Background and objectives
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Peer and community (P&C) research is a key part of health and health inequalities research. P&C researchers are individuals with personal experience of a specific issue (such as a health condition), a geographical area, or a group identity (1-3). They actively participate in conducting research on these topics. The term “P&C researcher” is used to show that their role is different from a "researcher" (e.g. university-based or community-based researchers), highlighting their unique knowledge and skills without suggesting that one role is more important than the other.
P&C research helps support democratic involvement in health, social care and other public systems by generating knowledge and evidence from the ground up to inform policy. This approach aims to tackle inequalities directly and explicitly. Unlike most academic and service-based researchers, P&C researchers bring unique expertise, experience, and connections, allowing them to co-produce research with communities that are often the focus of, but not fully engaged in, research efforts (4- 10). By involving communities in developing research and solutions, P&C research can lead to equitable solutions that are more likely to succeed (11).
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This project builds on the ongoing development of P&C research within public sector organisations, universities, and community groups in Tower Hamlets (see Appendix 1 for examples). Prior to the pandemic, Tower Hamlets Council piloted the Community Insights Programme (CIP) (22), which included a network and repository for community insights. The programme created a centralised space to find information about research projects and opportunities. Progress on the repository has been limited due to user interface challenges, insufficient funding, and the diversity of forms that community insights data comes in. The CIP was suspended in 2019. Tower Hamlets Council’s Poverty Review (23) also collaborated closely with P&C researchers from a community organisation to conduct co-produced research. Additionally, three local universities have undertaken training and research activities related to P&C research, while several community organisations have conducted P&C research projects at the local, regional, and national levels (see examples 25 and 26). Despite these activities, there appears to be no comprehensive understanding of P&C research in Tower Hamlets.
In the UK and beyond, efforts are made to support P&C research and co-production at local, regional, and national levels. The Greater London Authority (GLA), for example, has been working to integrate community insights into policymaking, aiming to move beyond traditional text and data formats. The GLA is currently developing a peer research toolkit and plans to launch a community insights hub, along with a guidance for policymakers, later this year. Several P&C research and 11 co-production networks exist, such as the London Peer Research Network led by Partnership for Young London, the Peer Research Network at the Young Foundation, and the Co-production Collective at the University College London. They are often hosted by organisations that encourage networking, information sharing, and offer training and events while also serving as P&C research providers. Internationally, organisations have been established to support P&C research. In Canada, for instance, Community Based Research Canada (CBRCanada) was founded as a non-profit organisation comprising over 60 universities, colleges, community organisations, and other institutions advancing a community-based research approach. While individuals can join, the number of P&C researchers involved is unclear. CBRCanada offers a repository of resources, research projects, and publications on community and peer research, as well as a directory of involved organisations. It operates on membership fees, and is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of researchers and non-profit leaders from across Canada. A Secretariat oversees day-to-day operations.
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Evidence from across the UK highlights several challenges to the effectiveness and impact of P&C research (12-19). For example, a review of peer research in the youth sector in London found a lack of capacity to deliver effective, appropriate, and accredited training for P&C researchers (20). The knowledge gaps and challenges in implementation mean that collaboration between P&C researchers and organisations, even with good intentions, can sometimes lead to P&C researchers feeling disempowered and their participation remaining only at a surface level throughout the research process (19).
Our literature review indicates a need to review P&C research activities in Tower Hamlets and to develop a sustainable system for P&C research. Without such a system, the full potential of health and health inequalities research in Tower Hamlets - particularly the development of local solutions to address inequalities - cannot be fully realised.
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- In 2022, Tower Hamlets Council and its core partners received five years of funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to establish the Tower Hamlets Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC). The goal of the HDRC is to make Tower Hamlets a borough that can enable high-quality, collaborative, applied, impactful, and co-produced research on the factors driving health inequalities. To achieve this, the Tower Hamlets HDRC is committed to strengthening and developing community research, ensuring that health determinants research is co-produced with residents and local communities. Establishing a co-produced P&C research system with relevant stakeholders - including P&C researchers based in Tower Hamlets, research-active VCS organisations, academic researchers, and local authority officers - will support the 12 HDRC in enabling residents to conduct research that informs local policy and brings about positive change for the community.
