Creating a better work environment in the home care sector- participatory organizational change in practice

Funded by: FORTE
Time period: 2017-2021
Project members: Gerd Johansson, Lund University. Co-applicants: Inger Arvidsson, Kai Österberg, Christofer Rydenfält, Lund University; Charlotte Holgersson, Britt Östlund, KTH.
Project contact person: Gerd Johansson, gerd.johansson@design.lth.se

Background:

The home care sector is one of the largest women-dominated sectors and it is a sector that faces major challenges. An increasing aging population with more multi-sick people requires the expansion of home care service, while the sector at the same time suffers from very high and increasing sickness rates, high staff turnover and difficulties in recruiting competent staff. To meet these challenges, the work environment plays a key role. In this project, we intend to map existing knowledge about interventions to improve the work environment in the home care sector, and in close collaboration with four municipalities and one company, implement and systematically evaluate four interventions targeting the work environment.

Participation is a key word for the project. Throughout the project, staff from the five home care units and representatives from unions and employers will be involved, through a reference group and five intervention groups. They will contribute both in the mapping phase and in the development and implementation of the interventions.

The mapping of existing knowledge will be more extensive than most literature reviews, including scientific literature as well as grey literature. The research group assesses the effect of previous initiatives based on the group's extensive knowledge in the work environment area, and seeks to explain which mechanisms lead to success. The five interventions that are carried out are evaluated quantitatively with well-established instruments for measuring stress problems and relevant psychosocial aspects, as well as with qualitative methods.

The project will provide an overview of research and initiatives from practitioners intended to improve the work environment in the home care sector. The project will also result in five carefully evaluated interventions where previous knowledge and the participants’ own experiences of problems at work are taken into account.