Building capacity for social care research – ways of improving research skills for social workers

ABSTRACT

Recent literature in social work/care continues to highlight limited levels of research involvement by practitioners coupled with low confidence and knowledge of research skills. This article reports on findings from a study to develop a better understanding of the challenges of building capacity to undertake social care research in the South of England and opportunities for building research engagement and capacity. It focuses on research skill gaps identified in current training pathways and qualification routes from the perspective of practitioners working in social care. A qualitative approach was undertaken. Participants were practitioners working in local authority social service departments. Participants completed an online questionnaire (n = 22), with a subsample (n = 6) being interviewed. A semi-structured interview schedule collected positive and negative views of research experiences and of using research evidence. Logistical and research skill enablers and research skill barriers were extracted as themes from the data and are described. The authors then discuss possible initiatives that might assist in helping to improve social work practitioner research skills and embedding research into practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Research capacity
• social workers
• research skill enablers
• research skill barriers
• training

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Clinical Research Network [CRN] Wessex.

Notes on contributors

Andy Pulman

Andy Pulman Andy is a Post Doctoral Researcher. His current research interests include social care, health inequalities, digital health, digital professionalism, the use of technology to improve health and interesting technology related phenomena like divided attention disorder.

Lee-Ann Fenge

Lee-Ann Fenge is Professor of Social Care in the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences and Director of the Centre for Seldom Heard Voices. She is a Registered Social Worker and has always been committed to advancing the professional evidence base of social care practitioners. Her research has focused on participatory and arts-based methods to engage with seldom heard voices.