Improving Adult Care Together (IMPACT)

What Improving Adult Care Together (IMPACT) does

IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) is a UK-wide research and evidence implementation center for adult social care, established in 2021 and hosted at the University of Birmingham under Director Jon Glasby. It operates across all four UK nations (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland) and translates research evidence, lived experience, and practice knowledge into frontline improvements through four codified delivery models: Demonstrators (local evidence-informed change programmes), Facilitators (embedded managers within local sites), Networks (peer learning across sites), and Ask IMPACT Guides (practitioner resources). The organization's flagship methodological asset is the IMPACT Change Model, and co-production — embedding people with lived experience as equal partners in governance, recruitment, and project delivery through its Co-production Advisory Group — is positioned as the central operating principle.

IMPACT's product surface is non-commercial: resources, evidence reviews, and practice guides are made freely available via its website, and Demonstrator work is delivered through direct partnerships with local authorities, NHS bodies, and voluntary organizations. Its business model is grant-funded rather than revenue-generating; the organization is primarily financed by The Health Foundation and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), with The University of Birmingham providing academic infrastructure. Named operational partners include Calderdale Council, Newham Council, Derbyshire County Council, and the Strategic Planning and Performance Group in Northern Ireland, alongside a growing set of community partners such as People's Voice Media, Street Paws, and Caya.

IMPACT does not operate traditional sales channels, does not disclose financials, and charges no fees for its outputs. Its distribution model is community-led, relying on content marketing (website, newsletter, LinkedIn, Facebook), events and conferences, and direct field partnerships to disseminate evidence. The organization is privately structured as a university-affiliated non-profit with no venture, private equity, or public ownership involvement indicated.

Name

Improving Adult Care Together (IMPACT)

Legal name

IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together)

Website

https://impact.bham.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) is a UK-wide, university-hosted research and evidence implementation center that translates research, lived experience, and practice knowledge into frontline improvements in adult social care across all four UK nations, funded by The Health Foundation and ESRC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Social Care Research and Implementation Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Impact Investing & Social Finance (Funds, CDFIs, Microfinance) (BPAGALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Policy Evaluation & Impact Assessment Organizations (EDADADAD)

Keywords

• Evidence implementation
• Adult social care
• Co-production methodology
• Research translation
• Social care workforce

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Funding: Funded by The Health Foundation and The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to conduct research and evidence implementation in adult social care across the UK.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IMPACT is a research and evidence implementation centre that helps translate academic research, lived experience, and practice knowledge into improvements in adult social care across the four UK nations. It delivers this through four service models — Demonstrators (evidence-informed change programmes in local sites), Facilitators (embedding managers within host organisations), Networks (peer learning communities), and Ask IMPACT Guides (practice guidance resources) — operating under the overarching IMPACT Change Model and a co-production methodology.

Product overview

IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) is the UK centre for implementing evidence in adult social care. Rather than a commercial software product company, IMPACT operates as a research and improvement initiative led by the University of Birmingham. Its 'products' consist of four delivery models: Demonstrators (exploring evidence use for strategic issues), Facilitators (embedding managers in local sites), Networks (peer learning across sites), and Ask IMPACT Guides (guidance resources). These delivery models work across five themes: Building on strengths, Creating the workforce we need, Enhancing voice/choice/control, Ensuring people stay healthy/connected/well, and Making integration a reality. The organization also produces evidence reviews and resources as part of its co-production approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Demonstrators
• Facilitators
• Networks
• Ask IMPACT Guides

Quantifiable outcome

• Engaged with over 60 staff across Calderdale social care teams to understand direct payments experiences
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, minor and core.

• Street PawssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Charity working on pet-inclusive homelessness support. IMPACT Facilitator Rosie has been working with Street Paws on a project exploring how pet inclusion can be embedded within homelessness accommodation using a strengths-based approach.
• People's Voice MediasupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partner organization providing community reporting methodology training to the Co-production Advisory Group, using digital storytelling to help people gather and share lived experiences for real-world change.
• Artemis Theatre CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Theatre company led by Clare Summerskill that produced 'At the Rainbow's End', a verbatim play about older LGBTQ+ experiences in care settings, which IMPACT Director Jon Glasby participated in a Q&A panel for.
• Caya LGBTQIA+ Youth Project NewhamsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-produced a zine with Caya to visually represent advice for social care staff supporting LGBTQIA+ people, highlighting what helps people feel safe when discussing their identity.
• IMPACT Agewell (MEAAP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership in Northern Ireland for asset-based approaches Demonstrator project, focused on improving how older people engage with health and social services.
• IMPACTAgewellcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Northern Ireland partner for the original asset-based approaches Demonstrator project working with Mid & East Antrim.
• University of BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMPACT is hosted by the University of Birmingham, led by Jon Glasby, providing academic infrastructure and research excellence.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nuffield Trust: Independent health and social care research charity producing high-quality analysis on care system performance. A broader incumbent: covers both health and social care and has deeper analytical resources, but addresses overlapping questions about service improvement.
• The King's Fund: Major UK health and care think tank producing independent analysis and policy work that influences adult social care commissioning. Broader than IMPACT (covers NHS as well) but operates in the same evidence-to-policy space and competes for the same policy attention.
• NIHR School for Social Care Research: National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded school producing social care research. Comparable research-to-practice focus on adult social care, with a stronger academic-research base than IMPACT and overlapping funder relationships.

Others

• Carers Trust: UK charity network supporting unpaid carers. Ecosystem rather than direct competitor, but closely aligned with IMPACT's 'Carers and family members' segment and projects such as supporting ageing carers of adults with a learning disability in Northern Ireland.
• The Health Foundation: One of IMPACT's two core funders and a major independent health/care research and improvement charity. Ecosystem role — funder relationship — but also produces parallel evidence and improvement programmes that may overlap with IMPACT's deliverables.
• ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services): Membership body for directors of adult social services in England. Not a direct competitor — IMPACT's evidence work is consumed by ADASS members — but a key partner and constituency whose priorities shape demand for IMPACT's demonstrator and facilitator models.

Direct peers

• Skills for Care: Workforce development body for adult social care in England, producing evidence-based tools and data for the sector. Comparable in that it works at the intersection of evidence and frontline practice improvement, especially on workforce themes that overlap with IMPACT's 'Creating the workforce we need' stream.
• Think Local Act Personal (TLAP): Partnership programme supporting personalised, community-based adult social care. Highly comparable because it similarly focuses on voice, choice and control and co-produced practice across local authorities, mirroring IMPACT's themes and delivery approach.
• Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE): UK-wide organisation that translates evidence and innovation into practice in adult social care. Most direct analogue to IMPACT — both produce evidence reviews, guidance, and implementation support for local authorities and care providers.

Emerging players

• Centre for Ageing Better: Charity working on ageing, including healthy ageing and connections to adult social care. Partial overlap — particularly with IMPACT's work on ageing carers and prevention — but narrower thematic focus than IMPACT's four-nation social care remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impadultcare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Improving Adult Care Together (IMPACT)