1 Promoting Evidence Based Practice: Lessons from Stockport MBC and CareKnowledge SSRG April 2008

2 CareKnowledge Launched 2003 >30 local authorities Central government academia >10,000 social work staff across the UK regularly using us to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

3 CareKnowledge – why we do it There is an ever increasing range and volume of information to support service delivery and front line practice. Staff need to be supported with their Continuing Professional Development Staff need to be keeping abreast of new legislation, guidance and best practice Research has repeatedly shown that social care staff have little time to find and read research Local authorities have never had inhouse and regional knowledge services as health has

4 CareKnowledge – what we do Our Knowledge Managers monitor over 1,000 websites throughout each working day CareKnowledge filters that content to match the individual needs of users – they get to see material directly relevant to their practice We license content in from publishers – every article from nine journals, and other reports and publications - everything we provide access to is instantly available to read Our weekly s enable users to quickly catch up on the latest developments Our own Special Reports and Feature Articles provide analysis of policy developments and government initiatives and reflect on inspection findings

5 CareKnowledge – two clicks to knowledge Our weekly delivers content directly to busy staff. A short summary of each item enables a quick check on recent publications. A click in the leads to a page from which the document can be read, bookmarked, or commented upon.

6 “As a team manager I have found this service very useful, I have been able to access research for my team to help complete assessments” “Let me congratulate you on a wonderfully informing site, providing a wealth of information and knowledge!” We are much more than an online database - we work with our subscribers to ensure that CareKnowledge has maximum impact across their organisation. We have qualitative and quantitative evidence that shows that CareKnowledge is meeting the needs of our users and that they appreciate our service We have several thousands of regular users across the UK, and that figure is growing month on month “I used to spend hours looking for information on the web – with CareKnowledge I get what I need in minutes!” CareKnowledge – what our users say

7 Migrated to a new software platform Adults / Children structure Home pages for specific practice areas Launched User Comments Book Reviews from Users CareKnowledge – recent developments

8 Integrating local content :  Policies  Procedures  Local research  Local publications CareKnowledge – Local Content

9 Athens accessibility and marketing to academic sector User uploads Discussion Forums Networking Pavilion Publishing CareKnowledge – forthcoming developments

10 Mark Watson CareKnowledge