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Focusing on what matters - research and evidence in social work

Published: 15 November 2018

Since I took up the post of the Chief Social Worker for Adults in England, one of my enduring priorities has been to encourage the development and use of research and evidence to inform social work practice and improve life outcomes for the people we serve.

Understanding which approaches and interventions work best and gathering the evidence to support them is essential. Why must we do this? To sustain and improve social work as part of the wider social care and health offer. This is how we will continue to deliver high quality care and support, centred on people's strengths, needs and aspirations.

For social workers and other social care professionals, having access to quality research and evidence is increasingly important. It supports decision making and challenges ingrained thinking and ways of working that are often taken for granted.

I am really pleased that the NIHR is helping raise the profile, and investing in social care and social work research.

The social care sector must be recognised and valued for the difference it makes to people’s lives and be put on an equal footing with health. Only then can we ensure the whole system really does achieve integrated outcomes for people, making the best use of all available approaches and resources.

The sector itself is recognising this imperative. The Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF) which underpins all social workers’ professional development has been updated to include greater reference to the importance of research and evidence-informed practice.

However, for people in contact with social care services, decisions made about which areas to research can often seem remote and disconnected from the reality of their lives and the things that matter to them.

That is why I am so pleased to welcome the publication of the  James Lind Alliance (JLA)  report setting out the priorities for adult social work research.

Developed using their tried and tested methods, this is the first time anywhere in the world that this kind of research prioritisation has happened for adult social work and the first time the JLA approach has been used in a non-health related area.

Their approach is unique in fully involving people who use services, their carers and practitioners in identifying the questions that social work research should answer. Over 1150 people were involved in narrowing the field to  a final top 10 , which covers a diverse range of issues and themes for adult social work.

This report is a critical first step in helping us to make sure that future research answers the questions that are important, both to social workers and to those who are - or have been - in contact with them. I would ask all of you to read and share this report and to consider developing the research capability in your organisations and partnerships. More than that, I want you to encourage people and their carers, social workers and academics, to come together to shape and use research to make a real difference to people’s lives.

I look forward to working with you as we start the process of turning these questions into research. This is our opportunity to transform the quality of social work practice and social care support for the many individuals and families we strive to help.

• This blog was originally published on  Lyn Romeo's blog on gov.uk .
• The NIHR is running a campaign to raise awareness of social care and social work research. Find out more on the  NIHR website .

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Social Work: Databases

• Evidence-based Practice

What is a database?

Databases provide access to high-quality peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, dissertations and other sources. These databases have been especially chosen for this subject area.

When carrying out your research for a piece of work, you will need to search more than one database to find all of the journal articles relevant to your topic, as each database covers different journals.

Key databases

• ASSIA This database spans the literature of health, social services, psychology, sociology, economics, politics, race relations and education. The database abstracts and indexes over 500 journals and periodicals, from more than 16 countries. more... less... Subjects include: •Education •Family •Gerontology •Health services •Housing •Mental health services •Nursing •Social work •Substance abuse
• Community Care Inform Adults. The UK’s largest providers of online resources for social workers and social care professionals. The database's resources are designed by and for social workers and other professionals who work with disabled and older people. more... less... The aim of the site is to provide guidance on the latest good practice, research, legislation and case law; and to help improve standards of practice by equipping practitioners with the information they need to confidently make informed decisions and assessments.
• Community Care Inform Children. Part of the multi-award winning Community Care group, this online resource helps reduce risk for families and for organisations by ensuring social work professionals are able to make confident, robust and evidence-based decisions every day and defend those decisions competently in court. more... less... Community Care Inform - requires special username and password
• PsycINFO PsycInfo is a database produced by the American Psychological Association which contains references and abstracts of periodical articles, books, book chapters, disserations and reports on psychology. Articles are drawn from over 1300 periodicals from about 50 countries. more... less... All areas of psychology are covered, including applied, experimental, developmental, educational, behavioural and animal psychology and psychological disorders. Publications from related disciplines (eg. sociology, linguistics, education, law, physiology, business, psychiatry and anthropology) are scanned and relevant items included within the database. The database is updated monthly. PsycInfo is the electronic equivalent of the printed publication, Psychological Abstracts, which is also available in the library (1927 to date).
• Social Care Online Social Care Online contains references to books, research reviews, reports and journal articles of interest to social care practitioners and social work students.
• Social Policy and Practice Provides citations and abstracts from Centre of Policy on Ageing, Greater London Authority, IDOX, Social Care Institute for Excellence and National Children's Bureau. Coverage includes public and social policy, public health, education, homelessness, housing, crime, law & order, families, children and older people.
• Social Services Abstracts Social Services Abstracts provides bibliographic coverage of current research focused on social work, human services, and related areas, including social development, social welfare, social policy, and community development. more... less... The database abstracts and indexes over 1,406 serials publications and includes abstracts of journal articles and dissertations, and citations to book reviews. Over 5,500 records are added per year.
• The Social Work Toolkit The Social Work Toolkit is a versatile collection of online resources focused on developing students' understanding and practice skills. Developed in consultation with educators and social work professionals, it helps provide students with the core skills, knowledge and confidence they need to succeed on their course and throughout their placements.
• Web of Science This index provides access to current and retrospective bibliographic information, author abstracts, and cited references found in over 1700 of the world's leading scholarly science, arts and humanities and social sciences journals covering more than 50 disciplines. more... less... (1945 to present, updated weekly) is an interdisciplinary index to over 5,300 journals in physical, natural and biomedical science and technology.

Newspaper databases

The library provides comprehensive access to a vast archive of British and overseas newspapers, including electronic access to many current publications. Newspapers are an excellent primary source research tool, not only providing reports about events and issues but also editorials and letters that can be extremely useful for deeper understanding. Access the Newspaper guide for further information.

