Help support vital social care research

Did you know that the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is a major funder of social care research in England? In England, social care supports people with needs that arise from illness, disability, old age or poverty by providing social work, personal care and social support services, and services that keep children and adults safe.

For example, the NIHR-supported Feeling at Home research study in south London is helping people with learning difficulties. Researchers have asked people with disabilities to talk about what helps them to feel at home and what gets in the way of their day-to-day life. They do it by taking photos of their everyday lives and discussing the images together as a group.

For its Your Path in Research campaign, which aims to highlight how people can make research part of their career, the NIHR is launching Link and Learn. Link and Learn is a matchmaking service connecting public health and social care practitioners with researchers in the field. Using this service is a great way for anyone new to public health and social care research to gain unique insight, exchange experiences, and ask questions. Sign up for Link and Learn.

The NIHR supports social care research to help improve the lives of people who need care and support. For example, The NIHR’s Local Authority Academic Fellowship programmes are designed to help local authorities to support staff delivering health and social care research.

Social care research would not be possible without the tireless support of the social care professionals who deliver research across London year in and year out. The research community owes an enormous debt of gratitude to everyone who makes social care research possible. To find out other ways to be involved in shaping health and care research in your local area, visit the NIHR's website.

Dawn Beaumont-Jewell, Deputy Chief Operating Officer National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network South London

Fiona Aspinal, Research Specialty Lead for Social Care, National Institute for Health and Care Research Clinical Research Network North Thames