Working together for better health through effective research
REACH (Research Engagement and Community Health) Worcestershire
The mission of REACH is to improve health and wellbeing outcomes and address health inequalities through cohesive, targeted and research-informed support for communities in Worcestershire.
In partnership with VCSE organisations across Worcestershire, the Alliance is working to widen engagement in health and care research across the region to better understand and ultimately reduce health inequalities.
This work has been made possible through initial funding received from the ICS Research Engagement Network (REN) development programme and Clinical Research Network West Midlands (CRN WM).
We aim to
Increase participation in community health research by diverse and seldom heard groups
(Re) build trust in health and care services across the county
A framework for REACH
Using the REACH framework
The Framework is divided into three stages, which are REACH Aware, REACH Engaged and REACH Involved.
These stages are supported by the REACH Promises, Practices and Principles.
Promises: these are the commitments we make for each stage (Aware, Engaged, Involved). They are designed to help an organisation or an individual choose their level of engagement with health and social care research.
Practices: these are the behaviours expected of organisations and individuals who have committed to being part of REACH Aware and REACH Engaged.
Principles: these are statements agreed by the NHS Research Authority that act as a benchmark for good practice that the management and conduct of all health and social care research in the UK are expected to meet.
Framework and Resources
We have compiled useful resources to support research in community settings :
- Now available to download! The REACH Worcestershire Framework :
Be part of it!
Are you part of a voluntary, community or social enterprise organisation linked to health and wellbeing in Worcestershire?
Are you interested in finding ways to use community voice to influence policy?
Are you wondering how health and social care research can impact and improve practice?
Interested in being part of REACH Worcestershire as :
- an LRL (Local Research Lead)?
- a REACH steering group member?
- or a REACH Aware organisation?
REACH – Widening Engagement Project
An additional aspect of REACH Worcestershire focuses its aim on increasing participation in community health research by diverse and seldom heard groups
The focus of the project will be on listening to under-researched communities in Worcestershire including those that are seldom heard. Working with VCSE partners, the project aims to engage with these communities about research by considering barriers to participation and how best to mitigate them.
We aim to co-develop a sustainable model for continued collaboration, which will inform future research strategies across the Integrated Care System (ICS).
Click here to learn more about the Widening Engagement Project.
The original projects that underpin this work are funded by the ICS Research Engagement Network (REN) development programme and Clinical Research Network West Midlands (CRN WM), part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). For more information, please see NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative » Embedding research in the NHS
With grateful thanks to the following organisations for contributing to the co-production of REACH Worcestershire framework and resources :
