Caring For Carers: Innovating For Workplace Health And Wellbeing Support
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Business School
Abstract
Against the backdrop of the UK's ageing population and workforce, there is widening economic
and social concern about high rates of economic inactivity (early retirement) among people
aged 50+. Around a fifth of those who leave work early do so because of health complications,
with negative consequences for their future health and wellbeing.
Existing work by the applicant (Loretto) has found that key barriers to addressing health support
for older workers lies: firstly in their lack of understanding of the ways their health affects their
work and vice versa; and secondly in being able to communicate their health needs to
managers or to navigate the occupational health services that may be on offer to them.
This proposal will bring together that empirical knowledge alongside an exciting new tech startup
(Smplicare) with expertise in health data collection and modelling to develop an innovative
intervention which will help individuals better understand the ways in which their health, work
and wider lives interact, and will build on this understanding to offer a tool to help them more
effectively navigate their health needs at work.
The research and development will be conducted in the supported housing sector, part of an
employment sector (social care) currently facing a crisis in terms of employee commitment,
attraction and retention. The responsibility to provide care is increasing because of demographic
shifts. As such, timely and innovative intervention is much needed.
and social concern about high rates of economic inactivity (early retirement) among people
aged 50+. Around a fifth of those who leave work early do so because of health complications,
with negative consequences for their future health and wellbeing.
Existing work by the applicant (Loretto) has found that key barriers to addressing health support
for older workers lies: firstly in their lack of understanding of the ways their health affects their
work and vice versa; and secondly in being able to communicate their health needs to
managers or to navigate the occupational health services that may be on offer to them.
This proposal will bring together that empirical knowledge alongside an exciting new tech startup
(Smplicare) with expertise in health data collection and modelling to develop an innovative
intervention which will help individuals better understand the ways in which their health, work
and wider lives interact, and will build on this understanding to offer a tool to help them more
effectively navigate their health needs at work.
The research and development will be conducted in the supported housing sector, part of an
employment sector (social care) currently facing a crisis in terms of employee commitment,
attraction and retention. The responsibility to provide care is increasing because of demographic
shifts. As such, timely and innovative intervention is much needed.
Organisations
Publications
Soares, L.
(2025)
Rethinking the Value of Care: A Case Study of Sub-Micro-Level Co-Design with Scottish Care Workers.
in Co-Design
| Description | Research findings showed that staff working in social care are very active, but have poor sleeping patterns. There was close triangulation between self-reported measures of sleep and those collected via objective means (wearable device). In terms of technical development of a digital device to support health needs at work, these findings provide confidence that self-report measures of health have high validity. Nevertheless, integrating wearables into our App remains an option to improve user engagement. |
| Exploitation Route | Substantive findings on carers' health have been fed back to case study organisation. Methodological/technical findings are being used in ongoing research by the team. |
| Sectors | Healthcare |
| Description | Findings have been used by our case study employer (social care) to help better support the health needs of their older workforce. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2025 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | ESRC Impact Accelerator Funding |
| Amount | £18,808 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EDI-23/24-P0099 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2024 |
| End | 06/2025 |
| Title | SHAW App |
| Description | The IP covers the concept behind the SHAW App, now era, which is currently being developed. |
| IP Reference | |
| Protection | Patent / Patent application |
| Year Protection Granted | 2023 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | The SHAW App is registered on the Edinburgh Innovations Disclosure website. |
| Title | Supporting Healthy Ageing at Work (SHAW) App |
| Description | The SHAW App has been designed and tested as a bespoke web-based App, which uses a combination of self-assessed questions drawn from validated scales, and AI (LLM) technology to help individuals Reflect on and Review their health and work, and then take Action to get the support they need. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The App is currently being developed to testable prototype. Since 2024, it has been further developed and tested - now known as era App. Currently working with potential commercial partner towards commercialisation. |
| Description | Presentation of SHAW findings to Carers Scotland Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Purpose of conference - to share issues, challenges and good practice on combining work and informal care. My contribution was around how different types of caring responsibilities affect employees in different ways, and may therefore require different type of support. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Providing evidence for roundtable to update Scottish Government's Fairer Scotland for Older People: Framework for Action in 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Evidence was being collected to enable Scottish Government to update its Fairer Scotland for Older People: Framework for Action in 2019. Outcome not yet known. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |