Resources

Iriss.fm podcast

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we used the Iriss.fm podcast to focus on people and organisations’ experiences of the crisis – how it affected them and the creative ways they responded. As examples, we heard from Clackmannanshire and Stirling HSCP on the interventions they put in place; carers’ stories; and the issues that people with disabilities had to face and manage.

We also covered key social work and social care projects and research, including a project exploring child contact decisions in families affected by domestic abuse; research on the impact of lockdown restrictions on care home residents; a discussion on the practice of moral distress in residential child care; and Recognition matters, a child protection and welfare project focusing on the benefits of family group conferencing.

“So much to take from this podcast. I would very much recommend a listen.”

“This is an excellent listen for families trying to get to grips with family meetings - for listening to all the people close to the child and aiding decision-making.”

Insights

Every year we publish a number of Insights – concise, accessible and peer reviewed evidence summaries – that inform and influence social work and social care practice.

Over 2020/21 we published five that covered topics including: creating a culture of resilience for social workers; and rediscovering community social work in Scotland, to evidence on the relevance of attachment to an understanding of dementia; the role of contextual safeguarding in child protection; and an examination of self-directed support ten years on.

“I'm blown away by these insights by @daveboyorr on the potential for #ContextualSafeguarding in Scotland - particular when integrated with the #SocialModel of Child Protection by @Acsocialwork @AnnaGupta2 and Kate Morris. I encourage everyone to give this a read.”

“…in the current circumstances, this has even more relevance - Creating a culture of resilience”

Iriss Outlines

Our Evidence Search and Summary Service received 20 enquiries and published 14 Outlines on topics ranging from domestic abuse; social care workers’ mental health; carers’ mental and physical health; and housing, wellbeing and COVID-19.

The Outline on carers’ mental and physical health was picked up by Derek Feeley to inform conversations with carers on the review of adult social care.

Research Trim

Supported by the Heads of Social Work Education, we launched a showcase of the best student research papers to give practitioners access to emerging knowledge. Topics to date include: an exploration of managers' decision making in child protection services; the roles of self-efficacy, risk and service provision, to address some of the gaps in the existing literature for relationship-based practice; and reducing the overcriminalization of care experienced young people in Scotland.

Projects

Better use of information and evidence

Evidence Search and Summary service (ESSS)

Purpose

To support the sector to find and use evidence to improve practice.

Partners

NHS Education for Scotland (NES), International Federation for Integrated Care (IFIC); Adult Support and Protection Committee; and Chief Social Work Officers.

Activities

The ESSS service worked with seven independent and third sector organisations, including CrossReach, Independent Living Fund Scotland and Alzheimer Scotland; and eight local authorities across Scotland, including Borders, Dundee, Glasgow, Clackmannanshire, Fife, and Dumfries and Galloway. It also produced summaries of the annual CSWO reports and ASP committee biennial reports.

Robert and Andreea, our Information Specialists who lead the service delivered four workshops to university students on building confidence on accessing and using evidence, and through the Learning Network West, supported students to conduct research. They also delivered a seminar for the Dublin City University Smart Cities virtual seminar series based around an Outline on digital exclusion.

The difference we made

The Outlines help frontline staff overcome time barriers when it comes to accessing evidence, as well as accessibility barriers such as free access to information or clarity of information. They are then used for training, to implement or support service change, and for improving or developing new services. They also promote the service as some inquirers reached out after reading existing Outlines.

“What an invaluable evidence searching resource from @irissorg”. The topic resources are so valuable highlighting recent publications and useful websites. Thanks to the evidence team”

“This afternoon I'm reading an excellent summary of evidence from @irissorg on creating healing environments for children who have experienced #trauma”

“This is amazing, and I will be singing your praises to my team”. (Feedback from Glasgow City Council).

Lessons learned

• In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and responses to it, and to stay connected with the developments happening in social services, we need to be more proactive in our evidence searches and conduct horizon scanning for potential ‘hot’ topic areas that are developing. This will allow us to anticipate the future support the workforce might need and it will allow us to produce better - more critical and more robust evidence resources.
• As technology is embedded in both service provision and service infrastructure, we realised it is essential to move towards more visually accessible digital ways of presenting and publicising evidence outlines. This would help reduce the time needed to engage with our resources and improve their overall accessibility.
• We are exploring new ways to respond to queries such as producing reading lists where evidence is limited or unavailable.

Impact of visiting restrictions on relatives of care home residents

Purpose

To investigate the impact of visiting restrictions during lockdown on family carers with relatives in older people’s care homes, and learn from, and share, positive creative practices that helped.

Partners

University of Edinburgh (project lead), University of Strathclyde and the University of the West of Scotland.

