Knowledge transfer and action research - developing a city-wide model for whole household interventions in Sheffield

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The whole household approach can operate within different models, but key features include: a key worker providing assessment, direct support, advocacy, and referral to specialist services; a holistic understanding of behaviour and causes; intensive tailored support, targeted on causes as well as presenting problems; and a focus on whole households/families (and sometimes peers).The proposed research is intended to inform and support the ongoing development of the whole household approach in Sheffield, where a vision exists to make it the main mechanism for designing and delivering services to the most vulnerable families in the city. This is a bold move, requiring significant shifts in organisational cultures, ways of working and allocating resources. The researchers have already begun to engage with Sheffield City Council and its partners to exchange knowledge of whole household approaches, based on their previous studies. However, the evidence suggests that whole household approaches are hugely influenced by local factors (Nixon et al., 2006); thus, providing a strong case for more intensive, additional knowledge exchange and follow-on activity to situate the team's previous research within a Sheffield-specific context.An action research approach is proposed, meaning that the research will be a reflective process of progressive problem solving led by the applicants but with the active participation of Sheffield-wide service providers. Informed by the applicants' previous research, the new activity will seek to:1) help city-wide partners agree definitions to ensure a consistent understanding of what is meant by whole household and key worker approaches;2) inform development of a city-wide key worker role, informed by existing prototypes;3) inform development of a city-wide mechanism for referral to whole household intervention services;4) explore and facilitate local partnership working around the whole household approach, by seeking to understand and address cultural, operational, and system barriers; and5) develop a local calculator tool to demonstrate cost-benefits and inform collaborative funding arrangements for city-wide partners.Research activities include in-depth interviews with senior managers and practitioners across Sheffield-wide service partners to understand existing systems, practices, and partnership working arrangements, and to explore barriers to implementing what is known to work for whole household approaches. In-depth interviews with recipients will explore how key elements of the whole household prototypes are working for the people they support. A costing tool will be developed for use by Sheffield-wide partners, to calculate the costs and benefits of the whole household approach, and to inform partnership funding arrangements. An event is planned to disseminate the findings to policy-makers and practitioners nationally.This activity provides an exciting opportunity for a genuine shared learning experience between academia and wider public service. The project has the potential to lead to genuine improvements to the wellbeing of hundreds of vulnerable families in Sheffield and beyond.