Within the world of gerontology there is considerable interest in the lives of older people living in care homes, the care they receive and the government policies that regulate and shape the care home sector. Bringing the academic community together with policy makers, practitioners and service users to facilitate discussion about research and developments within the care home industry is key to shaping the future in this area of health and social care provision. This was the goal of an Economic and Social Research Council Seminar Series 2005/6 Transitions in care homes meeting the demands of the 21st Century (RES-451-25-4155) led by the University of Surrey (Ingrid Eyers, Wendy Knibb) with the University of Sheffield (Mike Nolan, Sue Davies), City University (Julienne Meyer) and University of Northumbria (Jan Reed, David Stanley). The series of five seminars, each of which considered an important area of transition in the care home sector, was held during the academic year 2005/6.

The overall aim was to pool the shared expertise and experiences of academics, policy makers, providers, practitioners and, wherever possible, older people themselves, to promote the wider dissemination of evidence-based developments. Linking theory, research and practice in this way helps to support and guide the future development of high quality care for older people. The cross fertilisation of ideas at national and international level brings research findings to policy makers and practitioner communities. The seminars included a mix of academic speakers, practitioners, older people and postgraduate students studying in the field. The five seminars considered recent wide-ranging transitions being experienced within care homes. This encompassed transitions in the economy of care; the experience of older people moving into a care home; the provision of care services; approaches to undertaking research in care homes and concluded with a focus on the care home work force.

The care home industry in the United Kingdom is in a period of transition as it strives to meet the demands of future generations of older people. The main driving force is government legislation such as the Care Standards Act (DoH, 2000) and the resulting policies and guidelines. The National Service Framework for Older People (DoH, 2001a) and the introduction of needs based Registered Nursing Care Contributions (DoH, 2001b) from the National Health Service (NHS) towards the cost of nursing care, have also changed the relationship between the independent care sector and the statutory providers of health and social care. This relationship needs to be strengthened and developed in mutual collaboration so as to ensure that the needs of older people living in care homes are not only met to a minimum standard but that their quality of life is also enhanced.

To stimulate debate each seminar included an international speaker presenting on research findings from their own country. This highlighted issues that might otherwise be taken for granted by delegates who were based in the United Kingdom. The five events that took place were as follows:

Transitions in the economy of care
21st October 2005,University of Surrey

• Transitions in the care home market: are things actually improving? Prof. Ann Netten, University of Kent
• Inspecting for better lives - delivering change. Elaine Ross, Commission for Social Care Inspection
• Competition and choice: myth or reality? Wendy Knibb, PhD Student, University of Surrey
• Cost and quality trade-offs: care home developments in Australia. Prof. Duncan Boldy, Curtin University Australia
• Transitions - a view from the Independent Sector. Sandra Stark, Craegmoor Healthcare
• Rapporteurs and discussion: Martin Green, English Community Care Association (ECCA) and Dr Naomi Chambers, Manchester Business School

Transitions into a care home for older people
27th January 2006, Northumbria University

• Strategies for Managing Transitions. Professor Jan Reed, Northumbria University
• Care in Transition - Improving quality of life through standards for admission management. Dr. Barbara Klein: Frauenhofer Institute, Germany
• Innovative care for people with dementia - transitions to alternatives to a care home. Rani Svanberg: Dementia Care Partnership
• If I need to be cared for and Is this your mother, is it? Old Spice -Sketches by an older people's information and entertainment group.
• Older people's long term care: Decision-making in Flintshire, North Wales. Dr. Clare Thetford and Dr.Jude Robinson, University of Liverpool
• Settling in: what is important to residents in their new home. Glenda Cook - PhD Student, Northumbria University
• Rapporteurs and discussion: Martin Green (ECCA), Dr. Ingrid Eyers, University of Surrey

Transitions in the provision of care services
Date: 31st March 2006, University of Sheffield

