The SIgN Project (version 1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Meeting the information needs of self-funders - The SIgN Project (Self-funders and Information Needs)
IRAS ID
171142
Contact name
Kate Baxter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of York
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
Many people need help with everyday activities like getting in and out of bed, or getting out and about. Local councils pay for and help arrange care for some people. However, to be eligible, needs have to be higher than a pre-defined level and, because social care is means-tested, income and savings have to be lower. People who are not eligible pay for their own care. These ‘self-funders’ often arrange their care with little or no help from the council. This can be difficult and daunting.
About a quarter of the care provided in people’s own homes in England is self-funded. Just less than half of care home residents are self-funders. Numbers are likely to increase as the population grows older and eligibility levels continue rising. From April 2015, councils must (among other things) establish and maintain services to provide people with information and advice about social care – importantly, this includes self-funders.
This research aims to find out how self-funders get the information and advice they need, and how staff from local councils, hospitals and charities can support them. We will do this by asking 50 self-funders and 25 staff/managers about their experiences and attitudes to getting/giving information and advice. We will run three workshops for self-funders and staff to discuss the findings and help develop a web-based resource for staff and a short film and leaflet for self-funders.
The web-based resource may include a list of prompts or links to other places that might be helpful in supporting self-funders in decisions about care. The short film and associated leaflet will be about getting and using information about social care. The film will be available on YouTube to watch at home or in places people go to get information.
Funder: National Institute for Health Research, School for Social Care Research.
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
15/IEC08/0026
Date of REC Opinion
8 May 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion