QUEST

Research objectives:

The research will explore existing evidence to understand what works to achieve care quality within social enterprises, in what contexts and why. It will evaluate the environmental, economic and political contexts in which social enterprises operate and how these influence experiences and quality of care. It will also examine how people who draw on care and support experience services delivered by social enterprises, alongside the experiences of staff and volunteers working within them.

The anticipated impacts from the project are:

1. To develop an enhanced understanding of quality in social enterprises that can help people who use social care services and their carers make more informed choices about their care.
2. To improve experiences for the social care workforce by supporting leaders, management teams and staff to better understand, reflect on and adapt their practice.
3. To enhance care systems and markets by strengthening the evidence-base on social enterprises for national/local policy-makers and commissioners.
4. To fill a knowledge gap around social enterprises in the social care sector, that includes service user/carer experiences.

Project outputs will include:

• A written findings summary and a podcast/animation
• A share and reflect workshop for social enterprises jointly run with Social Enterprise UK (SEUK)
• An online workshop for all types of adult social care providers delivered by project partner 'My Home Life'
• An online workshop for commissioners delivered by project partner 'My Home Life'
• A policy briefing highlighting key findings and policy implications for policy makers and commissioners.

Findings will also be published through academic articles and conference presentations.