Research needs analysis

1. RESEARCH NEEDS ANALYSIS
Dr Rosemary Crosse and Dr John Canavan
UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre
NUI GALWAY
24th March 2017

2. Overview
• Purpose of the RNA
• Methodology
• Findings- Service Delivery Areas
• Findings-Tusla’s Functional
Areas
• Collaboration
• The utilisation of research in
Tusla
• Support for research inTusla
• What is needed to embed a
culture of research?

3. Purpose of the Research Needs Analysis
The purpose of the Research Needs Analysis (RNA) is:
• To meet the Agency’s statutory requirement to undertake and commission
research relating to its functions;
• To map out and prioritise research requirements to enable strategic
coordination across the Agency in support ofTusla’s corporate objectives;
• To better understand and prioritise the research requirements of the Agency’s
services and functions;
• To support internal and external commissioning;
• To ensure value for money in the undertaking and commissioning of research;
• To support the ongoing development of evidence informed service delivery.

4. Methodology
• Concurrent mixed method approach comprising of both primary and secondary
data collection.
Secondary Data Collection - Literature Review
• The secondary data for this study comprises desk research in the form of a
literature review.

5. Primary Data Collection - Mixed Method
Approach
Qualitative semi-structured
interviews x 50
• Tusla management (n=35)
• Organisations in receipt of
significantTusla funding (n=10)
• Government departments
associated withTusla (n=4)
• HIQA (n=1)
Quantitative Surveys x 6
• Tusla staff (n= 59)
• Random sample ofTusla funded
organisations (n= 18)
• School Completion Programmes
(n=16)
• Family Resource Centres (n=39)
• Parents (n=362)
• Youth (n= 259)

6. Findings
The findings of the study are divided into four sections:
1. Research needs of specific service areas underTusla’s remit;
2. Requirements needed to develop a research capacity within theTusla
organisation, some of which pertain to the agency’s functional areas;
3. Research culture and the use of research in the organisation is explored;
4. As are views on collaboration.

7. Child Protection
ShortTerm Priorities
• Interventions & Outcomes –What is
needed, what works?
• Cultural Diversity – Over representation
of ethnic minorities in CP system.
Methods for engagement.
• Legislation – Mandatory Reporting –
Impact onCP system. Implications for
services.
• Child Injury & Death – Effectiveness of
Signs of Safety.
LongTerm Priorities
• Interventions & Outcomes - Do
interventions produce better outcomes?
• Cultural Diversity – Over representation
of ethnic minorities in CP system.
Responses to cultural norms.
• Legislation – Mandatory Reporting –
benefit to children? Does it work for
staff? Effects of referrals? Ambiguity
around new child protection guidance.
• National Service Framework – what
worked?
• Transitioning - Back into family,
community.

8. Family Support
ShortTerm Priorities
• Needs Analysis – Range of areas.
• Resources –What is required?
• Service client participation.
LongTerm Priorities
• Common Framework for Outcome
measurement.
• Data collection & Evaluation – Local
services.
• Long-term impact of service
provision.
• Importance of FS preventative work.

9. Alternative Care
ShortTerm Priorities
• Approaches to AC – Limitations of
models.
• Outcomes – comparison of
outcomes.
• Fostering & Adoption -What works?
LongTerm Priorities
• Approaches to AC - Are the right
services in the right areas? Delivery
mechanisms?
• Outcomes – Service user
participation. Aftercare and LT
outcomes.
• Fostering & Adoption – Experiences,
adoption outcomes.
• Experiences - AC, access to families,
tracing.

10. Educational Welfare Services
ShortTerm Priorities
• Effectiveness of Support
Programmes - Interface between
parents and the educational system,
accurate data and practice models
implementation .
LongTerm Priorities
• Effectiveness of Support
Programmes – LT impact of initiatives
& programmes.
• Impact of new legislation on service
delivery.
• SCPs, HSCL, DEIS - reconfiguration
of services.

11. EarlyYears
ShortTerm Priorities
• Evidence based practice on
regulations.
• Compliance - National Standards.
• The impact of inspections on children
and research in relation to
complaints.
• Cost and affordability of childcare
and range of choice.
LongTerm Priorities
• What services are needed? – What
services are available?
• Regulation – what are services doing?
• Areas of spend.
• Value for money assessment.

12. Domestic, Sexual and Gender BasedViolence
ShortTerm Priorities
• Domestic Abuse – Specific areas.
• Sexual BasedViolence –
adolescents’ experiences &
prevalence, Crime & Justice
responses.
• Responses & Outcomes – Effective
models of practice & servicer user
engagement.
LongTerm Priorities
• Legislation - the Istanbul Convention.
• Data sharing – How best to achieve
this: ethically; and best practice in
this area.

13. Tusla’s Functional Areas
Functional area requirements needed to develop a research capacity within
Tusla include;
Human Resources
• Staff and time resources are the biggest perceived barriers to the
production and utilisation of research.
• Shortage of skills in conducting research, ability to access research and
utilising research.
• Workforce development as a key enabler – training and upskilling.
ICT
• Poor capacity and infrastructures impeding effective and efficient
information sharing and research dissemination.
• Need to develop an ‘accessible database’.

14. Tusla’s Functional Areas
Finance
• A ring-fenced research budget.
Communications
• The importance and benefits of research.
• Need to increase awareness of research available.
• Focus on promoting effective collaboration across the agency to tackle the
perceived culture of protecting existing working practices and resources.
Quality Assurance
• Auditing, quality reviews, performance data, business intelligence
required.

15. Collaboration
Mostly positive views on the issue of collaborative research with external bodies.
• A ‘very useful resource’.
• ‘Significant expertise, research officers, established links and evaluation tools as
well as client participation feedback’.
Mostly positive views on the issue of collaborative research withTusla.
• Forming alliances – bring together differing and complimentary experience and
expertise.
Stipulations
• A necessity forTusla to lead on such projects.
• Needs to be a ‘clear picture’ of where research needs to go.
• Good project and strategic management.

16. Utilisation of Research inTusla
Mixed views on the utilisation of research inTusla:
• Research is perceived as fundamental to many ofTusla’s functions;
• For some research is used in a very ad hoc manner;
• However, others are of the view that research currently has a limited role in
Tusla.

17. Supports for the Utilisation of Research inTusla
• There is support for Masters and Doctoral research.
• A national office for research purposes – Research Advisory Group.
• Establishment of the Research Ethics Committee – allowed the
commissioning of smaller research projects.
• Existence of journal clubs and peer supervision.
• Membership of professional organisations.
• Empowering Practitioners’ Programme.
• Child Protection Notification System.
• Established relationships with third level institutions.

18. What is Needed to Embed a Culture of Research?
• Research needs to be determined on an “agency wide basis”.
• There needs to be an organisational approach to examining and
implementing research.
• An evidence informed decision making framework is required.
• Research into the development of integrated data analytics and
performance reporting is needed.
• Specific types of research around practice are required.

19. Thank you.