www.theoutstandingsociety.co.uk/vivaldi-social-care
Welcome to our July edition of VIVALDI Social Care Monthly
This time our update comes from Mike Slator.
Mike is a driven Superintendent Pharmacist and Project Support Specialist at The Outstanding Society, with a strong track record in education-led pharmacy and community-centred healthcare.
As a key figure in the VIVALDI Social Care initiative, Mike plays a pivotal role in reducing infections and enhancing quality of life in care homes across England bridging frontline practice and pioneering researchdriven solutions.
The VIVALDI Social Care Team have been scheduling VIVALDI visits and have the following upcoming visits in the diary:
Risedale Care Home - 23 July 2025 rd
If you’d like to host a VIVALDI visit or attend one near you, please get in touch info@vivaldisocialcare.co.uk
www.theoutstandingsociety.co.uk/vivaldi-social-care
visits
The VIVALDI Social Care team had a truly wonderful visit to Springwood Care Home which is part of the Sheffcare group - a Sheffield-based charitable organisation that has been delivering outstanding care for over three decades
In 2024, Sheffcare proudly celebrated its 30th anniversary, with its commitment to compassionate and cost-effective care as strong as ever
We were warmly welcomed by Louise, Helen, and the rest of the fantastic team at Springwood. Our visit included an informal presentation about the VIVALDI project, which sparked thoughtful discussion and engaging questions from the Springwood staff. The VIVALDI team found it incredibly rewarding to speak directly with team members and receive such insightful feedback from those with real lived experience of care work
“From the moment we stepped inside, Springwood had a warm, relaxed, and friendly atmosphere. It was clear why so many of the team members have chosen to stay with them for years” said Lucy Knight (VIVALDI Social Care Coordinator)
After enjoying a truly fantastic lunch (for which we were thoroughly spoiled!), we had the opportunity to tour the home.
That same homely atmosphere continued throughout the building a true home from home, which is a real credit to Helen Gibson, Registered Manager, and Hannah, Deputy Manager.
Helen Gibson, Registered Manager at Springwood, shared:
“Springwood welcomed a visit from the VIVALDI team, which provided us with a great opportunity to discuss and explore the VIVALDI project with our teams. The visit was informative, everyone was engaged in the process, and we are excited to continue enhancing our home through this project.”
We are incredibly grateful for the hospitality and enthusiasm shown by everyone at Springwood. Visits like these are invaluable.
Thank you Sheffcare
Speak Up for Social Care: Join Our Steering Committee!
Are you a care worker in a residential care home in England? Do hospital discharge summaries land on your desk and leave you scratching your head? Here's your chance to change that
We’re looking for passionate adult social care professionals to join a Steering Committee for a groundbreaking 3-year research project hosted by University College London This project aims to improve hospital discharge summaries so they actually work for the people who use them you!
What’s it about?
You’ll be part of a committee helping shape how discharge summaries are written, understood, and shared Your input will directly guide national research on making these summaries clearer and more useful plus, there’s a chance to explore how AI might help too
What’s in it for you?
Paid participation (£25–£75 per meeting)
One-on-one expert coaching in public speaking, advocacy & leadership
All expenses covered for in-person events
A real chance to shape the future of adult social care
Who we’re looking for:
You work in a non-nursing residential care home in England
You read or use hospital discharge summaries in your role
You want to make a difference in care, now and for the future
You’re ready to learn new skills and have your voice heard
You’re not a registered healthcare professional (past or present)
You’ll attend remote meetings and one in-person event in Manchester, Newcastle or London Tech support and travel covered!
Apply by 9am on 14 July 2025
Email your CV and a short cover letter to rmhical@ucl.ac.uk
Subject line: Bridges Steering Committee: Social Care Professional YOUR NAME
Let’s build better bridges between hospitals and care homes starting with your voice
VIVALDI SOCIAL CARE MONTHLY
JOIN THE ADULT SOCIAL CARE ENGAGEMENT COLLECTIVE (ASCEC)
Coproduction and stakeholder engagement has highlighted that it is essential for the care sector to maintain control over how data can be used and what we must prioritise.
The ASCEC seeks to include a broad spectrum of stakeholders from across the social care sector (including residents, providers and commissioners) to ensure that research is driven by the sector, for the sector.
These meetings are virtual for 1 hour on the second Tuesday of each month.
Microsoft Teams meeting:
Meeting ID: 393 285 053 338
Passcode: WncBqs
Please click on the above image to view all previous meeting recordings on our website.
If you are interested in being a part of this collective, please click here to contact us.
Our next VIVALDI drop in session is: WEDNESDAY 6 AUGUST 2025 th
Join us for a 30-minute drop in session where your team, residents, relatives, or visiting professionals can hear updates, ask questions about the project, and provide feedback.
Future sessions will recur every first Wednesday of the month from 13:00-13:30
Please find the recurring Teams invite here.
Kindly save the dates in your diary and invite others to attend
Our VIVALDI training is changing.
You will soon be able to attend training online, at a time that suits you, in your own time.
We hope to have more info soon.
OPT-OUT INFORMATION
OPT-OUT: We've been asked whether providers should share details with the project team if someone opts out. We can confirm that this information should NOT be shared with anyone outside your team at any point. When the project goes live, you will simply use the opt-out feature within your digital system There will be no need to share the details of those opting out with anyone outside your organisation.
CONTRACTS INFO
Contracts—As the pilot stage of VIVALDI Social Care is now complete, UCL should have been in touch to ask you to sign the relevant contract with them if you haven't already done so. Lucy will provide the relevant details to the UCL team.
www.theoutstandingsociety.co.uk/vivaldi-social-care
Research Needs You: You Are Not ‘Just a Carer’
For too long, research has been seen as something that belongs to academics—a world of white coats, PhDs, and complex language. Meanwhile, the care home workforce the very people who understand the real challenges and possibilities in social care—have often been made to feel like outsiders to that world.
The Two Worlds Need to Connect
There’s a long-standing perception that academia and frontline care exist on completely different wavelengths. On one side, you have researchers with grants, jargon, and publications On the other, care workers running off their feet, delivering compassionate care under pressure, and often feeling unheard. But these two worlds shouldn’t be separate In fact, they need each other
Care home workers hold the key to impactful, real-world research. They are the ones in the room, day in and day out, caring for residents, noticing patterns, identifying gaps, and, most importantly, understanding what needs to change to improve care. That kind of knowledge can’t be taught in a textbook It comes from lived experience
“When care workers are actively involved in research, the potential for positive change in social care grows enormously”
To every care worker who’s ever thought, “I’m just a carer” you’re not just anything You’re the eyes, ears, and heart of social care You have more expertise than you realise, and the research world needs that.
I used to feel like I didn’t belong in research But someone believed in me, and that changed everything. Now, I get to be the person who tells other care home workers: you belong here too
Research isn’t just for academics. It’s for everyone.
Read the full blog here:
The field of research within Social Care continues to grow rapidly.
This channel looks to showcase how easy taking part is and the benefits of participation.
Catch up by clicking on the Careology podcast logo or visiting www.careology.podbean.com
You don’t need to have attended the Care Show to benefit from the valuable insights shared during our Learning Lounge sessionsbut we’d still love to see you at future events!
Below you’ll find a link to audio recordings of the sessions (including the VIVALDI Social Care Session), hosted on Podbean. Feel free to listen online or download them to your device at your convenience
We always welcome feedback, questions, or expressions of interest if you’d like to get involved in a future session. Please do contact us at comms@theoutstandingsociety.co.uk we’d love to hear from you!
www.theoutstandingsociety.co.uk/vivaldi-social-care
