In this blog, Emma Taylor-Hill, our Knowledge Mobilisation Manager, reflects on how the team has supported practitioner-led research in Carmarthenshire that aims to shape better outcomes for older adults.
In October 2024, Liz Thomas, Team Manager for the Social work team at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthenshire, began a three-month secondment to explore why referrals to residential care settings were increasing. Her work included a scoping review comparing Carmarthenshire with other local authority areas.
Thanks to our sector-wide connections, we helped Liz gather insights from practitioners across Wales. The value of this work was clear, and her secondment was extended until the end of 2025.
With more time, Liz has been able to explore whether the residential placements meet people’s needs. This phase has been focused on co-production and has included:
To meet ethical governance standards, Liz has also worked closely with the local authority’s legal team to make sure consent has been informed and transparent throughout.
Our knowledge mobilisation team has provided flexible, tailored support, meeting online and in person to fit around Liz’s schedule.
Support has included:
We also helped Liz design sessions on Collaborative Communication with Rhoda Emlyn-Jones from Achieving Sustainable Change, embedding a strengths-based approach into practice.
We’ve signposted Liz to various networks and events to help develop skills and knowledge to support her work, including connecting her with our Evidence Community.
We also introduced Liz to our Impact and Evaluation Manager, Emyr Williams, who provided support with training and resources.
"Our Knowledge Mobilisation team helps people like Liz build skills, knowledge and confidence, which they can then apply to everyday practice."
- Rachel Scourfield, Head of Knowledge Mobilisation, Social Care Wales
Liz’s findings to date have led to practical recommendations, including workshops to support culture change.
Over four days, 66 practitioners joined sessions we co-delivered with Liz and Mair Davies (Learning and Development Advisor).
The workshops combined:
One highlight was the “magic moments” session. This approach helps us to share and learn from short stories of positive experience. Staff shared some lovely stories of what has worked well when they’ve supported people to remain independent in their homes.
Another highlight for me was the "reflecting on evidence" session. This was based on research about quality of life in care homes, sparking conversations about grief, identity, and the overlooked trauma older adults can experience during transitions.
Supporting research in practice isn’t just about generating reports - it’s about changing lives. We’ve seen how harnessing knowledge and sharing it effectively empowers practitioners and improves care.
This is reflected in participant feedback:
“I plan to read the research discussed in today’s training as the summary provided in today's session has given me lots to reflect on in regards to the impact on the service users’ place in residential care.”
“Today has given me food for thought and options to consider. Reminded me that the person needs to be central to my practice.”
Working alongside Liz has given us invaluable insight into what practitioners need – and the transformative impact of research in practice.
There's more information about how our team can support you as an individual or your organisation on our Apply knowledge to practice page.
Knowledge Mobilisation Manager
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.