Career Development Awardee
Social care practitioners need to find effective ways of engaging with people who experience communication challenges, such as people with learning disabilities, so they can access and receive social care that reflects their individual needs, preferences, and wishes. Jessica is a communication researcher who has the research tools to find out how people can communicate better. Jessica can make a difference in social care research by doing research to find out how social care practitioners can better support people who face communication difficulties. She is particularly interested in improving assessments of care needs. However, she needs more experience doing research in social care settings.
The Career Development Award will help Jessica bridge this gap through three key activities:
1. Shadowing and engaging with social workers who support people with learning disabilities.
2. Testing the feasibility of researching Care Act assessments with people with learning disabilities using video methods.
3. Reviewing literature on interventions designed to improve communication in social care.
By completing these activities, Jessica will gain the practical knowledge and insights needed to develop a larger research proposal focused on improving communication in Care Act assessments with people with learning disabilities. The award will also help Jessica strengthen her research skills more broadly. She will be mentored by an experienced social care researcher, collaborate with other research groups, attend conferences, and take part in research skills training. Through this award, Jessica aims to advance her career toward becoming a research leader with expert knowledge in communication and social care and contribute to better outcomes for people who draw on social care.
