The contribution of social workers to older people’s well-being
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The contribution of social workers to older people’s well-being
IRAS ID
308415
Contact name
Denise Tanner
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
Social care is increasingly important in our ageing society for promoting well-being, preventing loss of independence and protect people from harm. Social workers have a central role in the law, policy and practice of social care. However, there is limited research and understanding about how social workers work with the largest group of social care users – older people – and their carers.
This project will examine what difference social workers make to older people and carers’ lives and how they do this. We will work alongside social workers in two authorities in England, one rural and one urban. With service users’ consent, a researcher will observe social workers’ practice, either physically or virtually where possible or social workers will record their work and their reflections. We will capture the points at which social workers intervene in older people’s care journeys, including assessments, hospital discharge, entry to care homes or safeguarding investigations.
We will explore the social work experience over time of a small number of older people, reading their records, observing their interactions with social workers and talking to them about what they have found helpful/unhelpful. We will interview other key people involved in their care, including other professionals. This will help us to understand how social work practice is experienced by others who support older people and how social work contributes to their work.
Social work takes place in different locations, including offices, care settings and remote working from social workers’ own homes, and in different organisational structures, including multi-disciplinary teams. Our research will explore how practice is influenced by different physical and organisational environments.
This will enable stakeholders to better deliver social work when and where it is needed. British Association of Social Worker (BASW) is represented in the research team, strengthening the study’s potential impact on the profession.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
22/IEC08/0004
Date of REC Opinion
11 Mar 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion