Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services News

We're seeking Iriss Associates

Michelle Drumm — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 13:48:09 +0000

We wish to build up a bank of expertise and skills that we can call on to support our work in evidence-informed practice, innovation and improvement, and knowledge media. We would love to hear from you whether you’re interested in a short, one-off piece of work, or joining us for the longer term.

At present, we’re particularly interested in hearing from:

Can SDS support recovery from substance misuse?

Michelle Drumm — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 09:08:50 +0000

Pilotlight says 'Yes!'.

Using a design approach, Pilotlight aims to demonstrate how to design support for seldom heard groups, provide more personalised and appropriate services and increase the marketplace of support providers.

Understanding, celebrating, sharing. Be part of it!

Michelle Drumm — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 09:34:56 +0000

Iriss is working to raise the profile of the social services workforce by sharing practitioner experiences of working in care and support. We know that often, research about the social services workforce fails to reach those who work most closely with those supported by services, so we need your help to make sure that your voice is heard.

Staf to manage Relationships Matter website

Michelle Drumm — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 14:25:09 +0000

Relationships Matter was a project led by the Relationships Matter Collective, a group of inspirational practitioners and young people who were brave enough to challenge, and confident enough to promote, continued relationships between practitioners and young people as they leave care.

Join Iriss as a Project Manager

Maddy Ross — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 16:37:36 +0000

We're looking for a talented Project Manager with excellent facilitation and design skills to join the Iriss team.

For more information about the specific role, please visit the Vacancies page.

Learn about co-design tools

Michelle Drumm — Fri, 26 Aug 2016 15:24:18 +0000

We would like to invite you to a free event on Monday, 3rd October to learn about co-design, and tools that can support it. We’ve run two recent co-design projects - one with older people and practitioners who worked together to improve the pathway from hospital to home; and the other with people who access (or may in the future access) self-directed support (SDS), and practitioners from the Pilotlight project.

iamsocialwork SUPER:vision Tour Glasgow

Michelle Drumm — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 09:26:12 +0000

iamsocialwork, is a concept that was created by Zoë Betts in 2012, as a newly qualified social worker. It started out as a small, local event in London and has grown into a series of UK-wide events, which offer opportunities for student, recently qualified and qualified social workers to come together to strengthen professional links, peer networks and practice.

Tool for conversations

Michelle Drumm — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 09:52:58 +0000

We would like to thank those (over 100 people!) who expressed interest in our Relationships Matter conversation tool.

Ministerial visit to Iriss

Michelle Drumm — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:36:34 +0000

On 20th July, Mark McDonald, the Minister for Childcare and Early Years paid us a visit at our offices in Glasgow.

Bring Your Own Enquiry (BYOE)

Michelle Drumm — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 11:35:04 +0000

We are seeking partners to work with around an explorative approach to organisational enquiry and action.

Write an Iriss Insight!

Michelle Drumm — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 11:45:00 +0000

15th July is the closing date for the submission of any ideas you have for writing an Insight.

Provide a brief sketch of your idea by the closing date. We will provide a response to all ideas and commission those we want to take forward by the end of August 2016.

Here’s a quick reminder of what we are looking for in an Insight….

It's SDS Awareness Week! Read the latest on Pilotlight

Michelle Drumm — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:38:51 +0000

It's SDS Awareness Week (#SDSBlether) so we want you to know the latest about our Pilotlight project.

Pilotlight is working with co-design teams of people who use and deliver services across Scotland to design pathways to self-directed support.

A snapshot of our work for 2015-16

Michelle Drumm — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 13:36:47 +0000

We've published an annual activity review for 2015-16, which will give you a snapshot of all of our work for the year.

Introduced by Peter MacLeod, Iriss Chair, it includes a summary of our project work, lessons learned from it and what we aspire to going forward.

Peer support roles in mental health services

Michelle Drumm — Wed, 18 May 2016 12:12:40 +0000

We've published Insight 31 - Peer support roles in mental health services - which was written by Louise Christie, Network Manager (Policy and Development) at Scottish Recovery Network.

The print version has been newly designed to reflect our new brand and colours. I think you'll agree that it looks rather lovely. Print copies are available on request.

Hospital to Home evaluation report

Michelle Drumm — Thu, 12 May 2016 15:58:13 +0000

Today, an in-depth evaluation of the Hospital to Home project has been published.

