IPC conducted a review for the Skills for Care Workforce Innovation Programme which explored how people`s care and support needs change and how the workforce has to adapt to meet the challenges of this change.
The review aimed to address a series of questions around the social care workforce in a range of housing settings, including:
- current reported practices to support workforce intelligence, planning and development;
- what works, and what does not;
- key characteristics of effective practice;
- relevant international evidence;
- gaps in the evidence base.
The review considered research undertaken which focused on supported housing, assistive technology and housing support services, as well as aids and adaptations. The review discussed the breadth of services covered by these terms and the range of population groups who may be service users in future.
It identified and reviewed evidence around five broad themes: access to services, cross sector working, housing support roles, training and recruitment and retention. The evidence base for this research was found to be limited, although there appears to be an increasing recognition that a sector-wide approach to workforce development and planning would be helpful, potentially extending to the private retirement housing market.
The report was able to identify evidence about practice and to identify where the gaps were in the evidence base. The findings have implications for future workforce development in terms of social care professionals, as well as for related roles such as occupational therapists and varied housing support roles.
