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This case study details the impact of Stephen Howlett's research on the development of third sector volunteer management practices. Howlett's research investigates the sector's capacity to address the management of volunteers, especially in the context of unpaid workforce formalisation, and the means by which both organisations and volunteers gain from involvement. Through a series of operational reviews, reports, and professional thinking and action in the UK and internationally, this research has had an impact on the sector in two ways; 1) it has directly influenced policy and practice within specific organisations and 2) has impacted strategic thinking within the wider sector.
Advanced practice roles in nursing (APN roles) have been developed widely across a range of healthcare settings and organisational boundaries in response to government policy directives. A programme of research has been undertaken to generate robust evidence of the contribution of APN roles to healthcare. Research outputs include a theoretical framework to evaluate the impact of these roles. This framework has been used to underpin the development of a practical toolkit to assist practitioners to demonstrate their impact on patients, staff and the organisations in which they work. Beneficiaries include policymakers, professional organisations and NHS providers and individual practitioners.
The research has explored the impact of welfare transformations on the activities of social workers on the frontline. A key concern has been to explore the gap between, on the one hand, social work ethical statements and the commitments of practitioners on entering the field and, on the other, the workplace reality of marketization, austerity driven cuts and a range of restrictions placed on workers by new regulatory regimes. The research explores the potential, internationally, for a new `engaged' social work practice that draws service users, carers, academics, and practitioners together in defence of good quality, value driven social work.
Research by the University of Southampton's Work Futures Research Centre has contributed significantly to the design of management change processes and policies across a range of organizations in the UK and internationally. The Centre's research has informed a new training and qualifications framework and improved programme performance for healthcare workforces involved in digital innovation; led to new recommendations for sustainable workplace design to enhance employee well-being and productivity promoted by the British Council of Offices as part of their evidence base on office re-design; and influenced the development of organizational and professional guidelines for gender equality at work.
The impact of the research detailed in this case study has been made at four levels:
The Work-Related Quality of Life (WRQoL®) scale and its derivatives have been used to assess and enhance the quality of working life in 10% of UK universities, ten NHS Trusts, five Trade Unions, 15 schools, a professional body (the British Psychological Society) and parts of other large national organisations (Police, BBC, RNLI). The research and data provided by the Quality of Working Life (QoWL®) team at the University of Portsmouth also now forms a significant element of the UK Government's definition and approach to tackling organisational stress. The WRQoL® scale is available in 11 languages and 50+ countries, and is directly and indirectly saving organisations thousands of pounds and helping contributing to the improved wellbeing of millions of employees.
This case study focuses on the impact of research undertaken within the European Research Centre (ERC) and the Centre for the Study of International Governance at Loughborough University between 1993 and 2009, primarily by Professor Linda Hantrais (1993-2008 and now Emeritus). The impact of the research has been created through high quality cross-national socio-demographic analysis which has underpinned policy formation and delivery at the European and national levels, with particular reference to social policy, citizenship and family policy. It has had a substantial further impact by generating advances in international comparative research methods and training.
Bradford academics developed a research framework to understand equality, diversity and inclusion which health organisations used in formulating policy and practice. This led to more effective engagement in these issues thereby improving community wellbeing and addressing health inequalities. The framework informed changes in the commissioning and delivery of local community health services and in national level human resources rationale. A service provider redesigned their preventive services, incorporated novel employment and peer adviser opportunities and achieved higher levels of engagement and service use within their diverse community. The framework has been used by a range of organisations including Brap and Gateway Family Services, to underpin their participation-based, voice-centred research. Notably McMillan Cancer Support has used the voice-centred approach, developed by Brap using the Bradford framework, to develop their policy and practice.
Research by the University of Southampton into ageing, intergenerational relations and the life course has influenced policy debate and practice at national and international levels, highlighting the importance of adapting social policy to take account of the changing shape of the life course. Empirical research evidencing the impact of earlier life course events on women's resources in later life informed the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Other research has informed the policy work of the European Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Europe and national and local governments, potentially affecting the lives of millions of people.
Social work is about making a positive difference to the most vulnerable in society. Since 2008 Bournemouth University's (BU) research-based continuing professional development (CPD) programmes have improved practice for 6,170 health and social care professionals. During this period CPD has taken place in 28 NHS Trusts, 96 Local Authorities and 39 independent, voluntary and private sector organisations. Nurses, social workers, managers and educators have all developed professionally from the self-reflective approach, demonstrating increased confidence and improved management abilities. Evaluations of the effectiveness of post-qualifying social work education are scarce. BU's evaluative method has confirmed the value of this CPD and its impact on the practice of individual health and social care professionals and their organisations.