Building multi professional UK partnerships and networks to improve access to palliative care for people experiencing homelessness

Background

People experiencing homelessness have high rates of multi-morbidity and age related conditions at a young age and die young. The lack of palliative care support and appropriate places of care means very unwell people with complex problems are often supported by homelessness staff, with hospitals used instead of more appropriate community support. In order for people affected by homelessness to receive high quality care, multi-professional input is required, but rare.

There is increasing awareness across the health and social care sector of a need to improve access to palliative care for this group. However, no central network exists whereby those with clinical, research or lived experience can share ideas, resources and learning to explore and reduce current inequity.

Aims:

•Create a sustainable partnership of practitioners, researchers and people with lived experience of homelessness to drive enthusiasm for research, promote shared learning and a multidisciplinary approach to care for this group towards the end of life

•Understand and expand research scope and capacity in this sphere by involving those experienced in palliative care and/or homelessness work but with limited research experience and those with opposite skill set •Identify from the network research priorities •Develop a funding proposal for the NIHR Palliative and End of Life Care stage 2 call

Objectives

•Connect people from different backgrounds, with lived experience of homelessness, or whose work touches palliative care in a national network using Project ECHO •Map current research and best practice •Match people with suitable academic or practice experience as partners to build capacity (buddying)

•Produce guidance to support involving people with lived experience of homelessness in palliative care research •Facilitate peer led workshops for people experiencing homelessness •Use Deep Inclusion Methodologies to identify research priorities

•Share learning to enable wider system-learning including how NIHR infrastructure could support community based research Methods

This innovative project aims to unite the diverse field of research and practice surrounding palliative and homelessness. Its multi-professional, multi-site nature will generate unique insights, connections and opportunities for coproduced, impactful research and improved care. The applicants are those with track records of research and impact in this sphere, of involving homeless people in research or are at the forefront of practice.

Project stages 1.Identify potential network members – using professional networks and online engagement events

2.Establish a sustainable network to support cohesion, co-learning, identification and prioritisation of research questions and guidance for research in this field. This will be undertaken via Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) and peer led workshops to map current research and clinical activity across the UK, identify and prioritize research questions with real world importance and develop guidance for involving people with lived experience of homeless in palliative care research

3.Coproduce a research proposal for the stage 2 call based on a research question prioritised by the network and where there is a known evidence gap Potential impact

We will deliver cohesion, mutual learning, collegiate support and collective power to an important but disconnected area of research and practice