On Tuesday 17th June 2025, CIRCLE held a showcase for colleagues at the University of 91直播. During the event we heard updates from the emerging research theme leaders, and attendees took part in a workshop on building collaborations hosted by Louise Dore.
Co-Director of CIRCLE, Nathan Hughes, welcomed attendees and outlined the agenda, then announced to the room the recent news that our former Director, Professor Sue Yeandle, for services to research on care and caring in the King鈥檚 Birthday Honours on 14th June 2025.
All attendees then shared a recent achievement with the room by way of introductions; 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get an OBE this year, but鈥︹. A great way to start on a positive!
Among many achievements, Diane Burns mentioned a new international project which will examine particular technological advancement and emerging models of LTC delivery and their implications for job quality as a means to potentially address workforce shortages. The project will be launched in Helsinki at the 7th Transforming Care Conference this June.
Updates from our themes
We then heard an update from each of the themes - established or emerging - and some of the 鈥榬esearch stimulation鈥 projects CIRCLE has been able to fund this year,
Ella Monkcom and Will Mason presented a proposal for a special issue around developments in care theory, explaining their progress so far which has included workshop sessions that helped shape their approach to topics, themes and subthemes, adding that we should all keep our eyes peeled for a call for papers!
Diane Burns introduced the progress from the emerging theme studying 鈥極rganising Care, Labour and Employment鈥. Diane鈥檚 team also held a workshop event where attendees explored the meaning of the theme. Their next stage is learning more about links between aligned projects, and looking to solidify aims for the theme.
Julie Walsh updated us on the 鈥楥hildren, Young People and Families鈥 working group, co-led with Harrie Churchill and Becky Driscoll. Its former lead, Anna Leyland, was acknowledged for having provided a great foundation, establishing research interests and members as well as a list of stakeholders and partners. The theme has also drafted a 鈥榁ision鈥 statement, theme aims, and will hold a stakeholder engagement workshop on 16th July.
We then heard from PJ Annand on the 鈥楥are and Technology team. PJ welcomed any new membership to the theme, and gave an overview of the background of the current members, most of whom come from a wide range of academic backgrounds. They provided an update on the themes of research, a 鈥楶urpose鈥 statement, and their vision for the future of the team.
PJ also presented their work on 鈥楥omics in Care鈥, a project they lead with Ankita Mishra and Laruen White. This team asked CIRCLE researchers to propose ideas to be turned into graphic novels! This project involves working with artists and producing accessible outputs. A Graphic Novel Reading Room (an initiative led by Gabby Putnoki at the University of 91直播) will be held in 91直播 for these outputs when completed, and they will also appear at this year鈥檚 ESRC Festival of Social Sciences - look out for further news on these events.
Bryony Waters-Harvey introduced her CIRCLE-funded project 鈥Collective person-centred care within home care settings鈥. Bryony outlined the different stages of the project, from interviews with care staff, focus groups with care staff and then a final Round-table discussion stage. Bryony also presented a CIRCLE-funded study from colleague Louis Stokes on 鈥Supporting unwise decisions in care home settings鈥. This project plan is to create a World Caf茅 Event! These projects led to the development of a new potential theme for CIRCLE - 鈥楥are Practices鈥. Bryony and Louis welcome membership from interested colleagues!
Presenting progress on the 鈥楳ental Health鈥 theme, Maria Teresa Ferazzoli explained the rationale behind creating a new project exploring mental health. Maria Teresa has structured the project using the Network model from IMPACT, the ESRC and Health Foundation funded Centre for Adult Social Care Evidence Implementation. The team will be developing an action plan, creating a mental health forum, producing a database for collaboration, and accessible outputs such as podcasts or blogs to discuss the main learnings from the project meetings.
Maria Teresa then explained the IMPACT Networks model in greater detail, based on the Swedish Care Competency Centre鈥檚 Blended Learning model, and how the model has been applied to the Mental Health project. A workshop on this model will be held soon to encourage this kind of collaboration in CIRCLE, date TBC.
A playful workshop!
After a quick refreshment break, Cross-cutting Research Manager for Social Sciences, Louise Dore, guided us through a playful workshop on building collaborations - something crucial to how CIRCLE operates and structures its research themes and teams. This exercise has really helped us to consider where CIRCLE can add value to its members research activity, including by supporting meaningful collaboration with partner organisations and those with lived experience, and how we can maximise policy and practice impact from our work. Some key tasks for next year鈥檚 action plan.