The MEND Study V0.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
ProMoting diversity and under represENteD staff in adult social care; attracting, recruiting and retaining more male care workers
IRAS ID
349250
Contact name
Reena Devi
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 9 months, 31 days
Research summary
The purpose of this research is to understand how to attract, recruit, and retain more male care workers in adult social care. The study will be conducted over four phases:
Phase one will help with understanding and explaining why men decide to join, stay, and leave social care work. This phase involves two parts:
1a) a secondary analysis of the Adult Social Care Workforce Dataset (ASC-WDS) managed by Skills for Care (SfC).
1b) interviews with male care workers currently working in social care and men who have left/are leaving social care work.
Phase two will use a scoping literature review to identify strategies used to increase the male workforce in other public sectors e.g. nursery staff, primary and secondary school teachers, registered nurses, and social workers.
Phase three will prepare for the final phase by bringing the phase one and two findings together.
Phase four involves co-production meetings where we will co-develop strategies focused on growing the number and diversity of men in social care. The strategies will take the findings from phases 1-3 into account and will be co-developed with relevant sector stakeholders (senior leaders, management, frontline staff, family and friends of service users receiving social care).
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/YH/0031
Date of REC Opinion
21 Mar 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion