Work with IMPACT in 2025-26

We are looking for organisations that will work with us in 2025-2026. These organisations will host one of our IMPACT Demonstrator or Facilitator projects, or take part in one of our IMPACT Networks (each Network is made up of five local groups).  We call these organisations IMPACT ‘sites’.

Application information

Full details on the application process and potential projects can be found below. The closing date for applications is Wednesday 20 November. To talk through this information and answer questions, we will run two briefing sessions on Wednesday 25 September, 11:00-12:30, and Tuesday 5 November, 13:00-14:30.

IMPACT ‘Sites’

An IMPACT ‘site’ could be

  • An individual service (from a community organisation to a local authority),
  • a local ‘system’ (where all the services in one area come together to express an interest),
  • or even a whole region.

We will be seeking a real mix of sites across the country and in terms of diversity.

All are welcome to apply

We’re encouraging sites to put themselves forward even if they are struggling and finding things difficult – these sites might benefit most from the funding we have.

We want this process to be transparent but simple. We know that we will get more sites coming forward than we can work with, so we’ll have some difficult choices to make – but we want to avoid large amounts of wasted work for sites that aren’t chosen on this occasion.

Possible topics

We are asking sites to apply to host one of our delivery models on some of the topics listed below. We are also open for sites to suggest alternatives in case this identifies other ways of delivering on IMPACT’s priorities. The longlist is therefore illustrative rather than prescriptive, and not all topics may be addressed. These are deliberately very broad topics – but proposals often work best when your idea or project is very specific and focused – so please try to make sure that applications are clear on the detail of what you want to take forward through working with us, rather than being too general or broad. You can explore previous projects to get a sense of what has worked well.

Final decisions will also depend on us checking the available evidence to make sure that there is enough material for us to work with – we work with evidence from research, from lived experience and from practice knowledge – and all projects bring together people who draw on care and support, carers, front-line staff and senior leaders to work on changes together.

NB – lots of local groups can join each of our Networks – so we’d like to see lots of areas come forward for these.

Projects and Submission

You can scroll down to learn about each delivery model and how to apply. Alternatively, you can use these buttons to skip to the model you are interested in.

Demonstrators
Facilitators
Networks
Apply

Demonstrators

Possible Demonstrators include:

  • Developing new models of home care (moving beyond ‘time and task’ approaches to ones which build around people’s lives, focus on outcomes and create social value, all of which might involve a shift in funding, care planning, training and skills)
  • Supporting more of a research culture in adult social care
  • Climate change – either reducing social care’s contribution to climate change or planning ahead who might be particularly affected by climate emergencies
  • Tackling poverty – either of people who draw on care and support or of care staff
  • Improving the support offered by community teams and the voluntary sector to people who are experiencing mental health crisis
  • Boosting re-ablement and/or intermediate care – often part of a ‘home first’ approach

Learn more about Demonstrators

IMPACT employs a pair of senior improvement coaches to work with a local area to support a strategic, evidence-led change project. Each coach will work 50% full-time equivalent, typically for 12 months.

Between them, the coaches bring skills in terms of strategic change management, lived experience and/or practice knowledge. They also support a local evaluation and work to influence national policy and practice. More information on the model, including current projects and an explainer video, can be found here.

IMPACT will recruit and fund the coaches, who will be based in your local service. Staff are typically employed by one of our partner universities (Ulster, Cardiff, Stirling, Birmingham or Sheffield). However, we also actively welcome secondments from people in policy and practice or from user- and carer-led organisations.

Whilst supervision and management are provided by the relevant IMPACT delivery lead, we ask for a named contact in your organisation for discussion and support with any day-to-day issues. Salary and expenses will be paid by IMPACT. A laptop can also be provided for each staff member if one isn’t available locally.

Each project also has a budget to enable additional participation of people whose voices are seldom heard, and to get lessons learned into national policy and practice.

The site that hosts the Demonstrator

  • provides office space and enables access to local IT/systems,
  • commits to principles of co-production/staff engagement,
  • will have senior support and agrees to learning be shared with others
  • carries out an evaluation with support from the Demonstrator team

This can be a really good opportunity for a local person to develop their CV and gain new skills, working with the full range of expertise available within IMPACT’s partners.