• London Evening Standard Archive

The latest acquisition to our newspaper databases. Users can study the progression of issues over time by browsing issues extending from the newspaper’s first publication in May 1827 to effectively the present day (within 1 week), including articles, photos, advertisements, classified ads, obituaries, cartoons, and more. Searching facilitated by user-friendly support and indexing tools, with hit-term highlighting, searchable PDFs, and image downloads in PDF format.

What is grey literature?

Grey literature refers to research that is either unpublished or has been published in non-commercial form. The term includes the following types of information:

• government reports, policy statements and issued papers.
• conference proceedings.
• pre-prints and post-prints of articles.
• theses and dissertations.
• research reports.
• geological and geophysical surveys.
• newsletters and bulletins.
• fact sheets.

British Library

The British Library reports, Conferences and Theses can be searched for through the British Library Integrated Catalogue.

Use these p tags if you need multiple paragraphs

Conference Proceedings Citation Index

The Conference Proceedings Citation Index Literature via Web of Science is taken from the most significant conferences, symposia, seminars, colloquia, workshops, and conventions worldwide. Available in two editions: Sciences & Technology and Social Science L iterature from the most significant conferences, symposia, seminars, colloquia, workshops, and conventions worldwide. Available in two editions: Sciences & Technology and Social Science.

Google Scholar

Google Scholar provides a quick way to search for scholarly literature across disciplines and sources. You can find articles, theses, books, abstracts and grey literature from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other sources.

GreyNet: Grey Literature

Grey Net provides information about grey literature. GreySource Index provides a list of web-based grey literature resources.

MIAR is a matrix of data from more than 100 international indexing and abstracting databases (citation, multidisciplinary or specialised databases) and journal repertoires, which is developed with the purpose of providing useful information for the identification of scientific journals and the analysis of their diffusion. The system works through the elaboration of a correspondence matrix between the journals, identified by their ISSN, and the databases and directories that index or include them.

MIAR has more than 48,000 journal records, but a search in MIAR using a valid ISSN number will return information on the diffusion of any journal in the world at the sources analysed by MIAR , whether or not it has its own record in MIAR.

MIAR 2023 live. Information Matrix for the Analysis of Journals .

OpenGrey is a multidisciplinary European resource which provides open access to 700,000 bibliographical references of grey literature produced in Europe.  It covers science, technology, biomedical science, economics, social science and humanities. Examples of grey literature include technical or research reports, doctoral dissertations, conference papers and official publications.

Science Gov

Science.gov searches over 55 databases and over 2100 selected websites from 15 federal agencies, offering 200 million pages of authoritative U.S. government science information including research and development results. Science.gov is governed by the interagency Science.gov Alliance.

Social Science Research Network

Social Science Research Network (SSRN) is devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of social science research and is composed of a number of specialized research networks in each of the social sciences.

Scopus is a user-friendly database covering some 12,000 journals from all aspects of science, technology and medicine, with some quite sophisticated features.

My Learning Essentials

Getting started with subject databases

This resource explores some of the key features of subject databases, demonstrating that while they can initially appear daunting and complicated, they can be as easy to use as any online shopping site

View all workshops and online resources in this area on the My Learning Essentials webpages .

General databases

Try wider social sciences databases which cover journals across a breadth of subject areas including Social Work.

• ABI Inform Global a comprehensive business database providing access to over 3,000 academic journals and trade magazines covering a range of subject areas including politics, economics, finance, business, management and international relations.
• Arts and Humanities Citation Index (part of the ISI Web of Science service). Although this database covers the whole range of arts and humanities rather than being focused on Archaeology, it includes probably the widest range of archaeological material of any of the Library's databases. more... less... The Citation Indexes provide details of articles from over 8,000 journals. Abstracts are provided for more recent material. In addition to conventional searching (by subject, author etc) it is possible to undertake citation searches. Conference Proceedings cover the proceedings of international conferences, symposia, seminars, workshops and conventions.
• British Education Index (1975 to date) - covers all aspects and fields of education. more... less... The BEI provides information on research, policy and practice in education and training in the UK. Particular strengths include aspects of educational policy and administration, evaluation and assessment, technology and special educational needs. It covers over 300 education and training journals, mostly published in the UK, plus other material including books, reports, series and conference papers.
• EBSCO - Research Databases Access to various social science collections including Social Science Full Text and Business Source Premier. more... less... Subject coverage includes: anthropology, area studies, community health and medical care, economics, geography, gerontology, international relations, law and criminology, planning and public administration, police science and corrections, policy sciences, political science, psychiatry and psychology, social work and public welfare, sociology, urban studies, and related subjects.
• Global Health Global Health is the only specialist bibliographic abstracting and indexing database dedicated to public health, completing the picture of international medical and health research by capturing key literature that is not covered by other databases. more... less... Derived from over 7,000 journals, reports, books and conferences, Global Health contains over 3 million scientific records from 1973 to the present. Almost 155,000 records were added last year, and over 96% of these records include an English abstract.
• Humanities Abstracts This is a general index covering about 350 journals from a range of humanities and social science disciplines. more... less... Humanities Index email alerts or SDI alerts Connect to Humanities Abstracts. Set up a MyEbscohost account by clicking on the sign in link on the top banner Choose the database(s) you wish to search across and run a search. To set up an alert;you will to click on Search History link On the Search History page click on the Save Search/Alerts Choose alerts page, enter the Frequency and Email Details etc, and select what information you want to include. Click on the save button.
• International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) Includes over two million bibliographic references to journal articles and to books, reviews and selected chapters dating back to 1951. It is unique in its broad coverage of international material and incorporates over 100 languages and countries. Over 2,800 journals are regularly indexed and some 7,000 books are included each year.
• JustisOne A database containing full text of several important series of law reports e.g. Weekly Law Reports, Times Law Reports and the Mental Health Law Reports. Invaluable source for tracking the historical development of legislation. more... less... Creating Alerts in Justis JustCite is a search engine which will cross-search databases, this makes searching for cases much easier. Enter your search criteria into JustCite once, the software will then point you in the direction of the correct database, be it LexisLibrary, Westlaw or Justis.com, to satisfy your search. (click on the Your Home Institution tab, select the University of Manchester from the drop down menu, then enter your Central Username and Password).
• Kanopy On-demand US-based streaming service for educational institutions mediated by the Library which allows users to make clips and formulate playlists from licensed content. Theatrical releases, documentaries and training films incorporated in an extensive portfolio. more... less... Covers; Social sciences, Medical sciences, Business, Mass media, Communication, Science, Arts, Teachers (Training of) Kanopy’s catalogue of videos has grown to over 25,000 videos and includes films from the BBC, PBS, Media Education Foundation, and many other production houses. Please note whilst possible to browse all titles only videos subscribed to by the Library will be available to view..Kanopy is an on-demand streaming video service for educational institutions that works directly with filmmakers and film distribution companies to offer thousands of award-winning documentaries, training films and theatrical releases across diverse subjects and disciplines. Collections include titles from the DEFA Film Library, ArtMattan Films, HBO, Frameline, Ruscico, Pragda, BBC, Flicker Alley, National Film Board of Canada, First Run Features, Cinema Libre Studio, New Day Films, and the Criterion Collection/Janus Films.
• Sage Full Text: Sociology Access to over 90 full text journals for sociology. Browse Social Science collections to view details of sociology titles.
• Sociological Abstracts This database abstracts and indexes the international literature of sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioural sciences.

Socio-demographic data

• Euromonitor - Passport This online market research tool monitors industry trends and provides strategic analysis and a market size and market share database covering over 350 markets and 850 cities. Euromonitor also has the world's most comprehensive research on the luxury goods industry. They monitor and analyse industry trends in personal goods globally, including in-depth data on market share and market size. Formerly known as Global market information database (GMID).
• UK Data Service an extensive range of UK and International datasets providing access to socio-demographic, macro-economic and government data from leading UK and international statistical agencies eg: Office of National Statistics, Eurostat, IEA, ILO, IMF, OECD, United Nations, UNIDO and World Bank.
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• Volume 27, Issue 1
• Prioritised research questions in serious mental illness: a priority setting based on evidence gaps
• Article Text
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• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4446-9148 Mussie Msghina 1 , 2 ,
• Lise-Lotte Bergerlind 3 ,
• Ulla-Karin Schön 4 ,
• Christian Dahlström 5 ,
• Åsa Konradsson Geuken 6 , 7 ,
• Sara Fundell 8 ,
• Lena Wallgren 8 ,
• Sofia Tranaeus 8 ,
• Malin Höistad 8
• 1 Department of Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health , Orebro universitet , Orebro , Sweden
• 2 Department of Clinical Neuroscience , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
• 3 Kunskapsstöd för psykisk hälsa, Expertenheter , Regionhälsan , Göteborg , Sweden
• 4 Department of Social Work , Stockholm University , Stockholm , Sweden
• 5 Foundation for Mental Health , Stockholm , Sweden
• 6 Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Section of Neuropharmacology and Addiction Research , Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden
• 7 Swedish Schizophrenia Association , Stockholm , Sweden
• 8 Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services , Stockholm , Sweden
• Correspondence to Professor Mussie Msghina, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Orebro universitet, Orebro, Närke, Sweden; mussie.msghina{at}oru.se

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2024-301082

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• schizophrenia & psychotic disorders
• personality disorders
• depression & mood disorders
• anxiety disorders
• eating disorders

In 2021, the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SBU) published an inventory, which identified over 2000 evidence gaps in mental health 1 from the two known international database of evidence gaps: the SBU Evidence Gap database, which is continuously updated, and the former UK Database of Uncertainties about the Effects of Treatments. Within the framework of a Swedish governmental commission on mental health, we conducted a priority setting partnership to assess which of the identified evidence gaps regarding serious mental illnesses (SMI) 2 were most urgent to address. A similar project regarding common mental illness is also envisioned. The aim of the current priority setting was to identify what patients, carers, clinicians and practitioners consider to be the most important outstanding research questions in the care of SMI. The interventions studied include prevention, diagnostics, treatment, support and social care, service delivery and coordination of healthcare and social care. Target groups for the report are researchers, research funders, government agencies and authors of systematic reviews.

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Flow chart of prioritisation process

The SBU prioritisation approach in this study departed from the British JLA in the following ways: (i) the initial evidence gaps were identified from pre-existing databases and not from an open survey from the public and (ii) the SBU approach did not exclude researchers from the first-round anonymous survey, however, these accounted for only 8% of survey responses. The other steps of our study aligned well with the JLA approach, including (i) thematisation of entries into formulation of questions to be prioritised, (ii) broad initial prioritisation mainly conducted by patients, carers and professionals and (iii) a final workshop that was based on inclusivity, consensus and transparency, with equal representation of patient/carers and professionals directly working with SMI, and without including non-clinical researchers.

Approximately 500 evidence gaps were identified in the field of SMI. The priority setting included psychotic, bipolar and eating disorders, self-harm, severe depression, severe anxiety disorder including obsessive-compulsive disorder, severe personality disorder and suicidal behaviour. The existing evidence gaps were aggregated and thematised into 62 indicative research questions by the project management team, with great emphasis put on formulating them in such a way that they would easily be understood by all participants, including those with lived experience of SMI. A full list of underlying evidence gaps of each indicative research question is available at www.sbu.se/368 . A flow chart of the prioritisation process and the indicative research questions is shown in the online supplemental file 1 .

