“The HRA has been working in partnership with members of the public, the research community and the University of Lincoln to develop the People-Centred Clinical Research project, which aims to improve the way clinical research happens and make it better for all people to take part.

As part of the project there is a survey to ask people to share their experiences of clinical research, and to let us know what they think about the six proposed ‘hallmarks’ of people-centred clinical research. The HRA would like to hear from patients, carers, healthcare professionals, researchers and members of the public (including those who’ve never taken part in research). Complete the survey here.”

‘Services impact carers differently than the people they care for and their views are just as important. The views of carers are important, could make a difference, and should be valued in health and social care research. However, research often overlooks these perspectives.

NIHR have just published a set of graphics to support the involvement of unpaid/family carers in health and social care research.

We hope our graphics will provide support for both researchers and carers to work together. One graphic focuses on the top tips for researchers involving carers in their work, the other focuses on top tips for carers who are considering becoming involved.’

“The aim of the TICC project has been to create systemic change in health & social care, providing services that are better suited to our ageing population by addressing their holistic needs. It has produced a blueprint that includes a methodology to overcome blocking points in transferring socially innovative service models from one area to another. This was tested via the implementation of the Buurtzorg integrated care at home model, which consists of self-managing teams of up to 12 staff working at neighbourhood level handling every aspect of care and business.

This care-at-home model significantly reduces overheads, simplifies IT, and supports professionals through coaching rather than management, providing better outcomes for people, lower costs, fewer unplanned hospital admissions, and consistency of care. TICC was to enable other health/social care organisations to implement new ideas; increase staff productivity, recruitment and retention; and improve patient satisfaction while decreasing costs, emergency admissions and staff absences.

More information and the project evaluation report can be found at: www.ticc-transformation.eu”

The Better Care Fund has recently funded the South East Better Care team to work with social care partners to develop Care as a Career, a series of animations exploring pathways to working in social care.

In 2022, the number of Adult Social Care vacancies increased by 52% in a year – the highest rate on record[1] – which has had a significant impact on health and social care services, as well as those being cared for.

This series of animations explores the journeys, possibilities and opportunities for those working in care as a career, and how social care can be rewarding in more ways than you might imagine.

Each of the animations tells a story of how caring can provide a foundation to careers across health and care through five unique real-life carers’ journeys:

• Pat’s story
• Darren’s story
• Kya’s story
• Yasmin’s story
• Mandy’s story

[1] https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/news-and-events/news/vacancies-in-social-care-increase-by-52-to-their-highest-rates-and-the-workforce-shrinks-for-the-first-time

“Respiratory infections such as COVID-19, coughs, colds and flu are more serious in older people. In care homes, infections can spread easily in shared spaces when people breathe in air containing germs passed on by people coughing and sneezing.

This study aims to find out whether portable high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters can reduce symptoms of respiratory infections in care home residents during the winter period. Although we know they trap airborne particles, no one has tested if they can improve human health.

The AFRI-c Study website provides further information and an expression of interest form for care homes.”

This study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research 

“We are excited to announce the Applied Research Collaboration Care Home Network Event, taking place on Friday 10^th March 2023, 10:00 – 16:00 at Friends House, London, NW1 2BJ.

Please see the attached programme for further details, and please click here to register for the event.

Jointly hosted by NIHR ARC Wessex and NIHR ARC East of England, the event aims:

• To maximise cross ARC knowledge exchange

• To share expertise and learning from working in and with care homes

• To identify priorities for future research, capacity building initiatives and implementation studies

• To review the growth of care home research and learning from participatory methods to reflect the needs of older people and priorities of social care

The day is organised in two parts to maximise attendance and promote care home research and partnerships with social care. You can choose to attend the morning session, afternoon session or both.

The morning focuses on building capacity in care home research, with plenary presentations and topic based discussion groups. Topics will be determined by attendees’ interests.

Lunch will be provided.

The afternoon focuses on Fifteen Years of Care Home Research; Achievements and Future Challenges and will be chaired by Julienne Meyer. It will involve a series of short presentations that reflect on how care home research and understanding have grown over the last 15 years, since the 2008 publication of Care Home Research and Development. The presentations will cross reference what has supported co-design and participatory approaches.”

Register here

“This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a keen interest in applied dementia care research to join the world leading Centre for Applied Dementia Studies  as the research assistant in the DYNAMIC project.

The position will be fixed-term, four days week, from 1/4/2023 – 30/09/2025.

The Centre, within the University of Bradford, is also a partner in the prestigious Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research

Full details are available here

Closing date is 27/1/2023.”

Are you a member of care home staff or a person living in a care home?

Are you interested in taking part in research to continue to develop and improve care home practices, or show off the fantastic work you are already doing?

Then why not get in touch with ENRICH and get involved.  Ben – deputy manager at The White House Stockton on Tees did and he shares with us his experience in this short video. Click here to access video 

“The Health Technology Assessment Programme is accepting straight-to-stage 2 applications to their commissioned workstream, for this primary research topic.

In order to apply you will need to carefully review the:

• Commissioning brief
• Stage 2 application supporting information
• Guidance notes

Applications received by the advertised closing date will be considered at a single-stage funding committee meeting. For more information, please read the commissioning brief.

All primary research projects are expected to establish a programme appointed Study Steering Committee and it is important that you read the Research Governance Guidance before completing your application. Costs incurred by this committee should be included in the budget as appropriate.

Webinar

The NIHR will be holding a webinar to discuss this call on 2 February 2023, 10.30 – 11.30am. The webinar will be followed by virtual clinics from 11.45am – 2pm. This will provide an opportunity for potential applicants to discuss their proposed research with the NIHR team and RDS colleagues. Applicants may register to attend just the webinar by emailing their name and institution to htaresearchers@nihr.ac.uk, however, if you would like to also join a clinic, please email in a 1 page PICO summary of your proposed project to htaresearchers@nihr.ac.uk before 20 January 2023.

As places are limited, we will then review the submissions and confirm whether you have a place. The intention is for the one-page summary to provide a basis for discussion at the clinic. Please note that there is no guarantee of funding by attending a clinic; the purpose of the clinics is to offer assistance, and advice to potential applicants.”

“Once upon a time, a conference presentation and publication in an academic journal were the extents of a researcher’s responsibility to share the results of their research. People assumed that those who could use the findings to make a difference would be actively looking for the latest information. They would know where to look, and when they came across the academic paper, they would have the time and knowledge to read and make sense of it.

We are increasingly recognising that most evidence users do not have the time and capacity to do this. Besides, research is often behind paywalls and inaccessible. In the words of Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, research is no use unless it gets to the people who can use it. As a research community, we need to do much more to communicate our research effectively.

Funders such as the UK’s NIHR are – unsurprisingly – placing increasing importance on effective dissemination. Creating open, fun, and accessible content is one approach.”

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