The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded more than £5 million to social care research projects.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded £5.4 million to institutions across England, Scotland and Wales.
Each project should focus on innovative digital technology within social care, including through Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital devices and fresh approaches to improve outcomes for adults and children. There was particular interest in exploratory and applied studies that will look into barriers to adoption, tackle inequalities in access and test new applications in under‑used settings.
Awarded through the NIHR’s Research Programme for Social Care, they will run for between 18 months and two years.
Specifically, the nine projects funded will cover topics including virtual‑reality communication training for carers of people with severe mental illness, how councils use smart devices to help older people leave hospital faster and stay safe when home and a practical toolkit to give care home staff and residents confidence using digital tablets.
They will pan out across much of the UK, from the University of Stirling to Cardiff University.
Martin Knapp, director of the NIHR’s research programme for social care, said: “This is really exciting, important funding, which will look to transform social care through some truly innovative solutions. By utilising the power of AI, virtual reality, smart home technologies and other tech, these projects offer real hope for supporting independent living and autonomy, and improving people’s lives by raising standards of care and support within their communities.”
In 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care published People at the Heart of Care, its vision for adult social care, outlining how it hopes funding will bring necessary reforms. This year marks the halfway point through the 10-year period it specified.
