Recipient organisationUniversity of ManchesterSource-published name: The University of Manchester
Funding£408K
PeriodApr 2025 — Mar 2027
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
Manchester City Council is about to analyse four years of its own routine social care data to find out who gets reablement services—and who does not. Reablement is a short-term intervention that helps people regain independence after a hospital stay or manage long-term needs without escalating to costly, intensive care. But evidence suggests that access to these services is uneven, and the reasons are poorly understood. This project will use person-level data from 2020 to 2024, mapping service locations, referral patterns, and outcomes across neighbourhoods. It will ask whether geography, deprivation, ethnicity, or referral source predict who receives reablement and who achieves independent living afterwards. If the research succeeds, Manchester City Council will have a data-driven map of where and why inequalities occur. That could lead to targeted changes in how reablement is offered—adjusting referral pathways, rebalancing geographic coverage, or addressing demographic gaps. The methods are designed to be replicable by other local authorities, so the impact could extend beyond Manchester. The project does not aim to develop a new therapy or device; it aims to make an existing public service fairer and more effective by revealing the hidden patterns in its own data.
View original technical description
Background: Adult social care is crucial in supporting individuals with diverse needs, however, significant inequalities are evident in access to and provision of these services. These disparities exacerbate the vulnerability of marginalised groups, affecting care outcomes and their quality of life. This project focuses on reablement services, a time limited intervention designed to promote independence following hospital discharge or manage the long-term care needs to prevent or delay advanced care. Understanding the factors associated with inequalities in reablement services is essential to the delivery of inclusive and effective care. This project will evaluate these services by analysing routine, person-level social care data collected locally. While NHS routine data evaluation is established, its use in adult social care to provide data-driven insights is evolving. Aim of the project: This research aims to evaluate inequalities in reablement services within Manchester City Council s Adult Social Care system. Specifically, it investigates the following research questions: Service Offer (RQ1): Are reablement services equally available across Manchester, or is there geographic inequality? Access (RQ2): Are there barriers to equal reablement access based on referral sources, geographic location, socio-economic factors, or other determinants? Outcomes (RQ3): What factors influence independent living post-reablement? Do geography, socio-economics, demographics, support needs, and operational factors impact outcomes? Methods: Data collation The study will use routine, person-level social care data collated by Manchester City Council for individuals receiving reablement services between 2020 and 2024. This includes demographic, health, socio-economic, and service usage data, linked using unique identifiers and area-level socio-economic indicators. Data analysis Service Offer (RQ1): Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques will be used to map the distribution of reablement services across Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs). Comparative analysis will identify areas with disproportionate access. Access (RQ2): Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression will identify predictors of reablement service access, considering factors such as demographics, referral sources, and socio-economic status. Outcomes (RQ3): Hierarchical multilevel logistic regression models will assess the impact of individual (e.g., age, ethnicity, health condition) and neighbourhood-level factors (e.g., deprivation, built environment) on reablement outcomes. Timeline for delivery: Davies, with support from co-lead Clarkson, will manage the 24-month project (April 2025 to March 2027) in collaboration with Manchester City Council's Performance and Intelligence Team. The scoping phase (April to December 2025) focuses on securing ethical approval, scoping the literature, and finalising data arrangements, including data collation. The analysis stage (January to October 2026) will employ advanced statistical techniques to address the three research questions. In the dissemination phase (October 2026 to March 2027) findings will be shared through various platforms with stakeholders. Throughout the timeline, PPIE activities are embedded to ensure that the perspectives of individuals are reflected throughout the research process. Anticipated impact and dissemination: The findings will inform strategies to address inequalities in reablement services, aiding local authorities in improving service delivery and equity. Dissemination will occur through academic publications and local authority forums to extend the study's reach to practitioners. Public engagement will ensure that user perspectives are central to the research and its dissemination.
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