The number of older people funding their care has increased within the context of transformations in statutory social care, the impact of austerity and cuts to social care funding. There is little research on self-funded care, despite its significance to policy and practice. Older people’s perspectives are marginalised in policy and practice, which are dominated by managerial concerns of resource allocation and service provision, and in research, where their voices are largely absent. This study takes an innovative approach to researching self-funding through ‘co-production’ with older people and knowledge exchange with key stakeholders. It is a collaboration between academics, social care commissioners, providers, practitioners and older people in three research sites. It will illuminate ethical dimensions of self-funded care by bringing older people’s lived experiences to the fore and contextualise these by seeking the views of care services’ commissioners and providers and family/friends who support older self-funders. The key goals are to: • Understand older people’s experiences of self-funding. • Develop theoretical understanding of the ethical issues involved in self-funded care. • Engage with older people, practitioners, health and care services’ commissioners and providers to transform understanding of self-funded care and produce accessible outputs to impact policy and practice. The number of older people funding their care has increased within the context of transformations in statutory social care, the impact of austerity and cuts to social care funding. There is little research on self-funded care, despite its significance to policy and practice. Older people’s perspectives are marginalised in policy and practice, which are dominated by managerial concerns of resource allocation and service provision, and in research, where their voices are largely absent. This study takes an innovative approach to researching self-funding through ‘co-production’ with older people and knowledge exchange with key stakeholders. It is a collaboration between academics, social care commissioners, providers, practitioners and older people in three research sites. It will illuminate ethical dimensions of self-funded care by bringing older people’s lived experiences to the fore and contextualise these by seeking the views of care services’ commissioners and providers and family/friends who support older self-funders. The key goals are to: Understand older people’s experiences of self-funding. Develop theoretical understanding of the ethical issues involved in self-funded care. Engage with older people, practitioners, health and care services’ commissioners and providers to transform understanding of self-funded care and produce accessible outputs to impact policy and practice.

The goal of this PhD is to produce a unique and comprehensive analysis of the psychosocial characteristics of those repeatedly detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act. A systematic review will first be conducted, drawing on relevant bodies of literature relating to Section 136, values based practice, frequent attendance at other frontline services, complex psychological and social needs and relevant policy and guidance documents. The next goal will be a detailed investigation into a range of interventions that have been developed by practitioners in order to reduce repeated detentions. This will incorporate interviews with those involved in the development or delivery of the interventions, as well as those with experience of using these services or partaking in the interventions and their carers. In line with the realistic evaluation model, the focus of these interviews will be on the change achieved by these interventions and the context in which they operate. The data wi ll be reviewed in an interpretive workshop involving interviewees and other public engagement panel members. Finally, this will lead to the production of an overarching programme theory that expounds the mechanisms and context in which reductions in repeat detentions are being achieved.