Project approach and structure
To understand the current state of P&C research in Tower Hamlets and how it might be better supported in the future, the project is structured around the typical journey of a P&C research project (see Figure 1). This journey is based on the experiences of the project team and other projects stakeholders including research-active VCS organisations, council officers and academics. By developing an account of the challenges and possibilities at each stage of the journey it becomes possible to suggest actions and activities for how it might be improved.
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- A P&C research project often begins with the identification of a specific topic that needs investigation. This can be initiated by communities, commissioners/funders, or research-active organisations/individuals (e.g. community organisations, universities, independent consultants).
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P&C research in Tower Hamlets can be independently funded through a grant, internally funded by an organisation, or a P&C research team can be commissioned by an organisation to undertake a research project on their behalf. Examples of these different approaches are described below:
• Independently funded: A research organisation secures funding for P&C research it wishes to undertake and then uses the research findings to develop recommendations for policymakers they wish to influence. For example, the Blueprint Architects group is funded by the National Lottery, with the goal of influencing the council’s decision-making on food and climate issues.
• Internally funded: A council department might coordinate a team of community researchers, with internal funding set aside for this team. Government organisations like the London Borough of Camden and the Greater London Authority’s Peer Outreach team facilitate P&C research in-house. The Community Insights Programme in Tower Hamlets was an in-house 13 programme funded by the Tower Hamlets Council who delivered projects on a range of topics to support the development and delivery of council services and initiatives.
• Commissioned: The Council or NHS commissions a research provider to conduct P&C research that feeds into a specific strategy or policy. An example is Toynbee Hall being commissioned by the Council to carry out community research for the Tower Hamlets Poverty Review.
Some funders in London have implemented participatory commissioning in their grant-giving processes, involving residents from the outset. Examples include Shift Design for Trust for London, Black Food Fund, and Thrive LDN’s Right to Thrive Fund.
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- When funding is secured, organisations typically begin recruiting P&C researchers, although the ideal scenario would be to involve them at the point of deciding a topic.
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- While many organisations aim to co-design research methods with P&C researchers, this process is often constrained by funders requiring methods to be outlined before the P&C research team has been established. Once methods are finalised, the P&C researchers will deliver projects in collaboration with research practitioners (e.g. community-based researchers or university-based researchers).
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- As a minimum, organisations usually share research findings through reports and/or presentations. If research is created or commissioned for the council’s decision making, the council will attempt to learn from it and use it to inform their decisions to some extent. However, the process for this is currently unclear. Sometimes, organisations and/or P&C researchers are involved in implementing the findings. At other times, research providers use their research to create change through campaigning or by putting pressure on the council to make their recommendations a reality.
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Most organisations are focused on supporting stakeholders and improving their practice and approach to P&C research, such as offering training and enhancing payment procedures. We are not aware of any existing P&C research training specifically targeted at organisations in Tower Hamlets. However, the Greater London Authority recently supported Xia Lin (project lead in this study) in delivering P&C research learning workshops for policymakers from 15 local, regional, and national organisations.
Currently, training for P&C researchers is primarily delivered by P&C research providers and universities. For example, Megan Clinch and Sara Paparini (project leads in this study) designed and delivered a 5 day course to 10 P&C researchers 14 who work with different organisations in east London on various health and health determinants projects. Toynbee Hall and The Centre for Creative Collaboration at QMUL, are currently delivering a project that works with young P&C researchers to ensure they are meaningfully included in academic research.
Objectives
The aim of this project is to understand current P&C research activities in Tower Hamlets and co-produce a set of recommendations for a borough-wide system to support and sustain P&C research over the long term.
To achieve this, the following research objectives were met:
- From the perspective of P&C researchers and other stakeholders (e.g. Council Officers, elected representatives, community organisations, academic researchers and other health and social care professionals) understand:
a. How P&C research is currently organised and delivered;
b. Current challenges to its long-term sustainability and impact.
- With all stakeholders, co-produce recommendations to support more impactful and sustainable P&C research in the future.