Sustainability and wellbeing in adult social care workforce to be improved in £5m research partnership

Social care workforce experts have commenced a five-year research project to explore and mitigate the challenges faced in the sector.

The £5 million investment, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), will be co-led by King’s College London and the University of Leeds, with significant involvement from leading researchers at Manchester Met. 

The social care sector is facing a workforce crisis, with employers struggling to hire and keep staff. 

This has substantial consequences not only for the workforce but also for the people supported by social care services. 

The partnership will focus on four key areas to drive meaningful change, including labour supply, demand and markets; wellbeing of social care staff; innovation in work conditions and the use of data and technology to improve workforce practices. 

Carol Atkinson, Professor of Human Resource Management at Manchester Met will co-lead a priority investigation into retaining and attracting younger people in social care as part of the partnership, while also co-leading on research into labour supply, demand and markets.

Prof. Atkinson said: “This project addresses a growing demand to combat challenges faced in the adult social care sector, fuelled by a real desire to provide solutions for the workforce and the people they care for.

“We’re delighted to be involved in such a significant partnership, working with other researchers, organisations and authorities to collectively understand how real change can be made. It’s a privilege to be launching the first study of the project, investigating how to retain and attract younger employees which is a priority issue.” 

Roman Kislov, Professor of Health Policy and Management at Manchester Met’s Centre for Decent Work and Productivity will also be leading on knowledge exchange and implementation within the project. 

Prof. Kislov said: “This project aims to bring together research, expertise and everyday realities from a host of partners to collaboratively develop solutions for ongoing difficulties faced in the adult social care sector.

“We’re excited to get underway with the partnership and use the collective expertise to build on our understanding of workforce challenges.”

The national project will bring together leading researchers, social care organisations, and local authorities including:

• National social care sector organisations: Skills for Care; The National Care Forum; The Home Care Association.
• Local authorities and NHS partners: Kent County Council; London Borough of Bexley; Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council; Leeds City Council; Leeds Health and Care Academy.
• Leading social care researchers from five universities in England: King’s College London; University of Leeds; University of Kent; Leeds Beckett University; Manchester Metropolitan University.