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Apply knowledge to practice

If you're a social care practitioner, manager, commissioner, care provider, work in the third sector or are involved in social care research, we can support you to make decisions that are evidence enriched.

We support practice by:

  • sharing knowledge that's useful and relevant
  • bringing research and evidence that you can use in your practice environments
  • offering opportunities to apply research skills and use evidence.

How can we support you?

In this section you'll find information on sessions that can support you to apply knowledge to practice.

The sessions are open to everyone and aim to:

  • make knowledge accessible and engaging
  • build confidence using research in practice
  • cover topics guided by what practitioners tell us they want to learn more about.

Reflecting on evidence

These sessions are designed for practitioners by members of our team with practice experience. 

The format is simple. We discuss a piece of research or an evidence summary. This method can be easily adapted for use in practice and we can also provide support with this.

Community of enquiry

We facilitate these sessions in partnership with colleagues from Developing Evidence Enriched Practice (DEEP). Researchers provide an initial stimulus, which participants can then explore and discuss.

"Definitely encouraged deeper thought and collective ideas." - Community of enquiry participant

Research conversations

We invite an academic researcher to present their research topic, which is followed by an opportunity for participants to interact and reflect on what they've learned.

Research skills

The support package we've developed offers a series of workshops to help people bring research and evidence into practice. 

These sessions provide an introduction to basic research skills, accessing research, understanding different types of research, and where it can be used in practice. People can attend in sequence, or join one-off sessions, depending on their needs.

We can also support the use of evidence in particular areas of interest or specific practice issues.

Tailored support

We can also offer more bespoke support for your team or organisation across a variety of topics related to social care.  We aim to be responsive to practice and the needs of your organisation or team. This means coming up with new and creative ways to share knowledge.

Research roadshows

The aim of our research roadshows is to promote the value of research and share how it can be relevant to social care practice. 

We go directly to local authorities across Wales, in order to minimise cost and maximise time.

Our approach

We bring small numbers of practitioners together with selected researchers to provide bitesize, interactive and practical sessions that:

  • give practitioners an opportunity to connect with researchers around specific topics
  • increase knowledge and awareness of research taking place in Wales
  • create a space to reflect on how research knowledge can be applied to practice. 

"Very inspirational session. Good to see how research can be applied to practice." - Research roadshow participant

Our knowledge mobilisation team

Although we use the term ‘knowledge mobilisation’ to describe our team, our offer has been developed by people with practice experience who 'apply knowledge to practice'. 

While people may use different terminology, the work itself is based on a relationship style approach and is about meaningful engagement, user participation and working towards using evidence to have an impact. 

We connect academic research with non-academic decision makers, including people involved in public policy and professional practice. As well as academic research, knowledge sharing also includes practice-based evidence. 

This means using evidence gathered from people delivering and using services, their carers and wider support network.

Knowledge mobilisation is about applying knowledge to practice: making evidence accessible, clear and useful for those who need it

How can knowledge mobilisation help you in practice?

The approach can help:

  • bring people together
  • explore and engage with evidence in creative and inclusive ways
  • support multi-disciplinary working
  • address practice challenges and influence change
  • improve outcomes for people who access care and support. 

Find out more!

Knowledge mobilisation:

Research roadshows:

Performance and Improvement Framework for Social Services:

Meet the team

Rachel Scourfield

Rachel Scourfield

Knowledge Mobilisation Manager

I manage our knowledge mobilisation team. We support practitioners, teams, and organisations to access and consider research and evidence to support their decisions, development and work. 

We bring people together through our communities and partner work to help use, apply and generate research and evidence in practice. Our communities are spaces for people to share their knowledge and ideas and to learn from others, creating relationships across different sectors and across Wales. 

Before joining Social Care Wales, I was a social worker 23 for years and specialised in substance use. I worked within a multi-agency treatment team for adults, and as a consultant social worker in the Integrated Family Support Service. This role supported an intensive family approach to addressing parental substance use. I also have experience of successfully securing National Institute for Health and care Research (NIHR) funding with a colleague to work towards embedding research into adult services within a local authority.

Sarah Atkinson

Sarah Atkinson

Evidence and Engagement Coordinator

I work as part of the knowledge mobilisation team, finding ways to support people working across social care to use, apply and generate research in practice, planning, and policymaking. 

We’re doing this through building relationships, communities and working with partners who generate research evidence to support its application into practice.

I have a working background in a range of statutory and third sector organisations. This has included campaigning work, rights-based practice, policy, and service development/ delivery. Whilst working with older people I became interested in research and studied part time at Cardiff University to graduate with a master’s degree in research methods. I have been actively involved in a research project spanning Wales and Scotland with a focus on strengths-based social work practice and development. 

When not working, I enjoy being part of a book group and exploring beautiful Wales and beyond. Yoga and pottery are my go-to for relaxation.

Emma Taylor-Hill

Emma Taylor-Hill

Knowledge Mobilisation Lead

I'm the knowledge mobilisation lead at Social Care Wales and sit within the knowledge mobilisation team. My role is all about finding ways to support people to get evidence into practice, and to link the worlds of practice and research so we can make sense of evidence together.

Before joining Social Care Wales, I worked for Carmarthenshire local authority in the learning and development team. Working with newly qualified social workers and running a Research in Practice group were my favourite parts of that role.

Kate Howson

Kate Howson

Senior Partnerships Lead (Research)

As senior partnership lead for research within the knowledge mobilisation team my main aim is to seek out, build and maintain relationships and activities that support the use of research in practice and policy in social care. I work closely with researchers, research organisations and practitioners across Wales to help support the implementation of recent research. 

I help ensure practice can be enriched by research and evidence, and that research is responsive to the needs of those using social care. I identify areas for collaboration between organisations, to deliver research skills-building opportunities for practitioners to be able to carry out their own research in practice.