Social care planners and practitioners are increasingly being asked toidentify evidence for the choices they make, but often lack the researchknowledge to locate and judge it, or effectively apply evidence toservice planning and delivery.
Developing these skills is vital if organisations are to beevidence-based. And while research literature can be intimidating,acquiring the skills and knowledge to use this research effectivelydoesn't have to be.
Participants in the training sessions I run talk about improvements intheir confidence and abilities. They feel more able to locate evidence,be selective and critical, and understand the value of differentmethods.
They also know what to look for.
As confidence and skill in handling evidence grows, so does appreciationof its use. "Research should be seen as 'real' work and should beplanned into work schedules," one manager declared at the end of thetraining.
Another reported that she now appreciated the "benefits of linkingresearch, practice and strategic development".
Becoming an evidence-based organisation requires buy-in at all levels,and how we communicate evidence to influence change is a vital part ofthis. I have been encouraged by participants' enthusiasm for exploringways to influence change, their desire to try innovative ways ofcommunicating findings and to explore how to present argumentsincorporating evidence.
Improving skills in research use must be a core component of everyorganisation's strategy for evidence-based practice. I really hope thatby improving these skills, at all levels, we will get better at askingand answering the question "why do we do what we do?".
- Sarah Frost is Barnardo's' development officer for evidence-basedpractice and co-author of The Evidence Guide, a training resource forsocial care professionals available fromwww.barnardos.org.uk/theevidenceguide.
