The University of York is the lead partner of the national School for Social Care Research partnership and has been a member of the School since its inception in 2009. The SSCR Director, Professor Yvonne Birks, and the directorate support team are based at York.
Alongside the directorate team, the Older Adults Social Care Research (OSCaR) group of applied researchers at York have a broad range of expertise in areas including partnership working, dementia, social policy, occupational therapy, mental health, health economics, the social care workforce and self-funding social care.
Meet the team
Prof Yvonne Birks
National SSCR Director
Phillip Whitehead
Deputy SSCR Director, Career Development Lead
Martin Webber
Deputy Executive Lead (York)
Kate Gridley
Public Involvement and Engagement (PIE) Lead
Mark Wilberforce
Helen Weatherly
Jen Hill
SSCR Programme Manager
Laura Haviland
Knowledge Exchange, Impact and Communications Manager
Sophie Caswell-Jones
Capacity Building Coordinator
Teresa Frank
SSCR Programme Administrator
Mia Shandell
Three Schools' Dementia Research Programme Manager
Research Projects
Core Outcome Set (COS)
Effective messaging to attract new demographics into care work
Section 17 leave: supporting unpaid carers
Self-Funders' Preferences in Navigating Social Care
The supporting sexualities and genders study
Enhancing Person-centredness In the Community support of older people (EPIC)
INSIGHT project
Thriving in rented housing
Connecting People
Partnerships between deaf people and hearing dogs
Delayed transfer of care (DTOC)
Care Confidence
Independent financial advice about funding social care in later life
News
NIHR SSCR Annual Conference 2025
Now available: presentations, posters and recordings from the 2025 School for Social Care Research Annual Conference.
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News
Making a Difference in Adult Social Care: The IMPACT Centre
The IMPACT Centre (Improving Adult Care Together) is all about making social care better by using real evidence to improve the way things are done. Funded by The Health Foundation and ESRC, IMPACT is working across the UK to turn research and lived experiences into practical changes…
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News
Enhancing Residential Care Conference (online)
🌐 Enhancing Residential Care: How Research Can Make a Difference to Practice 📅 Tue, 13 May 2025, 9:30 – 16:30 A free national online conference organised by the Hallmark Foundation and Hallmark Luxury Care Homes, with support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research. This event…
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