This project is no longer active and all user accounts are now disabled. It is archived here for reference purposes only.
Methodology
- Desk research was undertaken to identify relevant studies, key resources and research about social care information online in order to obtain an overview of the relevant issues and to identify emerging themes.
- Over fifty websites providing information about social care services in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors were reviewed.
- Discussions were held with five e-marketplace providers in the care sector to establish the key issues and concerns in delivering online information about social care services.
- Telephone discussions took place with five social care staff in three local authorities contacted through LinkedIn, a business-related social networking site, to explore the support they require to act as "signposters" to online services.
- The fifteen responses to the blog post “Do we need an "Amazon style[b]" rating service for care?” were reviewed (Ayres, 2010).
- Online discussions were held with ten service users and carers through Twitter, Facebook and forums to explore how they use social media to access social care information.