Supplemental material

A first prioritisation was conducted as an open anonymous web survey where respondents selected their 10 topmost important questions without any ranking. 816 survey responses were received, equally divided between patients, carers, clinicians and practitioners. The responses were weighted separately for patients, carers and professionals to ensure equal influence and the top 25 questions proceeded to the final prioritisation workshop.

The priority setting workshop team consisted of 14 nominated representatives from Swedish patient and professional organisations in psychiatry and social care. Nominated representatives had to adhere to a predefined set of prerequisites for inclusion. The representatives covered individuals with lived experience from patient organisations for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorder, self-harm and suicide, and professional organisations for adult psychiatry, child psychiatry, mental health nursing, psychologists, social work practitioners, psychiatric care assistants and social support workers. The priority setting workshop team reached a top 10 list through a Delphi approach, with results achieved by consensus. The project management team did not take part in the prioritising of research questions. Full report details can be found at www.sbu.se/368 . 4

The top 10 prioritised research questions are listed in table 1 , ranked in the order of priority (1=highest ranked). The rationale for the prioritised research questions, as concluded by the final prioritisation workshop delegates, is presented in the underlying report. 4

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List of indicative research questions

These research priorities were selected and prioritised by a very broad group of representatives, including individuals with lived experience, carers and professionals who work with SMI. Several of the respondents of the web survey indicated that they had lived experience for several mental health conditions (66%) and experience with suicidal ideation (54%). Several respondents also indicated experience from multiple perspectives, for example, being both a patient and family member of a patient (31%) or being a health or social care staff and family member of a patient (20%). The final priority setting was conducted by representatives from a comprehensive set of patient and professional associations, making sure all crucial perspectives were included.

The final top 10 research priorities focus on important aspects of prevention and early assessment, service delivery and health systems and psychosocial support interventions. Several research questions from this report also coincide with those highlighted in previous priority setting reports in psychiatry, 5 social work 6 and regardless of type of medical condition as shown in recent priority settings from the JLA. 7 Research needs that consistently rank high pertain to early assessment, diagnostics, coordination of care and support between different providers and disciplines, staff training interventions to improve competency and skills, shared decision-making, components of care and different types of psychosocial support interventions. 4–6 A recent US White House report on mental health research priorities developed by research experts and service providers also highlighted similar priorities. 8 One limitation of our study is that the evidence gaps are based on two databases, of which only one (SBU) is continuously updated. Another limitation is the departures from strict JLA protocol, including lack of independent JLA adviser during the process, and the fact that uncertainties, although several of them originated from patient/carer questions, were based on pre-existing databases.

The research questions highlighted here are broad and comprehensive and primarily targeted towards research funders, while the underlying specific evidence gaps are targeted towards researchers in health and social care. This report emphasises and reiterates the research questions that are particularly urgent in SMI and should inform future activities of funders and researchers. The Swedish Research Council for Health, Work and Welfare ( www.forte.se ) has announced that this report will be used in formulating upcoming grant calls.

Ethics statements

Patient consent for publication.

Not applicable.

Ethics approval

• ↵ What is serious mental illness? n.d. Available : https://smiadviser.org/about/serious-mental-illness
• ↵ James LIND alliance guidebook . n.d. Available : https://www.jla.nihr.ac.uk/jla-guidebook/
• ↵ Crocker,Ogden and Moore 2023 priorities for health and care research . 2023 Available : www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/resources/priorities-for-health-and-care-research/Priorities-for-Health-and-Care-Research
• ↵ White House report on mental health research priorities . 2023 . Available : https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/White-House-Report-on-Mental-Health-Research-Priorities.pdf

Supplementary materials

Supplementary data.

This web only file has been produced by the BMJ Publishing Group from an electronic file supplied by the author(s) and has not been edited for content.

• Data supplement 1
• Data supplement 2

Collaborators Not applicable.

Contributors MH and LW conceived and designed the study. MM, L-LB, U-KS, CD, AKG, LW and MH performed the evidence gap thematisation and formulation of indicative research questions, and formulated the surveys. MH did the survey analyses. MH wrote the first draft of the manuscript. SF and ST provided administrative support. ST provided overall supervision to the project. ST is the guarantor and accepts full responsibility for the work and the conduct of the study, has access to the data and controlled the decision to publish.

Funding This study was funded by the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services.

Competing interests No, there are no competing interests.

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.

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Doing Social Work Research

• Louise Hardwick - University of Liverpool, UK
• Aidan Worsley - University of Central Lancashire, UK
• Description

- The ethics of social work research

- Conducting interviews and questionnaires

- Focus groups

- Observation and narrative

- The involvement of service users

- Analyzing data

A good handbook to help support students understanding around research methods within the social work field.

This book is a useful guide for students undertaking a social work research project and dissertation. The chapters on ethics and writing a research proposal are particularly helpful. I will be recommending it to students on the MA Social Work degree at the University of Wolverhampton.

A really useful book for both undergraduates and postqualifying student.

Clear style that is easily understood and a very good addition to my reading list.

This book is a very simple and concise introductory text for social work students.

For social work students undertaking research programmes, many texts appear to translate better to health and nursing. This text specifically addresses this issue by providing good advice and clearly focussed examples to support social work students in their research projects.

An excellent book and one which academic staff, students and practitioners must engage with.

This text offers a clear and comprehensive overview of social work research and will be helpful for students in putting together research proposals.

A good introductory text to move students on to more in-depth research texts.

A useful, accessible yet concise introductory applied SW research text will be helpful across a range of UG & PG courses. This contemporary text remains 'practice - centred' but importantly & usefully outlines WHY social work research matters rather than just focusing upon HOW to do it.

A good range of diverse practical exercises and reflective questions - provide a really useful teaching resource. I have no hesitation in recommending this text to all 3rd yr students on our applied research module plus PQ or some PG students.

