This programme has been led by the Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy (BHSCA), in collaboration with the RJ4All International Institute and Bucks New University (BNU). (LOGOS TO BE ADDED IN THE PAGE)

It run from October 2023 until March 2024.

About the project: 

 

Background of the project:

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 results in underinvestment in social care infrastructure, limited educational resources, and a dearth of professional development opportunities for social care nurses.

This 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.

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.

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:

This research is conducted within the geographical confines of Southeast England.

 

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.

 

Outputs:

The project yielded three comprehensive reports (once finalised should be added here). 

We will also prepare an Impact Proposal, which will then can be added in the outputs as well, but not ready yet.

Bottom line: 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:

1. 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

2. Creation of clear career pathways and professional recognition

3. Adaptation and development of inclusive regulatory frameworks

4. Addressing funding challenges, infrastructural deficiencies and educational gaps

5. Strategic utilisation of current positive examples using advanced and enhanced practice

6. Mentality and strategic shift from specialised secondary care to more accessible primary care