Co-producing Local Change in Adult Social Care: Evidence from The IMPACT Networks Programme

Introduction: Health and social care around the world faces persistent challenges in integrating evidence into everyday practice while ensuring that the voices of people who use services and carers are central to decision-making. The UK-based IMPACT Programme (Improving Adult Care Together) seeks to bridge the gap between research and practice through structured, collaborative approaches that promote shared ownership of change.

Within this, the IMPACT Networks Programme focuses on enabling local organisations across the UK to co-produce practical, evidence-informed action plans for change in adult social care. Since 2022, IMPACT has delivered 19 Networks on different topics. Each Network includes people with lived experience and carers and brings together service providers and local authority staff to examine priority issues, review relevant evidence, and co-design local action plans for change.

 

 

Theory/Methods:The IMPACT Networks are grounded in principles of implementation science and participatory co-production, drawing on the Blended Learning Network model (Hanson et al., 2011). The Networks combine structured facilitation with evidence review and local systems learning, and involve four stages:

1.Identifying relevant key issues and priorities within adult social care that require improvement.

2.Reviewing and interpreting research and practice evidence around the identified issue.

3.Using the evidence to co-produce solutions and practical tools for implementation within local networks.

4.Developing, testing, and evaluating action plans within community-based settings.

 

Each Network is hosted by local organisations including local authorities, charities and community groups with the support of the IMPACT Network Team. This presentation will draw on mixed methods evaluation data collected through workshop observations, participant feedback surveys, reflective logs, follow-up interviews, and focus groups. Analysis focuses on mechanisms that enable or hinder co-production, local capacity for applying evidence, and the sustainability of changes generated.

 

Results: In this paper, we present an exemplary case study looking at use of the IMPACT network approach using Blending Learning Networks in Local Authority settings where innovative practices around co-production were adopted. The IMPACT network model has proved to enhance participants’ confidence and capability in using evidence for decision-making, strengthening multi-agency relationships, and produces tangible service improvements and innovation. The key contexts and mechanisms that facilitated change will be described, alongside the barriers.

 

 

Discussion:and Conclusions:The IMPACT Networks illustrate how co-production can function as an implementation mechanism—embedding evidence in practice through relational, participatory, and context-sensitive processes. By positioning people who draw on care and support as genuine partners, the programme operationalises Pillar 3: People as Partners in Health and Care and advances community-based integrated care that is grounded in both research and lived experience. Findings suggest that this approach strengthens local capacity for collaborative problem-solving and supports sustained improvements in service delivery.

 

 

The Networks model offers a scalable framework for fostering partnership-based, evidence-informed, and person-centred innovation across the UK’s adult social care system, contributing to improved outcomes for people and communities.

Hanson E, Magnusson L, Sennemark E. Blended learning networks supported by information and communication technology: An intervention for knowledge transformation within family care of older people. The gerontologist. 2011 Aug 1;51(4):561-70.