Unlocking Better Care Through Research
Hampshire Care Association has partnered with NIHR Delivery network to help promote better care through research.
Care homes play a vital role in supporting older people and their families. However, as needs become more complex and the sector continues to evolve, we need strong evidence to guide the best possible care.
Research helps us understand what works, improve quality of life, and strengthen the confidence and capabilities of care-home teams.
This page explains why getting involved in research matters, what it looks like in practice, and how your care home can take part through the NIHR Delivery Network.
Who are the NIHR Delivery Network?
The NIHR is a major funder of social care research in the UK, generating evidence to improve our understanding of how to enable social care in delivering care and supporting our population.
They support research across social care and social work in many ways, including:
- Funding research into social care
- Offering training and career development for researchers and practitioners
- Providing opportunities for carers, social care practitioners, people who draw on social care services and their families to influence and take part in research
- Delivering a network of support and expertise to enable the development of research across the social care sector
The NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN) is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to help the health and care system across England attract, optimise and deliver high quality research.
Get support from your local Agile Research Delivery Team
Agile Research Delivery Teams are a groups of dedicated staff based in Regional Research Delivery Networks (RRDNs) across England. They are skilled, multi-disciplinary staff who can work flexibly across a variety of different locations to support research delivery in health and social care.
Our regional teams can support studies at various stages as needed. Examples include:
- Supporting the set-up of research
- Helping with screening
- Taking consent from participants
- Recruitment to studies
- Data management and follow-up
If you are interested in accessing the support of our Agile Research Delivery Team, please contact your local RRDN.
South East: [email protected]
Making a difference
Social care research is designed to improve the lives of people who draw on care and support, as well as those who provide it. Watch the short film below to find out more about the impact research has in real world settings.
Demonstrating the REAL impact
The REAL (Research, Evaluation, Audit and Literature Review) programme builds research capacity directly within the social care workforce. Through taught sessions and one to one academic support, practitioners develop and apply research skills in their own workplace.
The programme has already shown clear impact:
• New knowledge and insight. Twelve student led projects across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have generated evidence on key priorities such as incident reporting, service uptake, co production with families, carer support, and communication training.
• Improved services. Findings have been shared with managers to inform service development, highlight areas for improvement, and support innovation.
• Confident, research active staff. Participants report increased confidence in using evaluations, audits, questionnaires and literature reviews to answer real world questions.
• Sustainable change. By embedding research skills into everyday practice, REAL supports long term, evidence informed decision making across health and social care.
By investing in practitioner led research through REAL, we are strengthening the social care workforce, improving the quality and safety of services, and ensuring that change is driven by robust evidence and the experiences of people who use and deliver care.
Download the REAL audit and literature review
Guidance, toolkits and learning
Discover NIHR's community and care settings based courses (adult social care/home care/care homes and more) available for open use on NIHR Learn.
How providers can contribute
- Supporting residents who wish to join research studies
- Collaborating with research teams to test new ideas and approaches
- Helping to evaluate tools, technologies or ways of working
- Sharing lived experience and perspectives from staff and residents
- Participation is always voluntary and fully supported by trained NIHR research staff, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved.
Current research opportunities
Click the links below to find out more
