A new ‘implementation centre’ for adult social care is launching in Birmingham to improve how evidence is put into practice in the sector.
IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) is backed by £15 million of funding over the next six years. The new centre has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, and the Health Foundation and is supported by a UK-wide 24-strong consortium which includes RCOT. It will be the first centre of its kind in the UK.
The centre will work with people with experience of care, carers, commissioners, and service providers to promote and maintain people’s independence and wellbeing through the better deployment of evidence. The aim of IMPACT is to assist with the implementation of a range of evidence- based innovations, something which has previously been hampered by the complex and often fragmented nature of the social care system. The centre is also aiming to build capacity and skills in the adult social care workforce, and better understand what prevents putting evidence into practice.
Dr Jo Watson, RCOT Assistant Director - Education and Research, said: ‘The inclusive approach of IMPACT brings a range of practitioners, professional and regulatory bodies, together with those advising on adult social care, industry, academics and experts in knowledge mobilisation. This will be invaluable in facilitating the use of evidence to support long-term improvements in the outcomes and experiences of people accessing adult social care across the UK. Working in collaboration with a consortium of partners, RCOT is looking forward to supporting and facilitating the work of IMPACT and our members’ engagement with it.’
Jon Glasby, Professor of Health and Social Care at the University of Birmingham who has been appointed as IMPACT’s Director, said: ‘Adult social care touches people’s lives in such important and intimate ways, and it’s crucial that it’s based on the best possible evidence of what works.
‘Good care isn’t just about services, it’s about having a life – and [the co-funders] the Economic and Social Research Council and the Health Foundation are providing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a real difference.’