Social Care Workforce Research Initiative

The Social Care Workforce Research Initiative is funded by the Policy Research Programme at the Department of Health and managed by Dr Carol Lupton, with support from Prof Hazel Qureshi and Ms Marie McNay. The Initiative began in June 2007 and includes nine projects, of varying lengths. 
 
FINAL REPORTS See Noticeboard for news of Initiative projects that have reported, as well as other news.
 

The Social Care Workforce Research Initiative aims to generate knowledge, based on rigorous research, that will:  

• improve our understanding of the individual and wider socio-economic factors affecting recruitment, retention and quality of the social care workforce.
• examine the impact of developments in the social care workforce on the quality of care provided to service users.
• inform the future development of workforce-related strategies designed to achieve improvement in the outcomes of social care for adults.

 The central objective of the research is to support efforts to address recognised workforce issues, and this aim will be addressed through nine research projects covering: recruitment and retention; graduating in social work; skills, training and qualifications; and new ways of working. The Initiative is examining a wide range of issues relevant to the current operation and future development of the social care workforce. It focuses on all aspects of social care, in people’s own homes, in day settings, and in care homes, covering both statutory and non-statutory sectors. Coordination of the Initiative is designed to add value by: 

• identifying and developing the intellectual connections between the individual studies.
• encouraging and supporting methodological innovation within and across the individual studies.