Care and support for people with complex and severe needs: innovations and practice. A scoping study
Researchers: Kate Gridley, Jenni Brooks, Caroline Glendinning
Funder: NIHR School for Social Care Research
Duration: June 2010 to February 2012
Background
People with complex and severe needs constitute a relatively small proportion of all adult social care users. However, they are growing in number, and meeting their needs can be problematic for service commissioners and providers. In particular, they often need personalised, co-ordinated and specialised services from a wide range of providers, which can be difficult and costly to deliver.
Aims
This scoping study will identify:
- key features of the service and support arrangements desired by different groups of disabled adults and older people with severe and complex needs
- evidence of initiatives to deliver support to disabled people with complex and severe needs that have the desired features and the potential to constitute examples of ‘good practice’. Examples may focus on some or all of the different levels of commissioning, operational organisation and front-line delivery.
Methods
The study involves:
- consultation with key stakeholders, including organizations of and for service users and carers, on the desired features of good support and service arrangements
- a review of recent published and grey research on relevant service developments and initiatives
- case studies of up to six examples of good practice in service provision or commissioning identified through the above two stages.
Policy and practice aims
The study aims to generate evidence to inform social care practice in commissioning and providing support to people with complex and severe needs, in accordance with those service features that are highly valued by users and carers themselves. There will be a particular focus on the role of social care in co-ordinating or collaborating with other providers over the commissioning, organisation and delivery of services; and on identifying examples of good practice that have the potential to be transferrable to other similar groups of service users. Summaries of the study findings will be disseminated widely to all English adult social care departments, NHS primary care trusts and relevant voluntary sector organisations. The results of the study will also be disseminated through NIHR School for Social Care Research knowledge transfer activities.
SSCR project outline (PDF 552KB)
Final report
This project is now complete and the findings will be available towards teh end of May once they have been through the School for Social Care Research review process.
Publications and presentations
2012
It's like having a friend around, 2012
Brooks, J. in M. Davies (ed.) Social Work with Adults: Policy, law, theory, research and practice, Palgrave Macmillan.
A good arrangement - now under threat, 2012
Gridley, K. in M. Davies Social Work with Adults: Policy, law, theory, research and practice, Palgrave Macmillan.
2011
Personalisation in research and practice: methods and early findings from a study into good practice in social care for people with complex and severe needs
Glendinning, C., Brooks, J. and Gridley, K., NIHR School for Social Care Research Annual Conference, London School of Economics, London, 18 April 2011.
Key features of good practice in social care for people with severe and complex needs
Gridley, K., Brooks, J. and Glendinning, C., Care and Support for People with Complex and Severe Needs: Innovations and Practice. A Scoping Study. Feedback Workshop, Alcuin Research Resource Centre, University of York, York, 24 November 2011.
2010
Services and support for adults and older people with complex and severe needs: a scoping study
Glendinning, C., Social Services Research Group Annual Conference, Manchester, 9 March 2010.
Good practice for people with complex and severe needs: a scoping study
Gridley, K. and Brooks, J., Personalisation in Practice: New Horizons in Adult Social Care Research, Making Research Count Research Conference, York, 26 November 2010.
Questions of care, 2010
Knapp, M. and Glendinning, C., Public Service Review: Health and Social Care, 25, p.18.
If you require further information about the project, please contact Kate Gridley
