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Driving Quality In Social Care and Nursing

High-quality social care that is aligned with human rights and equality standards is a prerequisite for any strong democracy that values dignity and respect in health and social care. The RJ4All International Institute had the opportunity to support a national initiative to advance social care standards within nursing. This programme is led by the Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy (BHSCA), in collaboration with the RJ4All International Institute and Bucks New University (BNU).

About The Project

Project Background 

In contemporary healthcare landscapes, the prominence of acute healthcare settings often overshadows the crucial role of social care. Social care nurses, despite their multifaceted roles and intricate responsibilities, grapple with a fragmented working environment and a lack of clearly defined pathways for career advancement. Additionally, existing frameworks regulating advanced and enhanced nursing practice predominantly mirror acute healthcare contexts, failing to capture the nuanced demands of social care nursing roles. This oversight leads to underinvestment in social care infrastructure, limited educational resources, and a dearth of professional development opportunities for social care nurses. As a result, fewer individuals are choosing careers in social care, reducing access to these essential services and contributing to health inequalities across society. This is a major problem that RJ4All is committed to addressing with a long-term focus and specialised expertise.

The “Driving Quality in Social Care And Nursing” project, initiated by the School of Health and Social Care at Buckinghamshire New University, aimed to address these pressing issues by exploring the feasibility and value of developing a comprehensive framework delineating advanced and enhanced levels of nursing practice within social care settings.

Hypothesis 

The project is grounded in the hypothesis that the evolving nature of the social care system necessitates the integration of advanced and enhanced nursing skills. It posits that the development of structured career progression routes is essential to enhance the quality of care and support the professional growth of social care nurses. 

Geographical Scope

The project will unfold over the course of 5 months, spanning from August to December 2024.

Project Objectives

The overarching objective of this project is to investigate the necessity for a tailored framework that facilitates advanced and enhanced levels of nursing practice within social care settings. Specific objectives include: 

  • Identifying the distinct capabilities essential for advanced and enhanced nursing practice within social care.
  • Articulating the nature, demands, and benefits associated with advanced and enhanced social care nursing practices.
  • Exploring the integration of advanced and enhanced nursing skills into career progression pathways for social care nurses.
  • Determining the requisite training requirements to support the implementation of the proposed framework. 

Project Stages

Phase 1

Secondary Desk-based Research
Conducted extensive literature review to establish a foundational understanding of existing knowledge.

Phase 2

Primary Research
Engaged in original fieldwork comprising 13 in-depth semi-structured interviews and 2 focus groups with 14 participants, including registered nurses, employers, and educational providers in social care settings.

Phase 3

Triangulation of Findings
Triangulated results from both secondary and primary research, consulting key stakeholders from BHSCA and BNU, and analysing an online survey.

Project Output

The project yielded three comprehensive reports, click the covers to see more. 

  • Through rigorous investigation and consultation, this project endeavoured to contribute to the advancement of social care nursing practice, ultimately enhancing the quality of care provided to vulnerable populations and fostering professional development opportunities for social care nurses.

Key Final Recommendations

  • Clarity in defining and standardising enhanced and advanced levels of practice in social care nursing and equity in attention between acute healthcare and social care
  • Strategic utilisation of current positive examples using advanced and enhanced practice
  • Creation of clear career pathways and professional recognition
  • Addressing funding challenges, infrastructural deficiencies and educational gaps
  • Adaptation and development of inclusive regulatory frameworks
  • Mentality and strategic shift from specialised secondary care to more accessible primary care
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