All chapters provide useful guidance to different research methods whilst keeping key SW values & principles central to the discussion.

Thank you David Gaylard

This is a clear and accessible book - practical excercises and reflective questions really useful .

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Sample materials & chapters.

Chapter 1: What's Distinctive About Social Work Research?

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Social Work IPA research network symposium 2024

Date and time

About this event.

• Event lasts 4 hours 30 minutes

Creating new knowledge and m aking a difference in social work through IPA

The inaugural symposium from the Social Work and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Research Network aims to bring together people interested in the use of IPA for social work research and practice.

There will be two keynote addresses: Professor Sarah Vicary (The Open University)on An overview of Social Work and IPA; and Dr Gillian Ferguson (The Open University) on Ziggy Stardust, extraordinary jobs and a professional learning ecosystem .

The online event will also feature presentations from diverse research across the symposium themes: Making a difference in social work through IPA ; or Creating new knowledge for social work through IPA .

Participants can also contribute to ideas for the development of the SWIPA network which launched in March 2023.

SWIPA network - join our mailing list

Social Work Using Interpretative Analysis: A Methodological Approach for Practice and Research by Professor Sarah Vicary and Dr Gillian Ferguson was published in February 2024 by Open University Press/McGraw Hill.

This first of its kind book provides a theoretical and practical exploration of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) for Social Work. Accessibly written for those considering IPA from different perspectives, including social work students, social work practitioners, doctoral students, and research supervisors the book will guide all readers through its application in this field.

The book provides a theoretical and practical exploration of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) for Social Work research. The book explores the specific fit of IPA with social work as a professional practice drawing together values, skills and knowledge for eliciting, responding to and representing accounts of lived experience. The book also considers the opportunities that IPA offers for the future of producing professional social work knowledge.

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Social Economy

Recognising the contribution of community-based organisations

About the Social Economy

The Social Economy is a collective term for all ‘not for personal profit’ organisations that exist to improve disadvantaged communities, support disadvantaged people and address social or environmental issues but do so using a trading (business) model to generate the majority or all the funds they need.

This includes Social Enterprise, Co-operatives, Community owned businesses, Charity trading arms and more.

In the West Midlands, these +11,000 or so organisations that:

• Generate £3.5 billion a year for the region's economy
• Employ around 30,000 people
• Engage around 70,000 volunteers
• Improve the lives of 150,000 people each year.

Growing the Social Economy

Recognising the contribution these organisations make to creating an inclusive economy, the West Midlands Combined Authority set itself the goal of doubling the size of this economic sector within 10 years.

The approach to achieving this was to engage individuals working in the social economy to develop a plan for growth.

A Social Economy taskforce was established. This group produced a Framework for Growth document which described a 10-point Ecosystem that needed to be built to support this growth.

Work has now started and investments made to start to build this ecosystem. See links below.

Get Involved

An opportunity for front line social economy organisations to talk about the barriers and opportunities for growth. This forum is managed on our behalf by BSSEC. Find out more and get added to the invitation list

Round Tables

Where support and infrastructure organisations gather to develop solutions to barriers or to help realise opportunities. Email [email protected] to find out more.

Advisory Group

A forum where key decision makers, commissioners, funders & investors listen to the proposed solutions from the Round Tables and have an opportunity to offer resources. Attendance is by invitation.

Click on the links below for more information

Business and Place Support

Access to Finance & Contracts

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1.6 million children at risk of 'losing their life chances' because of 'cruel' two-child benefit cap

New research from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed the true scale of the impact of the two-child limit on benefits, which MPs are pushing the new Labour government to scrap

Families with three or more children are impacted by the policy. Image: Unsplash

Around 440,000 families across the UK are impacted by the two-child benefit cap , official new figures show, as pressure builds on the new Labour government to scrap the “cruel” policy.

New research from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows that 1.6 million children are denied support because of the two-child limit – which charities claim puts them at risk of “losing their life chances”.

The limit, described as “one of the cruellest welfare policies of the past decade”, means families claiming  benefits  who have a third or subsequent child after April 2017 receive at least £3,000 less than families whose kids were born sooner.

• Keir Starmer promises ‘sunlight of hope’ – but can he offer progress on ending poverty in the UK?
• ‘You can hear your stomach growling’: Kids call on next government to do more to end child poverty

Prime minister Keir Starmer has resisted calls to scrap the two-child limit, despite Labour’s commitment to tackling child poverty.

Liz Kendall, work and pensions secretary, said: “Too many children are growing up in poverty and this is a stain on our society. 

“We will work to give every child the best start in life by delivering our manifesto commitment to implement an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty. I will hold critical meetings with charities and experts next week to get this urgent work under way.”

The government has faced opposition from MPs as well as charities for their refusal to scrap the two-child limit.

John McDonnell, former Labour shadow chancellor and MP for Hayes and Harlington, has said he plans to table amendments to Rachel Reeves’ first budget, expected in the autumn, to push the government to abolish the policy.

The Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Scottish National Party and independent MPs are also calling on the government to remove the two-child benefit cap.

Alison Garnham, chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said: “Children are losing their life chances to the two-child limit now – they can’t wait for the new government to align every star before the policy is scrapped. 

“The prime minister came to office pledging a bold, ambitious child poverty-reduction plan and there’s no way to deliver on that promise without scrapping the two-child limit, and fast. This is not the time for procrastination or prevarication – the futures of 1.6 million children are on the line.”

Almost half (45%) of families said they struggle to pay their rent or mortgage because of the policy, according to the Child Poverty Action Group. A similar proportion (46%) struggle to manage childcare costs. 

One working mother said: “My number one reason for doing anything is my children, yet when I watch them queuing in a food bank with me because I physically can’t provide for them, I feel horrific, it makes you feel like an absolute failure.”

