Care England is partnering with the University of Birmingham to develop a £15m UK centre for adult social care that aims to put evidence into practice to promote and maintain people’s independence and wellbeing.
IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, and the Health Foundation.
The centre – the first of its kind in the UK – will help people working in adult social care, carers, and the people they support make better use of high-quality, practice-based evidence to support innovation in adult social care.
IMPACT will be tasked with building capacity and skills in the adult social care workforce, developing sustainable and productive relationships between all of those working across adult social care, and improving understanding of what helps or hinders when putting evidence into practice.
The centre will bring together people with lived experience of social care, those providing unpaid care, people working in adult social care, experts in the mobilisation and implementation of evidence, social care providers, commissioners and policy experts, and academic teams from across the UK.
Together with stakeholders in adult social care and beyond, the IMPACT team will agree priorities and design, establish, deliver and evaluate the centre’s work programme, aiming to lead to sustainable change in the use of evidence in adult social care.
University of Birmingham professor of health and social care Jon Glasby (pictured) has been appointed director of IMPACT and will be working with a range of partners from across the UK to lead the co-development, establishment and delivery of the centre.
“Adult social care touches people’s lives in such important and intimate ways, and it’s crucial that it’s based on the best possible evidence of what works,” he said.
“Good care isn’t just about services, it’s about having a life – and the ESRC and the Health Foundation are providing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a real difference.”
The centre will receive funding of £15m over the next six years, with equal contributions from ESRC and the Health Foundation.
Care England chief executive Martin Green added: “The adult social care workforce is our best resource and the IMPACT study is a very welcome means to help ensure that social care becomes a career of choice, not just a job.
"Our sector needs more evidence and data and Care England is delighted to be part of the study”.
