Sharing the power - the Knowledge is Power end of programme shared learning event

/

Over the past two-and-a-half years, a handful of community groups across Scotland designed and carried out their own research with support from the Knowledge is Power programme. A final shared learning and celebration event was held online on Thursday 16th June, bringing together community researchers from the different projects with others with a role or interest in community-led action research.

Purpose and format

In addition to being a celebration of the work of the groups over the past two and a half years, the event was a chance to share important learning and insights from the different Knowledge is Power research projects and community-led action research more generally.

Knowledge is Power was initally funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and the Scottish Government to support six community groups to carry out and use their own research. With the help of additional funding from Corra Foundation and Inspiring Scotland, four more groups were recruited onto the programme. Find out more about the background and format of Knowledge is Power here.

The event was held online with over 30 people in attendance, including Knowledge is Power groups and people from a range of sectors, including government, NHS and the community and voluntary sectors.

Event chair, Steven Marwick from Evaluation Support Scotland, expertly kept things on time and flowing smoothly, and participants heard presentations from three Knowledge is Power research projects, discussing and reflecting on what they had heard in breakout discussion rooms.

Discussion focused on the value of community-led action research as well as how to grow the approach in future. There was also an interactive poll using Mentimeter which gave people the chance to describe what they thought community-led action research meant.

The presentations

Three groups were invited to present on the day (Click here to see the full list of participating groups).

Shetland Community Connections

First up was Jane Haswell from Shetland Community Connections (SCC). SCC have been supported by Knowledge is Power to conduct a community survey in order to better understand the reality of attending social and cultural events or spaces for disabled people, their families and carers in Shetland and how their experiences can be improved.

Shetland Community Connections had a live link to their research survey in the local newspaper

From the start, the group wanted the research to be useful for them in helping to improve services for disabled people. Jane felt this had been achieved, and that the guidance and financial support from Knowledge is Power had been vital to ensuring this success.

Draft findings range from physical barriers such as lack of transport and not having accessible changing places toilets to more subtle, yet just as important, issues such as lack of awareness among staff and volunteers. You can see more on the draft findings in SCC’s presentation from the day.

Download a pdf version of SCC’s presentation.

Taking up Sophie’s Fight

Taking Up Sophie’s Fight planning their research

Through Knowledge is Power, Dundee group, Taking Up Sophie’s Fight (TuSF) have conducted a digital as well as printed survey to gain further understanding and information about accessing mental health services.

Claire McCulloch, Marion Fraser and Jacqueline Low from the group presented along with Elaine Sword, the Community Health Worker from Dundee City Council who supports the group. They described how the Knowledge is Power support had helped them overcome the challenges of Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions to come up with important findings about people struggling to find much-needed mental health support during the pandemic, as well as people’s priorities for what services they would like to see.

The research has helped give local people a voice in mental health services, and the group is now going on to contribute to the development of a Mental Wealth Academy in Dundee. See TuSF’s slides for more information.

Download a pdf version of TuSF’s presentation

Falkirk Youth Involvement

Graeme High School pupils Evie, Poppy, Hayden and Emily, along with Grace Cameron, Falkirk Council Community Learning and Development Worker, gave an engaging account of Falkirk Youth Involvement’s (FYI) Knowledge is Power-supported research.

The pupils ably explained how they decided on their research topic (mental health) and their research methods (a survey and one-to-one sessions)

75% of respondents said that poor mental health had affected their daily life.

Recommendations from the research included that pupils should have regular check-ins to see if anyone’s needs have changed and that all young people should receive Education Maintainance Allowance (MTA) payments.

Grace and the pupils from Graeme High School presenting at the online event

The pupils concluded their presentation by observing how being involved in the research had significantly improved their confidence, skills and knowledge about mental health.

Download a pdf version of FYI’s presentation

The value of community-led action research

Participants at the event heard from three KIP projects and the discussion which followed centred on what these research projects showed about the value of this approach to research.

At the start of the session we also conducted an exercise using Mentimeter, in which we asked people to describe, in a couple of sentences, what community-led action research was to them.

A number of different features and strengths of community-led action research were highlighted.

Community-led and active involvement

As the name suggests, community-led action research is led by communities from start to finish. Participants identified this as being a key feature of this approach to research. As a result, people are actively involved in the process rather than being ‘done to’.  In this sense, community-led action research is an empowering process.

“People lead design and delivery” (Mentimeter response)

“It means something that's not done to you. But something you are actively involved in. Which I think is important for people to feel a part of something” (Mentimeter response)

“Empowering through research and intelligence, not just through intervention” (Mentimeter response)

“Community led means community owned and different results and solutions.” (Discussion session)

Unique and rich insights through lived experience

If research is community-led, it has the additional advantage of benefitting from people sharing similar experiences. This creates a level of trust and understanding that would be difficult to achieve in traditional forms of research. Participants at the event described how this helps community-led action research to generate insights that other forms of research may not.

As part of their Knowledge is Power project, Moray Wellbeing Hub developed a video to raise awareness of neurodiversity

“It is good for finding out about people’s needs. Also a safe way of involving people to discuss issues.” (Discussion)

“It is an effective way of linking need with demand” (Discussion)

“Good to get voices heard in regard to services, particularly around mental health.” (Discussion)

“If done on an open minded, flexible way it can surface issues not thought about before, e.g. trust in agencies” (Discussion)

Building community capacity

Another benefit of community-led action research which was discussed is that it builds the skills and connections within a community. On the one hand, community groups and individuals who take part in a programme like Knowledge is Power will gain research skills which they can use to conduct further research in their community, and also transfer to other areas of life, including employment.