Activities

Iriss was the impact and dissemination lead for this work, hosting a number of engagement events that culminated in ‘A year from lockdown’ event in March to share the full research findings and give voice to a range of stakeholder groups: the Research Team, Care Home Relatives Scotland, Scottish Care, Care Home workers, the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Government.

We produced policy briefs and a report for funders. Other resources created include a number of Iriss.fm episodes and blog posts, as well as a feature piece by Kerry Musselbrook, the Iriss project lead, for the Scottish Care bulletin. All resources are available via the project website.

Other teaching and learning resources from this work are in development. These will take the form of case studies, highlighting the lived experience of family carers and the creative practices of care home staff in response to the pandemic, and will be available in the summer of 2021.

The difference we made

“Thanks for an informative session. A year on, residents and families are still suffering from mistakes made last year. Wellbeing of both needs to be at the centre of decision making, providers, CI and Gov need to see the urgency of reuniting people, every day that passes is a day wasted.”

“…it was very helpful to hear discussions about the research studies that have been taking place into the impact of care home visitor restrictions in Scotland.”

Lessons learned

• It is amazing what can be achieved in a short space of time with the energy and commitment of partners to deliver a rapid research project, and how we can share learning from the pandemic as it continues to unfold.
• We have worked to provide both public-facing and academic outputs, balancing these requirements. We believe that this work provides important evidence to inform the future of adult social care going forward.

Outcomes for people through the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

Share practitioner stories of supporting people to achieve their outcomes through COVID-19 to inform practice, policy and recovery.

Partners

Personal Outcomes Co-ordinating Group.

Activities

We brought together the learning from a collection of stories gathered by the Personal Outcomes Network (PON) over 2020. Activities included planning the research, conducting interviews, online workshops, the creation of short films, analysis, report writing and launch event planning. This work builds on other online learning resources developed this year including the Curate and Connect collections and Partnerships and Coproduction work which were part of our COVID-19 related work between April and September.

The difference we made

The work resulted in an online learning resource, co-authored by Iriss and Emma Miller from the Personal Outcomes Network, which showcases the practitioner stories. These stories highlight the role of personal outcomes and how these were impacted through stages of the pandemic. By presenting a detailed analysis of these stories and how experiences evolved throughout the year, we were able to make sense of what the pandemic has meant for outcomes for people, and draw out implications to inform practice, policy and recovery.

“Thank you for putting this together, what a great resource. I love the inclusion of audio clips and the videos.”

“It’s really great to see this fantastic new resource come to fruition. A great piece of collaborative work!”

Lessons learned

• People value the opportunity to share their story and also value learning from the stories of others
• There has been a lot of new learning from the pandemic about practice during a crisis, which is important to consider for planning and recovery

Gypsy/Traveller intersectionality: strengthening the role of social work

Purpose

Increase social worker understanding of Gypsy/Traveller culture and highlight ways practice can be strengthened.

Activities

We commissioned Davie Donaldson, a Scottish Traveller activist and social entrepreneur to write a resource to increase social workers’ knowledge and understanding of Gypsy/Traveller culture.

The difference we made

This resource (available late June 2021) blends life story experience with historical context and practical exercises. It explores the relationship social work has had historically with Gypsy/Traveller communities and provides guidance that reflects on the role of social work in understanding Gypsy/Traveller intersectionality - how to embed culturally aware practice and challenge unconscious bias.

“It’s excellent and will be a really important resource for social workers.”

“It’s easy to read, understand, and follow, and I think the key messages and themes are clearly portrayed. The background information and lived experience examples are both particularly informative… it will certainly be a great resource for practitioners to use and learn from.”

Lessons learned

• It’s important to give a platform to the voices of seldom heard groups so their life story experience can help inform improvements to practice and systems

Adult support and protection: improving data

Purpose

To design a minimum data set on a quarterly basis to drive forward improvement at both a local and a national level. This supports practitioners to identify how they deliver better support and protection for adults at risk of harm.

Partners

Scottish Government, National Data Advisory Group.

Activities

By the close of the year, 23 out of 30 Adult Support and Protection Committees (ASPCs) had supported a mapping exercise to share what indicators they frequently collected to drive improvement.

13 committees have expressed interest in being a learning partner. In due course, three learning partners will be confirmed and the indicators provided as part of the mapping exercise will be analysed and shared.

This work is ongoing and supported by all the ASPCs. We will be working closely with three of them as learning partners in this work.

Lessons learned

• There is commitment and appetite from the ASP Committees to support this challenging work, and move to a quarterly minimum dataset that works locally and nationally to inform and drive improvement

Adult support and protection: large-scale investigations

Purpose

To raise awareness and understanding of what large-scale investigations (LSI’s) are across partnerships and organisations.