• Towards an understanding of relationships in care homes: the Senses Framework. Prof. Mike Nolan, University of Sheffield
• The development of CARE profiles. Dr Mark Faulkner, University of Sheffield
• Developing a toolkit for staff retention. Mark Atkin, PhD Student , Anchor Homes/University of Sheffield
• Creating community in care homes for older people: a perspective from the USA. Prof. Christine Mueller, University of Minnesota
• Developing partnerships in care homes research: joys and tribulations. Reflections of researchers, practitioners and service users
• Rapporteurs and discussion. Prof. Tony Warnes, University of Sheffield and Martin Green ECCA

Transitions in care home research methodology
Date: 12th June 2006, City University

• Past methodologies; present issues. Prof. Sheila Peace, Open University
• The Last Refuge Revisited. Dr Julia Johnson, Open University
• Moving from victim blaming to an appreciative inquiry: Exploring quality of life in care homes (working across disciplines). Prof. Julienne Meyer & Cheryl Holman PhD Student, City University
• Transitions in research methodology: sharing international perspectives. Prof. Barbara Bowers, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Researching transitions in residential aged care - examples and insights from the Australian context. Prof. Julianne Cheek, University of South Australia
• International Perspectives: Questions and discussion. Dr Sue Davies, University of Sheffield and Prof. Jan Reed, University of Northumbria
• Rapporteurs and closing discussion. Martin Green, ECCA and Dr Ingrid Eyers, University of Surrey

Transitions in the care home work force
Date: 14th July 2006, University of Surrey

• A brief overview of the care home workforce. Prof. Karen Bryan, University of Surrey
• Staff training and the quality of care in care-homes. Prof. Tony Warnes, University of Sheffield
• Future developments in the care home work force: a political perspective. Paul Burstow MP
• Swedish education and training for care workers; the impact on recruitment, retention and quality of life. Prof. Stina Johansson, University of Umea, Sweden
• The emotional support provided by care workers for old people living in a care home'. Rebakah Luff, ESRC sponsored PhD Student, University of Surrey
• 'Training the workforce to provide person centred care to care home residents with dementia'. Prof. Dawn Brooker, Bradford Dementia Care Group
• Rapporteurs and discussion. Jo Moriarty, Kings College London, Martin Green, ECCA
• 'Where from here?'. Prof. Mike Nolan University of Sheffield

There was a good representation of researchers, practitioners, students and services attending each seminar. All venues were booked to their full capacity and a number of delegates attended more than one event. At each seminar there was a lively debate about the arising issues. This enabled a cross fertilisation of ideas regarding future research topics and methods on the one hand and information about existing and ongoing research on the other. In turn this has informed the agenda of care home research.

The 'transitions' seminars intended to capture some of the diverse and challenging issues facing all those living in, working in, or with an interest in the care home sector and to provide a way of bringing together academics, policy makers, providers, practitioners and older people in a forum that facilitated discussion. A considerable number of BSG members were active in the creation and running of this seminar series and this is a wonderful opportunity for me to thank Mike Nolan, Sue Davies, Julienne Meyer, Jan Reed, David Stanley, Glenda Cooke, Tom Owen, for their contributions and support. It was good to meet up with BSG members, many of whom attended all events, and there was a great deal of interest from others who where unable to attend. As a result of the seminars two special editions of Quality in Ageing Vol.7/3&4 have been published and we hope that further peer reviewed publications will be forthcoming in a special edition of Ageing and Society.

To conclude this brief report on the seminar series it is important to acknowledge that without the support of Karen Bryan, Ken Gilbert, Wendy Knibb and the support staff, especially Marilyn Warner at the University of Surrey, none of it would have been possible. This much used phrase at film and TV award ceremonies is apposite as it is always difficult to express gratitude for the work that goes on 'behind the scene'. It is therefore equally important to acknowledge and thank those behind the scenes contributions from the University of Northumbria, University of Sheffield and City University.

References

Department of Health (2000) Care Standards Act. London: HMSO.

Department of Health (2001a) National Service Framework for Older People. London: HMSO.

Department of Health (2001b) 'Free Nursing Care' [online] www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/freenursrtingcare.htm