Effective workplace learning environments in care homes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Effective workplace learning environments in care homes: Developing, implementing and evaluating a model and implementation toolkit
IRAS ID
343113
Contact name
Claire Surr
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds Beckett University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 1 months, 28 days
Research summary
Most care home resident have complex needs including dementia and/or multiple health conditions. Care home staff need the right knowledge and skills to provide good care, gained through training and learning from other experienced staff. Working in a supportive ‘learning environment’ can help staff to learn better and to put learning into practice. A supportive learning environment includes formal training and informal learning such as shadowing and reflecting. This is influenced by practices, policies and culture.
Not much is known about what a supportive learning environment looks like in a care home or how this can be achieved. This research will address this important gap by:
- Establishing what an effective learning environment looks like in different care homes
- Co-designing a toolkit of resources to help care homes assess and improve their learning environment
- Exploring how the toolkit can be put into practice and the impacts it has on staff and care practices
- Refining and sharing the toolkit so it can be used more widely
Our study has three phases
1a) Review papers/reports on supportive learning environments in care settings
1b) Study the learning environments in nine care homes by observing staff learning, talking to residents and staff and looking at training documents.
2. Hold workshops involving care home staff, residents and family members to co-design a toolkit to help care homes assess and improve their learning environment
3. Test the toolkit in four care homes. We will observe, carry out interviews, surveys and document reviews, to find out what impact the toolkit has on the learning environment. We will also assess the cost of the toolkit its benefits.
Care home residents, family members and staff helped us design this study. Two advisory groups of care home residents/families and care home staff will help us deliver the project.REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
25/WA/0269
Date of REC Opinion
22 Sep 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion