New report on arts and social care launched

First published on Tue, September 17, 2013.

A new report into the role of the arts within the delivery of social care has been published this week, the culmination of a study commissioned by Creative & Cultural Skills, Skills for Care, and Skills for Care and Development.

The way in which people are supported in communities continues to change, and there is increasing recognition that the arts can help promote quality of life and independence. The new research, conducted by Consilium Research and Consultancy, involved a rapid evidence assessment, an activity mapping exercise and a workshop with stakeholders.

It is intended that the report will inform future thinking around the role of arts in the delivery of social care and in particular the implications for workforce development.

The report highlighted existing examples of good practice, but also stressed both the need for greater awareness of the importance of providing creative activities in care settings, and the need for workforce development to support the adult social care workforce in using arts effectively as a part of care.

Speaking at the event, Catherine Large, Joint CEO, Creative & Cultural Skills, highlighted the need for greater dialogue between the creative and social care sectors:

"The care sector needs to recruit an estimated 90,000 qualified workers per year to replace those leaving the sector through retirement and career progression. At the same time, there are thousands of young people graduating from creative arts courses every year who struggle to find employment – surely there is a way we can work together to create meaningful roles for creative practitioners whilst also benefiting those in care settings?"

Read the full report: What do we know about the role of arts in the delivery of social care?