An overview of the Research Engagement Network Programme

source : Catalyst/Sandra Griffiths

published : 11 June 2024

Catalyst 4 Change was one of the partners in NHS Research Engagement Network (REN) Development Programme (Cohort 2). It was funded for six months from November 2023 until April 2024 by NHS England.

The two aims of the National REN programme were to:

1. Grow local research engagement networks with underserved communities
2. Embed consideration of diversity in research within the Integrated Care System

REN was funded as a partnership between National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), a local Integrated Care Board (ICB), and Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations.

For Birmingham and Solihull, the participating organisations were:



• NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board
• Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC)
• Birmingham Community Healthcare Community Connexions
• Flourish
• Catalyst 4 Change
• Regional NIHR infrastructures hosted at the University of Birmingham
• Birmingham Research & Community Engagement Hub (BIRCH), led by BVSC 
• Community organisations and people from Birmingham and Solihull that participated in surveys and focus groups in our project
  

In Birmingham and Solihull, the REN programme had three areas of activity:

1. Mapping exercise of what engagement in health and care research currently looks like
2. Bringing support/resources together to make engaging with health and care research more accessible
3. Facilitating workshops to hear what communities thought

Below is a summary of the findings from the REN work. These recommendations came directly from community organisations, and will inform the legacy of the work.

Funding:

• Fair and transparent application processes for all
• Funding for community assets, training and education in research
• Funding for community events where research can happen, and data can be gathered informally

Collaboration:

• A single ‘research hub’ for research information, support, guidelines and templates
• Bring together completed research and implement findings before starting anything new
• Research literacy campaigns for the community

Engagement and accessibility:

• Community engagement/cultural competency training required
• Ensure representation on teams that engage with the community
• Resources in community languages and funding for interpreters

Community focus:

• Establish community advisory boards to advocate for local community interests
• Engage with community leaders
• Research delivered locally or trusted spaces
• Build robust co-production to involve communities from the start

Seeing a difference:

• Use recommendations and research to influence change and demonstrate this to communities
• Always share research findings with communities and gather feedback
• Continue the conversation once research has ended

What Next?

REN recently secured additional funding from NHS England to share the learning in an effective and engaging manner. This work will begin over the summer.

The additional funding will facilitate webinars, learning events, and host an improved online platform to share the resources gathered throughout the REN programme.

The REN partners will continue to meet as part of BIRCH and will review recommendations from this project, such as a research hub and further mapping of the public sector landscape.

REN partners are committed to influencing engagement in research practice based on the recommendations that came from this project.

The learning has been shared with NHS England to feed into national practice.

If you’d like to be involved in any of this initiative, then please click on the link for more information - www.bvsc.org/birch-network 

or email Sandra Griffiths, Catalyst’s Programmes & Partnership Director at: sandra@catalystr4change.org.uk