Shockingly, 3,100 women had to declare that they had been the victim of rape in order to gain an exemption to this policy.

Joseph Howes, chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition and chief executive of Buttle UK said: “The two-child limit just has to go. If the aim is to reduce child poverty , there is no way for the new Labour government to keep this policy in place when the evidence shows that the number of children impacted is increasing year on year. 

“Children living in poverty cannot wait any longer – this shameful policy must be scrapped, the time for action is now.”

Around 59% of households impacted are in work, meaning that more than half of all families impacted are working.

More than half (52%) of all households impacted by this policy are single parents, but within the general population just 16% of households are headed by a single parent. The majority of lone parents are women.

Becca Lyon, head of UK child poverty at Save the Children, said: “It is an outrage that 440,000 families are denied vital support because of the unfair two-child limit, a rise of over 30,000 since last year.

“More and more children will suffer every year just because they have siblings, unless the UK government acts now. The cruel two-child benefit cap should be scrapped immediately to prevent families from facing hardship and destitution.”

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this?  Get in touch and tell us more .  Big Issue exists to give homeless and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income.  To support our work buy a copy of the magazine  or get the app from the  App Store  or  Google Play .

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Policy and Data Analyst

The british academy.

• Closing: 12:00pm, 5th Aug 2024 BST

Job Description

The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences - is seeking a Policy and Data Analyst to join our Higher Education and Research Policy team, providing key support in the delivery of data analysis and presentation on matters relating to higher education, teaching, and research policy.

ROLE PURPOSE / OVERVIEW

The Policy and Data Analyst will work closely with the other members of the Higher Education and Research (HE&R) Policy team (currently ten people) to conduct data sourcing, analysis and visualisation across our projects. The HE&R team is a collaborative, productive and high-performing team, which is part of the Academy’s Policy Directorate. We work to position the Academy as a thought leader on Higher Education and Research policy, engaging in evidence-based policy to influence the health and vibrancy of our disciplines throughout the education pipeline. This involves a combination of reactive responses to policy developments as they occur, and proactive planned projects designed to strengthen our evidence base, support the SHAPE discipline community and stimulate debate.

In an exciting new role, the Policy and Data Analyst will source, monitor and evaluate data and play a significant part in developing the Academy’s SHAPE Observatory. The Observatory investigates the health of the SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts for People and the Economy) disciplines. The postholder is expected to take a proactive and collaborative approach in developing and maintaining an evidence base that will play a significant role in how the Academy promotes and makes the case for its disciplines. Programmes of work in the HE&R team cover the breadth of higher education teaching and research policy related to the SHAPE disciplines. These assessments underpin substantial policy programmes which inform ongoing policy debate about SHAPE teaching and research in the UK, including its societal and economic value (from local to international), R&D performance and role in key government agendas.

Joining an enthusiastic, close team of policy experts, the Policy & Data Analyst is expected to work with the wider policy teams and across the Academy to tailor our data analysis and monitoring to the most pressing issues in higher education and skills policy work. They will also have the opportunity to get involved in various Academy initiatives, from affinity groups and EDI planning, to monitoring and evaluating our performance.

OFFICE LOCATION - 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, St James Park, London, SW1Y 5AH

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Evidence gathering and analysis.

Research, evaluate and interpret policy issues using quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine data from a variety of data sources including HESA, UCAS, ONS, UKRI, and Gov.uk .

Identify evidence and data - including gaps and trends - that provide insight into and further the Academy’s goal of demonstrating the health and benefits of the SHAPE disciplines.

Produce statistical notes, data visualisations, databases and statistical analysis as needed.

Contribute towards reviewing and updating the HE&R team’s data analysis systems and processes, working with the team to identify where developments are needed, to better generate insights and evidence.

Producing policy outputs and outcomes

Utilise research and analysis to support the development and delivery of policy projects, sometimes within larger programmes, under the HE&R policy workplan.

Balance a range of projects and activities, including organising meetings, contributing to reports and consultation responses, and undertaking background research as necessary.

Support the publication, launch and dissemination of relevant outputs and work with Academy colleagues to ensure relevant and timely and communication of the Academy’s higher education policy positions.

Stakeholder engagement

Engage effectively with the interests, strategies and policies of stakeholders, using evidence to advance the development, visibility and impact of the Higher Education and Research policy programme, including working with committees, steering and advisory groups and the Academy’s Fellowship as appropriate.

Develop and maintain partnerships, identifying opportunities for collaboration with external bodies and data holders where appropriate, seeking to understand the totality of the higher education data landscape and to advocate for the Observatory.

Represent the Academy at appropriate meetings and events, presenting the Academy’s views and positions.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Higher Education and Research team, and Director of Policy; News and Public Affairs team; Research Funding team; Monitoring and Evaluation Team

Includes but not limited to other National Academies and Higher Education or research representative bodies, and data holders in the sector.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

QUALIFICATIONS

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Works and communicates effectively

Creates productive working relationships with others internally, particularly in working with committees and working groups, and with academics, to increase engagement in policy work

Can build and maintain effective relationships with, and work in partnership with, other organisations in the higher education or SHAPE community, including data holders and providers.

Demonstrates a positive attitude towards helping others by providing appropriate support, using initiative and not waiting to be asked.

Adopts a communication style appropriate to the situation and the audience, in both written and oral communications.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Demonstrates and develops appropriate knowledge and skills

Can demonstrate experience and skill in analysing, modelling and interpreting complex data in policy work, and is able to conduct qualitative and quantitative research to draw conclusions for policy briefings, reports, and other outputs.

Is proficient and has experience in the use of statistical analysis and platforms to conduct research and analysis, such as Excel, Tableau and Power BI. Knowledge of education data sources is desirable.

Can demonstrate an understanding of politics and policymaking in UK. Comprehension of the UK higher education landscape and context for SHAPE disciplines is desirable.

