Towards stronger and integrated knowledge circulation between social services and universities. A collaborative project between Social Services and the School of Social Work in Lund

Most agree that the use of knowledge in social work practice needs to be strengthened, while there are no given methods for how, for example, research findings are best translated into practice.

While implementation research identifies barriers and enablers to the adoption of evidence-based methods in a linear understanding, others argue that research can be used in more dynamic and unpredictable ways, highlighting the importance of context and actors.

This two-year project proposes a collaboration between the Social Services and the School of Social Work in Lund that takes a synthesizing starting point in the concept knowledge circulation, where knowledge is seen as a communicative and circular act.

The project´s ambition is to develop and advance collaborative activities between the municipality and the university that already take place, yet in isolation from each other, towards increased knowledge circulation.

Added values consist of more relevant and extensive use of already generated knowledge, and increased focus on client- and practice-oriented research.

The research itself can, for example, advance from seminars where researchers present results to research questions being initiated by staff or users.

We aim to find scientific support and forms for practice- and client-oriented research with the help of the questions: How can research best be put into practice and how can practice have a greater impact? The aim is fulfilled by: 1. An inventory of experiences from existing forms of collaboration (work package 1)   2.

A systematic literature review on knowledge circulation (work package 2) 3.

Deepening and developing existing activities towards a sustainable structure for client and practice-based research (work package 3) 4. Two conferences for exchange and dissemination (work package 4).

The project is disseminated through the involvement of users and social workers, key municipal employees, two conferences (one local and one national), two written products (one report and one article), and the initiation of a collaborative structure.

Dissemination also happens in collaborations: Anders Jönsson (Dr) and Teres Hjärpe (Dr) at the School of Social Work have ongoing research in FoU-Sjuhärad (R&D, Borås-region) and the City of Helsingborg, and networks with professional supervisors.

Harald Gegner (Dr) and Maria Svensson (doctoral student) have employments in Lund municipality as development leader and development assistant.