Kate Gridley
Research Fellow

Profile

Biography

Kate Gridley is a social care Research Fellow at the University of York specialising in dementia care research for the Older Adults' Social Care Research (OSCAR) group  She joined the University of York in 2006 and has worked on and led numerous multi-site NIHR funded research projects. Much of Kate's work focuses on the intersection between health and social care services, and the experience of navigating these complex systems from the perspectives of people using services and their carers, using the concept of navigation capital. Projects include Care Confidence in Action designed to support and evaluate the implementation of a decision aid for older social care self-funders; the Good Life with Dementia research evaluating a peer-led course for people recently diagnosed with dementia; and DETERMIND. Kate is public involvement lead for the University of York's NIHR School for Social Care hub and is an NIHR Research Support Service advisor for other social care researchers Kate is currently undertaking a PhD attached to DETERMIND looking at the tensions between person-centred practice and standardised data collection 

Qualifications

• BA (Hons), Newcastle University
• MRes, University of York

Research

Projects

Current projects

View ORCID profile

Supporting self-funders to make confident care decisions: ‘Care Confidence in Action’

1 April 2025 to 30 September 2027
This study will support and evaluate the use of Care Confidence within service pathways for older social care self-funders.

Recently completed research projects

Good Life with Dementia

1 January 2023 to 31 March 2024
Understanding the Role of 'Peer Tutors' in Post-Diagnostic Support for People with Dementia: A Realist Process Evaluation of the Good Life with Dementia Course: An Evaluation of the Good Life with Dementia Course to explore how and why peer led support might benefit people with Dementia.

The preferences of older self-funders navigating community social care (the PRESENCE study)

January 2020 to December 2021
Investigating the preferences and decisions of older self-funders of community social care as they navigate the system.

DETERMIND: Determinants of quality of life, care and costs, and consequences of inequalities in people with dementia and their family carers

January 2019 to December 2023
DETERMIND is designed to address critical, fundamental, and as yet unanswered questions about inequalities, outcomes and costs following diagnosis with dementia.

The influence of social care on delayed transfers of care (DTOC) among older people

April 2017 to March 2019
This project will explore the relationship between the discharge approach employed by a particular NHS/local authority site and their delayed transfers of care (DTOC) rates. The project aims to answer two questions: 1) why delays are happening; and 2) how they might be reduced or prevented.

Specialist nursing support for unpaid carers of people with dementia

November 2015 to July 2017
This project is evaluating a specialist support service for the carers of people with dementia.

Evaluation of 'Life Story' intervention: Feasibility study

July 2012 to March 2015
Everybody has a life story. These are rich and varied and can be used to communicate who we are to the people around us. People with dementia sometimes need help to communicate their histories and identities, and 'life story work' might provide a way for them to do this more easily.

External activities

Overview

• Public involvement lead for the University of York's NIHR School for Social Care hub
• NIHR Research Support Service advisor
• Member of the Advisory Committee - NIHR Research for Social Care funded project: 'Living alone with dementia: managing without formal support to contact and navigate services'