What can we learn from the research literature about sustainable social care services for example in remote rural locations, communities with population decline or areas with a rapidly ageing population?
Background
Statutory adult social care is overseen and administered by local authorities, who provide data on this provision. However, this data is complex, and at times non-comparable or incomplete. There is also a substantial portion of the population who may access social care support outwith statutory provision, through privately funding part or all of their own care, as well as receiving support from unpaid carers. These individuals are often invisible in datasets that seek to track social care clients.
We want to increase our understanding of who accesses what kinds of social care, where, when, and how. Understanding how people are accessing social care includes understanding how social care operates as part of the wider system of health and social care and where there are opportunities to strengthen access through further integration of services. This could include for example, evidence on the application of the GIRFE (Getting It Right For Everyone) principles.
Next steps
Get in touch with [email protected]
Source
This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
Social Care Analytical Unit Areas of Research Interest 2026 2029 published 25 March 2026
Topics
No topics assigned yet
Research fields
No research fields assigned yet
Related UKRI funded projects
-
University of Brighton and Guild Care KTP 23_24 R1
To develop a monitoring and evaluation framework assessing the social impact of adult social care interventions to inform service design and engage donors to invest in new care approaches....
Funded by: Innovate UK
Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON
Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it focuses on monitoring and evaluation of social impact of adult social care interventions, but does not specifically address sustainable social care services in remote rural locations or areas with a rapidly ageing population.
-
Sustainable Care: connecting people and systems
Our programme focuses on the care needs of adults living at home with chronic health problems or disabilities, and seeks sustainable solutions to the UK's contemporary 'crisis of care'. It is distinctive in investigating...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Sheffield
Why might this be relevant?
Fully relevant as it focuses on sustainable care solutions for adults living at home with chronic health problems or disabilities, addressing the crisis of care and providing new theoretical ideas and data analyses to inform care planning and provision.
-
Carers Assessment Support
**A difficult time to care** Across the UK our social care system is more stretched than ever with increased demand and decreasing budgets. The lack of capacity in the system is placing additional pressures on the unpa...
Funded by: Innovate UK
Lead research organisation: UPSTREAM OUTCOMES LIMITED
Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it addresses the challenges faced by unpaid carers and the need for a new approach to carers assessment, but does not specifically focus on sustainable social care services in remote rural locations or areas with a rapidly ageing population.