Knowledge Exchange and Evidence Newsletter

Introduction

Picture of Anne McGlade, Social Work and Social Care Research Lead
at the Social Care Council.

Moving rapidly through 2025 we are delighted to bring to you our summer edition of the Knowledge Exchange Newsletter. There is always lots happening within the social work and social care research and evidence world. In this edition we bring you up to date with some recent developments and news both locally and further afield.

On the horizon is the second facilitated stakeholders’ event in September, part of our engagement activity for development of the next research strategy. Also, whilst 2026 may seem a little while off we are already planning the 13th annual Social Work and Social Care Conference for 2026.

Thank you to everyone who has provided us with updates and information on new initiatives. Do keep sending material so that the newsletter remains informative.

Yours sincerely,
Anne McGlade
Social Work and Social Care Research Lead
Social Care Council

Our news

Research and Evidence Partnership

Our Research and Evidence Partnership chaired by Professor Davy Hayes, held its fourth meeting in June 2025. Its role is to advise the Social Care Council on matters relating to the Social Work and Social Care Research agenda in Northern Ireland. In addition, it will promote and support Social Work and Social Care research and research-related activity at a strategic level.

We continue to greatly appreciate the inputs and support received from members to date which help ensure this partnership is successful and productive. We will keep this under review and will continue to check members’ feedback.

You can check out scheduled meeting dates, previous agendas and minutes here.

Research Community

Our research community operates as a sub group of the Research and Evidence Partnership with a two-way flow of information sharing in place. Its key purpose is that of networking. The membership stands at over 70 as last reviewed on 24th June 2025.

“Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities.”

– Michele Jennae

The impressive level of inputs and the willingness of members to take opportunities to share and disseminate their research and evidence activities with others are clear indicators that the research community will continue to develop.

You can find out more about the research community and how to engage with it here.

13th Annual Social Work and Social Care Research in Practice Conference Research

New resources from the Social Care Council

The Social Care Council recently launched the Care in Practice interactive web resource. This new online tool represents another important milestone in the work we have been doing to support social care workforce reform.

This resource will help social care practitioners navigate their continuous learning and career options so they can pursue opportunities, qualifications and a lifelong career in social care. You can view full details and experience the interactive webs resource here.

Loneliness and social isolation can affect anyone, at any age and stage of their life. It does not discriminate and it can happen to people who, to everyone else, seem like they could never be lonely.

To help social workers support service users, recognising the signs of loneliness and the impact it can have. You can find full details about the Loneliness: The Role of Social Work resource here.

If you know someone that would benefit from this resource please visit here.

Social Care Stories

Over 40,000 social care practitioners are making a difference in people’s lives across Northern Ireland. We are sharing their stories and shining a light on the men and women who dedicate themselves to social care. They believe in better. They believe in making a difference. Check out their stories here.

Other news

PhD Student Network

As part of the strategic research infrastructure, the Social Work PhD Student Network was formed to allow PhD students to engage and support each other as they undertake their doctoral studies.

The group is open to anyone currently undertaking a PhD in social work related research. To find out more or join please email Laura Doyle: L.doyle1@ulster.ac.uk or Liz Tanner: Liz.tanner@southerntrust.hscni.net.

The next online session is 5 August 2025 on MS Teams with guest speaker Professor Paula McFadden Ulster University.

Scoping Exercise – Doctoral Studies- Can you help?

The Research and Evidence Partnership is undertaking a scoping exercise around doctoral studies in the region and beyond.

This exercise will help profile the work undertaken or being undertaken to enhance both the evidence base and the social work profession.

We are interested in those whose PhD study is ongoing and those who received their award between 2020-2025. We are relying on our research networks, partners and contacts to share this survey link, please pass on to anyone who is currently engaged in doctoral level research within the years as above.

If you fall under these criteria click here to complete this survey.

“Research is something that everyone can do, and everyone ought to do. It is simply collecting information and thinking systematically about it.”

– Raewyn Connell

European Social Work Research Conference ESWRA Aberdeen

Call for abstracts

Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group operates as one of a number of Special Interest Groups (SIG) of ESWRA – Check out our Evidence into Practice SIG here.

EiPSIG

Our next online seminar is on the 11 November 2025 at 2pm (GMT) {3PM (CET), 9AM (ETM)} and we are delighted to host a session by Laurence Taggart.

To register for this seminar, click here.

If you would like to find out more about EiPSIG, email Anne McGlade, Convenor at: EiPSIG@hscni.net.

“No research without action, no action without research. This speaks to an iterative process where research informs practice, and vice-versa.”