Facilitators

Possible Facilitators include:

  • Supporting staff to deliver compassionate care
  • Improving support for people with dementia and their families
  • Improving staff training (including scope to co-design and co-deliver training with people who draw on care and support)
  • Improving support for people who are LGBTQ+
  • Care and support for people who are homeless
  • Encouraging young people to develop careers in social care
  • Support for carers of people with mental health problems or of older people
  • Developing practice leadership in social work

Learn more about Facilitators

Facilitators work within a local organisation, leading a more bottom-up, evidence-informed change project. One Facilitator is appointed to each project (working 50% full-time equivalent typically over one year). A Facilitator from another area helps evaluate what’s been achieved.

More information on Facilitators, including previous projects, findings, and current projects can be found here.

IMPACT will recruit and fund the Facilitators, and each project has a budget to help share learning locally and nationally.

Each Facilitator is based locally within the site organisation. Staff are typically employed by IMPACT via one of our partner universities (Ulster, Cardiff, Stirling, Birmingham, or Sheffield). However, we also actively welcome secondments from people in policy and practice, or from user- and carer-led organisations.

Whilst supervision and management are provided by the relevant IMPACT delivery lead, we ask for a named contact in your organisation for discussion and support with any day-to-day issues. Salary and expenses will be paid by IMPACT. A laptop can also be provided for each staff member if one isn’t available locally.

The site that hosts the Facilitator:

  • provides office space and enables access to local IT/systems,
  • commits to principles of co-production/staff engagement,
  • will have senior support,
  • and agrees to learning being shared with others.

Networks

Possible Networks include:

  • Providing support to people who fund their own care
  • Delivering social care in coastal communities
  • Citizen leadership (people who draw on care and support being supported to take up leadership responsibilities, as we seek to design social care systems around the priorities and interests of people with lived experience and communities)
  • Exploring the use of artificial intelligence in adult social care
  • Meeting the social care needs of refugees and asylum seekers
  • Breaking down barriers between different ‘service user’ groups, by promoting more intergenerational and whole family approaches
  • Improving retention of staff
  • Using data to improve services

Learn more about Networks

Local groups meet together over 6 months to work on the same practical local issue, with their experiences and learning shared across all the local groups who are taking part (all working on the same issue locally) after each meeting. A video with more information is available here.

IMPACT works with the local site to identify and train a ‘Local Network Co-ordinator’. This Co-ordinator is often a local leader, who takes responsibility for bringing together key stakeholders and chairing local meetings.

We pay an honorarium to the Local Network Co-ordinator’s organisation and cover any venue/refreshment costs. We can also pay for things like travel, replacement care, PA support etc if this helps people participate.

The group commit to developing an action plan and working together on practical changes locally. They also commit to sharing lessons with the central team to share with others

Some local groups decide to carry on meeting and/or linking to other Network members after the project finishes. This allows them to keep learning from each other – but is entirely voluntary. However, we ask Local Coordinators to stay in touch with us so we learn about the practical changes you make.

Apply to host a project

We want to get a mix of different sites in different parts of the UK – so please don’t be put off engaging with IMPACT if you aren’t successful on this occasion, and please don’t be put off engaging if you were unsuccessful last time. To make sure that we have enough time to recruit staff and to have all the practical arrangements in place for September 2025, the deadline for applications is Wednesday 20 November.

To submit an application, you’ll need to be someone within your organisation who has the authority to do this and/or to have support from a relevant senior leader. Our short form asks you some brief questions about why you’re applying and about your thoughts on the topic, and checks that (if you were successful) you’d be happy with what IMPACT could offer and what we’d need from you. It’s designed to be very quick and simple – we hope you could complete it in 5-10 minutes if you’ve thought through and talked over the questions in advance, and if you have senior commitment to the potential project.

Fill in our application form

If you have any practical queries or want to explore further informally and in confidence, please contact: [email protected]