Gareth O'Rourke

Before becoming a researcher, I had a long career in the caring professions, first as a nurse working mostly with older people with physical and mental frailty and later as a social worker. My social work experience was gained mostly in hospital settings, supporting older people, their families and carers through the experience of illness and frailty, and helping them to make sustainable care arrangements on discharge.

In the latter part of my social care career I held a variety of development and management posts, including policy and practice development; community development; commissioning; and senior operational management. My last post was Head of Service – Adult Social Care with Bristol City Council 2017-2019.

I was awarded a Doctorate in Social Science in 2014. My doctoral research (undertaken in the South West of England) explored older people’s experience of using social care services, including what constituted ‘personalisation’ and how it was achieved in practice. Since then I have worked on several studies, including an evaluation of the impact of Care Act implementation on older carers (University of Bristol), and a synthesis of evidence related to recovery from persistent delirium in older people (University of Exeter). Before moving to the University of York, I worked on a qualitative study exploring the experience of people living with mild or moderate dementia during Covid-19 restrictions and identifying effective ways of supporting them (Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter).  

Qualifications

• DSocSci (Bristol)
• MSc (Bristol)
• DipSW (Plymouth)

Current / recently completed research

The Home Instead Research ProgrammeJanuary 2021 - December 2023

A three-year programme to stimulate new research and promote evidence-based practice in the field of home care.