– Kurt Lewin

Developing Evidence Enriched Practice (DEEP) – Wales

DEEP is a co-production approach to developing social care and health policy and practice. It uses story and dialogue methods to help gather, explore and use different types of evidence.

To find out more about the DEEP approach, click here.

9th Social Work International Conference 2025

Social Work in a shifting world: Responding to transforming realities and their ripple effects

Call for abstract is now open, please click here for more information.

Recognition – Kings Honours List

We are delighted to share that Emily Wilson has been recognised for an award in the Kings Honours List. This is such a deserving award in recognition for her unwavering support and commitment to improving services for individuals, families and carers of people with dementia.

In 2023, Emily, who is an active volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Society, joined the Social Care Council’s Strategic Research and Evidence Partnership. This reflects Emily’s ongoing critical support for research and her wisdom as a carer of her husband, who was diagnosed with early onset of dementia.

Following her successful completion of the Post Qualifying Research Methods Programme at Ulster University, culminating in an MSc award in 2024, Emily remains a passionate supporter of the value of research and evidence and continues to advocate for its use to improve services for others.

Thank you, Emily, for your ongoing support and involvement.

We congratulate her on this award.

Congratulations

School of Social Services Education of Social Work doctoral student Laura Doyle successfully defended her thesis last week.

The thesis titled, ‘Adult Safeguarding Inequalities in Northern Ireland: A Mixed Methods Exploratory Study’.

Laura’s supervisors were Social Work academics Lorna Montgomery and Lisa Bunting. The viva examiners congratulated Laura on an interesting and important piece of research.

Congratulations Dr Doyle.

To read the article, click here.

We would also like to congratulate James Todd, who has recently completed his PhD with Queen’s University Belfast, examining the professional perceptions of the social work role with adult vulnerable witnesses; adults who had been the victims of abuse and were being jointly supported by both Police and Social Work Services.

The research, which involved interviews and focus groups with social workers and police officers across Northern Ireland, has already had a significant impact on policy, particularly the joint protocol between Social Work Services and Police.

Congratulations Dr Todd.

You can read more about James’s journey here.

Practice Links is a free @UCCsocialwork publication for practitioners working in Irish social services, voluntary, community and non-governmental sectors. Practice Links supports practitioners to keep up-to-date with new publications, electronic publications, conferences, social media, apps, and continuing professional development opportunities. Practice Links is published every other month.

Click here to view the most recent issue.

National Institute for Health and Care Research

The National Institute of Health Research is hosting a series of webinars to celebrate and share learning from six innovative social care research-practice partnerships. These projects have been funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) through the Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR) Programme.

About the Webinars

Between July and December 2025, four webinars will explore how these projects are building research capacity in adult social care. Each session will feature insights from project teams and highlight the impact of their work.

What to expect

Three shorter webinars, each focusing on a key theme:

Embedded Researchers (October 15)
Research in Practice Teams (November 18)

A half-day webinar in September exploring learning around Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in research capacity building.

These sessions are open to all but will be especially valuable for senior leaders and managers working in social care across the UK.

To find out more information and opportunities visit NIHR website here.

AI guidance produced by Social Care Wales

Whilst not specifically for research there is helpful guidance on general principles You can find it here.

“Organizations can now respond to people with an in-depth understanding of the human experience, addressing people’s problems and anticipating their needs.” Brad Anderson speaking of user experience.“

– Brad Anderson speaking of user experience

Articles and studies

From Rhetoric to Reality: Social Work Leading Change Through Learning and Implementing Community Development

Despite a strong evidence base demonstrating the potential for community development approaches to promote positive social change in individuals, families and communities, the expansion of individualised casework in the UK in recent years, has led to the marginalisation of community development in social work practice and training.

This paper makes recommendations to shift policy changes from rhetoric to reality. You can check it out here.

The aim of this rapid scoping review was to provide a summary of the available evidence on the development and implementation of peer support work in mental health services. The specific objectives were: to undertake a comprehensive review of the literature on peer support work; and identify how such work may be best implemented.

The scoping exercise concluded that there is a need for further rigorous research on the key aspects and effectiveness of peer support work. Read full study here.

Critical reflections on public involvement in research: Involving involuntary recipients of social services to improve research quality

Check out this article which resonates with a lot of what we have all discussed about and have been engaged in this type of research activity.

Read full article here.

A preliminary psychometric investigation of a brief positive school experiences scale

The Development of a Brief Positive School Experiences Scale: Universal screening using measures of mental health symptoms is discounted by UK schools due to stakeholder concerns. This is a study about the development of a new Brief Positive School Experiences (B-PSEs) scale, devised to assess associations between cumulative positive school experiences (PSEs) and adolescent mental health.