Social care
An effective health service is reliant on an effective social care system, and it is therefore vital that we develop a robust research base for social care, to ensure that local authorities (LAs) and third sector organisations provide the most effective services within a wider integrated system of health and social care.
Professor Lee-Ann Fenge
Social Care lead
Growing social care research capacity
Social care touches every family in Britain, yet there is a paucity of social care research and historically limited access to the research infrastructure that shapes NHS and social care practice. The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) Wessex Social Care Programme was created to change this.
Our overarching aim was to build the skills, confidence and partnerships that allow social-care staff, carers and local organisations to use research to improve people’s lives. Working with local authorities, voluntary groups and unpaid carers across Wessex, the programme supports the DHSC vision for a fairer, more integrated system that helps people to live well at home for longer.
Research champions funded within three local authorities (BCP, Dorset and Portsmouth City Council) and with voluntary sector organisations including MYTIME, and Help and Care have supported a culture of research engagement across the workforce in these organisations, including through facilitation of journal clubs, joint publications with academics and involvement in research projects.
Adults Services within BCP Council have now adopted the research champion model across all of their adults teams as part of their workforce development strategy.
Driving Improvement in Services and Local Policy
· The programme’s practical studies have directly improved service; from staff training on inclusive communication to the redesign of community engagement and recruitment practices. Co-produced publications in leading social-work journals and presentations to professional conferences are spreading these lessons nationally. We have also contributed to national ARC Social Care events to share learning.
Building Skills and Confidence in the Workforce - More than 40 social care professionals have received structured research training through internships, fellowships and the new REAL (Research, Evaluation, Audit and Literature) Course co-designed with Hampshire County Council, and participants are already leading improvement projects - evaluating recruitment practices, developing databases of community activities and strengthening induction and mentoring for new staff. Feedback shows greater confidence, better use of evidence in daily decision-making and stronger retention through professional pride.
Joint projects between universities and councils have changed how services are planned and delivered for example: Day Services for Adults with Learning Disabilities research informed Hampshire County Council’s strategic plan. In Portsmouth the Single-Handed Care Review enabled efficiency savings while maintaining safety and quality. Research Champions and a Researcher in Residence worked with voluntary organisations including Help and Care and MYTIME to explore the needs of unpaid carers, including young carers and those supporting a loved one waiting for a dementia diagnosis known as the Waiting Well Project which included an exhibition at Poole Arts Centre in January -February 2026 highlighting the challenges carers face.
Dr Natalie Djohari
Dr Andy Pulman
Winchester - Hampshire County
Dr Rachel Harrison
Southampton - City
Dr Michelle Myall
Portsmouth - City
Dr Amy Drahota
Our Post-Doctoral Fellows
Dr Andy Pulman
Bournemouth University
Dr Natalie Djohari
Bournemouth University
Dr Amy Drahota
University of Portsmouth
Dr Michelle Myall
University of Southampton
Dr Rachel Harrison
University of Winchester
ARC Wessex and CRN Wessex pulled together to expand research into social care. Four researchers were funded to work with local councils in Dorset, Portsmouth, Southampton and Hampshire.
Senior Research Fellow Doctor Michelle Myall was named researcher-in-residence at Southampton City Council. Amy Drahota worked with Portsmouth City Council, Andy Pulman with Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch Council and Dorset Council and Rachel Harrison with Hampshire County Council. The researchers came from the Universities in Southampton, Bournemouth, Winchester and Portsmouth.
Research projects included issues like domestic abuse and social care workforce capacity. Funding also supported development of Research Champions within councils to work with the four research leads.
The social care research champions were existing employees from the councils concerned. The specific focus of the role differed by the individual council and its needs. There was opportunity for learning for all involved, to understand more about what support is needed to enable growth in social care research.
Publications from this work:
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Pulman, A. and Fenge, L.A. 2024. The Evolving Workplace: The Possible Impacts of Hybrid Working and Hotdesking on Retention of Social Workers. The British Journal of Social Work. Volume 54, Issue 8. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcae120
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Pulman, A., Fenge, L.A., Mazarura, P. and Sanis, N. 2024. Struggling with studying and earning – realities of the UK's cost-of-living crisis on students on social work programmes. Research in Post-Compulsory Education (co-writing with research champions Trsih and Neil) https://doi.org/10.1080/13596748.2024.2403825
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Pulman, A., Sloan, H. and Fenge, L.A. 2024 (in press). Advocacy in Practice: Who Advocates for the Advocates? Practice - Social Work in Action. (co-writing with PPIE strategy group representative Helen) https://doi.org/10.1080/09503153.2024.2410851
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Pulman, A. and Fenge, L.A., 2024. Impacts of Workplace Stress on the Retention of Social Workers: A Qualitative Study. Practice - Social Work in Action. https://doi.org/10.1080/09503153.2024.2429085
May 15, 2025, 12:00 Dr Rachel Harrison - Empowering Voices: How Research Can Enhance Lives for People with Learning Disabilities | More
June 19, 2025, 12:00 Helen Sloan - Person centred approaches, advocacy and community engagement in research and social care | More
July 17, 2025, 12:00 Dr Andy Pulman - Developing carer research capacity in Wessex
September 18, 2025, 12:00 Dr Natalie Djohari - Capacity Building in Career Research
If you missed an online seminar see below for the recordings
Social Care Lunchtime Seminars
Social Care Lunchtime Seminars
Social Care lunchtime seminar #15 Recruitment and retention on Adult Social Care
Social Care lunchtime seminar #14
Social Care lunchtime seminar #13_Internships
Social Care lunchtime Seminar 19 9 25 - Rachel Harrison
Seminar 2 - Andy Pullman
Download PowerPoints
Our research projects