The Transform Research Alliance is a collection of 9 social enterprises, providing NHS-funded care across the length and breadth of England. Transform Research Alliance (TRA) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. It is an alliance of health and social care providers, who are all social enterprises.
Our broad geographical and service base, along with our social enterprise status, provides a unique prospect for potential research. We ensure all our member organisations are research-ready, and satisfy the needs of the Department of Health’s Research management Governance requirements.
The TRA promotes an environment supportive of research and engagement across our member organisations.
It helps support existing research activity, development of new areas of activity and delivery of high level objectives, whilst ensuring that research is managed effectively and delivered to the highest standards.
Our member organisations are all CICs (Community Interest Company) and have made a commitment to operate responsibly and to reinvest any surplus funds to deliver continuous improvements, both within their company, as well as to benefit surrounding communities. We all understand the mutual benefits of partnership working to enable us to align our goals and strategic objectives, and the importance of access to high quality research projects.
We have the best of both worlds as we work closely with the public sector to deliver health and social care, whilst benefitting from a reduction in red tape. As such, we are able to make quick decisions about research projects.
Clinical Research Director Transform Research Alliance – Dr Nat Wright
Nat has a background in general practice and for over twenty years he has held senior clinical leadership positions in primary and community care organisations. Nat is also the Primary Care Specialty Lead, for the UK National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (Yorkshire and Humber), which supports recruitment into health-based studies from primary care practices.
In his role as clinical academic, he is passionate regarding how data can be utilised to drive sustained improvements in clinical quality, service organisation and delivery. He has led NHS research teams for over 20 years and contributed extensively to the evidence base pertaining to primary health care inequalities. His research outputs have received international recognition and he has contributed to over two hundred peer reviewed publications and invited conference presentations.
Having garnered 30 years’ experience working in the NHS, he has a passion for mentoring others to both better understand the evidence and how to meaningfully apply into practice and so improve the long-term health and wellbeing of patients.
Transform Research Alliance Co-ordinator – George Charlesworth
George was appointed the Transform Research Alliance Co-ordinator in December 2016, and has worked hard to assist with the continued development and forward trajectory of the TRA since then. George is the first point of contact for both internal and external queries regarding the TRA and is happy to help if you have any questions.
Through the TRA and its partnership with the University of Huddersfield, George is undertaking a PhD exploring research engagement in Social Enterprise Healthcare Organisations, in particular exploring the barriers and facilitators to research capacity and how research is used to inform practice.
With an educational background in Psychology, George has a passion for research methods, especially quantitative methodology, the process of research and the use of evidence in practice.
Transform Research Alliance Chair – Dr Linda Harris
As a clinician, Linda is passionate about fostering best practice in the health and safety of clinical services for vulnerable people, as well as promoting research and its links to education.
Linda is delighted to be able to play a role in leading TRA and its commitment to supporting ALL social enterprise organisations, large and small, to be able to participate in research, including assistance with the necessary research governance.
“Research has such a critical role to play in the identification of standards of good care and supports an organisation’s commitment to lifelong learning.
Spectrum promotes research and evaluation as part of the portfolios of our clinicians and managers including our corporate teams and we view TRA as an excellent vehicle for sharing good practice and combining our efforts toward making research integral to the way we seek to continuously improve the quality of our care”