Evaluation of the Volunteering in Care Homes Project
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Evaluation of the Volunteering in Care Homes Project
IRAS ID
143456
Contact name
Nick Ockenden
Contact email
Research summary
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has been funded by the Department of Health to carry out a
threeyear
project piloting the involvement of social and emotional support volunteers in care homes for older people
across five local authority areas. The project aims to engage at least 10 care homes in 5 local authority areas and
develop partnerships with local Volunteer Centres. As part of the Volunteering in Care Homes (ViCH) project, the
Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) has been commissioned to evaluate the pilot and to assess the impact of the
project on residents (in terms of quality of care and quality of life), relatives and friends, volunteers, staff, partner
organisations (such as Volunteer Centres or Clinical Commissioning Groups) and the community. There is also an
important formative strand to the evaluation which will explore what factors underpin or inhibit this impact by drawing
out the key strengths, weaknesses, challenges and good practice principles that emerge throughout the pilot.
The evaluation will adopt a mixed methods approach utilising comprehensive monitoring data, online questionnaires
and both light touch and indepth
case studies(where residents, relatives and friends will be involved).
Social Care REC Form Reference:
13/IEC08/0050
IRAS Version 3.5
Date: 26/11/2013 5 143456/532034/27/881
Institute for Volunteering Research (IVR) has been commissioned to evaluate the pilot and to assess the impact of the
project on residents (in terms of quality of care and quality of life), relatives and friends, volunteers, staff, partner
organisations (such as Volunteer Centres or Clinical Commissioning Groups) and the community. There is also an
important formative strand to the evaluation which will explore what factors underpin or inhibit this impact by drawing
out the key strengths, weaknesses, challenges and good practice principles that emerge throughout the pilot.
The evaluation will adopt a mixed methods approach utilising comprehensive monitoring data, online questionnaires
and both light touch and indepth
case studies(where residents, relatives and friends will be involved).REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
13/IEC08/0050
Date of REC Opinion
17 Jan 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion