DYAD project team - Care and Outcomes Research Centre

	Grace Collins is a Research Officer at the PSSRU, University of Kent, which is part of the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR). She has worked at the PSSRU for six years on social care and health projects using mixed-method approaches. Her previous projects include Measuring Outcomes of Care Homes (NIHR, SSCR; 2015-2018), Shared Lives Evidence of Effectiveness (NIHR, SSCR; 2015-2018) and Measuring and Improving Care homes (NIHR, HS&DR; 2017-2020). From these projects, Grace brings knowledge and expertise of using the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (www.pssru.ac.uk/ascot) to collect the social care outcomes of older adults who receive care and their carers, especially in residential care homes, but also in community settings. Grace is also experienced in public and practitioner involvement in research and has previously held an oversight role as PPI co-lead at the PSSRU.
	Alisoun Milne is a Professor of Social Gerontology and Social Work, also within the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR) at the University of Kent. She has over 25 years’ experience in academia at the University of Kent, at the PSSRU, Tizard Centre and since 2010, the Social Work team (based at the Medway campus). She teaches on both undergraduate and postgraduate social work qualifying programmes. Before becoming an academic, Alisoun worked as a social worker and team manager in two local authorities in London for seven years. She is registered with Social Work England. Alisoun’s particular research interests are mental health in later life, family carers, social work with older people and care homes. Alisoun is a co-Investigator on the DYAD project.
	Stacey Rand is a Senior Research Fellow at the PSSRU, University of Kent. She joined the Unit in 2012 to work on the Identifying the Impact of Adult Social Care (IIASC) project. This work has shaped and informed the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF) in England. Since then, she has worked on a number of international and national research projects, including the development of easy-read, proxy-report and a number of translated versions of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit (www.pssru.ac.uk/ascot). Stacey has a particular interest in social care outcomes of community-based care for people with support needs and their carers. Stacey is the Principal Investigator on the DYAD project.
	Lisa Richardson is the Public Involvement and Engagement Manager at the PSSRU, University of Kent. She is supporting the public and patient involvement for this study.
	Barbora Silarova is a Research Associate who joined the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) in September 2019. Her background is in clinical and health psychology and she has an extensive experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods. During her time at University of Cambridge and University of Exeter she was involved in evaluation of behavioural interventions for prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline. Since joining the PSSRU, Barbora’s research interest centres around quality of life of people with dementia and their carers as well as work-related quality of life of social care workers. As part of this project, Barbora will focus on the qualitative interviews with older carers/service users and data analysis/interpretation, along with Stacey and Grace.
	Wenjing Zhang is a Research Assistant at the Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent. Wenjing has experience using both qualitative and quantitative methods over 9 years working on policy and practice-oriented projects in the health and social care field. Her research expertise and interests focus on social care, ageing and comparative and international social policy. Wenjing leads the literature review work for the DYAD project.
Research Advisors
	Christina Reading I am an independent artist, researcher, and writer who has worked on a variety of creative and academic research projects in academic and across the public, and voluntary sectors. My work is united by an interest and commitment to developing my own and other people’s personal development, creative learning and practice. I am currently co-authoring a book with Dr Jess Moriarty investigating ways to support wellbeing and creative recovery through that includes walking, mapping, dialogue storytelling, writing, drawing and painting to facilitate personal growth and change in relation to creativity. I am interested in the Dyad project because it places the relationship between the carer and the carer at the heart of its research and from my experience of being involved in the carer of an older person at home, this relationship is crucial to wellbeing.
	Helen Ramsbottom Helen is a Co-Researcher on the Dyads project. She has extensive experience of working within the voluntary sector and across health and social care. Helen is especially interested in policy, and how it can be influenced by practice. She works with people whose experiences and voices can inform policy and create change for the better. As a Research Advisor on another PSSRU project, MiCare, Helen has been involved in thinking about care relationships between staff and residents within the care home, how important this particular ‘dyad’ is, and how its impact can be described. Helen was drawn to this project both from a professional and personal point of view, having an older parent whose journey in later life illustrates the need for such research to capture the nuances and challenges of caring.