1. Research Needs Analysis
Dr Rosemary Crosse and Dr John Canavan
UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre
NUI GALWAY
24th March 2017

2. Overview Purpose of the RNA Methodology
Findings- Service Delivery Areas
Findings- Tusla’s Functional Areas
Collaboration
The utilisation of research in Tusla
Support for research in Tusla
What is needed to embed a culture of research?

3. Purpose of the Research Needs Analysis
The purpose of the Research Needs Analysis (RNA) is:
To meet the Agency’s statutory requirement to undertake and commission research relating to its functions;
To map out and prioritise research requirements to enable strategic coordination across the Agency in support of Tusla’s corporate objectives;
To better understand and prioritise the research requirements of the Agency’s services and functions;
To support internal and external commissioning;
To ensure value for money in the undertaking and commissioning of research;
To support the ongoing development of evidence informed service delivery.

4. Secondary Data Collection - Literature Review
Methodology
Concurrent mixed method approach comprising of both primary and secondary data collection.
Secondary Data Collection - Literature Review
The secondary data for this study comprises desk research in the form of a literature review.

5. Primary Data Collection - Mixed Method Approach
Qualitative semi-structured interviews x 50
Tusla management (n=35)
Organisations in receipt of significant Tusla funding (n=10)
Government departments associated with Tusla (n=4)
HIQA (n=1)
Quantitative Surveys x 6
Tusla staff (n= 59)
Random sample of Tusla funded organisations (n= 18)
School Completion Programmes (n=16)
Family Resource Centres (n=39)
Parents (n=362)
Youth (n= 259)

6. Findings The findings of the study are divided into four sections:
Research needs of specific service areas under Tusla’s remit;
Requirements needed to develop a research capacity within the Tusla organisation, some of which pertain to the agency’s functional areas;
Research culture and the use of research in the organisation is explored;
As are views on collaboration.

7. Child Protection Short Term Priorities
Interventions & Outcomes – What is needed, what works?
Cultural Diversity – Over representation of ethnic minorities in CP system. Methods for engagement.
Legislation – Mandatory Reporting – Impact on CP system. Implications for services.
Child Injury & Death – Effectiveness of Signs of Safety.
Long Term Priorities
Interventions & Outcomes - Do interventions produce better outcomes?
Cultural Diversity – Over representation of ethnic minorities in CP system. Responses to cultural norms.
Legislation – Mandatory Reporting – benefit to children? Does it work for staff? Effects of referrals? Ambiguity around new child protection guidance.
National Service Framework – what worked?
Transitioning - Back into family, community.

8. Family Support Short Term Priorities Needs Analysis – Range of areas.
Resources – What is required?
Service client participation.
Long Term Priorities
Common Framework for Outcome measurement.
Data collection & Evaluation – Local services.
Long-term impact of service provision.
Importance of FS preventative work.

9. Alternative Care Short Term Priorities
Approaches to AC – Limitations of models.
Outcomes – comparison of outcomes.
Fostering & Adoption - What works?
Long Term Priorities
Approaches to AC - Are the right services in the right areas? Delivery mechanisms?
Outcomes – Service user participation. Aftercare and LT outcomes.
Fostering & Adoption – Experiences, adoption outcomes.
Experiences - AC, access to families, tracing.

10. Educational Welfare Services
Short Term Priorities
Effectiveness of Support Programmes - Interface between parents and the educational system, accurate data and practice models implementation .
Long Term Priorities
Effectiveness of Support Programmes – LT impact of initiatives & programmes.
Impact of new legislation on service delivery.
SCPs, HSCL, DEIS - reconfiguration of services.

11. Early Years Short Term Priorities
Evidence based practice on regulations.
Compliance - National Standards.
The impact of inspections on children and research in relation to complaints.
Cost and affordability of childcare and range of choice.
Long Term Priorities
What services are needed? – What services are available?
Regulation – what are services doing?
Areas of spend.
Value for money assessment.

12. Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence
Short Term Priorities
Domestic Abuse – Specific areas.
Sexual Based Violence – adolescents’ experiences & prevalence, Crime & Justice responses.
Responses & Outcomes – Effective models of practice & servicer user engagement.
Long Term Priorities
Legislation - the Istanbul Convention.
Data sharing – How best to achieve this: ethically; and best practice in this area.

13. Tusla’s Functional Areas
Functional area requirements needed to develop a research capacity within Tusla include;
Human Resources
Staff and time resources are the biggest perceived barriers to the production and utilisation of research.
Shortage of skills in conducting research, ability to access research and utilising research.
Workforce development as a key enabler – training and upskilling.
ICT
Poor capacity and infrastructures impeding effective and efficient information sharing and research dissemination.
Need to develop an ‘accessible database’.

14. Tusla’s Functional Areas
Finance
A ring-fenced research budget.
Communications
The importance and benefits of research.
Need to increase awareness of research available.
Focus on promoting effective collaboration across the agency to tackle the perceived culture of protecting existing working practices and resources.
Quality Assurance
Auditing, quality reviews, performance data, business intelligence required.

15. Collaboration
Mostly positive views on the issue of collaborative research with external bodies.
A ‘very useful resource’.
‘Significant expertise, research officers, established links and evaluation tools as well as client participation feedback’.
Mostly positive views on the issue of collaborative research with Tusla.
Forming alliances – bring together differing and complimentary experience and expertise.
Stipulations
A necessity for Tusla to lead on such projects.
Needs to be a ‘clear picture’ of where research needs to go.
Good project and strategic management.

16. Utilisation of Research in Tusla
Mixed views on the utilisation of research in Tusla:
Research is perceived as fundamental to many of Tusla’s functions;
For some research is used in a very ad hoc manner;
However, others are of the view that research currently has a limited role in Tusla.

17. Supports for the Utilisation of Research in Tusla
There is support for Masters and Doctoral research.
A national office for research purposes – Research Advisory Group.
Establishment of the Research Ethics Committee – allowed the commissioning of smaller research projects.
Existence of journal clubs and peer supervision.
Membership of professional organisations.
Empowering Practitioners’ Programme.
Child Protection Notification System.
Established relationships with third level institutions.

18. What is Needed to Embed a Culture of Research?
Research needs to be determined on an “agency wide basis”.
There needs to be an organisational approach to examining and implementing research.
An evidence informed decision making framework is required.
Research into the development of integrated data analytics and performance reporting is needed.
Specific types of research around practice are required.

19. Thank you.