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Evidence-informed practice

One of our three inter-related programmes of work

The Evidence-informed Practice (EiP) programme is focused on achieving better outcomes for people and communities through improved use of evidence. This involves working with members of the social service workforce (all roles and sectors), carers, people supported (or sometimes not supported) by carers or services, social service students, social service educators and researchers. We contribute to IRISS's core outcomes by improving:

  • Access to, and awareness of, evidence
  • Skills and confidence to use, create and apply evidence
  • Use of evidence to inform policies and practice
  • Evidence base quality and range

We are involved in the following activities to achieve the improvemnet listed above:

Co-production of evidence: bringing research producers, people supported by services, carers, practitioner and policy-makers together to collectively identify issues in need of exploration and to research these issues

Testing evidence: providing opportunities for practitioners to test research findings in relation to their practice

Evidence-based products: producing evidence based products related to practice needs (guides, toolkits etc)

Providing ad hoc advice and support: for social service stakeholders seeking to identify evidence, undertake research or improve the use of evidence

Most of the projects led by the Evidence-informed Practice team make a contribution across the improvement indicators listed above, but there is a key indicator for each project which is depicted in the table below.

Awareness & Access Skills & Confidence Use of Evidence Evidence Base
                                                                                                                                       Driving forward EiP 
Insights Practitioner Research: Older People's Support (PROPS) SDS Fife Council Prevention
Student Engagement Evaluation Exchange: Self-evaluation Through Peer Support Reflecting on Evidence Use 

Storytelling as evidence Person-centred Practice in Social Care and Health


Commissioning for Outcomes


Imagining the Future Workforce




                                                                                                                                       Champions Network 

Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss our projects, strategy or how we can support you with issues related to evidence-informed practice. 

Programme Manager: Claire Lightowler 

Project Managers: Emma Collins, Ellen Daly, Kerry Musselbrook