The final report of this important project was presented to Walsall’s senior leadership in March 2022. We were subsequently commissioned by Bolton Council to conduct a similar far-reaching review of their response to the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in relation to their surge testing effort in early 2021. Working closely with Bolton Public Health, the project was completed in late 2022. 

ICRD have been commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to conduct a community-based research project to understand how the WMCA’s Inclusive Growth framework is received by local residents. The project will also explore the extent to which their experiences and situation are reflected in the quantitative indicators assembled to support inclusive growth. The project is led by Dr James Rees, working closely with our partners BVSC Research and CTPSR at Coventry University. We have recruited over 20 community peer researchers to work with us on this project and they have received accredited research training. For information about inclusive growth see here 

Cosy Homes: Energy Efficiency for All is a new project led by Homebaked Community Land Trust in Anfield, Liverpool. Dr Joshua Blamire is Research Lead.

The project aims to address the lack of quality and affordability in housing and to investigate how to achieve an efficient roll-out of whole-house community retrofit without leaving anyone behind. ICRD will lead a team of citizen researchers who will explore these issues. 

We are delighted to have been appointed to conduct the Dudley All Age Mental Health Needs Assessment on behalf of Dudley Public Health. The project is being led by James Rees, Deputy Director of ICRD, Rachel Hopley, Senior Research Fellow and Sophie Wilson, Director of BVSC research.

The project builds on a number of recent projects in relation to mental health and wellbeing in the Black Country and the wider West Midlands region, and will involve identifying good practice, reviewing routine service data, interviewing experts across the system and working closely with citizens in Dudley. The work will contribute to Dudley's forthcoming wellbeing strategy. 

The #WolvesWellbeingandMe programme (funded by Better Mental Health Funding from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities), provided real-time and grassroots insight into the mental health and wellbeing of people and communities across the city following on from the recent experience of the pandemic. Working in partnership with the City of Wolverhampton Council, Dr Rachel Hopley led a research team from ICRD and the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing to look at ways people disproportionately impacted by the pandemic had developed to cope with the challenge of the Covid-19 crisis, and aimed to create spaces for diverse communities to share their experiences. 

The reports can be accessed here.

Commissioned by Walsall Council, Dr Rachel Hopley and Dr James Rees worked with colleagues in Psychology and Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) to understand how factors influence mental wellbeing in Walsall. The aim of the research is to provide a rich insight into how various factors play a role in mental wellbeing and highlight what has helped or hindered individuals’ and communities’ ability to maintain positive mental wellbeing. In particular, the research aims to provide insight into the complexities that have led to inequality in unemployed residents and residents with caring responsibilities. The project involved a survey of residents, interviews with residents that are unemployed or carers, and focus groups with community leaders.  

Birmingham City Council has committed to a “Prevention First” vision of Birmingham where “citizens lead healthy, happy, independent lives within their own homes and communities”.  This vision underpins a new approach to commissioning prevention based services and activities in the Adult Social Care Directorate, a significant shift within the local authority which previously since 2010 had been on a programme of savings on all non-essential, non-statutory spend. 

ICRD and BVSC were commissioned by Birmingham City Council to review the Adult Social Care Prevention Portfolio evaluation framework.   

The Prevention First Framework Report is available here.

This was a qualitative research project funded by Walsall Council, to work collaboratively with senior staff at the Council in order to take stock of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, to assess it's activities, to identify future strategic priorities, and to share lessons learned which could help Walsall to build on in its successful partnership arrangements.

Together with Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) and Revolving Doors Agency, Dr James Rees, investigated the COVID-19 vaccine uptake amongst people facing multiple disadvantage in Birmingham. The report outlined what messages helped to ensure that people facing multiple disadvantage are provided with the information and tools to ensure that they can make an informed decision about the vaccine into the future. 

ICRD has recently completed, with partners Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) and Coventry University, a  'Listening Exercise’ on behalf of West Midlands Combined Authority, which engaged with a wide variety of voluntary, community and faith organisations across the region, with a particular focus on the various inequalities exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The community perspectives on potential areas of focus informed the forthcoming Mental Health Commission.

In 2019, ICRD were commissioned by Wolverhampton CCG to undertake an independent evaluation of their Social Prescribing Pilot being delivered by Wolverhampton Voluntary Community Action. Dr Rachel Hopley led the mixed methods evaluation to review the current delivery, evidence impact and provide recommendations for future service provision. 

The report is available here.

Changing Lives are the largest provider of support for women who sell sex in the UK. Changing Lives’ approach is trauma-informed, recovery-focused and gender-specific. The aim is to help women break cycles of chaos by giving them the tools they need to achieve positive, sustainable change through a three-stage model of change: Being - Reaching Out and Engagement; Becoming - Recovery and Resilience; and Belonging - Community Integration. The Iris project was developed to support women with experience of sex work, survival sex or sexual exploitation through this journey of ‘being, becoming and belonging’ to meet immediate needs, validate trauma, support their safety, health and wellbeing, and develop healthy relationships. 

ICRD were commissioned to evaluate the Iris project, explore the impact, how the project has evolved and how it has been implemented across Walsall and Wolverhampton. The mixed methods evaluation included the training of peer researchers and was designed to: understand the needs of women with experience of sex work in Wolverhampton and Walsall; understand the impact the project has had on the women that engage with the service; and explore the operational model and recommendations to improve future delivery of the project. 

The final report can be found here. 

In collaboration with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the West Midlands Fire Service, ICRD sought to understand the first hand experiences of people living with multiple and complex needs in the West Midlands and the current evidence base in the West Midlands. 

The first report presents the voice and experience of individuals in the West Midlands region who have multiple complex needs. The report adds a local-level, qualitative understanding and supports previous research highlighting the negative impact of adverse childhood experiences and the importance of early intervention during childhood. Read the full report here.  

Dr Rachel Hopley and Prof Laura Caulfield produced a briefing paper providing a summary analysis of the existing research and evidence about multiple and complex needs in the West Midlands. This briefing paper summarises the situation in the West Midlands and aims to help better understand multiple and complex needs in the region and identify potential gaps to inform regional policy related to supporting individuals living with multiple and complex needs and the services that support them.

ICRD were commissioned by One Walsall to conduct their first State of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector Report. The objective of the report was to highlight the impact Walsall’s VCSE Sector delivers for communities and local partners, and its current and future opportunities and challenges.  

The report can be found here. 

A 15-month collaboration between the Institute for Community Research and Development and the West Midlands Regional Economic Development Institute (WMREDI) sought to examine existing social prescribing provision for young people in the West Midlands and its economic, and employability impact. The project commenced with a review of existing evidence which has been published in a research digest, and culminated in the production of an evaluation framework for commissioners and providers to better evaluate the impact of social prescribing for young people.  

Links to the blogs which accompanied the project are available below:

• The Potential Impact of Youth Social Prescribing in the West Midlands on Employment and the Economy: Final Report and Evaluation Framework (November 2023)
• The Potential Impact of Youth Social Prescribing in the West Midlands on Employment and the Economy: Recommendations Report (September 2023)
• The Potential Impact of Youth Social Prescribing in the West Midlands on Employment and the Economy (February 2023)

The purpose of this study was to better understand social prescribing models across the Black Country. Our research mapped approaches to social prescribing across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. By comparing and contrasting ways in which social prescribing has been developed, delivered and accessed in each of these four areas, this study sought to draw out if and how users’ experiences of social prescribing may differ across the Black Country.