Strengthening Participatory Health and Care Research Collaborations between Academics and Voluntary Organisations: Research Better Together

Background: The Research Better Together project (RBT) is designed to build and sustain participatory research collaborations between academics and voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs) working in health and social care in Birmingham, UK. It particularly encourages co-production with populations served by VCSEs. The project was co-designed by a partnership of organisations including local VCSEs, an NHS health trust and researchers from The University of Birmingham.

This workshop provides an opportunity to explore, discuss and address power dynamics in academic, VCSE and practice research collaborations. It will share reflections from academics, the voluntary sector, doctoral research students and practitioners who participated in RBT. Colleagues from Canada with lived, practitioner and academic experience will also present bringing wider perspectives to the session. The workshop encourages discussion and reflection from attendees, focusing on how to address power inequities in research collaborations.

Audience: The workshop aims to facilitate discussion between academic, community and practitioner researchers, VCSE organisations, health and social care organisations and people with lived experience of care. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the RBT approach, share their own experiences of research collaboration and collectively identify opportunities to work together to address power inequities in research.

Approach: Workshop structure as follows:

Brief presentation 1: Covering the broad power dynamics in integrated care participatory research collaborations (10 mins).

Group/Table Discussion 1: Attendees will be asked to reflect on and discuss their experiences of power dynamics in integrated care participatory research collaborations (10 mins plus 5 mins feedback to whole group).

Brief Presentation 2: Will outline the RBT programme and how this addressed power dynamics in academic/VCSE collaborations – including examples of the collaborations RBT has supported and voices from them presenting (10 mins).

Group/Table Discussion 2: Reflection on RBT and how others have approached collaborations/scaffolded collaborations in their own experience/practice/research/communities.

This includes successes and challenges (20 mins).

Feedback from tables to whole group (5 mins).

Group/table Discussion 3: Reflecting on the session, attendees will be asked: What other solutions/initiatives might you develop to enable more equitable research collaborations in your work/organisation/life? What makes you think these would work in your context?

(10 mins).

Feedback provided from tables to the whole group (5 mins).

Presentation 3: Reflection/Comments to draw responses together and concluding remarks/actions/takeaways for all provided by Canadian colleagues (5/10 mins).

Tables for discussions to be mixed - participants will be asked to self identify (e.g. as an academic, practitioner, community member, VCSE) on arrival so a good mix of perspectives is achieved on each table. Table discussions will be facilitated by workshop presenters from both the UK and Canada.

Outcomes:Attendees will gain:

1. deeper understanding of power dynamics within integrated care research collaborations between VCSEs, academics, practitioners and communities.
2. an appreciation of approaches to research collaboration, including the RBT approach and how this might be applied to other settings/contexts.
3. chance to reflect on their own practice and network with others.
4. potential opportunities to inform future collaborative participatory research activity for presenters and attendees.