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PHR in Health and Social Care for older people – Regional development through learning within and across organisations

Rämgård, Margareta LU ; Forsgren, Annika and Avery, Helen LU (2017) In Educational Action Research 25(4). p.506-524
Abstract
The study draws on findings from a series of seven participatory action research projects in community care for older people carried out over a period of eight years in 20 municipalities in southern Sweden. The analysis here looks at social impact across administrative levels and geographical scales. Different professional groups and care workers in community care participated, crossing divides between social work and health care. The participatory methods all involved a phase of individual reflection, a phase of reflection in practice with colleagues and mixed groups at the regional level, including unit managers and directors in some stages. Impacts concerned interprofessional learning and improved conditions for collaboration in care... (More)
The study draws on findings from a series of seven participatory action research projects in community care for older people carried out over a period of eight years in 20 municipalities in southern Sweden. The analysis here looks at social impact across administrative levels and geographical scales. Different professional groups and care workers in community care participated, crossing divides between social work and health care. The participatory methods all involved a phase of individual reflection, a phase of reflection in practice with colleagues and mixed groups at the regional level, including unit managers and directors in some stages. Impacts concerned interprofessional learning and improved conditions for collaboration in care for older people across institutional boundaries as well as organisational learning across the municipalities. The action research approach was characterised by intensive work with values, empowering low-status professional groups. Social impacts were achieved beyond each project by benefitting from the multi-stakeholder design, using the structure of the organisations and the regional R&D department of the Association of Local Authorities. Over time, the different projects thus contributed to regional development ‘from below’. Nevertheless, employer perspectives tended to determine which conclusions from the projects were eventually implemented and prioritised. Continued reflective dialogue meetings between professional groups are therefore, needed as part of regular work processes. Local and regional structures need forms of autonomy that allow them to implement recommendations from participatory projects. Finally, employee perspectives need to be reflected in decision-making at all levels, particularly including low-status groups of care staff. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Participatory Health Research, organisational learning, empowerment, Regional development, communities of practice, action research
in
Educational Action Research
volume
25
issue
4
pages
506 - 524
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85019197841
ISSN
0965-0792
DOI
10.1080/09650792.2017.1326963
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d6d4b590-0d2a-4b68-a0f9-c510a1359ca7
date added to LUP
2017-05-01 22:03:26
date last changed
2023-09-21 04:58:12
@article{d6d4b590-0d2a-4b68-a0f9-c510a1359ca7,
  abstract     = {{The study draws on findings from a series of seven participatory action research projects in community care for older people carried out over a period of eight years in 20 municipalities in southern Sweden. The analysis here looks at social impact across administrative levels and geographical scales. Different professional groups and care workers in community care participated, crossing divides between social work and health care. The participatory methods all involved a phase of individual reflection, a phase of reflection in practice with colleagues and mixed groups at the regional level, including unit managers and directors in some stages. Impacts concerned interprofessional learning and improved conditions for collaboration in care for older people across institutional boundaries as well as organisational learning across the municipalities. The action research approach was characterised by intensive work with values, empowering low-status professional groups. Social impacts were achieved beyond each project by benefitting from the multi-stakeholder design, using the structure of the organisations and the regional R&D department of the Association of Local Authorities. Over time, the different projects thus contributed to regional development ‘from below’. Nevertheless, employer perspectives tended to determine which conclusions from the projects were eventually implemented and prioritised. Continued reflective dialogue meetings between professional groups are therefore, needed as part of regular work processes. Local and regional structures need forms of autonomy that allow them to implement recommendations from participatory projects. Finally, employee perspectives need to be reflected in decision-making at all levels, particularly including low-status groups of care staff.}},
  author       = {{Rämgård, Margareta and Forsgren, Annika and Avery, Helen}},
  issn         = {{0965-0792}},
  keywords     = {{Participatory Health Research; organisational learning; empowerment; Regional development; communities of practice; action research}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{506--524}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Educational Action Research}},
  title        = {{PHR in Health and Social Care for older people – Regional development through learning within and across organisations}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2017.1326963}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09650792.2017.1326963}},
  volume       = {{25}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}