PROACTIVITY AND PLANNING

Manages time and resources effectively in order to achieve own and organisational objectives.

An assured, open-minded, and positive outlook with a constructive attitude to challenges and sharing knowledge and skills with others.

Is successful in planning and delivering projects, working in a team, taking ownership of tasks, and being proactive in spotting issues.

Can proactively identify new sources and alternative ways of presenting data.

Able to meet deadlines under pressure, accurately and with attention to detail, often balancing conflicting priorities.

PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING

Ensures good decisions are made through a rational and methodical approach

Monitors progress effectively, including written reporting, and is able to escalate risks or concerns as needed.

A creative and strategic thinker, with the capacity to deal with complex issues and ambiguity.

Able to use tact and diplomacy and to handle confidential information.

Is able to be flexible about working hours on occasions

Is willing to travel on British Academy business

WORKPLACE VALUES

The Academy’s workplace values and supporting text are set out below. We share these core values with each other. They guide how we work together and with others. We demonstrate them through our behaviours.

COLLABORATION- We consistently work together to a common purpose, supporting each other, communicating openly and sharing knowledge. We are flexible and adaptable, receiving feedback constructively

CREATIVITY - We bring imagination and curiosity to our work, valuing learning, diverse thinking, and innovation. We are open-minded, receptive, and responsive, taking account of alternative perspectives

EMPATHY-We are understanding, sensitive, compassionate, and considerate, mindful of our own wellbeing alongside that of others

EXCELLENCE - We always do our best, without striving to be perfect, applying our expertise and experience to develop and grow

INTEGRITY - We are open and honest with each other, accepting personal responsibility and demonstrating loyalty. We are reliable and dependable, having belief that we will be transparent and clear

RESILIENCE - We are confident, bold, and tenacious, knowing when to listen as well as when to speak up. We respond positively to challenges and overcome problems

RESPECT - We are inclusive in our regard for each other, showing courtesy and appreciation. We treat people fairly and equally, welcoming everyone’s contribution and difference

APPLICATION PROCESS

We have a two-step approach to hiring, beginning with submitting an application through the Applied platform. This will be followed by a panel interview and will involve a task component.

Please note that you may be asked to reference any literature that you may refer to, as applications that are highly plagiarised and not your own work. e.g. ChatGPT, will be declined.

The deadline for applications is 12:00 noon 5 August 2024, however, we may close this role sooner if we receive a high volume of applications .  In these circumstances we will give those who have shown interest 24 hours notice of the change of deadline.

Interviews for this role are currently scheduled for 20/21 August 2024 but this may be subject to change.

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Politics latest: Voters ousted Conservative Party over 'incompetence', survey finds

A massive survey has revealed why voters decided to turn away from the Conservatives at the election. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has held talks with the president of Israel. Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has announced he wants to break down the barriers of opportunity in football.

Monday 15 July 2024 17:37, UK

• General Election 2024
• A survey has found voters were unhappy at Conservative 'incompetence' 
• David Lammy has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
• Government announces plan to break down 'barriers of opportunity' in football after Euros campaigns
• Labour will be "far more Gareth Southgate and far less Michael Gove"
• Poison spreading into politics on both sides of the Atlantic - minister
• Labour plans for 35 new bills in King's Speech
• PJAS: Keir's coming home
• Jon Craig:  Assassination attempt on Trump is a wake-up call for UK MPs
• Live reporting by Tim Baker

Yvette Cooper has announced she will chair a meeting of the government's "Defending Democracy" taskforce next week.

The home secretary this was following an “alarming rise” in harassment towards political candidates and campaigners.

In a statement this afternoon, Cooper said she would be speaking to MPs about their experience of the election campaign.

"Political violence, intimidation and harassment have no place in our democracy," she said.

"In our democracy we must be able to passionately debate and disagree on issues without ever resorting to intimidating tactics designed to silence voices, suppress votes or prevent free and full participation in our democratic processes.

 Cooper added: “The disgraceful scenes we saw in some areas during this election campaign must not be repeated."

By  Tomos Evans , Wales reporter

The Welsh first minister's former leadership rival has refused to say he has confidence in his leader.

Wales's economy secretary Jeremy Miles failed to back Vaughan Gething four times.

In an interview with ITV Wales on Monday, Mr Miles said it wasn't "helpful to give a running commentary".

But Mr Miles, who lost out to Mr Gething in March, acknowledged it had been "a difficult few weeks".

Last week, former government minister Hannah Blythyn, who was sacked by the first minister for allegedly leaking to the media, spoke out.

She denied having leaked a series of iMessages, in which Mr Gething appeared to say he would be "deleting" messages which could be "captured in an FOI".

News website Nation.Cymru, which first broke the story, last week confirmed Ms Blythyn was not its source for the story.

A motion has been tabled in the Senedd for Wednesday, calling on the government to publish the evidence upon which Ms Blythyn was sacked.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released its latest migration stats for the year to mid-2023.

 It has found that, for England and Wales, the population grew by the greatest amount since 1948 - when soldiers were returning from the Second World War and birth rates were very high.

The net increase of people in the two nations was 610,000, to a total of 60.9 million.

This was mostly down to 1,084,000 people immigrating into England and Wales from outside the UK - while 462,000 left.

In terms of births and deaths, only 400 more people were born in the UK than died in the 12-month period - the lowest figure since 1978.

Some 598,000 people died in the year to mid-2023, while 598,400 were born.

Deaths were up 24,000 compared to the previous 12 months, while births were down 21,900.

 Head of population estimates for the ONS, Neil Park, said: "High levels of international migration seen in recent years are the main driver of population growth.

"But the year to mid-2023 also saw an increased number of deaths, as well as the lowest number of births since 2002.

