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A major element of modernising English adult social care is the introduction of individual, user-directed budgets. The Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU) led a major, multi-method and multi-centre research programme evaluating the Individual Budget (IB) pilot projects in England; and a linked study of the impact of IBs on family carers. Through this, SPRU has influenced: the content of the Department of Health's (DH) good practice guidance for personal budgets; the DH's approach to piloting and evaluating NHS Personal Health Budgets; the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) piloting and evaluation of `Right to Control' trailblazer projects; and, the agenda for an Audit Commission investigation into financial management of personal budgets. Most importantly, it has helped shape the agenda for national and local organisations striving to successfully implement personal budgets, particularly for older people.
This research improved policy-makers' and practitioners' understanding of well-being among residents of social care facilities by identifying the factors contributing to residents' quality of life. This research resulted in the development of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (ASCOT), whose use is rapidly increasing both in the UK and internationally. Evidence from beneficiaries including policy-makers, experts and service practitioners, as well as interviews with service users, indicates that ASCOT captures aspects of well-being that are highly valued by service users and policy-makers alike.
Research on the financing of adult social care in England resulted in the development of a full simulation model of the social care economy. This has allowed for the quantification of the costs and benefits of different funding reform options. The research has hence allowed for identification of the limitations of the current financing of social care, and has been relied on by the Government and by the Dilnot Commission in the formulation of new funding policies. It has also been used by social care groups (such as Age UK) to highlight the problems facing the funding of social care.
The Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) research programme is a project funded by Policy Research Programme Department of Health and led by academic staff at City University London which investigates how technology can help people manage their health and safety while maintaining their independence. The WSD evaluation provides scientific evidence that has influenced and continues to influence public policy debate in the UK and internationally. It has shaped UK Department of Health policy and strategies regarding deployment of tele-assistive devices to meet the growing health and social care demands in a changing population. And it is helping to shape manufacturers' design of services with the user in mind and how health and social care providers offer tele-assistive services.
The importance of public and user involvement in the development and delivery of research, policy and practice is now widely recognised. Nonetheless, service providers continue to experience difficulties in meaningfully involving service users and carers in their work in spite of the fact that this is a legal and policy requirement. Researchers, policy makers and providers do not always have the knowledge and skills effectively to involve the public and service users and carers. This case study describes the very significant impact of one piece of research designed to address these challenges in Northern Ireland. This research is presented as an example of impact because it has resulted in significant changes to the policies and practices of the three key organisations funding the research.
Research at Newcastle has made a significant contribution to the public services modernisation agenda in the areas of inter-agency working and information-sharing. The research showed that effective information-sharing required not just that different information systems are made compatible with each other, but also that people from different professional cultures are enabled to work together through a common understanding of information governance issues. In active collaboration with a range of service providers, a number of processes and tools were developed for the significant benefit of service users. They have been implemented in a variety of policy settings, including children's services and adult social care, and have informed current programmes funded by the UK government.
This research into what is believed to be one of the largest care home closures programmes in Europe had three key impacts in terms of:
In a context of austerity and shrinking public provision, developed societies are turning to new technologies such as telecare for health/social care provision, and biosensors to facilitate citizens' active self-care. Maggie Mort, Celia Roberts and Adrian Mackenzie's research explores the overlooked ethical and social aspects of this trend focussing on ageing, reproduction and genetics. Through innovative engagements with policy makers, industry, citizens, health experts and practitioners, we provide empirical intelligence about how remote care for older people living at home (telecare) and providing users with bodily data (biosensing) work in practice. Because the views and experience of users and citizens underpin our research, our interventions confer much-needed legitimacy on subsequent decisions about health care technologies and provision. Our recommendations are adopted in local authority service re-design and have shaped corporate decision-making about product development.
The research has had significant impact in the UK on the development of social and spiritual support for people at the end of life and their families. With Professor Holloway as Social Care Lead on the National End of Life Care Programme (NEoLCP) since 2009, the research has underpinned the launch of a framework for the delivery of social care at the end of life which is now in its second phase of implementation. The framework is endorsed by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and has led to local and regional Action Plans and social care practice initiatives. The research on spirituality has led to scoping and training initiatives in healthcare practice and in the funerals industry within the UK and internationally.
The Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) at the University of Manchester (UoM) has run a programme of research examining community care of older people since 1996. The findings have informed key government decision-making around two important national policy initiatives between 2008 and 2013: (1) the development and implementation of Personal Budgets in Social and Health Care and (2) National Strategies to improve Dementia Services. This has affected the national provision of social care for older people and other adult social care users. In 2011-12, there were over 1.2 million people in England receiving social care affected by these policy changes (over 800,000 aged 65+), with a cost of £6,600m spent on their care (NHS and Social Care Information Centre).