Outputs:
The research successfully identified the:
- Factors that contribute to effective transformation initiatives.
- Barriers to progress and how to mitigate or overcome them.
- Role and impact of Skills for Care in supporting transformation initiatives.
Approach
The research for this project was undertaken in the period from December 2025 to March 2026. It was based on the experiences at four local collaborative transformation initiatives.
Alder Advice used an Appreciative inquiry approach to engage with Skills for Care Staff and external stakeholders to explore:
- The approach used at each of the four transformation initiatives.
- What Skills for Care brought to each transformation process (e.g. facilitation skills, sector expertise, convening power).
- The impact of Skills for Care’s involvement in the initiatives compared to its potential impact.
- Common themes and patterns across the initiatives. These include:
- How Skills for Care helped to enable change.
- Barriers or blockers to transformational change.
- Systemic or contextual factors influencing outcomes.
To support internal capacity building Alder Advice worked very closely with Skills for Care Staff throughout the research process. Examples of this include:
- Actively involving and upskilling members of Skills for Care’s Research and Impact team throughout the project.
- Sharing tools, techniques, and approaches for qualitative research and appreciative inquiry with Skills for Care staff.
- Providing reflective learning opportunities for Skills for Care staff and providing practical guidance on how to use Appreciative Inquiry for future evaluation and improvement work.