Building research capacity in social care research to improve care for older people in care homes

The SHARE programme is a collaboration between Kingston University and King’s College London working closely with NIHR ARC South London and the  NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce.  

In this blog series we hear from some of the people who have been awarded funding to take part in the programme and the valuable skills they have developed to carry out social care research. 

Please tell me us a bit about your background and why you applied for the funding?

I moved to London in July 2021, shortly after completing a Master’s degree in Sociology at Nova University of Lisbon. I majored in English and Spanish studies, before my Master’s in Women’s Studies. By mixing my passions for literature and theatre, I wrote my thesis, “Women’s views of their own bodies: a study on representations of the female body in feminist theatre.” During that process, I discovered how much I like writing about people, their stories, their work and their motivations. Sociology felt like a good choice, a way to understand people more deeply in society and create space for their experiences to be explored and shared.

When I arrived in London, I stepped into the world of care by chance and found an entirely new way to connect with people. My first role was as a therapy assistant at Nightingale Hammerson, where I spent hours alongside residents and observed healthcare professionals of all kinds (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, healthcare assistants, registered nurses) all working with one shared goal of giving residents the best possible quality of life. 

Initially, I saw myself as an outsider in the care sector. But that perspective became a strength as it allowed me to see care not just as a technical practice, but as something deeply human and essential for everyone. This perspective inspired me to write about advanced nursing in care homes for the SHARE programme. Advanced nursing involves experienced nurses applying highly developed theoretical and practical knowledge to their care situation or environment. 

Why I joined the SHARE programme

Before joining the SHARE programme, I didn’t know much about advanced nursing practice. even though Nightingale Hammerson is a care home that offers this service. I also realised other people, especially those not from the care field, didn’t know about it either. Being an ‘outsider’ gave me the distance to ask new questions, to notice what advanced practice can bring to residents, what still needs to improve, and how this knowledge can be shared more widely. So, I applied for the SHARE programme as I wanted the opportunity to increase understanding of this role and enhance my research skills.  My goal is to communicate information about the role of advanced nursing in simple and straightforward writing, so more people can understand its value in care homes, and the vital role it plays behind the scenes every day.

What topics or questions does your research explore and what does it aim to achieve?

I am exploring what the role of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) could look like within care homes and explain how they can support NHS work, by reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. For many of the residents, leaving the familiar environment of the care home may be physically and emotionally exhausting, especially if the situation could be handled inside the home. 

ANPs can assess and diagnose these cases in-house, pick up concerns earlier, and reduce long waits for paramedics, ultimately preventing avoidable hospital admissions. In many situations, this could also help slow or prevent deterioration. Most importantly, they could support residents’ wishes to remain in the care home, including at the end of their life. Staying in a familiar environment can ease anxiety and prevent trauma for residents, especially for people living with dementia, and can also reduce stress for their families and carers. 

Their role highlights how closely physical and mental health are connected, and how vital emotional security is for wellbeing. They can also help address inequalities faced by residents who may not have the financial or emotional support to cope with a hospital stay, or who have specific needs, such as dietary requirements or religious routines, that hospitals are not always able to accommodate.

My aim was to review existing research on ANPs in care homes to understand how this role could be spread within older care, and what other care homes would need to make it possible too. These explorations could then support deeper research, training and policy work on a national and even international level.

How has the capacity building funding helped your research skills?

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to complete the extended research project module at Kingston University. This experience provided me with valuable insights into different approaches to research, including how to develop and present research questions and project plans to gain board approval. I believe these skills will be extremely useful when I apply for a PhD.

Additionally, I had the chance to discuss my SHARE project with researchers from King’s College London, who generously shared their knowledge and guidance on how to move it forward.  As a busy professional, the funded time I received to focus on this project was particularly valuable. It allowed me to dedicate myself to completing the extended research and time to concentrate on writing.

Finally, it helped me understand that I can make mistakes when doing research, and that I can learn from them, retry, sometimes changing my mind and taking another direction. Research is not about knowing the answers, but about being curious about something new, trying to find as much information as you can, discuss it, think and write about it and share it with others. 

What stage is your research at now and what progress do you hope for? 

I have recently completed the module at Kingston University and am now working on an article about advanced nursing at Nightingale Hammerson for the SHARE project. The aim is to explain, in a simple and accessible way, what an Advanced Nurse Practitioner is, especially for readers with no background in care. My hope is that, once published, this work will help spread awareness of the role and inspire more care homes to take Nightingale Hammerson as an example of what advanced practice can achieve to support older people. 

What is the most valuable thing you have learnt so far when carrying out social care research? 

I have learned the importance of truly listening to people’s experiences and caring for them, in a human way. 

I have also realised how much impact a researcher can have on the development of healthcare practice. Through my own project and by hearing about the inspiring work my colleagues are doing, I have come to see just how much there is still to explore, question and change. Each project, no matter how small, contributes to better care and a deeper understanding of the people we support. 

Find out more 

The SHARE programme is a collaboration between Kingston University and King’s College London working closely with NIHR ARC South London and the  NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce.  

Read more about social care research at ARC South London