Working with adults and carers
We develop a range of evidence-informed learning resources designed for professionals working with adults, families and carers tailored to individual and organisational learning and development needs.
Our topics and resources are developed in consultation with Partners from across the national adults Research in Practice membership network to ensure our work reflects the needs and priorities of the sector.
We have worked hard to improve the curation, presentation and implementation of our resources to ensure Partners feel enabled to use our outputs effectively. We have also created responsive resources and activities that respond to network priorities as they arise.
We have produced publications, podcasts, digital resources and more on:
- Assessment and practice development
- Digital social care
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Legal literacy
- Mental health
We also work collaboratively on a range of partnership programmes that aim to innovate excellent practice and build capacity across the social care sector. Amongst a range of programmes, Change Projects such as the Families and Homes project aim to formulate responses, solutions and tools to support better alignment and joint working between services.
Assessment and practice development
An assessment may have different focuses, dependent on the type of situation or need being experienced. Assessors require a range of, sometimes specialist, skills and knowledge to support effective assessments.
Following requests from Research in Practice Partners, we updated our popular Good Assessment Practioners’ Handbook. The handbook, first released following the Care Act 2014, is written primarily for social care practitioners conducting assessments, providing detailed practice guidance to explore and reflect on good assessment practice, the capabilities of a good assessor, and the support that assessors need. The handbook is accompanied by a podcast with author Gerry Nosowska, who reflects on the changing context to assessments and explores what has been updated.
View further resources below.
Listen
Read
- Assessment: Brief Guide
- Difficult conversations in social care: Frontline Briefing
- Good Assessment Practitioners' Handbook: Second edition
- Using research - Tools to support evidence-informed practice: Practice Tool
Watch
- Dialogic practice: Garavan's six steps
- De Bono's Hats
- Learning from others - how can we strengthen experiential learning in the workplace? Video learning resources
- Non-violent communication
- Meaningful participation - how can we involve children, young people and adults in shaping practice, support and services?
- The 4x4x4 supervision model
In recent times many practitioners, adults and carers have needed to adapt to new ways of working virtually. This includes when having conversations, building relationships and providing care and support. These resources promote reflection and practice improvement in this area, embedding learning from experience.
Our easy read practice tool on digital inclusion has been co-produced with a team of women who have learning disabilities, learning difficulties and/or autism.
An integral part of social care practice is protection and promotion of the rights of adults, children and families. Central to this is ensuring that people of all ages, with all their diverse characteristics, have equality of opportunity and are not excluded or discriminated against.
Our 2023 adults Partnership Conference explored different initiatives working to understand and act upon different aspects of poverty related to adult social care. Working with people with lived experience of poverty reveals many different experiences with some universal aspects, highlighting the value of a person-centred, rights-based and intersectional approach. Good practice can preserve people’s dignity, uphold their rights and empower them.
‘I enjoyed the conference and will explore others and advise my colleagues. Thanks again for co-ordinating this event. So important to hear about latest research innovations around the country that benefit social work practice.’
Partnership Conference delegate
Listen
Read
- Anti-racist supervision matters
- Discriminatory abuse – developing practice responses
- Mental capacity, intimate relationships and adult safeguarding: Frontline Briefing
- No recourse to public funds
- Promoting anti-racist practice
- Supporting intimacy and relationships in later life: Practice Tool
- Working with older trans people: Practice Tool
Watch
Case law, legislation and regulation as well as government guidance provide vital frameworks for the commissioning and provision of adult social care. However, decision-making with people is often complex and as such ethical knowledge and professional judgment are also required. These resources aim to further support the development of legal literacy across organisations and to support people to keep their knowledge up-to-date.
Listen
Read
Watch
Social care practitioners require a sound understanding of the varied causes and effects of mental health conditions. These resources aim to build a working knowledge of these conditions alongside key pieces of legislation.
Learning resources and events
As part of membership to Research in Practice, Partners have access to a range of learning opportunities and receive regular updates on the latest news and views, case law and policy. Our national programme of learning events, conferences and webinars support professional networking and development on pertinent social care topics in response to changing individual and organisational needs throughout the year.
Throughout the year we have responded to Partner feedback to develop resources that respond to emerging or immediate needs.