Collaborative Housing and Innovative Practice in Social Care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Collaborative Housing and Innovative Practice in Social Care
IRAS ID
291644
Contact name
Karen West
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
With a rapidly ageing population and a social care system in crisis, there is an urgent need for innovations in housing, ageing and care that can meet the needs of people who do not have close family support, who live alone, or, who fund their own social care. The potential of collaborative housing - housing that is user-led, self-organised, and designed to create supportive communities – to meet the housing, support and care needs of older people has long been recognized. There is some evidence from international research that collaborative housing can support people as they age and increase their self-reliance. Our pilot research with the Older Women’s Cohousing Network also shows that the aid and support that residents give to each other is seen as an alternative to local authority social care and family care, and there is some evidence that it is effective in preventing the need for formal and informalcare. However, despite this frequently discussed potential, there are no studies to date in the UK that have specifically looked at the role of collaborative housing in meeting the needs of older people for social care and support. \n\nOur research aims to test these claims and to learn more about potentially innovative care practices. This research will explore how such communities are designed and organized to enable mutual support between residents. It will examine how communities work together to support each other through periods of frailty and poor health, how communities delay the need for formal social care and support informal care and how they decide when formal social care is needed. Case studies will consist of: interviews with residents and, where applicable, their families; focus groups with residents; and observations of daily life.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
21/IEC08/0008
Date of REC Opinion
12 May 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion