Inside Iriss

What we're up to right now!

Research alongside social care practice

Exploring the approach of Research Practice Partnerships

Back in 2009, I was a fresh faced researcher, working as an intern in the Office of the Chief Researcher in the Scottish Government. I was at an event listening to a talk by the then Chief Social Researcher, Diana Wilkinson. She was presenting on what influences policy makers to make the decisions that they do. There was a very sobering slide on how much politicians were influenced by evidence within their decision-making.

Why should I care about ethical commissioning?

“What matters isn’t if people are good or bad. What matters is if they’re trying to be better today than they were yesterday. You asked me where my hope comes from? That’s my answer.” Michael ‘The Good Place’ Season 4 episode 6. 

Change – the only constant?

We have been reflecting on our last year (and more) and looking forward to this year and our future, and it got me thinking about change. We (people not just Iriss) talk a lot about how we need change, how to create the conditions for change, how change is the only certain thing. 

A Day with Iriss: reflecting on our conference

Last week, we hosted our annual conference - A day working with Iriss. The hopes of this day was for attendees to hear about how Iriss does things (the ins and outs), see some project examples on how our partner created change and work through some of their own challenges. We wanted participants to be able to take away something tangible and practical from the day, a solution or step towards implementing their own change.

Care Visions workshop

Bringing together leaders across children's services

About the session

This session (at the new Social Hub, highly recommended!) brought together a group of managers from Care Visions children’s services. This provided a valuable opportunity to bring together leaders from residential and fostering services, something they don’t often have the chance to do. Ahead of the session, we shared some questions to gather views so we could design the session accordingly.

A coaching approach

Asking new questions, hearing new things

Last Autumn I started a coaching course with the Institute of Coaching Studies. Over six weeks, a small group of us from all over the world spent two half days a week online together. Led by an excellent tutor, we worked through the course and practiced coaching from the very first session. I thought I knew what coaching was but I soon realised the depth of skill involved in what seems like having a natural conversation. 

The learning behind the Lab 

Sharing the ideas and thoughts that encouraged us to host the Ideas Lab

If you’re familiar with Iriss work, you will know that we have had projects running for a year in three thematic areas - Space to Practice, Day-to-Day Dignity and Foundations for Change. Last week, we ran an Ideas Lab event, that brought together new organisations and teams that had submitted an expression of interest in working with us as partners in 2024/2025.

Holly and Sam reflect on the recent ASPire conference

An audience looking at a screen with the word ASPire projected

Iriss was delighted to host the in-person ASPire conference on the 22nd of February 2024 on behalf of the National Adult Support and Protection Coordinator and the Learning and Development Network. 100 of you lovelies gathered at The Barracks Conference Centre in Stirling to learn and chat about Sextortion, Undue Pressure and Learning Reviews.