"In fact, in the most recent year, births outnumbered deaths by just 400, the lowest reported figure for natural change since the late 1970s. And, interestingly, there were more deaths than births in every region, with the exception of London and the West Midlands."

By Faye Brown , political reporter

Rishi Sunak has been urged to stay on as Conservative leader until November amid divisions within the party over how long the contest to replace him should take.

Shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell said the former prime minister's instinct "is almost certainly to go" but more time was needed for potential successors to make their case.

The view is at odds with other senior figures who fear a protracted contest would leave a vacuum for Labour and Reform UK to capitalise on.

Mr Mitchell told Times Radio on Monday: "An interim leader is not, in my view, the best option.

"The best option is to seek to persuade Rishi to remain. It's not an enormously long time in the scope of things. It's probably 'til mid to end November."

He added: "I think his instinct is almost certainly to go. I hope that he won't."

Read the full story here:

Here's a little bit more from the massive More in Common analysis that came out earlier today.

The work relied on surveys and interviews with more than 10,000 people.

The group found that - by a huge margin - voters of every persuasion attributed the Conservative Party's loss to incompetence, rather than being too right wing or left.

The report said that Mr Sunak's U-turn on net zero went down badly - as did axing the northern leg of HS2.

This compounded with the former PM failing to stop the boats or cut NHS waiting lists, as he pledged to do.

By Tomos Evans , Wales reporter

Drink refills could be banned in Wales, under plans currently the subject of a consultation.

The regulations, if approved, would prohibit retailers from offering free refills or top-ups of sugary drinks.

Multi-buy offers, such as buy-one-get-one-free, will also be prohibited under the proposals.

But there will be a 12-month window for the packaging of products to be updated, before the restrictions come into force next year.

The Welsh government says it wants to help people in Wales "make the healthy choice" when shopping and dining out.

If businesses do not comply, they would face an improvement notice and failure to act could lead to a criminal penalty under the Food Safety Act.

Enforcement would be down to local councils, the Welsh government confirmed.

Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico's Jack Blanchard are here with their guide to the day ahead in politics. 

On day 10 of the new Labour government, Jack and Sam cover the fallout from the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, preparations for the King's Speech, and if one Tory beast has ambitions to be interim leader.

Email Jack and Sam: [email protected]

👉 Tap here to follow Politics at Jack and Sam's wherever you get your podcasts 👈

This morning's More in Common report - which we reported on earlier - looked into the attitudes of voters and why they switched.

One area they examined was who went to Reform UK - and the implications of the switching.

According to the research, less than a third (31%) of people who voted Reform said they would have chosen the Tories otherwise.

Some 33% of people said they would not have voted for another party, while the rest said they would have picked Labour (12%), Lib Dem (9%), Green (6%), another party (9%), and then the don't knows were on 6%.

The research also found that Conservatives who left to vote Reform are the most likely to never want to vote Tory again.

The report said: "If the Conservative Party is to recover, it will have to start with restoring its reputation for economic competence and selecting a leader who can bring back voters who deserted the party to the left and the right.

"Rather than either or, voters who would back the Conservatives suggest a preference for a leader who can merge the appeal of both David Cameron and Boris Johnson."

The report suggested that if Reform had not stood, the Tories would only have won an extra 40 seats - leaving Labour still with a majority of more than 100.

In our previous post, we reported on how people want to see change from Labour quickly - with a "honeymoon" period unlikely. 

Well a separate piece of research - this time from More in Common and UCL - has shown what issues are the key tests for Labour.

The surveyors asked more than 10,000 people for their opinions.

The most important issue people will judge the new government on is how much they reduce NHS waiting - with the second issue being how much the cost of living goes down.

In third place is lowering immigration, followed by tax cuts.

You can see the full survey in the chart below.

When a new government is elected, it is usually thought they can enjoy a "honeymoon" period where the public gives them time to enact change.

However, a survey of 20,000 people by IPPR and Persuasion shows this may not be the case for Sir Keir Starmer.

According to the research, voters expect most policy areas to improve in the next two or three years.

The survey also found that most constituencies think Labour should borrow extra money to invest in the economy and public services.

There is also broad support for improving workers' rights, accelerating housebuilding and a closer relationship with Europe.

And most areas of the UK also want to see greater action on climate change.

Harry Quilter-Pinner, director of policy and politics at IPPR, said: "This coalition that came together to give Labour its landslide expects bold and tangible change.

"The good news for Labour is that this coalition is more united than many think, and they are clear they want to see action on the economy, climate change and workers' rights.

"If the government can deliver on the things that matter the most, it will have a better chance of turning this temporary coalition into a permanent one, and winning a second term."

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Psycho-Social Working Conditions and Stress in UK Social Workers

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Jermaine M Ravalier, Psycho-Social Working Conditions and Stress in UK Social Workers, The British Journal of Social Work , Volume 49, Issue 2, March 2019, Pages 371–390, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcy023

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It is well documented that exposure to chronic negative working conditions leads to stress. This subsequently impacts sickness absence and attrition, making it a key consideration for policy makers and academics alike. This study therefore seeks to investigate the influence of psycho-social working conditions on stress and related outcomes: sickness presenteeism, job satisfaction and turnover intentions in UK social workers. A cross-sectional survey was used, in addition to a single open-ended question designed to further investigate the sources of stress, to collect data from 1,333 registered social workers. Results demonstrate high levels of turnover intentions, presenteeism and low job satisfaction. Regression analyses found that the interaction between high demands, low levels of control and poor managerial support was related to social worker stress and related outcomes. Qualitative content analysis of the open-ended question corroborated and extended these findings, also demonstrating that poor ergonomic set-up of the work environment and a blame culture were adding to the experience of stress. Policy makers need to consider improvements in these working conditions or face losing a large proportion of the social work workforce. Future research needs to be both longitudinal and interventional to focus on these needed improvements.

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