Improving collaborative interagency practice in self-neglect, v. 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving collaborative inter-agency systems and practice in self-neglect: identifying barriers and co-producing solutions
IRAS ID
310858
Contact name
David M.R. Orr
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sussex
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
CRD42022329889, Protocol registration with PROSPERO database
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
Self-neglect can have serious consequences for individuals’ self-care, health and wellbeing, and requires collaboration between many practitioners, from Adult Social Care, Health, Fire & Rescue, Environmental Protection and other organisations. Yet practice reviews highlight repeated failings in working together. Joint working in self-neglect under current policies is sparse and has overwhelmingly focused on social work perspectives. This NIHR-funded study aims to identify what problems arise in interagency and interprofessional practice with self-neglect, and how they can be addressed.
Existing research, Safeguarding Adults Boards’ (SABs) multi-agency procedures and Safeguarding Adults Reviews will be reviewed to map evidence on factors influencing collaborative working. Interviews with 75-100 practitioners and managers from relevant agencies and 15-20 people who have experienced self-neglect will gather experiential perspectives. An economic assessment, based on interview and service data, will develop case studies of service costs of multi -agency self-neglect.
Three focus groups will then be held with up to 12 practitioners to co-design service solutions and resources, based on the findings. The uptake, acceptability, utility and initial impact on practice of the group’s outputs will be evaluated within participating SABs using an online survey and follow-up interviews with 15 practitioners.
A PPI panel will be recruited from service user groups linked to participating SABs, who will bring local knowledge and experiences relevant to self-neglect. The panel will have a key role in advising on each stage of the study.
Key beneficiaries are SABs, practitioners, and people in self-neglect. Outputs will be tailored to each stakeholder group: findings report for SABs; guidance and learning tools tailored to each of Housing, Community Nursing, etc; online training resources; professional journal articles. The researchers will work with SABs and safeguarding networks to apply the findings to improve the cohesion of assessment and intervention, leading to more seamless support and reduced service gaps.REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0595
Date of REC Opinion
16 Nov 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion