Over 800 care homes have signed up to a research programme designed to reduce common infections such as flu and coronavirus.

The VIVALDI social care programme, which is led by The Outstanding Society, UCL and Care England, is designed to build on the success of the VIVALDI study which informed national responses during Covid.

Zoe Fry, executive director of The Outstanding Society, said: “We are excited to announce that VIVALDI social care is advancing remarkably with the backing of esteemed figures in adult social care.

“Since mid-2022, we have effectively onboarded over 800 care homes into the programme and we are now approaching the imminent announcement of the pilot’s start date and specific details.

“We have received positive feedback from participating providers who express pride in their involvement. They have discussed the project with inspectors and incorporated it into their Provider Information Return (PIR) and during local authority inspections.”

If you haven’t already been onboarded, please fill out the short team form, which should take no more than four minutes. Click here to complete