support

Thinking about 2023

In 2022, we’ve been getting up and running as a national centre and testing our four delivery models via a series of pilot projects across different parts of the UK.  In 2023, we want to work in even more places and cover a broader range of topics.  We’re still working on the detail of this, but we hope to be able to go out to the sector in late 2022 with an ‘expression of interest’ – looking for partner organisations who might be interested in hosting future projects. 

Topics for 2023

The topics for 2023 would be based on the priorities which came out of our national survey and from our Assemblies.  In particular, we’ll focus on topics which:

  1. Make a real difference
  2. Tackle inequalities
  3. Make good use of scarce resources
  4. Have enough evidence for us to work with (where there isn’t enough evidence we’re trying to make sure that we feed this back to partner organisations so that they can try to fill these gaps as quickly as possible)

This is likely to include topics such as:

  • Prevention and well-being
  • Assets-based and person-centred care
  • Carers’ health and well-being
  • Support for people who work in social care

Identifying Partner Organisations

When we identify sites that might want to work with us, we want to get a real mix (e.g. in terms of geography, and the nature and needs of the local population).  We also want to make sure that we don’t just work with organisations that usually volunteer for these opportunities – but with a wide range of people.  This might include small, innovative community organisations; user- and carer-led organisations; and services that are really struggling and wouldn’t usually be able to think about taking part in something like this.

To help people plan, we’ll be clear about the funding and support we can provide, but also about the things we’ll need in return (for example, we’ll want sites that are committed to co-production and to sharing learning with others). 

Expressing interest

There will be more information later in the year – but please start thinking about whether your organisation might be interested in expressing an interest. You can sign up to our newsletter and follow us on social media (Twitter, LinkedIn) to be among the first to find out more.

IMPACT Network is officially live

We’re mid-way through our 2022 Establishment phase, and deep in the middle of setting up pilot projects to test our four delivery models. We are delighted to share that our first IMPACT Network has been set up.

IMPACT Networks are one of the four delivery models IMPACT is piloting to achieve change in adult social care. Our first network is looking at choice and control for people with learning disabilities and/or mental health issues in supported living. Our Network Coordinators are:

What are IMPACT Networks?

Networks are being piloted across the UK, with local networks in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England, all focusing on the same issues. The aims are:

  • To improve practice and outcomes in adult social care at the local level and solve common, yet complex challenges.
  • To bring together practical solutions at the community level to create solutions that can be scaled up to help inspire and inform change across the UK.

Each local network, made up of 8-10 people – people with experience of care and support, carers, front-line staff, funders/decision-makers, and relevant service providers – will meet four times over a period of six months. They will discuss a particular issue using materials provided in advance, such as findings from research, practice knowledge, and lived experience. Members will share their experiences and learning and suggest practical solutions.

They will feedback to the Networks Lead, Kate Hamblin, and Networks Manager Amber Cagney, and learning will be shared with the other local groups working on the same issues, creating a network of networks. The aim is to produce an action plan to take a particular issue forward and enact change.

The inspiration

IMPACT Networks were inspired by one of our Critical Friends: Nka, the Swedish Family Care Competence Centre. For many years, Nka has worked with ‘Blended Learning Networks’ – a method where people with a common interest and from various backgrounds work towards a common goal. They learn from each other and share experiences and convert research results into practice and policy. The networks always focus on carers, but each local network is based on a specific theme of interest to key stakeholder groups, including informal carers and their organisations

A local network consists of 10-15 people – carers, health and social care practitioners, decision-makers, local politicians – led by one or two members. The leaders of the local networks in turn have meetings with staff from Nka, forming a national network.

We were also inspired by Etienne Wenger, who in the field of education, developed the concept of communities of practice in organisations to solve common issues they were facing. Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning – they share a concern or passion for something they do and learn how to do it better through regular interaction.

Next step for our Network

The first Network meetings will take place in late July.

Amber Cagney has recently been appointed as the Networks Manager, and will be working closely with Kate. Maria Teresa Ferazzoli has also joined the team in Sheffield recently as the Project Officer. We will update our project page with updates from Kate and the team.

Demonstrator is officially live

In this blog, IMPACT’s Robin Miller and Sarah McLaughlin celebrate the set up of the first IMPACT Demonstrator

We’re mid-way through our Establishment phase, and deep in the middle of setting up our initial pilot projects to test our four delivery models. We are delighted to share that our first IMPACT Demonstrator has been set up.

Demonstrator background

This Demonstrator will be based in Mid & East Antrim, where a successful asset-based project is already in place. IMPACTAgewell® was introduced in 2017 by the Mid & East Antrim Agewell Partnership (MEAAP) in partnership with local health and social care organisations through funding from the Dunhill Medical Trust (a member of the IMPACT consortium). Its innovative model includes linking people to community resources, multi-disciplinary locality hubs to bring together professionals in a locality on a regular basis and ‘funded’ social prescriptions which enable resources to flow to voluntary and community organisations.

IMPACT Demonstrators will explore how we can use evidence to address major strategic issues for adult social care. Improvement ‘coaches’, including people with lived and/or practice experience) will work in local services to facilitate an evidence-informed change, support evaluation and work with national policy and practice to embed any lessons learned.

Asset-based approaches

The first Demonstrator will be focused on ‘asset-based approaches’ and in particular how older people can have a better life via health and social services working in new ways with them and with the community and voluntary sector.

As well as learning from their success to date, the Demonstrator will work with IMPACTAgewell® to ensure that this approach is available to all older people in the local area. At present most, but not all, general practices participate, and therefore some older people are not able to benefit from the opportunity. Partial implementation is a common issue when introducing an innovation. The local community and voluntary-led partnership would like to examine how the engagement process can develop, and how they can encourage and support the engagement of all the services and professionals in the area. Doing so could ultimately lead to the scale and spread of the model to other areas.

Sarah has been appointed as the first improvement coach and the second post will shortly be advertised by the University of Ulster – we will share vacancies when they are made live. We will update our project page with updates from Robin, Sarah and the MEAAP team.

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