New research partnership to tackle challenges in adult social care

The Partnership, titled Care Work, is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and led by King's College London and the University of Leeds. It will bring together leading researchers, social care organisations, and local authorities to improve workforce sustainability and wellbeing.

The first phase of the partnership (March 2025-September 2026) will focus on three key activities:

• Co-designing research priorities with Community Involvement and Engagement (CIE) groups, care sector partners, and national consultation groups
• Reviewing existing evidence and research to identify gaps and create an accessible resource for the sector
• Launching the first study, investigating how to attract and retain younger people in social care - a priority issue

Professor Claire Surr, who leads the Centre for Dementia Research in the School of Health at Leeds Beckett University, said: "We are delighted to be part of this social care workforce research partnership. The programme of work the partnership will undertake has the potential to positively impact thousands of people working in and accessing social care, by researching the challenges that are most important to the sector. Our role will ensure that the voices and experiences of people with lived experience of social care and those working in the sector remain central to the partnership and its work."

Leeds Beckett will be leading the community involvement and engagement work for the programme. This involves recruiting and working with adults with lived experience of accessing social care, their carers/supporters and staff working in adult social care. They will be involved in all aspects of the research partnership including consulting on and co-designing the research studies the partnership will undertake, providing advice on research activities such as ensuring diverse recruitment to studies, making study information materials accessible and interpreting findings. Community involvement members will also help develop plans for sharing research findings and will support the research team in dissemination activities.

Find out more about the research at the Centre for Dementia Research.