WHAT IS CURIOUS ABOUT CARE?

Curious about Care is a values-based recruitment quiz designed to help in-home care providers in the process of recruiting staff. Candidates take a quick and easy quiz on their smartphone, computer or tablet, and recruitment managers then receive their results with a short report on their suitability for care work.

The quiz uses "Situational Judgement Tests", which are a widely-used Human Resources technique for supporting recruitment to values-based professions. Using fictionalised versions of real-life care worker scenarios, applicants are asked to put themselves in a care workers' shoes, and to consider how they might respond to different dilemmas.

Recruitment managers can construct a tailored quiz from up to 11 scenarios which were developed during research led by the University of York.

WHY USE CURIOUS ABOUT CARE?

Care work is a values-based occupation. However, identifying whether people have the right values for the job can be very difficult. Since values cannot be observed easily, recruiters sometimes infer values from things they can observe, such as other characteristics or appearance. Research evidence has shown that traditional interviews can sometimes result in biased assessments.

A structured test, such as the Curious about Care quiz, can provide objective information for use alongside interviews. It can also highlight for induction or training needs.

Curious about Care is a free recruitment tool, and is based on university research that was co-produced with alongside older people and families with lived experiences.

HOW TO USE CURIOUS ABOUT CARE

Step 1 - Design your quiz

You will start by visiting https://curiousaboutcare.org.uk/ to design your unique quiz. The homepage has all you need to know about Curious about Care, including short descriptions of the scenarios you can choose from.

As the recruitment manager, you enter your name and email address using the boxes on the right-hand side of the homepage. You will then choose the scenarios you want to include in your quiz, and agree to our terms and conditions. Your name and email address will be stored on a secure database, which the research team at the University of York may use to contact you about your experience of using the quiz.

When you select your scenarios, you will see that three are automatically selected: Lazslo, Stephen and Miss Holtby. These three scenarios test a range of social care values and have been selected as the base for every quiz.

The more scenarios you choose, the more reliable the results will be, but the longer it will take for your candidate to complete them. This is a judgement call, but we would advise that the quiz should have a minimum of 5 or 6 scenarios in total.

Step 2 - Send the link to your quiz to your candidates

Once you submit your name, email address and chosen scenarios, you will receive a personalised URL link by email (if you have not received this, please check your spam/junk folder).

You should now send the link to as many candidates as you wish. Each candidate can use the same link.

Alongside the link you may want to provide some instructions. You will see a suggested form of words alongside the link in the automated email you have received.

Step 3 - Reviewing the results

Once a candidate completes the quiz using your unique link, you will receive a copy of their answers, together with a simple report based on their answers. Each candidate will be placed into one of 4 categories:

• Above average
• About average
• Below average or
• Far below average

We advise that you pay particular attention when recruiting those with 'below' or 'far below' average scores. Whilst low scores do not necessarily mean that the candidate should not be employed, it may indicate that they have a misunderstanding about the values underpinning care work. This may require attention during induction or training.

THE EVIDENCE-BASE FOR CURIOUS ABOUT CARE

The Curious about Care quiz is the result of a research project undertaken by social care researchers at the University of York. It was funded by the Abbeyfield Research Foundation and NIHR School for Social Care Research.

Curious about Care evaluates candidate values against three principles of person-centred care: (i) understanding the person; (ii) supporting their involvement in decisions; and (iii) reciprocal care relationships.

The scenarios used in Curious about Care were based on in-depth interviews with social care staff, who were asked about how these values guided or were stretched in their real-life care experiences.

For each of these care scenarios, older people living with dementia were asked to consider the appropriateness of many different possible responses. Their deliberations were the basis of the 'mark sheet' underpinning the Curious about Care quiz.

The quiz has been tested by more than 250 people as part of a comprehensive evaluation of its quality. The research found that:

• People found Curious about Care to be straightforward to complete;
• Care workers who completed the quiz said it was a realistic portrayal of the job;
• People without experience in care work had improved perceptions of the job after
completing Curious about Care.
• People who get a good score on Curious about Care were more likely to have
personality attributes aligned with social care (being highly empathetic and creative individuals);
• People who score well tend to have the highest job satisfaction;
• Curious about Care is 'psychometrically robust': meaning it gives valid and reliable
measurement;
• People who score well have values closely aligned to person-centred care.

FAQs

How much does it cost to use the Curious about Care quiz?

Using the Curious about Care quiz is completely free. It was designed to help the social care sector and want as many people to be able to use it as possible.

What will happen with my data/email address?

In order to use the quiz, recruiting managers are required to share their name and email address with the researchers at the University of York. We are always keen to improve and develop and build on the quiz platform so we may be in touch to discuss your experiences and seek your advice on changes. We may invite you to participate in future research.

How many scenarios should I pick?

All quizzes will include 3 required scenarios - Lazslo, Stephen and Miss Holtby - as a minimum. The more scenarios you pick the more accurate the tool assessment will be. Therefore, we suggest you pick 2-3 additional scenarios as a minimum (so 5-6 overall).

Are the scenarios fictional?

The scenarios are based on interviews with real social care staff, but have been anonymised and adapted.

Were the scenarios tested?

Yes - the scenarios were extensively tested with over 250 people, including those with and without experience working in homecare.

How long does the quiz take?

This will depend on the number of scenarios you select. If you select all 11 scenarios, we estimate the quiz will take approximately 15-20 minutes. If you select 5-6 scenarios, we estimate it will take 8-10 minutes to complete.

How will I know when a candidate has completed the quiz?

You will receive an email each time someone completes the quiz associated with your unique link. This will include the candidate details, their score on the traffic light system and also a detailed list of their answers.

Do I need to create a different quiz for each applicant/candidate/quiz taker?

No - you can use the same link for multiple people. If however, you want to use different scenarios for different job roles, you can create different quizzes.

What should I do if a candidate has a 'red' traffic light score?

The Curious about Care quiz is one part of the recruitment process and not the definitive answer to their suitability for care work. Should a candidate achieve a low score, this means that their answers on Curious about Care were some way off what people with lived experience value in support. However, the Curious about Care quiz does not give an option for people to explain their answers. We advise that you discuss any concerning answers at interview, and allow people to explain their thinking and interpretation. This will give you a fuller picture of their values, and also identify possible areas for training or clarification.

Contacts

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please email curious-about-care@york.ac.uk and one of the team will get back to you.

Acknowledgements

The Curious about Care resource was developed by the University of York supported by Skills for Care, and designed by PLMR Ltd. The research was supported through the generous advice of LMCP.

This study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research School for Social Care Research (SSCR). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.