Dr Wenjing Zhang, Principal Investigator
May 2021 - March 2024
Understanding and supporting older people’s ‘transition’ between different care settings: co-production of practice guidance for social care practitioners
Moves between care settings or services like home care, care homes or extra care housing are challenging for older people and the family and friends who support them.
In this research we:
- Reviewed what older people’s key unmet needs are and the approaches used by social care professionals in supporting the care moves;
- Interviewed social care practitioners, older people and carers with experience of care moves (or supporting moves) between social care settings/services or from hospital into social care settings.
- Co-produced move-related resources for social care staff, managers and others, to inform and support older people’s moves.
Our co-produced resources are grounded in research evidence and real-life experience around care moves and how to improve practice. Access the free online resources: socialcaretalk.org/older-people-care-moves.
Through our networks and partnerships in Kent and East Sussex, we established a co-production group, including older people and family carers, social care practitioners and managers working in different adult social care organisations and social care researchers.
- Professor Ann-Marie Towers, Professor of Social Care, Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent.
- Dr Eirini-Christina Saloniki, Senior Research Fellow in Health Economics, NIHR ARC North Thames & UCL Department of Applied Health Research.
- Helen Salisbury, expert by lived experience.
- Janet Richardson-Simmonds, expert by lived experience.
- Julia Greig, Social Worker, Adult Social Care, East Sussex County Council.
- Karin Webb, expert by lived experience.
- Kate Wortham, expert by lived experience.
- Philip Blurton, co-applicant of the project, Director of Safeguarding & Principal Social Worker, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. Left the team in December 2021 due to job change.
- Dr Robin Darton, Senior Research Fellow, Personal Social Services Research Unit, University of Kent.
- Sharon Leaver, Principal Social Worker (PSW), Adult Social Care, East Sussex County Council. Joined the project team in 2022, succeeding Philip as the new PSW.
- Dr Wenjing Zhang, Research Fellow, Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent.
Funder: NIHR School for Social Care Research (SSCR)