How can Niche-Leeds help with my job?

Like any sector delivering a service, innovation and development is key to being able to respond effectively and efficiently to changing needs and demands.

At the heart of the NICHE-Leeds research approach is combining skills, knowledge and expertise from frontline care workers with that of researchers who can support teams to challenge and develop new ways of working based on clear and thorough research and insight.

Being part of the NICHE network is right for you if you are:

•  interested in exploring what matters to people living or working care homes
• keen to explore new ways of working and delivering care
• open to researching mutually agreed priority areas

What will I be expected to do? As a Niche-Leeds partner, you will:

• have the support of your Senior Management Team to participate in any research. In some instances, there is a fee associated with being part of the research project.
• commit to raise awareness of NICHE Leeds in your home, generating interest among staff and relatives
• bring together researchers with care staff/relatives
• attend NICHE Leeds meetings and feedback sessions

 What will I get from being part of a research project?

• The benefit of a skilled and knowledgeable research team to help you develop your research question or aim.
• A research team that will work with your care home to gather evidence to try and answer the research question.
• Where there is strong evidence the researchers will work with you to translate the findings into an accessible format for care home practice and/or policy.
• Where evidence does not exist, the research team will draft a research outline that could tackle the research question, support you in identifying funding to conduct the research and configure a team with the relevant skills, knowledge and expertise to develop the proposal.
• We use peer review, we quality assure all our outputs before disseminating them.

How will I put the findings into practice on a day-to-day basis?

We pay attention to the elements of research communication that make outputs useful: timely, readable, actionable, rigorous, relevant and contextualised.

We use a range of media including, tailored and targeted summary briefings, engagement events, online web-based communication and both traditional and social media to support you in disseminating the findings and proposed new ways of working across your teams.

Building the profile of your care home

Being part of a NICHE-Leeds research project shows that you are a forward-thinking care provider interested in developing innovations and new ways of working.

Residents are encouraged to be part of the research studies, work with a Residents Panel to improve our research.  The feedback from residents living in care homes taking part in a NICHE-Leeds research project is that they feel confident and reassured that the quality of their care is consistently under review and looking toward continuous improvement.

Our written publication strategy includes publishing in high-impact academic, open access, policy and professional journals, to ensure our contribution to the evidence base endures. We present findings at multidisciplinary UK and international meetings as well as local seminars and conferences.