Professional Development and Workforce Issues of Activity Providers in UK Care Homes: A Scoping Review

Background and Aims: This scoping review explored the role of activity providers (APs), also known as activity coordinators, in care homes for older people, and focuses on workforce issues, resources and professional development of APs in the UK. An AP is a staff member of a care home who is typically responsible for implementing activities that meet the needs of residents. Engagement in meaningful activities in care homes for older adults plays an important role in promoting older adults’ physical and mental well-being; however, despite this, evidence about AP roles is limited, and it is not known if the challenges faced in the social care workforce more generally are also a feature of activity provision roles.

Methods: The review used established scoping review methods to map concepts around AP roles, identify resources that are or are not available for activity provision in care homes and identify challenges relevant to AP roles in care homes.

Results: We identified 699 records across 11 databases, including grey literature. Sixty-eight publications were selected for screening, and 28 publications were included in the final data extraction. Thirteen publications were academic journal articles. Data extraction showed variation in the terms that are used to describe APs, with ‘activity coordinator’ being the most common. Resource issues were identified in funding, time and training for APs. The review identified recruitment and retention challenges specific to APs, such as inadequate support from frontline care staff and care home management. Most publications highlighted learning and development initiatives, which often included training in meaningful activities, dementia care and communication. These programmes produced positive outcomes: increased confidence and skills development for APs, and better community engagement.

Conclusion: The review underlines the importance of addressing workforce challenges, improving resource development and recognising the value of APs in care homes. It addresses a clear gap in the academic and grey literature by focussing specifically on APs in older people’s care homes in the UK. The review highlights the diverse terminology used to describe the staff who provide activities in care homes and points to resource limitations and limited training and development for APs. The involvement of non-AP staff in activity provision suggests collaboration with other care home staff members but also reveals a lack of protected time and staffing for dedicated activity provision roles. Improving support and role clarity for APs and recognising the value of APs in care environments may help support staff recruitment and retention.