Link Officers act as the vital bridge between Research in Practice and our Partner network. Every year, we recognise and celebrate their achievements and hard work with our annual Link Officer Awards.
Nominations for our annual Link Officer Awards are now open.
Link Officers are indispensable in championing and embedding evidence-informed practice across our network. They take the lead role in promoting the Research in Practice resources available to you. Making sure you utilise the offer as fully as possible to underpin practice, decision-making and achieve maximum impact on practice. In recognition of their commitment, creativity, and tenacity we are inviting you to nominate them in our annual Link Officer Awards.
Winners will be announced at our hybrid Link Officers' Annual Meeting (LOAM) taking place on 26 and 27 September 2024.
Submit your nomination. Closing date for nominations – 30 August 2024.
Nominations for previous winners have included some notable examples of the ways in which Link Officers have worked tirelessly to support excellent practice across their organisations. Examples from previous winning nominations include:
Hasna is a brilliant link officer she is dedicated to ensuring the Children's workforce knows all about the opportunities that are on offer through our membership of Research in Practice [...] she encourages social work staff to create accounts and use materials and resources for CPD, registration with Social Work England and provides regular workshops for our newly qualified workers.
Nomination for Hasna Siddiqua, Children & Families Link Officer of the Year 2023
Lisa and Laura run regular sessions through the academy for all new staff to demonstrate how to register with Research in Practice and encouraging all staff to do this following the session [...] they use Research in Practice resources to facilitate half-day sessions on a chosen topic with senior social workers and occupational therapists and encourage further learning by signposting to Research in Practice resources.
Nomination for Lisa Gilleade-Smith and Laura Kirkham, Adults Link Officers of the Year 2023
Below are some pointers to think about when nominating your Link Officer:
- Adapting learning and development activities to enable virtual learning using Research in Practice resources. In what ways do they ensure they use different formats and communication channels to facilitate learning?
- Being available to assist colleagues with any queries and offer a helping hand. In what ways does your Link Officer use positive rewards, encouragement, and constructive feedback to reinforce the message that using evidence is desired behaviour?
- Contributing to the Research in Practice network by sharing work with Partners at other organisations. In what ways do they encourage formal and informal networks to develop?
- Disseminating and embedding Research in Practice resources and news to staff across all levels of the organisation. How does your Link Officer get the resources to practitioners and practitioners to the resources in an accessible, timely and relevant way?
- Proactively working with the Partner Engagement Team, Strategic Champions, and Principal Social Workers to improve practice and engagement. How do they use people in key roles to share research and champion the benefits to individuals, organisations, and those you serve?
- Successfully encouraging colleagues to create online accounts and use the website independently. How do they support a learning culture, making use of evidence and peer reflection.
Collaborative working across the lifespan: Link Officers’ Annual Meeting 2024
Join us at our 2024 Link Officers’ Annual Meeting focusing on collaborative working across the lifespan in the health and social care sectors.