New Centre for Adult Social Care will promote and maintain people’s independence and wellbeing

Researchers at The University of Sheffield have partnered with the University of Birmingham, and a consortium of key stakeholders from across the UK, to develop a brand new Centre for Adult Social Care called IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together.)

A care worker with a patient in wheelchair

The centre for Improving Adult Care Together (IMPACT) has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, and the Health Foundation. The Centre will receive funding of £15 million over the next six years, with equal contributions from ESRC and the Health Foundation.

It will be the first Centre of its kind in the UK. 

The Centre will: 

  • Lead the way in helping 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 
  • Build capacity and skills in the adult social care workforce
  • Help develop sustainable and productive relationships between all of those working across adult social care
  • Improve our understanding of what helps or hinders when putting evidence into practice.

Adult social care covers a wide range of short and long-term programmes and therapies to help people who are older, or living with disability or physical or mental illness, live independently and stay well and safe.

Nearly 850,000 people in the UK receive adult social care, which can include being supported in their own homes, communities, or residential settings such as care homes. It includes a wide range of assistance, such as help with daily activities like washing and dressing, to support for family and friends, rehabilitation and reintegration to communities and long-term nursing care.

Professor Sue Yeandle, Professor in Sociology and Director of the University of Sheffield’s Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Equalities (CIRCLE), will also take on the role of IMPACT’s Deputy Director. 

The role will include working with a wide range of academic, policy and practice partners, carers and people with lived experience of using social care services, to help develop and lead a programme of innovation and improvement. She will help lead the way in developing a programme of innovation and improvement for adult social care in the UK.

Sue said: “This is an exciting development, and comes at a crucial moment. IMPACT will work across the UK, listening to what people affected by adult social care have to say. We’ll bring all kinds of evidence together – lived experience, the expertise of people working in social care, findings from the latest and best research. Then we’ll work together to address vital issues – reducing loneliness among the very old; including and supporting people with dementia; enabling people with learning difficulties to lead active lives; giving carers a break when needed. There’s huge potential for making a difference when people work together as IMPACT will do.” 

The Centre will receive phased funding until 2027, and builds on previous ESRC investments in social care including the Sustainable Care Research Programme, and ESRC’s Innovation in Social Care Initiative. The Centre has been funded by ESRC through UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund (SPF).

Find out more about IMPACT or follow @CircleShef on Twitter for updates. 

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