BSW Integrated Care Board funding award aims increase diversity in research

As one of 17 Integrated Care Boards to have received a share of £1.7 million from NHS England’s Integrated Care System Research Network Development (REND) Programme, BSW ICB and partners have been working together to engage with under-served communities about health and social care research.

To help with this process, the BSW Research Hub – a partnership between the local health and care organisations and the Department for Health at the University of Bath  – has created a survey that asks people what they think of health and social care research, what are the barriers to participating and what would encourage them to participate.

Engagement so far has focussed on the travelling community and manual labourers who have English as a Second Language.

Local VCSE organisation Julian House in B&NES, which runs the Travelling Community Support Service, are supporting this project through distributing and helping people to complete the survey.

Voluntary Action Swindon (VAS) has also been promoting the survey, through their links with Swindon based charities.

Through this project, BSW ICB and partners aim to change how research is done, which will help make sure more people know about, and can access, health and social care research opportunities when they want to.

Find out more about the BSW Research Hub  https://www.bath.ac.uk/professional-services/bath-and-north-east-somerset-swindon-and-wiltshire-research-hub/