PROJECT NIHR206126.06
Local Authorities have responsibility to shape and influence care markets. They exert influence mainly through commissioning choices related to which providers to use and what prices to pay. These decisions have consequences for the quality and sustainability of care provided, including for those receiving care support as well as staff pay and conditions, which in turn influence decisions to work in or leave the sector.
At the same time, there are a range of care providers with different aspirations and motivations. Some providers are owned by larger investment firms, and there are concerns that their involvement and motivations (e.g. to increase profits for investors) would conflict with desired quality improvement for those requiring care support and better employment conditions for staff.
The main aim of this study is to assess the impact of provider ownership type (e.g., not-for-profit, private equity, etc.) and LA commissioning practices on care outcomes (e.g., CQC quality ratings and care related quality of life) and workforce outcomes (e.g., pay, job benefits, training, and retention).
We will use statistical methods to address these aims, and data from the CQC care directory (which includes information on charity status, provider group, and quality ratings), the Adult Social Care Survey (care outcomes), and the Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (provider, job, and care staff characteristics).
Potential data limitations would likely be related to information on private equity ownership, prices paid, andlinking them to the above datasets.
Better evidence on how providers use their revenue on employment conditions (e.g., pay, benefits, training) and clients’ welfare (e.g., quality of provision, quality-of-life) will help inform policymakers and commissioners on potential ways they could improve investment in workforce and care quality.
Florin Vadean (Co-Lead), Stephen Allan (Co-Lead), Katerina Gousia, Gintare Malisauskaite
