Reflections on research career development in practice
Matthew Bushell, Kent County Council (SSCR Career Development Award Alumni)
My research career was supported by the School for Social Care Research (SSCR), a group I have found highly supporting and motivating. I am burdened (or blessed) with a brain which constantly seeks to find solutions and ‘work things out.’ I learnt early in my career that gathering evidence about better ways to do things was critical to improving social care services. There is a danger in Local Authorities that despite periodic redesigns, essentially you continue to do what you have always done year on year. Some of this is inevitable because of statutory responsibilities, but sadly the demand on social care services has long ago out-stripped the available resources. I was trained in the Lean methodology, and have learnt that three things can help here:
- improve your processes;
- do less of something, or;
- find greater resource!
In all three – evaluation, measurement and analysis/evidence are important, but a fourth area is to work to mitigate the ‘need’ – providing enabling services earlier and/or encouraging people that they can manage without additional support. This last area is where much of my research focus has centred.
Enablement
I have been a mover and shaker in ‘Enablement’ approaches locally and in some ways nationally, for the past 15 years. I believe, and it is a view backed up by my research with adults, that many of the vulnerable people we are charged to support haven’t previously been supported well enough to understand themselves: their brains and bodies, their senses and emotions. Without understanding your own needs and strengths, you will surely be less able to navigate external challenges which life will bring. In 2009-2010 project I helped to trial one of the first enablement approaches in the UK for Older People and those with a physical disability. Then, in 2016-2018 I worked with two colleagues Ute Vann and Sandra Gasson leading a research study on a UK-first enablement approach for autistic adults and in 2023 led a similar UK-first enablement approach for Care Leavers.
My need to upskill
Within the Autism and Enablement research, we published a book on the approach, but it was a project brought forward by passionate and intelligent people, through force of character and purpose. That wasn’t really enough for a research career, and in 2019 I gained an NIHR Capacity Building Award and was first supported by the SSCR. Although we were working on our own aims, the SSCR were constantly reaching out in support and drawing other peer researchers together in shared aims. I undertook, and passed, a research qualification with my funding, alongside juggling the challenges of managing an operational team and vulnerable clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is always the risk of course with embedded researcher positions. During 2022-2024 I managed to secure two years of backfill funding as an Embedded Researcher through the local NIHR Applied Research Collaborative, who were also excellent in their support. It was within this capacity that I completed my Leaving Care Research.
Using previous research to help carve the next section of my career
Although I enjoyed working in the Leaving Care team and with the young people, Autism was always my ‘first love.’ One of the main learning points of the Autism and Enablement project was that we were supporting adults to understand and mitigate strengths and needs, which could and probably should have been supported in childhood. As such, at the end of 2023, I asked Kent County Council’s Children’s Services if I could help in the area of Special Educational Needs and Autism support. They agreed and I started in Jan 2024 and soon found myself evaluating autism interventions in schools and assisting a redesign of the Neurodevelopmental Pathway with Health colleagues. But would you believe it, one of the main tools being offered and which I would be evaluating was a Strengths and Needs Assessment/Profile of autistic SEN pupils – a tool for the young person, their parents/carers and educational staff to better understand themselves. The circle had been completed! I believe I am one of the only Local Authority employees employed as a Research in SEN. It wouldn’t have happened without the SSCR support.
Next steps
I now work with so many passionate people, many with neurodiverse family members themselves, who want to make a difference, and this main difference is providing early, needs and strengths-led intervention, rather than – as previous, leaving many children unsupported as they sit on a waiting list. Most recently I have been exploring the use of digital advancements and AI in this context and would be happy to be contacted about this on matthew.bushell@kent.gov.uk.
