Research Methods Programme at Ulster University - Awards 2019-20

Research Methods Programme at Ulster University – Awards 2019-20

2021-03-11

Success and celebration was the name of the day for 13 post qualifying students on the Research Methods Programme at Ulster University.

Read their comments about the course below:

: “The Research Methods Programme gave me the tools to examine in depth an area of social work practice from the perspective of service users. My hope is that our research will inform and improve practice. Being on the course with social workers helped me understand better the challenges of their job”. Elizabeth Lyttle, Service user and carer.

: “Engaging in the Research Methods Programme has been a fantastic experience. The course has opened my eyes to the value of research in social work, and equipped me with knowledge and skills to promote evidence based practice in my day-to-day work. I have enjoyed meeting others that are interested in research, sharing knowledge and ideas as well as building friendships. It feels great to be a part of our research community in Northern Ireland!” Bronagh Hamill, Social worker.

: “The EIPO programme was the most challenging yet rewarding course I have completed as a qualified social worker. It has transformed my understanding of research in social work. Completing my project has enabled me to inform my organisation about best practice and has resulted in developments across practice”. Gillian McAuley, Social Worker.

: “The course has greatly increased my understanding around the identification and use of quality research having developed skills in quality appraisal alongside search techniques. I really enjoyed the opportunity to spend time developing deeper learning on the subject of collective styles of leadership in changing health and social care organisations which I have been able to share with colleagues and bring forward to inform on-going training strategies”. Jillian Morris, Social Worker.

: “Completing the Masters ‘Development and Co-Production of Social Care Research’ at Ulster University has been an incredibly life enhancing experience for me. I began the course as a mum who was concerned about the challenges adopted young people can face in school and have emerged as Masters graduate with a published journal article which could preserve the research I completed as part of the course and can be used by others for further study. I am so grateful for the opportunity and would highly recommend the course.” Fiona Templeton, Service user and carer.

: “The Research Methods Masters course has instilled in me the imperative nature of embedding an evidence-based culture in social care practice. It has been an exemplar of co-productive working, treating service user students as equals with the same keen, analytical minds, to social work practitioners. It has been challenging and rewarding from the offset, and will stand me and the other graduates in great stead to use our critical analysis skills throughout our careers and lives”. Karen Bester, Service User.

: “My experience of engaging with EIPO was that it was as invigorating as it was challenging. Reflecting back, it was a very worthwhile experience, even if the journey itself was at times demanding. The module served to stretch me professionally. I am much confident and discerning about engaging with research. I have been using this newfound knowledge to guide training initiatives in PBNI and I very recently secured a post in our newly developed Practice, Performance and Research Unit. The experience of EIPO has spurred me on to continue on this journey of exploration and I am currently progressing a small-scale research project on the REM module. I would fully endorse the EIPO module and encourage anyone to embark on it but be prepared to work and the learning you will gain will reward your efforts” Annie McAnallen, Social Worker.

: “Prior to beginning the learning journey on The Evidence-Informed Professional and Organisation Programme I had little confidence in exploring electronic databases. Previously I relied largely on citation searching or searching in electronic articles with limited focus on identifying primary research. Progression through the programme supported significantly enhanced confidence in completing structured database searches, tailored to increasing my knowledge and skills base. This knowledge is already being used to improve my practice and ensure that it is evidence informed. These skills have already been utilised to provide an input to Social Work students within the agency and I will continue to encourage other staff members to enhance their practice through rigorous database searching” Emma Richmond, Social Worker.

: “I would like to say a very huge ‘thank you’ to everyone involved within the Research Methods Programme. Having completed the EIPO Course last year, I am now engaged in the second year of this wonderful programme. As a mature student, I was more than a little anxious about returning to academia, after so many years away from intensive study. While the academic world has changed dramatically, and technology has thrown more than a few challenges my way, I can honestly say it has proved to be absolutely the right decision. It is difficult within just a few short sentences to adequately convey how incredibly worthwhile, and indeed transformative, the experience has proved to be. It has brought so many additional insights and invaluable research knowledge, that is proving to be so very helpful and relevant to my own practice and, more generally, to our team as a whole. I am enjoying every moment and don’t really want it to end! Thank you again to all concerned.” Donna Shields, Social Worker.

: “I have always been an advocate for continual professional development since I began my social work carer almost 20 years ago. I believe that further study, research and on-going professional learning and development are essential core requirements for social workers and social work practice. Further study enhances my practice, sharpens my skills and ensures that my knowledge base is kept up date and remains relevant. The year 2020 however was a difficult year to undertake any additional piece of study. I was in a new and demanding social work role, trying to manage the implementation of new legislation as it related to mental capacity. We had Covid-19, and personally my family and I had experienced grief and loss. In this context, I found the SWK751 Research Methods course to be challenging, academically, physically and emotionally. However, I was able to reflect during the course, and now several months after its completion, that it was the right decision at the right time. I undertook a systematic narrative review of academic research into the use of advance care plans among care home residents with dementia recognising that dementia is a palliative condition. This had particular relevance to the work which I was engaged in, – the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 especially among those who were living in care home settings. I was able to apply what I had learnt about the use of advance care planning to my work setting. Not only that, but it enhanced my understanding of dementia, palliative care, and the importance of having full engagement of all stake-holders including residents, professionals, and family in the advance care planning process. This was particularly relevant at a time when the service use still retained the mental capacity to make their autonomous decisions. I was able to identify barriers to its implementation, and recognise ethical dilemmas and value differences (cultural, political, religious, organisational) which impacted on people’s understanding, awareness and willingness to engage in this process. I believe that research, not matter how small or even insignificant should be disseminated and shared, should not sit in an article or on a shelf. I have been supported by the Trust to share the outcomes of my study among senior managers and front-line staff, and this has given me the opportunity to influence practice, policy, on-going service delivery and care planning within the Trust wherein I am employed. I would encourage all social workers to engage in research, and prioritise their own professional development, to make a difference in the lives of our service-users by ensuring that all our work is underpinned by up to date and relevant knowledge”. Keith Johnston, Social Worker.

: “The Research Methods Programme has benefitted me as a Social Work practitioner, the Trust in which I work, and the service users with whom I work, in ways that are immeasurable. I can now confidently identify and retrieve quality research; research whose findings are used to improve the lives of those who face significant challenges day to day. The voiced experience of families when children return home from care has been central to my work and I have been able to use my learning from the Research Methods Programme to improve the reunification experience of families through my own practice and, with others seeing the tangible improvement to service users lives, through the dissemination this work across my colleagues in Children’s Services in the Western Trust; helping to add to the appreciation of the value of research within both my organisation and profession.” Martin Robinson, Social Worker.