What is Evidence Based Practice?
Evidence Based Practice is about using the best available evidence on the effectiveness of social and healthcare interventions as a basis for professional decision-making, along with the practitioner's expertise and the client's expectations and values.
What is practice guidance?
Practice guidance provides a more detailed description what’s expected of workers in their everyday work. Find guides on all aspects of Health and Social Welfare in the following databases.
There are a number of databases which provide access to up-to-date research in Health and Social Welfare which you can use to ensure you are finding the best information possible. When undertaking research, you should understand that you are looking at different ideas and practices to inform your own practice, rather than finding a single solution for a problem.
The following databases can be used to find this information.
Discover Searches across lots of databases and journals
Social Care Online is the UK's largest online database of information on all aspects of social work and social care. It is excellent for finding research carried out by organisations or charities. Create an account to access the full-text of articles and reports.
This link opens in a new windowSocial Care Online is the UK's largest online database of information on all aspects of social work and social care.
It includes legislation, government documents, practice and guidance, systematic reviews, research briefings, UK grey (informally-published) literature, reports, and journal articles. The database is updated daily and contains over 160,000 records from the 1980s onwards. This database has now closed down and has not been updated with new research since early 2023
Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals by
What is evidence-based practice and why do we need it?How do I critique evidence?How do I use evidence to drive practice?If you are looking for jargon-free answers to these questions and much more, this is the book for you.In Evidence-based Practice for Nurses and Healthcare, the authors use case studies, examples, and theoretical overviews to guide you through the concept of evidence-based practice and provide practical guidance on its utilisation in clinical practice.The new 4th edition has been fully updated to reflect contemporary practice and includes a new chapter on the 'History and Development of Clinical Academics,' which looks at clinical academic careers and the impact and benefits this has for nurses and healthcare professionals on their clinical practice. Written to support nurses at pre and post-registration, the book includes an interdisciplinary focus covering health and social care curricula.
A beginner's guide to evidence-based practice in health and social care. by 
A Student's Guide to Placements in Health and Social Care Settings by
Supporting students on placements in health and social care settings, this accessible guide provides a framework for understanding the theory behind successful practice as well as the critical skills needed to apply it. A Student's Guide to Placements in Health and Social Care Settings takes theory beyond the classroom and apply it to real settings, enabling students to recognise their own learning journey and develop their own distinct professional identity within a wider interprofessional context. This is a key resource for placement experience with insights from experts and advice direct from students who have already been on placement. With clear guidelines, and structured so that you can dip into different chapters as needed, it responds to the unique nature of placement opportunities and is the first line resource students should turn to. Whatever course you're studying in the caring profession - Social Work, Health and Social Care, Youth Work, Nursing or Counselling - this is essential reading to help understand how theory can support and improve your placement experience, ensuring you get the very most out of it.
