'I wasn't on the front line , but I was part of health care': Contributions and experiences of ancillary staff in care homes in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: Ancillary staff - cleaning, catering, housekeeping and laundry workers - play a crucial role in care homes, by promoting infection control, food preparation and hygiene, and contributing to the care home environment. This study sought to understand the experiences of ancillary staff working in English care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results will inform policy makers, employers, care home managers and others, both in England and overseas, as how to best support the ancillary workforce.

'You're out on a limb, on your own': Social care personal assistants' (PAs') reflections on working in the Covid-19 pandemic - implications for wider health and care services.

Context: In England, Personal Assistants (PAs) are part of an international trend towards state funded but client-hired or directly employed care workers. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted and exacerbated pre-existing risks and advantages of this arrangement for both PAs and people with care and support needs.

Objectives: We aim to report PAs' reflections on their experiences of working since the pandemic started in 2020 and highlight the longer-term implications for health and care services.