The Learning to Care (LtC) in care homes study
The "Learning to Care" study wants to understand and improve how care home staff learn new skills. Many residents in care homes have complex health needs, so it's vital that staff have the right knowledge and can put it into practice. We know that supportive workplaces, called 'learning environments', help staff learn better. However, not much is known about what makes a great learning environment in care homes. This study will work with care home staff, residents, and their families to figure this out. We will then design a special toolkit to help care homes check and improve how their staff learn. Finally, we'll test the toolkit to see if it makes a positive difference for staff and residents.
At a glance
What is this study about?
Imagine you're learning something new for your job — it helps a lot if your workplace supports you, right? This study, called 'Learning to Care', is all about helping staff in care homes learn and do their jobs even better. Lots of people living in care homes, especially those over 65, have tricky health conditions like dementia or many different illnesses. This means care home staff need to have excellent knowledge and skills to provide the best possible care.
While staff do go on training courses, and learn from experienced colleagues, it can sometimes be hard to actually use what they've learned in their day-to-day work. A 'learning environment' is basically how a workplace helps its staff learn. A good learning environment offers training, but also allows staff to learn from watching others or thinking about their experiences. It's also shaped by how the care home usually does things, its rules, and its general atmosphere.
Right now, we don't fully understand what makes a really good learning environment in a care home, or how to create one. Without this, staff might not be able to use what they've learned, which can make their jobs less satisfying. This study wants to fix that. We'll work closely with staff, residents, and their families to create a special 'toolkit'. This toolkit will help care homes look at their learning environment and find ways to make it better for everyone. We'll then test this toolkit to see how it helps staff and improves the care given to residents.
Key takeaways
- Aims to improve how care home staff learn new skills.
- Will create a 'toolkit' to help care homes improve their learning environments.
- Involves working with care home staff, residents, and their families.
- No immediate personal benefits, but could improve future care for others.
- You can stop taking part at any time.
- Led by Leeds Beckett University and funded by a UK government research body.
Who may be eligible?
This study is looking for a few different groups of people and places to take part. Firstly, care homes themselves are needed. They should care for people aged 65 and over and have a CQC rating of 'requires improvement', 'good', or 'outstanding'. These homes need to be located in specific areas: Yorkshire, Bournemouth, or Kent.
Inside these care homes, certain staff members can participate. This includes care workers, senior care workers, and activity staff who provide day-to-day care. Also, staff responsible for training or managing learning, and senior care home managers, can join in. Residents who are likely to stay in the home for the study duration and can agree to take part, or have someone to agree for them, are also invited.
For some parts of the study, we're looking for different participants. This includes residents of any care home for older adults in England who can actively contribute to group discussions. We also need relatives, carers, or supporters of people who currently or previously lived in an older adult care home in England, who can attend workshops and share their thoughts.
Could this study suit you?
Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.
- Are you staff working in a care home in Yorkshire, Bournemouth, or Kent?
- Do you live in a care home in Yorkshire, Bournemouth, or Kent?
- Are you able to provide consent to take part, or do you have someone who can consent for you?
- Are you able to attend workshops (for co-design parts of the study)?
- Are you a relative or supporter of someone who lives or lived in a care home in England and can attend workshops?
- Does your care home have a CQC rating of 'requires improvement', 'good', or 'outstanding'?
What does participation involve?
Taking part in this study happens in three main stages. Firstly, the research team will look at existing reports about learning in care settings. They will also visit nine care homes in Yorkshire, the South East, and the South West. During these visits, they will observe how 6 staff members learn and work, and talk with them and the residents they care for. Up to 10 other staff members will also be interviewed, and training documents will be reviewed.
In the second stage, workshops will be held with care home staff, residents, and family members. Together, you will use the information gathered to design a new 'toolkit'. This toolkit will be specifically created to help care homes improve their learning environment.
Finally, the toolkit will be tested in four care homes. The research team will watch, interview people, send surveys, and look at documents to understand how the toolkit impacts learning. They will also check the costs, benefits, and any necessary changes before the toolkit can be used more widely. The study is expected to run from February 2026 to September 2028, but your individual participation would only be for specific parts of these stages.
Potential risks and benefits
Locations (1)
- -UnverifiedNO COUNTRY SPECIFIED, assuming England, England
Common questions
What is the main goal of this study?
The main goal is to understand how care home staff learn, and to create a helpful new toolkit to make learning environments better in care homes, which can lead to better care for residents.
Who is paying for this research?
This study is being paid for by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research (HSDR), which is a UK government funder.
Will I get paid to take part?
The information provided does not mention payment for participation.
How long will the study go on for?
The study itself is planned to run from February 2026 to September 2028, but your individual involvement would be for specific parts of these stages.
Who is running this study?
The study is being run by researchers at Leeds Beckett University in the UK.
How to find out more
Claire Surr
Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.
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