Project Summary
ESSENCE is a free online resource funded by the NIHR School for Social Care Research that brings together economic evidence on adult and children’s social care interventions. It is intended for decision-makers, commissioners, policymakers, researchers, and anyone with an interest in the economic dimensions of social care. In the current phase of ESSENCE (until December 2028), we are continuing to add to the toolkit of evidence to support the effective and efficient use of resources across the social care sector. We have four main aims: improving access to economic evidence; presenting this evidence in a clear and accessible format; building skills and capacity among those working in social care; and identifying and aiming to fill gaps in the current evidence base.
Work Currently Underway
Current activities include generating new evidence, strengthening collaborations across the sector, providing training and capacity-building opportunities, and exploring priorities for further research and development.
Outputs
Outputs
The online toolkit currently provides three core components: plain-English case summaries written in non-technical language, a searchable database of published evidence, and a glossary accompanied by a range of additional resources such as training materials and publications.
- Essence website link to the project resources Resource | The Essence Project (where we keep uploading new outputs as soon as available) and
- link to the toolkit Essence Toolkit | The Essence Project.