TY - JOUR

T1 - Going DEEP - an evaluation of a social pedagogy informed approach to evidence enriched practice in social care

AU - Toms, Gill

AU - Verity, Fiona

AU - Andrews, Nick

AU - Leonard, Richenda

N1 - Accepted version not permitted, published version under CC BY

PY - 2024/1/10

Y1 - 2024/1/10

N2 - Social care workers benefit from multiple types of evidence to enhance the wellbeing of citizens, support their own wellbeing and improve social care services. Building capacity within social care to find, collect and use different forms of evidence is an international concern. The Developing Evidence Enriched Practice (DEEP) programme in Wales is informed by the values and aims of social pedagogy. It aspires to enhance both the generation and the use of evidence in social care. To learn about what works in the programme, we conducted an evaluation based on contribution analysis to explore programme impacts during 2020-2023. Based on a co-produced theory of change the evaluation drew on exemplar cases, questionnaire responses, documentary evidence, process data and unsolicited feedback. There was evidence that the DEEP programme contributed to people gaining a better understanding and valuing of different forms of evidence. Citizen voice could become more central in decision-making, and there were examples of practice, policy and research being informed by diverse evidence. Many people who attended the DEEP learning course enhanced their confidence and skills in using the DEEP approach and said they would put their learning into practice. It was harder to evidence longer-term impacts and the sustainability of the approach. These findings suggest there can be merit in developing capacity building programmes informed by social pedagogy. Such programmes can be characterised as being relational, holistic, practice focused, multi-faceted, contextualised and co-produced with intended beneficiaries.

AB - Social care workers benefit from multiple types of evidence to enhance the wellbeing of citizens, support their own wellbeing and improve social care services. Building capacity within social care to find, collect and use different forms of evidence is an international concern. The Developing Evidence Enriched Practice (DEEP) programme in Wales is informed by the values and aims of social pedagogy. It aspires to enhance both the generation and the use of evidence in social care. To learn about what works in the programme, we conducted an evaluation based on contribution analysis to explore programme impacts during 2020-2023. Based on a co-produced theory of change the evaluation drew on exemplar cases, questionnaire responses, documentary evidence, process data and unsolicited feedback. There was evidence that the DEEP programme contributed to people gaining a better understanding and valuing of different forms of evidence. Citizen voice could become more central in decision-making, and there were examples of practice, policy and research being informed by diverse evidence. Many people who attended the DEEP learning course enhanced their confidence and skills in using the DEEP approach and said they would put their learning into practice. It was harder to evidence longer-term impacts and the sustainability of the approach. These findings suggest there can be merit in developing capacity building programmes informed by social pedagogy. Such programmes can be characterised as being relational, holistic, practice focused, multi-faceted, contextualised and co-produced with intended beneficiaries.

U2 - 10.14324/111.444.ijsp.2024.v13.x.001

DO - 10.14324/111.444.ijsp.2024.v13.x.001

M3 - Article

JO - International Journal of Social Pedagogy

JF - International Journal of Social Pedagogy

SN - 2051-5804

ER -