Information > SCARE
| Objectives of Social Care Access to Research Evidence (SCARE) Group |
SCARE is an advisory group led by Trent RDSU, and will report to:
- Trent RDSU RMB
- Work Force Confederations
- Information and Librarian Development Service
- Trent Institute for Health Services Research
- Individual member’s organisation
- South Yorkshire North East Midlands (SYNEM) social work education partnership
It will address the issues of knowledge management in social care in the South Yorkshire, Trent and Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland Workforce Confederations.
The term knowledge management means:
- Developing appropriate access to research evidence
- Developing skills to interpret the research evidence
- Developing appropriate mechanisms within the work environment to assimilate research evidence (where research evidence transforms from ‘information’ to ‘knowledge’).
It will not currently advise on ‘adoption’ and ‘use’ of research in practice, as this is related to evidence based practice, and is not the remit of this group.
The 'social care' within SCARE's title refers to those who provide care, prevention and protection services to vulnerable individuals and families in both community and institutional settings.
The objectives are inclusive and wide-ranging. The group will attempt to address them through several phases of development in a step-wise manner.
The group will advise on:
| 1. Developing access to research evidence including |
- Identifying issues of physical access to computers, online facilities, and 'technological readiness' within social care organisations
- Identifying cultural issues related to using online facilities and a research-evidence base
- Identifying issues of skills in accessing evidence in social care staff including developing search skills, critical appraisal skills, and managing literature
- Increasing awareness in social care of the resources that currently exist
- Advising on the development of appropriate and social care sensitive courses to address skills needed
- Engaging with courses in social care in order to develop awareness of current facilities
| 2. Developing current resources to meet social care needs |
- Identifying the most appropriate databases for social care
- Identifying the most useful journals and resources
- Suggesting how the best research evidence could be summarised and disseminated?
- Advising on how the current website could be both social care and health care professional friendly
| 3.Identifying early first steps for assimilation of research evidence including |
- Where to focus initial efforts to make an impact
- Identifying strategies to engage with early innovators
- Working with key 'leading edge’ people who could help develop strategies for own use.
'Own use' strategies
- Establishing knowledge management in social care projects in designated localities
| 4. Identifying resource implications to meet the objectives in order to develop strategies to resolve these |
- To identify sources of funding to develop objectives
- To apply for external research tenders on the management of evidence at the interface with health and social care
- To engage with organisations beyond the geographical boundaries where appropriate, in order to meet the objectives
A SCARE briefing is a summary of information on a particular topic to update practice at the health and social care interface . It is a concise document summarising the knowledge base in a particular area to act as a 'launch pad' or signpost to more in-depth material. It is produced through a clear methodology involving identification of a focused question , comprehensive searching of multiple sources and filtering of materials for quality. The first five have now been published and can be viewed on the electronic library for social care website.
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