Joanne Bush on bringing social work into dementia research

Joanne Bush — Social worker, practice lead and social care research career development award holder

Reading Time: 6 minutes

01/09/2026

Joanne Bush

Joanne Bush combines frontline social work within a local authority with an emerging career in dementia research. An introductory course led to a research placement, supportive mentors and a career development award. She reflects on finding opportunities, learning from rejection and keeping research connected to the people and services that inspired her questions.

“Start small, speak to people and see how one opportunity can lead to another.”

Discovering research through an email invitation

Research was not part of a long-established plan for me. I was already working in social care when an email invited me to attend the NIHR First Steps into Research course in 2022. I decided to take the opportunity and found a route that I had not known was available.

The course introduced me to social care researchers at the University of York. They were warm, welcoming and encouraging. They explained how practitioner experience could contribute to research and showed me how to apply for funding that would allow me to take the next step.

A professional and personal interest in dementia

Dementia was already central to my work, and it was also part of my family life. My dad lived with dementia, and I was one of his carers when I began getting involved in research. That experience strengthened my interest in improving social care practice for people living with dementia and those supporting them.

Social work had given me direct knowledge of the pressures faced by people, carers and services. Research offered a way to examine practice more systematically and to contribute evidence that could improve it.

Taking a short placement in research

After the introductory programme, I applied for an NIHR Local Authority Short Placement Award for Research Collaboration — LA SPARC in 2024. The placement gave me protected time to experience research within a university setting while retaining my connection to local authority social care.

I was hosted by the Older Adults’ Social Care Research team at the University of York, known as OSCAR.

It was an important bridge between practice and academic research. Rather than leaving social work to test a new career, I could begin with a defined period of development, build relationships and learn how research questions, methods and funding operate.

Securing a career development award

In 2026, I received a School for Social Care Research career development award. It allows me to devote one day each week to research and development while continuing as a social worker and practice lead for most of my working week.

My project, Conversations that count, explores how social care practitioners interact with carers of people living with dementia.

I work 37 hours over four days, so combining the two roles requires careful planning. Practice work often needs immediate decisions and close attention to people and services. Research asks me to slow down, read, reflect and work through a question over a much longer timescale. Switching between those modes can be difficult, but it also keeps my research connected to the realities of social care.

Bringing social work skills into research

Relationship building, time management and the ability to influence are central to social work, and they have also been valuable in research. Social care studies depend on trust, clear communication and an understanding of how organisations make decisions.

I am still developing the more technical parts of research. If I had encountered this route earlier, I would have spent more time learning research methods and academic writing. However, entering research later means that I bring substantial practice experience and a clear understanding of the problems I want the work to address.

Finding support through mentors

Mentors at the University of York have been invaluable. Their encouragement made research feel open to someone working in practice, and their practical advice helped me move from an introductory course to a short placement and then a career development award.

Professor Yvonne Birks, who I met through First Steps, was very generous with her time despite her busy leadership position. She connected me with Dr Mark Wilberforce, who mentored me throughout the LA SPARC award. Mark introduced me to other researchers, suggested training and gave me feedback and guidance on developing my paper.

Mark also connected me with Dr Lindsay Lindlay, my current mentor for the School for Social Care Research career development award, who offers guidance and support throughout.

Without the time, advice and guidance of these mentors and the wider team, I would not have known where to start. Their support changed what I thought was possible.

Learning from an unsuccessful application

Progress has not been straightforward. I applied to the NIHR Pre-Application Support Fund and was unsuccessful. The application took considerable time and energy, and the rejection initially felt as though that effort had been wasted.

It taught me the importance of taking guidance on applying for the right funding, rather than putting a lot of effort into something less likely to be successful.

Applications require ideas to be framed clearly, time to be protected and feedback to be used. Continuing after rejection helped me reach the next opportunity, although the work involved in an unsuccessful application should not be underestimated.

Publishing work grounded in practice

Publishing my first paper was a significant achievement. As a practitioner researcher, I want the questions I study and the findings I share to remain connected to everyday social care. Publication gave me confidence that knowledge from practice can contribute to the research literature.

The paper is titled Creating a Learning Culture: Exploring Adult Social Care Practitioners’ Perceptions of Organisational Learning through Feedback, published in Practice.

Getting it finished was challenging. At times, I was close to giving up research before I had really got going. Completing it was an important source of confidence at an early stage of my research career.

Enjoying being new to research

I am enjoying being new to research. There is a great deal to learn, and each course, placement, application and paper helps me understand the field more clearly.

The challenge is making that learning sustainable alongside a demanding professional role. Practice and research work at different speeds, and moving between them requires planning. However, remaining connected to services also helps me see why the research matters.

Keeping practice and research together

The conventional next step would be to seek a doctoral fellowship and complete a PhD, followed by postdoctoral research. I am interested in that route, but I do not want progression to require leaving practice completely.

My ideal role would be as a dementia specialist researcher within a practice setting. I would like to study social care with people living with dementia and their carers while remaining close enough to services for the findings to influence how support is delivered.

Three practical steps

Speak to as many people as possible. Contact researchers whose work interests you and ask about their route, current projects and advice for someone beginning in the field. Making the first move and building your network can open up opportunities you did not know existed.
Find out what is available to practitioners. Look for introductory courses, placements and funding opportunities. Start with something manageable and build from there.
Follow the connections created by each opportunity. One conversation can lead to a course, a mentor, an application or a new collaboration. Researcher networks and communities offer another way to meet people and exchange advice.

What I wish I had known earlier

I wish I had known about practitioner research opportunities earlier in my career. Social care professionals already hold valuable knowledge and transferable skills, but the route into research is not always visible. A clear invitation and welcoming support can make the difference between remaining interested in research and believing that you can take part in it.