Social Care Research Ethics Committee - Applying

The First meeting of the Social Care REC was held on 5 June, and will meet monthly (approximately 10 times during the year).

The Social Care REC is part of NRES and works to their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Governance arrangements for research ethics committees (GAfREC a new edition will shortly be published). These documents, together with other useful information about ethical review can be viewed on the National Research Ethics Service website.

Please note that much of the documentation has been developed for use by NHS RECs. Documentation on this site has been adapted for use in the social care context.

Before applying

Please see the 'Quick Guide' for details of the Application Process.

'Securing Ethics Approval: The Route Map for Social Care Researchers' is the result of an informal group (under Department of Health sponsorship) of representatives from national and local government, universities, social researchers and representatives from funding councils. The document provides an overview of gaining ethics approval for social care researchers and covers the key principles, definitions and sources of social care ethics review.

• Quick Guide (148kb PDF file)
• Securing Ethics Approval: The Route Map for Social Care Researchers (47kb PDF file)

Integrated Research Application System (IRAS)

Applications to the Social Care REC are made online via the Integrated Research Application System website. For those not familiar with IRAS there is an e-learning training module, help via the Help page and the technical helpdesk (see also Information on IRAS (10kb PDF file)). The IRAS Project Filter includes the option to apply to the Social Care REC, which should be chosen by those applying for ethical review by the Social Care REC to ensure that the correct forms are generated.

Good Practice Guidelines for Information Sheets and Consent Forms

The aim of this document is to provide advice and guidance on the style and format of Information Sheets and Consent Forms provided to participants.  It is not the Committee’s intention to make recommendations about the ethical content of these materials or the nature of the research.  Depending on the circumstances and methodological approach, different strategies for providing information and gaining consent may be necessary.

• Good Practice Guidelines for Information Sheets and Consent Forms (148kb PDF file)

Booking your application

Once the online IRAS form has been completed and investigators are ready to submit, please contact the Co-ordinator (see Contact us) who will register the application and provide the reference number which must be entered into the IRAS Form.

After the IRAS Form has been submitted on line, send (email preferred) a copy of the PDF version together with the checklist and supporting documentation to the Co-ordinator. (Please note that only one copy of the documentation is required).

Listed below are the Social Care REC meeting dates and submission deadlines. It would be very helpful if you could let the Co-ordinator know, as soon as possible, if you are intending to submit an application for a specific meeting, rather than leaving it until the submission deadline.

List of meeting/submission dates for 2010

Meeting date	Submission date
Friday  8 January 2010	Friday 18 December 2009
Friday 5 February 2010	Friday 22 January 2010
Friday 5 March 2010	Friday 19 February 2010
Friday 9  April 2010	Friday 26 March 2010
Friday 7  May 2010	Friday 23 April 2010
Friday 4 June 2010	Friday 21 May 2010
Friday 2 July  2010	Friday  18 June 2010
August No Meeting	August No Meeting
Friday 3 September 2010	Friday 20 August 2010
Friday 1 October 2010	Friday 17 September 2010
Friday 5 November 2010	Friday 22 October 2010
Friday 3 December 2010	Friday 19 November 2010

After submission

The Co-ordinator validates submissions (within five working days) and writes confirming the date of the meeting and a time when the application will be reviewed. Investigators will be invited to attend the Social Care REC meetings in case the Committee need any further information. It is helpful if investigators can attend the meetings as it can avoid the need to request further information after the meeting and enable the Committee to make a decision on the application more quickly.

After the meeting

After the meeting the Co-ordinator will write to the Chief Investigator detailing the decision of the Committee. We try to send letters within a week after the meeting but sometimes they can take up to 10 working days. The Committee have the following decision options available to them:

1. Favourable opinion
2. Favourable opinion (with Conditions)
3. Provisional opinion – this means the Committee need some more information or changes to be made before giving a final opinion.
4. Unfavourable opinion – if this happens you will be given reasons and suggestions to help you revise and resubmit your application.
5. No opinion – this is very rare; it means the Committee need an additional expert referee to consider the application before giving a final opinion.