Practical learning: achieving excellence in the human services

Developing evidence based practice in a UK children's charity: the Barnardo's experience

Keywords: evidence based practice, research skills, using research in practice

Authors: Ms Sarah Frost (Barnardo's); Doctor Mary Duffy (Barnardo's)

Abstract:
Service planners increasingly recognise the need to develop more effective ways of implementing evidence-based practice and improving research utilisation . Barnardo's is a UK Children's Charity with a history of responsiveness to research which has been promoting an evidence-based approach to children's services since the mid-1990s. Widely perceived in the UK as a leader in producing "what works" evidence, the challenge for Barnardo's is to apply this evidence in practice in our 380+ services for children and young people.

Barnardo's has invested in evidence-based practice (EBP) over a number of years. This session will describe our experience and expertise in the area of research utilisation and adoption of evidence based approaches. Specific resources, initiatives and staffing which have contributed to this work will be outlined, including:

• A recent strategy for the development of EBP within Barnardo's which seeks to bring together a coherent approach and maximise the expertise and resources available and identifies 3 key areas for development. 1) The development of organisational commitment to and ownership of evidence-based practice 2) Increased access to research evidence and evidence-based practice materials 3) Increased use of evidence-based approaches amongst staff.
• The role of a specific Development Officer post to develop and support EBP within the organisation who acts as a facilitator and conduit for communication between researchers and practitioners.
• An Evidence Request Service (ERS) which seeks to improve the dissemination and communication of research and evaluation information.
• The Evidence Guide, a training resource which seeks to encourage inquisitiveness about research evidence and equip practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to locate, appraise, adapt and apply evidence in practice.

This session will describe some of the successes and challenges for Barnardo's, and highlight lessons and opportunities for organisations in the wider social care sector, in their quest to become more evidence based.

Contribution:
This session will describe Barnardo's experience and expertise in the area of research utilisation and adoption of evidence based approaches. It will describe some of the successes and challenges for Barnardo's, and highlight lessons and opportunities for organisations in the wider voluntary sector, in their quest to become more evidence based. Participants will be invited to explore issues for their own organisations and consider the following questions:

1. What does 'evidence based practice' mean to practitioners / organisations?
2. What are the barriers and enablers to developing evidence based practice?
3. What skills and resources do practitioners / organisations need to become more evidence based?

Date: Thursday 24 January 2008, 11.30-12.30

Venue: Ochil Two

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Organised by the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services in association with PEPE (Practical Experiences in Professional Education).

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