Top 10 research priorities: linked data research in adult social care
We’re excited to announce that we now have a final ‘top 10’ of research priorities.
We’ve used various methods of engagement to find out what different groups have to say about research priorities for linked data research on adult social care.
We’ve focused on what adult social care people in Wales need now and in the future.
We’ve reached this point following a transparent process that was reviewed at every stage by our working group and dedicated team, including a priority-setting expert.
Our process
Between August and October 2024, we carried out a survey and collected responses from face-to-face conversations. This gave us 128 suggestions from 48 individual responses about what social care people need now and in the future. The responses came from operational and strategic social care staff, third sector colleagues and people with lived experience of using adult social care services.
We analysed the suggestions and consulted with data experts to understand what areas could be explored using linked data research. We looked at what research already existed to help address the suggestions that were raised. We also considered what data was already available for researchers to use and what data would need to be acquired.
We grouped suggestions into broad themes to reach our final 15 priority areas to be answered by linked data research.
The ‘top 10’
On 12 March, practitioners and people with lived experience were invited to attend a final workshop to discuss the 15 themes together. We asked them to vote on the themes they felt were most important to them so that we could agree on a 'top 10’ of priority themes.
These are the 10 priority themes that workshop participants wanted research to answer:
- Understand the impact of preventative and early intervention services (such as home adaptations or telecare) on the use of other health and social care provision.
- Understand the needs of different groups to make sure future commissioning of social care services can respond to them. These groups include unpaid carers, neurodivergent people, people with learning disabilities, and young people with physical disabilities.
- Understand what factors impact the health and well-being of social care staff, and how these factors may also affect recruitment and retention.
- Forecast future demand and resource allocation for social care services, including housing with care and support and day services.
- Explore the relationship between social care funding and the quality and effectiveness of service provision.
- Understand the relationship between workforce-related factors - such as staffing levels, terms and conditions, training needs, language skills and other relevant skills - and the care and support provided.
- Understand how social care is provided across a person's lifetime and the relationship between social care provision and the overall health of people using care services.
- Understand where health and social care services work together and how this impacts on people accessing care and support as well as the services involved.
- Understand the relationship between social isolation, loneliness and social care provision.
- Understand the impact of waiting times for social care provision on individuals who need care and support.
These five priorities were also discussed during the workshop but didn’t make it into the top 10.
- Understand the use and availability of different types of social care services across Wales.
- Understand differences in the costs associated with social care provision across service type and rural and urban areas, as well as the impact of funding changes on provision.
- Explore the role of digital innovation and technology in social care.
- Establish the effectiveness of measures to reduce carbon emissions in social care.
- Understand the characteristics and needs of people who pay for their own care.
"The workshop was thoughtfully designed to bring together individuals with lived experience, professionals, and practitioners to shape linked data research priorities in Wales...While attendees came from different backgrounds and brought different perspectives, there was a strong sense of mutual respect and equality shared across the group. The team at Social Care Wales were committed to ensuring inclusivity and accessibility, and they were a pleasure to work with."
- Alice Butler, Public and Professional Involvement Worker, Centre for Adult Social Care Research.
What happens next?
We’ll be publishing a report summarising each of the top 10 priority themes, including any related discussions that took place about each priority. We’ll also be talking to organisations about sharing their data related to the 10 priority themes and working with researchers to turn the priorities into research questions.
Want to know more?
Take a look at our page explaining how we're leading on the social care theme within Administrative Data Research (ADR) Wales and our linked data research blog exploring the benefits of this approach.
Or get in touch with the team by contacting research@socialcare.wales.