Interim Director appointed

Michelle Drumm — Wed, 04 May 2016 16:03:40 +0000

Bob Parry, previously Associate Director at NHS Education for Scotland (NES), has taken up the post of interim Director at Iriss following Jackie McKenzie's departure in March 2016. Bob has held a number of senior positions latterly in the NHS in supporting workforce development and education, and leading work in supporting the integration of health and social care and in academia as Dean, Faculty of Health and Social at University of Hull.

Bob took up post on 2 May 2016 and will be with us as plans for the recruitment of a new Iriss Director get underway.

Change the frame: journeys out of homelessness

Michelle Drumm — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 09:04:03 +0000

The resources from Change the frame, a two-year project led by Iriss in collaboration with a range of partners to explore homelessness in Scotland, have been published today.

The story of Relationships Matter

Michelle Drumm — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 07:29:25 +0000

Today, we've published the story of the Relationships Matter project. The two-year project was facilitated by Iriss and led by the Relationships Matter Collective, a group of inspirational practitioners and young people who were brave enough to challenge, and confident enough to promote, continued relationships between practitioners and young people as they leave care.

Iriss and the Care Inspectorate explore risk and innovation

Michelle Drumm — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 13:23:15 +0000

In 2015, Iriss launched a joint project with the Care Inspectorate to explore strategic innovation, resilience and risk in the context of the Care Inspectorate’s mandate of scrutiny and improvement.

The project has comprised of an internal staff survey with 108 responses, two workshops with 18 staff members, and has sought to engage the wider Care Inspectorate workforce through the findings.

Pilotlight Evaluation - Invite to Tender

Maddy Ross — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 17:14:48 +0000

Iriss is seeking to commission an independent Evaluator for its Pilotlight programme to support the continued development and delivery of self-directed support (SDS) in Scotland.

Pilotlight works with co-design teams of people to design pathways to self-directed support. Now in its fourth year, the Pilotlight programme uses a design approach to demonstrate how to design support for seldom heard groups, provide more personalised and appropriate services and increase the marketplace of support providers.

The Vision and Strategy for Social Services: progress report

Michelle Drumm — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 16:10:06 +0000

Social Services in Scotland: a shared vision and strategy for 2015-2020 was launched on World Social Work Day in March 2015 by the Social Work Services Strategic Forum.

A progress report summarising the range of work which is underway to implement the strategy has now been published. While this is a five year strategy, it is clear that even at this early stage real progress is being made collectively by all parts of the sector.

Aileen Campbell, Minister for Children and Young People, who chairs the Strategic Forum, said:

We're seeking a talented Service Designer

Maddy Ross — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 10:15:22 +0000

Iriss is seeking a Service Designer for its Pilotlight programme to support the continued development and delivery of self-directed support (SDS) in Scotland.

Pilotlight works with co-design teams of people to design pathways to self-directed support. Now in its fourth year, the Pilotlight programme uses a design approach to demonstrate how to design support for seldom heard groups, provide more personalised and appropriate services and increase the marketplace of support providers.

Keeping it Personal: Improving person-centred care

Michelle Drumm — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 14:50:26 +0000

The People Powered Health and Wellbeing Programme (PPHW), delivered by the Health and Social Care ALLIANCE Scotland is contributing towards the Scottish Government’s ambition to create a safe, effective and person-centred health and social care system.

Each of the PPHW programme partners explored different facets of the PPHW aim. The Iriss project – Keeping It Personal (KiP) – explored the use of person-centred approaches when designing improvements to the delivery of health and social care services.

Dan Hughes on trauma, early child development and attachment

Ian Watson — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 11:44:20 +0000

Dan Hughes is a leading authority on dyadic developmental psychotherapy and has integrated recent research on the neurobiology of trauma, early child development and attachment.

During one of his many trips to Scotland as a guest of Scottish Attachment in Action, Iriss was pleased to video record Dan explaining how the brain reacts to trauma and how an understanding of this process is helpful to foster and adoptive parents as well professionals such as residential care workers and teachers.

Youth & Criminal Justice in Scotland: The Young Person’s Journey

Michelle Drumm — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 11:53:59 +0000

Youth & Criminal Justice in Scotland: The Young Person’s Journey is a new, interactive online resource that aims to simplify how the youth and criminal justice system works for under 18s in Scotland. The resource was officially launched by Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, on 26 January 2016.