Research
Our action research approach informs, challenges and inspires new thinking.
We can work with you to find out how things work and explore how things could work better in your community, in your organisation, or with the public. We make sure that research reflects the reality of people’s lives and lived experience.
We are experienced and skilled in using a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, and always bring a participatory and engaging approach to our work. Our research has focused on, but is not limited to:
- Community development and social change: power in communities; the role of community organisations and resident led groups; volunteering; work with statutory partners; public involvement in local decision-making.
- Health: patient and public voice; understanding and acting on health inequalities; supporting mental health in the community.
- Environmental and climate action: youth climate action; resources to support environmental and climate change learning.
- Homelessness and housing: codesign of new services; user voice in services; role of networks and partnership development to build capacity.
- Equity, inclusion and diversity: in relation to research and service design.
Our research often results in resources that are used to share learning. We apply research experience and knowledge to create engaging tools for people in communities, schools, businesses and statutory agencies.
Big Local relationships with public agencies
We were commissioned by Local Trust to explore the relationships between resident led groups (Big Locals areas) and the public agencies they connect with. The research reflects on how they can work best together now and in the future. Alongside the final report we drew on the experience and insights of Big Local community members to produce a ‘how to’ guide for public agencies engaging with communities.
The COVID crisis was pushing all of us to be less risk-averse, to cut through bureaucracy and get on and do things. Cornwall Public Health assembled a core team of people who believed in the Human Learning Systems (HLS) approach enough to really give it a go. That’s often what it takes: the combination of an individual’s passion, commitment and knowledge of this way of working, and a belief that it’s never a perfect time to start, so let’s start in whatever way we can.
Cornwall Council Public Health – Systems Learning Approach
When ‘Contain Outbreak Management Funds’ (COMF) came from central government at the start of the Covid pandemic, Cornwall Council saw an opportunity. Cornwall Council Public Health took the bold step of applying a Human Learning Systems approach to working with the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors. As a learning partner, Just Ideas supported the learning from and between grant-receiving organisations, looking at what worked, why it worked, and how this learning could be shared in Cornwall and beyond.
Just Ideas did a wonderful job of designing, running and analysing the results of both qualitative and quantitative research. They also developed a post-research workshop with us to explore the results with those involved in the research.
Research for Bioregional into the support municipalities need to tackle the climate emergency
We worked alongside Bioregional’s One Planet Living team on market research to understand what support municipalities need to tackle the climate emergency. We engaged through survey and interviews with officers responding to the climate emergency from towns and cities in the UK, Canada, South Africa, Denmark, Spain and the Netherlands. Our research informed Bioregional’s development of its support offer to local authorities.
Further examples
Together we plan
We wrote this handbook drawing on research done for Local Trust from July to October 2020. Research looked at the experience of resident groups in Big Local areas and brought together examples of successful approaches to responding to personal and economic change caused by Covid-19. It remains relevant to community groups in reflecting on what has changed in communities; what has changed within community groups and how to make plans in uncertain times.
One Pandemic, Many Reponses
This final report summarises learning from research over two years exploring how 26 communities across England responded to the Covid-19 crisis. We were part of the research team led by the Third Sector Research Centre (University of Birmingham) and Voluntary Action Research Group (Sheffield Hallam University) and commissioned by Local Trust.
Re-thinking Home: Engaging Transient communities
We engaged with a range of Big Local resident led groups between January and March 2019 on this research into the experience of, and potential for, Big Locals to engage with ‘new’ or transient groups or communities in their areas. Our conclusions were designed to be relevant to supporting community groups with their efforts to engage transient and new communities in their area.