London Youth: Lessons from Collaborative Research
Partnerships in research are beneficial. They can help provide a space for discussing ideas, collaborate across projects and work towards...
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Cornerstone Project
Partnership for Young London, Centre for Youth Impact, London Youth, and the Young People's Foundations have come together with a bold vision for young Londoners. We want to create the conditions for the services and support for young people to be:
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More informed by research, practice and the experiences of young people themselves; and
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More joined up through local and regional collaboration; and thus more effective.
This is a two-year funded programme by City Bridge Trust as part of the Cornerstone Fund. We want to generate, mobilise and utilise knowledge and insight to change the life chances of young people.
We aim to:
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To improve services for young people in London through better use of data and research
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To increase coordination and reduce duplication of effort on data gathering and research
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To facilitate closer links between research and practice, increasing practitioners use of research and researchers impact on practice
It will achieve this by:
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Creating a stronger consensus and shared commitment to the potential for a collaborative research agenda to contribute to improved life chances for young people in London
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Developing a clearer understanding of the roles of key stakeholders in making a collaborative research agenda a reality
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Taking forward the collaboration on the Vision for Young Londoners with, and for young people
Click here to read the full briefing.
Programme of work
The main activities that the collaboration will undertake are:
Research network
A core aspect of this work is the continued development of the youth research network for London, building a regional forum whereby research can be shared, gaps in knowledge identified and cross-sector collaborations can be developed.
The research network involves membership of a wide range of research-interested stakeholders, including practitioners, and serve as a space for sharing current knowledge and thinking within the network as well as asking questions. We will adopt a broad definition of research, seeking to support network members to draw on different information sources, including action research and learning from their own practice.
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4 network meetings will be held each year with the core network members
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3 sector-wide events over the 2-year funding period that aim to engage a wider group of stakeholders with emerging trends and issues
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2 ‘sprint activities’ per year resulting in practitioner focused research summaries
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These could be issue-based (e.g. the needs of key equalities groups) or methods based (e.g. participatory research) and will be co-produced by practitioners and researchers
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Maintain and develop the digital platform as a depository of research and communication platform for network members
Facilitating collaborative research
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Research into practice: We will facilitate placement opportunities for student researchers to carry out research within youth organisations
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Practice into research: We will facilitate partnerships between researchers and practitioners that will allow the practitioner to advise and influence new research being carried out
Practitioners development programme
We want practitioners to be able to confidently engage with the findings from research and be able to use this to inform their practice. We will deliver:
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4 half day training sessions each year providing support for approximately 100 practitioners.
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Research into practice workshops focusing on particular themes, taken to at least 4 local or regional networks
Data collection and data dive
We are working with Operational Research and others to undertake a data modelling exercise looking at the projections of future need and have a pro bono research team in place.
Local Support
We will facilitate 2 local offers of support to pilot a research informed approach.
Steering group
A small core steering group is n place to help shape and guide the work, this will meet 3 times a year to review the work plan, assess future areas of opportunity and development and steer the overall work.
Young People's Involvement
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Designing the system – the first sprint activity will take place with young people and will focus on devising the pathways for engagement with and for young people and a system to review impact.
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Creating a wide network – we will work with both existing networks as well as promote wider opportunities to establish a youth advisory network who can engage in various aspects of the programme in line with their areas of interest.
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Regional thematic network events – these will be facilitated with young people on the key themes identified in the sprint activities.
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Sprint activities – these will have funding available for young people to take part or take the lead on LLW.
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Profiling practice – we will be sharing good practice and guidance on research being co-designed with young people from across the country and Europe, this will link into other funded projects being facilitated by all lead organisations.
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Practitioner development programmes - Training sessions with practitioners on research to practice will focus on young involvement from concept to delivery.
Resource and Research
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