Whether it’s training council staff and community groups in research and evaluation skills, creating more accessible data or listening to local people’s experiences, we build skills and share knowledge, so evidence is part of the council’s everyday decision-making.
When there isn’t enough evidence, we will carry out new research to fill the gaps.
By doing this we will learn together how to reduce health inequalities in Ealing.
To make this happen, we:
Train local people, community groups and council staff to gather, use and create evidence, so local decisions and actions can be based on what communities know and experience.
Create better ways to collect, link and understand different kinds of data – numbers and stories, helping us answer important questions about health and wellbeing.
Bring learning and action closer together, so the council and community groups can respond more quickly and effectively to what communities need.
How we help
Research and evaluation capacity building
Learning and support to help people engage with research and use evidence well.
Research and evaluation help us learn and improve, and our goal is to make doing this more practical and inclusive – so the evidence we gather can create real change for local people.
We help council staff and community groups build these skills by supporting them to:
- plan, collect and use data effectively
- engage with communities in meaningful ways
- reflect on what’s working and improve practice
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve how you use research and evaluation, we offer practical training and support to help you learn, apply and develop.
Promoting local research
Making local research stronger and creating more evidence to improve health and wellbeing.
All communities are different, which is why it’s vital to gather as much local evidence as possible to inform the council’s decision-making. To support this we:
- offer placements for students and early-career researchers
- help community groups show the impact and value of their work
- apply for funding to carry out in-depth research on council priorities
- support council teams and community groups to use research and evaluation in projects that strengthen the building blocks of health
Participatory action research
Working with communities to turn insights from local stories into action.
We train and support local people to become community action researchers. They gather stories from their neighbourhoods to understand how people’s experiences and challenges with everyday life affect health and wellbeing.
Community action researchers use this knowledge to make positive changes – working with council staff, community groups or other local people to help them make better decisions. When local people lead the change, it’s more likely to last – and make a real difference.
Research career support
Supporting local people to grow their research skills and shape better health and wellbeing.
Our mentoring programme is for people, living or working in the Borough of Ealing, who are interested in building a career in research and strengthening our understanding of the building blocks of health.
Mentors help you grow the skills and confidence to explore how these factors affect health and wellbeing, and how we can improve health and care across the borough.
Data linkage
Bringing data together to get better results.
We support council staff, community groups and universities to use data more effectively to improve health and wellbeing across the borough.
We are testing ways to link different types of data – both numbers (quantitative data) and words or stories (qualitative data) – on the building blocks of health, to build a fuller picture of what’s happening in our communities.
More information on our data work coming soon.
Get involved
Whether you’re a council team, charity, or community group, we’d love to hear from you.
Explore our services, meet the team or get in touch to find out how we can support your work.
You can also:
- join our community of practice (weekly online)
- enrol in learning sets (3-month short courses, mixed format)
- explore online learning resources
- partner with us on research.
- contact us to discuss a project