Partners

National Adult Protection Coordinator

Activities

The work involves the development of a learning resource that will support people involved in LSIs understand their role and key tasks, and to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding which informs an LSI. It will include life story experiences of people who are part of LSIs.

The project team has been working with over 18 organisations, including representation from universities, health and social care partnerships (HSCPs), Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, solicitors, advocacy, Scottish Care, NHS Boards, Mental Health Welfare Commission, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, the Care Inspectorate and Scottish Social Services Council.

This project is ongoing and the resource will be made available later in 2021. We’re also working with the National Adult Protection Coordinator to produce a case conference resource.

Lessons learned

• Clear expectations of people need to be set before, during and after their participation in developing a resource
• Getting everyone around the table can be difficult to coordinate and takes time

Supporting sector improvement

Recording practice

Purpose

Embed new recording practice principles within East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership and explore change with other partners.

Partners

Scottish Borders (Social Work); East Ayrshire HSCP; Aberdeen City Council; Open University CELCIS and Who Cares? Scotland.

Activities

Scoping needs, assets, expectations and challenges were gathered in relation to case recording and writing at Scottish Borders. The resulting work involved an introductory session with social work trainers, managers and practitioners; a series of workshops to support social work analysis skills; and guest speakers from East Ayrshire HSCP, Aberdeen City Council and the Open University to share learning and insight.

As a result of the sessions and workshops, it was identified that a tool to support writing analysis in social work and social care would be helpful, not only to the partners, but to practice more widely. So, we commissioned Professor Theresa Lillis at the Open University to work with us to develop an online learning course.

At East Ayrshire HSCP we hosted an online discussion and review session of the learning from our workshops and explored next steps with senior management. We continued to give light touch support to the learning and development team as they progressed in-house plans for recording practice training with newly qualified social workers.

The difference we made

This project resulted in a free online self-study course for practitioners to support their skills and confidence with analytical writing and case recording. More than 300 people attended the launch event on 26 March. It generated interest from other organisations and we have started a number of discussions to embed new practice.

“I am more reflective in action, when writing since the start of this project. I am actively thinking about how and what I am writing rather than just relaying a whole load of text.”

“The biggest difference for me is that I'm thinking a lot more about what I'm recording and I am trying to incorporate more analysis into this. Sometimes I am still too pressured for time to be able to dedicate the time I feel I need to really reflect on this but overall, I have seen an improvement in my writing. Plus, even though I'm maybe not always able to do this, I am always thinking and reflecting on it so I would say I did make progress through the project.”

Lessons learned

• There are opportunities and challenges with online facilitation – it was helpful to understand what worked and what needed more development
• We recognised the complexity of working with a workforce under pressure in light of COVID-19
• Having training and development help for technical aspects of online facilitation was incredibly beneficial
• The value of having a subject expert involved cannot be underestimated; Theresa Lillis offered a lot of clarity and expertise around the use of language in social work writing.
• There’s a gap in support for writing analysis in social work and social care. This skill needs ongoing development throughout a practitioner’s career.

Connecting rural social work

Purpose

Supporting and connecting rural social workers in Scotland and beyond.

Partners

The Rural Social Work (Scotland) Forum comprises social workers; the Scottish Association of Social Work; Scottish Social Services Council; Social Work Scotland; University of the West of Scotland; and Lancaster University.

Activities

The Forum hosted a series of events on current and important themes related to rural social work in Scotland. Themes included: dual relationships; domestic abuse and sexual violence; Gypsy/Traveller cultural awareness; and an overview of rural social work and what makes it unique. The event presentations were recorded and made available on the Iriss.fm podcast.

Follow the Rural Social Work (Scotland) Forum on Twitter.

The difference we made

The event series surpassed expectations, with high take-up and very positive feedback. About 200 people attended each seminar, and between 84-90% of participants rated the events as either ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’.

“Really enjoyed the @irissorg What's unique about rural social work webinar this afternoon. Great to hear @JanePye report on research in Cumbria. Exciting opportunities for community and 'upstream' social work”

“Great session this morning with @ScotsRuralSW - over 200 people keen to improve #SocialWorkPractice. Joined by the amazing Annie Bryant, we covered Gypsy/Traveller cultural awareness and how to take a cultural-trauma informed approach”

Lessons learned

• There is appetite for this work, with rural social work too often overlooked or missing from education, training, research and policy agendas.
• Success has been down to working collaboratively with a mix of partners to support this work. It has also been driven by enthusiastic and committed individuals, using and building our networks and harnessing technology to run lunchtime webinars which are accessible across distances.

Supporting the emerging workforce

Purpose

Improve the knowledge and skills of newly qualified social workers and final year HN students.

