Research and Evaluation Winner: Community Led Support Programme – University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
The Community Led Support Programme, is transforming how social service organisations engage with individuals and communities. By adopting a systems-based approach, the programme enables services to listen, respond, and co-design solutions with people, ensuring that rights, equalities, and inclusion remain at the core of service transformation.
Discover the transformative journey of the University of Birmingham, as they share their experience of implementing the Community Led Support Programme and its impact on social service organisations through their award-winning work in Research and Evaluation.
- What does winning a European Social Services Award mean for your organisation? How do you feel about this recognition and experience?
Winning this award has given our research team, which includes a number of early career researchers, greater confidence in their work and their ability to make a substantial contribution to evidence and practice.
Similarly, it has provided a great boost for out national improvement partner regarding the quality of their programme through its work being recognised by such a leading network.
- Why did you choose to apply for the 2024 European Social Services Awards?
We were proud of our practice-research collaboration, and our inter-disciplinary research team and thought that colleagues might be interested in knowing more about our approach and learning so being short-listed felt a major achievement by itself . Winning was a nice bonus!
- What is the added value of being part of a European Network for your organisation? Why is it important to share practice and projects with other actors across Europe?
Whilst the challenges in many European countries are similar, and often connected, how we try to address these challenges varies – the opportunity to connect with, and learn from, colleagues across Europe enables us to explore different options and consider new innovations which have worked elsewhere.
- How does your winning project support inclusion in the community?
The Community Led Support programme takes a systems approach to enabling social service organisations to listen and respond to individuals and communities, and to work with partners in transforming processes, practices and cultures – rights, equalities and inclusion are at its heart.
- What were the key reasons for the success of your project?
A collaboration based on trust, respect and common values, in which both researchers and practitioners recognised each other’s contribution and were willing to learn and grow together, and the insights of people with lived experience.
- Why should an organisation enter the Awards in 2025?
Alongside the chance to meet and celebrate with colleagues from across Europe, the awards help to share good practice and enable teams to recognise and celebrate their contributions.
Learn more about the Research and Evaluation category and all the shortlisted projects in 2024. You can also explore all the categories of the 2024 European Social Services Awards and discover the inspiring initiatives recognised this year.