Connecting People Intervention Study

Introduction

It is increasingly important for social care service users in England to develop social relationships and engage in their local communities as care provision diversifies. Social care workers have some skills in supporting people with this, but there is little evidence about which approaches are the most effective or best value for money.

This project provided evidence about ways of working which produce the best outcomes at the lowest cost. It included a systematic review of research conducted on this topic across the world to identify examples of effective social care practice. Building on the work of another NIHR-SSCR funded project with people experiencing psychosis, it developed equivalent guidance for workers supporting people with a learning disability or older adults with a mental health problem.

The study involved six social care agencies across England to test the Connecting People Intervention and an additional six, identified in the first part of the project, to continue to use their existing ways of working.