Learning and development in care homes: The picture in the UK

A systematic literature review of peer reviewed journal articles was carried out to explore learning and development in nursing and residential care homes nationally. A comprehensive search of databases identified 29 articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The articles were reviewed to identify the main themes, and a random sample of papers was reviewed by a second reviewer; this showed good inter-rater reliability (agreement among them). The articles included one literature review, 16 articles about specific courses, and 12 on issues focusing on learning and development. A number of details were collected from each article where available (i.e. background, main aims, and main findings). The review highlights a number of issues. Firstly, there is a large amount of information missing, including information about ethics, piloting, and sampling methods. Furthermore, there is a lack of user and carer involvement both as researchers and participants. Additionally, there is virtually no discussion of whether or not staff working in the care home sector may benefit from learning and development on study skills. There is very little information about accredited courses; most courses discussed are short, unaccredited courses. The review uncovered many recommendations made by the authors, and further recommendations are apparent from the limitations found in the review. Recommendations discussed include focusing on policy makers, gaps in current skills, planning, delivery and evaluation of courses, and future research. This paper shows that steps can be taken to fill the gaps identified. For example, it is important that existing gaps in skills are understood and appropriate courses are planned, delivered, and evaluated.