Making space for research: lessons from a research-practice partnership in adult social care

Research-practice partnerships (RPPs) are increasingly recognised for their potential to build research capacity in adult social care (ASC), yet the mechanisms enabling or constraining their impact remain under-explored. This article reports on the SCRiPT study, a National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded RPP in England that utilised a Communities of Practice (CoP) approach.

To operationalise an RPP by establishing Research in Practice Teams (RiPTs) - comprising social care professionals, lived experience contributors and academics - and to evaluate the mobilisation of research learning and identify transferable lessons for embedding collaborative RPPs.

Using a convergent multi-method design across four RiPTs, the intervention included bespoke training and support for small-scale projects. Data from interviews, focus groups, observations and questionnaires were analysed using Normalisation Process Theory and informed by CoP principles.

RiPTs achieved strong organisational buy-in through senior leadership support and collaborative priority-setting. However, sustained engagement was hindered by systemic infrastructure gaps, operational pressures and complex governance. While lived experience contributions enhanced research relevance, RiPTs functioned more as traditional research teams than CoPs, highlighting tensions between collaborative ideals and organisational realities.

RPPs can catalyse research engagement in ASC, but sustainability requires structural investment, protected time and context-relevant academic support. SCRiPT highlights that embedding RPPs in complex service environments depends on equitable collaboration, adaptability and multi-level organisational commitment.