“Local people supported to have tools, and skills to take on the research” (Mentimeter response)

“Provides new skills and ways forward for communities.” (Discussion)

On the other hand, community-led action research can help to build community, potentially leading to more people being involved in local community groups and activity. After hearing the presentations, some participants at the event highlighted that community-led action research can help different communities to get to know each other and, as a result, build community connections.

“Telling people your opinion and listening to other people’s opinions to help improve the community we live in.” (Mentimeter response)

“Two new groups have been created in Dundee – more men as a result” (Discussion)

“It can help embrace different perceptions and create connections with others in the community and with agencies.” (Discussion)

Action, influence and improving services

As with all community-led action research, Knowledge is Power has focused on ‘action’, and this was another theme which emerged in our end of programme event. Participants saw this as being about the ‘process’ of doing the research (i.e. empowering communities and making connections) as well as about the research findings and how these can be used to improve services.

Taking up Sophie’s Fight have used their Knowledge is Power research to strenghten their work with local agencies to improve how mental wellbeing is supported in the community

“Local people being connected to service planners, making experiential learning count and advise government for better progress and services” (Mentimeter response)

“It is also about change, influencing decision makers and ultimately making an impact e.g. on funders. It can create lasting change.” (Discussion)

“It is ‘research in action’ and can have multiple benefits for people eg skills development, building confidence, making connections, influencing others.” (Discussion)

Unintended outcomes

In keeping with other organic and bottom-up approaches, community-led action research can end up going in unexpected directions. Participants clearly felt that this was a strength rather than a risk or problem.

“It can lead to unexpected ‘wins’ e.g. additional resources/funding being provided on the back of the evidence gathered.” (Discussion)

“It can lead to positive unintended outcomes – but it raises the question if we shouldn’t try to build these in and make them ‘intended.’” (Discussion)

Taking community-led action research forward

In addition to celebrating and discussing the successes of Knowledge is Power, the event was a chance to explore how to build on this going forward. The following themes came up in the session each with its own opportunities and challenges.

Laying the foundations

Some conditions were identified as needing to be in place for community-led action research to work well in future. After hearing from Taking up Sophie’s Fight in Dundee, it was pointed out that good leadership is required, for instance, from team leaders or managers. The Dundee group was seen to have benefited from this as there is a commitment to community-led approaches and a willingness to trust community learning and development staff to use these approaches flexibly.

Another requirement which was identified as important is that of having a community space from which to work from. Most of the successful KIP projects have had a building to use, including during the Covid-19 pandemic. KIP groups without such an asset have understandably struggled to develop and carry out their research.

Covid-19 has also presented new opportunities and challenges in terms of conducting research online. It was pointed out that, going forward, a challenge will be to balance the different needs and preferences of participants through hybrid (combining online and face-to-face) methods.

Finally, the issue of engaging with different groups within a community came up. It was agreed that we need to bear in mind that we do not share backgrounds and experiences with everyone, even in our own community. It is important, going forward, that this is taken account of so that everyone can take part, and be heard, in community-led action research.

Creative methods to engage young people

In the session, participants heard about the creative and engaging ways in which groups had carried out their Knowledge is Power research projects. This included Falkirk Youth Initiative’s research led by local school pupils. It was observed that community-led action research is a great way to work with young people, as well as with other groups where engagement will benefit from highly participative methods.

Graeme High School pupils conducting research into mental health as part of Falkirk Youth Action’s participation in Knowledge is Power

“More research of this kind should be done with young people.” (Discussion)

“Real value as a tool for engaging communities. We have lost lots of connection during the pandemic and reintegrating communities etc is vital in terms of rebuilding after the pandemic.” (Discussion)

The status of community-led action research

A final theme which emerged was that of the status of community-led action research in relation to other, more traditional, forms of research. In addition to a requirement for increased investment, support and evaluation, community-led action research, with all its unique qualities, needs to be recognised as an equally valid form of research.

“It does have status – but it needs to ‘hold its own’ in relation to research caried out by professional agencies. It needs the tools and resources to help people feel confident in undertaking it.” (Discussion)

“Big issue is linking the ‘doing’ of it with evaluating it and creating impact.” (Discussion)

“Needs to be a greater focus on the recognition for community researchers.” (Discussion)

Conclusion and next steps

The Knowledge is Power end of programme event enabled everyone involved to celebrate success and for others to learn more about the value and impact of community-led action research.

The event also enabled some discussion about opportunities and challenges to build on Knowledge is Power and community-led action research so that more community groups can take forward their own research projects in future.

SCDC and the Poverty Alliance will be continuing to support people in communities to participate meaningfully, and ideally to lead on, reasearch with a focus on changing lives, communities and services for the better.

We’ll also be continuing to make the case for investing in, and basing policy on, community-led action research.

To find out more and to connect up with what we’re doing, please see the following links…

More information

Watch this great short video from Falkirk Youth Involvement showing some highlights from their Knowledge is Power research project