A £20million funding boost has been announced by the Government for social care research in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care’s investment will fund the next five years of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School of Social Care Research (SSCR).

Caroline Dinenage, Care Minister, said: “Thanks to the advances in healthcare, people in England are living longer than ever before.

“That’s a testament to world-leading research and is clearly something to celebrate, but it’s important to think about how we can adapt our health and care system to meet the changing population’s needs.”

The NIHR SSCR funds adult social care research and training for research staff and brings together leading academic centres for social care research in England.

“This £20million boost to social care research is an investment in the future and will help us understand how to provide care and support that keeps people living healthy, happy and independent lives for as long as possible,” said Ms Dinenage.

The funding will be used to develop work in areas such as dementia and care homes to provide more effective services.

A further £1.8million investment is also being made for training researchers through the new NIHR Academy.