Making Intergenerational Programs ‘Stick’: Learning from the Care Home FaNs ‘Broker model’ Linking Schools and Care Homes in England

Abstract

Practitioners are vital for effective intergenerational practice, but they are often unsupported, untrained, or under-resourced. This paper explores the Care Home Friends and Neighbours (Care Home FaNs) Intergenerational Linking project’s “broker model” as a novel approach to supporting intergenerational practitioners. Between 2019 and 2022, “local community brokers,” or “brokers,” helped link schools, youth groups, and care homes in 11 low socio-economic areas across England. Connecting over 4000 young people (aged 5–14) and 2000 adult social care residents, this represents one of the largest initiatives of this kind in England to date. This paper focuses on a subset of data from a wider study of the project, drawing upon object interviews and observations to explore brokers’ facilitatory role. We highlight brokering as a more-than-(just)human activity involving national and regional guidance, COVID-19 policies, inter-organizational relationships, staff turnover, and resource (un)availability. We suggest that brokering reveals intergenerational practice sustainability as a non-linear process of nurturing.