Partners

College Development Network; the ALLIANCE; Early Years Scotland; University of the West of Scotland; Ayrshire College; City of Glasgow College; Scottish Social Services Council; Heads of Social Work Education; and the Scottish Inter-University Service Users and Carers’ Network.

Activities

A number of planning and development meetings took place with the various partners in respect of two events: ‘What Matters to Us Conference’ aimed at final year HN students destined for a career in social care or early years and course leaders; and Shaping our Future: power, partnership and participation, a conference for newly qualified social workers and final year students.

The difference we made

Over 200 students attended the What Matters to Us Conference; and 300 attended the Shaping our Future event.

“That was an excellent event. I think all those attending will have got so much from the keynotes and the workshops. The workshops I was part of were so interesting and left us with a great deal to think about.”

Lessons learned

• Delivering large events online has had its challenges, but partners are supportive and continue to learn from experiences.
• Service users and carers’ involvement in social work education has had to adapt. While members of the network are keen to meet face-to-face again with each other and the students, the pandemic has shown how hybrid approaches – blending digital and face-to face interaction – can be positive and widen engagement opportunities.

Digital skills and support

Near Me

Purpose

Embed the use of Near Me (Attend Anywhere) video calling in social care and social work in Scotland.

Partners

Technology Enabled Care programme (funders); NHS Near Me team; Scottish Social Services Council; and Care Inspectorate.

Activities

The project involved a rapid Quality Improvement cycle working intensively with five teams from different social work and social care organisations. We also gave advice and support to 18 other services across Scotland.

A series of Learning Network interactive webinars were held – 25 membership organisations participated, with representatives from six national organisations providing presentations on topics such as digital inclusion and quality improvement.

The work resulted in the production of national guidance for implementing Near Me in social work and social care, as well as a resource to support the use of Near Me.

The difference we made

Learning from practice

There is a future role for the use of Near Me in a blended delivery approach that integrates video, phone and in-person contact. Practitioners reported benefits of Near Me for both people who use services and staff in: improving access to social support; supporting relationship-based practice; and supporting practitioners to make visual assessments or observations. They also identified a number of other potential uses for Near Me that involve one-to-one support and multi-agency working. Uptake of Near Me within a service should recognise equity of access to services – planning and support for digital equity and inclusion of people using services.

Support for implementation

Focused individual support for teams and developing service process maps facilitated the testing of Near Me in practice. Preparation and planning activities such as pre-engagement with clients about Near Me and developing the confidence of team members by practising on the platform can facilitate more effective implementation.

Involving team members from frontline practice, IT and service administration can support Near Me implementation at pace, allowing for systems, IT, administration processes and social support practice to progress in step. Project participants highlighted the value and benefit of opportunities to learn from each other and share knowledge, resources and ideas. There were opportunities to hear inputs and messaging from other national sector bodies on digital was also welcomed.

Existing Near Me training and learning resources were well received and used, with requests for further multimedia resources to support practical use of the platform and to learn from the experience of others using Near Me within their provision of social care.

Recommendations

• Continue to engage in the sector and support a growing Near Me network
• Ongoing development and dissemination of sector-specific training and learning materials
• Explore the potential to set out an improvement process that social work and social care could use for their independent set up of Near Me
• Continue to explore where national agencies that support social work and social care with service redesign can collaborate to support use of digital tools such as Near Me.

“The learning sets were really helpful, both the professional input and the stories shared by other people who have experienced a Near Me journey. The catch up sessions were encouraging and assisted with problem solving and planning. It has been really good to speak with people who have had stumbling blocks and hear how these have been resolved. Hearing from other people that we are all in this together and on a learning curve has been supportive.” (Quality Improvement group participant)

“.. important having speakers from SSSC come in..and the Care Inspectorate involved. It means a lot, lets us know we’re all working in the same direction, so it’s really important that we’re sharing information.” (Participant in Near Me Learning Network)

Lessons learned

• We learned a lot about the range of expectations and capacity for services in our sector to pivot to using digital tools. Overall, project participants could see a lot of potential for using and embedding Near Me into their support offer. However, it can take time to bring staff and people who use services into making these changes, and get systems and access to digital in place to support effective use of a new tool.
• We learned about the challenges of online facilitation through our Learning Network sessions: not unlike other projects we found that participants joining from different organisations and using various devices had different levels of access to Microsoft Teams, or access to the apps we intended to use to support group activities or collect evaluation feedback.
• There were differing levels of digital confidence and skills – we can’t assume that people joining a session have a common skills/confidence level. Planning in support about how to use an app or how to make a contribution to a shared document is really important – and to have a Plan B lined up.