“I couldn’t have conducted my study without the help of ENRICH Cymru network ”

Behaviour analyst, Zoe Lucock, heard about the Enabling Research In Care Homes (ENRICH) Cymru network when studying for her PhD at Bangor University and the connections she made enabled her to conduct life changing research.

ENRICH Cymru is made up of 22 care homes across Wales

The network helps support research ready care homes and allowed Zoe to conduct several research studies into the effects of behaviour analysis and bespoke solutions for older people living with dementia or those who’ve lost the capability of communicating through speech.  

Zoe Lucock, along with her business partner Emma Williams, who created Positive Ageing Consultancy & Training to help those with dementia experiencing behavioural issues, said: “Using the ENRICH Cymru network provided a human approach to my research.

“I first heard about the network, which supports research in care homes, through an email I received while studying my PhD at Bangor University. It was the perfect way for me to get access into care homes and conduct my study. I presented my work at the ENRICH Cymru launch conference and the relationship flourished from there.

“A few care homes who were interested in facilitating research approached me after hearing about my research hoping to have access to cutting edge care and treatment. My work looks at analysing the behaviour of older people who have lost the ability to speak and ways to still offer them choices in their day to day care. Aingarth Care Home in Rhos-On-Sea had highlighted a few challenges with this and were eager to get involved.

“I became part of the furniture there and worked closely with a gentleman who found it difficult to communicate and often became frustrated. Through our behavioural assessments, we discovered the best way to communicate was to provide options in a specific written format. This method can help to improve his life by enabling him to make simple but meaningful decisions, such as what to have for breakfast or how he would like to get dressed in the morning.

“Not only did this give him a voice over his care but also provided him with the dignity he deserves.”

The Enabling Research In Care Homes (ENRICH) Cymru network was established in 2018 to support and facilitate the growth of life-changing health and social care research in care homes across Wales.

Since its creation, the network has recruited 22 care homes across Wales and supported the delivery and facilitation of 15 research studies. With momentum and clear guidance from the care home sector and members of the public, ENRICH Cymru is becoming a network which is growing in importance across the country.

“I couldn’t have conducted my study without the help of ENRICH Cymru and the relationships I built at the care homes.

"It’s such a great stepping stone not only for us researchers but care home managers who wouldn’t know where to start facilitating studies,” said Zoe.

Hayley Davies, Care Home Manager at Aingarth Care Home said: “We’ve been a member of ENRICH Cymru since about 2018. We originally joined as we wanted to be part of research, to learn from the researchers and upskill our team.  

“ENRICH Cymru helped connect and support us with Zoe and the research team so we didn’t feel alone in the process. There was a small-time investment at the start to ensure the safety of our clients but from then on it was something the staff and residents all looked forward to. Zoe and the team blended in and residents benefitted from 1-1 interaction and the staff learned new processes and practices to improve their care for those with specific challenges.

Hayley Davies, Care Home Manager at Aingarth Care Home said: “People think research is scary and people come in to judge you, but that’s not the case.

"Not all research is conducted in labs and you never know you could be involved in the next big breakthrough that can not only help your clients but potentially hundreds of people.”

Stephanie Green, Coordinator of ENRICH Cymru care home network, said: “This is an excellent example of the reason why ENRICH Cymru was set up in Wales, bringing together researchers and care homes to conduct life-changing research.

“We’re excited to continue to grow the network and support more researchers like Zoe.”