PROJECT NIHR206126.02
The analysis of the social care system is made more difficult by a lack of statistical data, particularly measured at the level of the people receiving services. This study aims to use various administrative data to (1) understand how England’s social care system works and (2) to assess the strengths and limitations of administrative data for assessing social care policies.
The study will use administrative data to understand how services are purchased by local authorities, how they are provided to people with different needs and characteristics. These analyses will also help us understand how administrative data can be used for social care research. The study will focus on home care, residential care, and nursing care services in two regions of England.
The study will use data from local authority social care records, care quality management systems, and market capacity and supply data. These data will be analysed using statistical and data science methods.
The study has the potential to help us understand the equity and efficiency of the social care system in England by studying how the services provided by local authorities match individuals’ care needs, their impact on outcomes, and which factors explain differences in service prices.
The findings are expected to inform the design of administrative data and its use for evaluating local performance.
Regular updates will be provided to DHSC colleagues. The project will produce written reports and academic papers.
Jose-Luis Fernandez (Lead), Sarthak Saluja, Javiera Cartagena-Farias, Sam Rickman
