Innovation at St Monica Trust

Working together to create healthy, independent futures for all

Our mission

Our goal for innovation at the St Monica Trust is to become a centre of excellence for healthy ageing and care innovation, funded through our Charitable Foundation.

We believe everyone deserves to live a healthy, independent life for as long as possible - whether that’s in their own homes, one of our retirement villages or care homes, or anywhere else they choose.

To enable this, we are building on the Trust’s 100-year history of caring by driving forward bold new initiatives that bring together experts from a wide range of disciplines. By partnering with leading researchers, innovators, and organisations across the globe, we are shaping a future where healthy ageing and care innovation thrive.

Our approach

Healthy ageing is about more than just living longer. It’s about supporting people to live their best lives, maintaining independence and maximising health and well-being. This holistic approach encompasses many factors that contribute to a fulfilling life, including:

Physical health: good sleep, hydration, nutrition; minimising the aches and pains that inevitably increase with ageing.
Mental and emotional well-being: feeling seen and supported, with strong social connections and a sense of contribution.
Environment: clean air, safe and secure homes, and accessible communities.
Disability: understanding that all of us are likely to live with a disability at some point in our lives, and supporting people with age-related disabilities, be they physical or mental, seen or unseen.

Ultimately, we believe in a whole-person approach that considers each of these elements, alongside innovative new research and technologies, to support healthy ageing.

What inspires us

Innovation in care means empowering both those who are receiving support, and those providing it - whether that’s nurses, carers, physios or family members. We want to transform care journeys by optimising the way care is delivered and experienced.

We are inspired by innovative practices from abroad, including focusing on empowering small, self-managed care teams to provide holistic and personalised care. We aim to adapt these best practices to the needs of our communities in the West of England, with a focus on empowering care workers and optimising care outcomes for residents and families.

By embracing innovation and collaboration, we can make care more compassionate, efficient, and effective, ensuring that individuals receive the support they need to live well.

Partnerships for progress

Together, we are advancing research, experimenting with new technologies, and creating impactful solutions that will benefit older people in our communities and beyond, for generations to come.

We are also excited to collaborate with charities, academics, private companies, start-ups, social enterprises, and innovators from around the world. By joining forces, we can build integrated communities where people of all ages can thrive - where connection, contribution and choice help to shape a better future for everyone.

At the St Monica Trust, we are passionate about creating a future where everyone can flourish as they grow older. But we cannot do this alone. We invite researchers, entrepreneurs, fellow care providers, or advocates for ageing to join us on this exciting journey, sharing your ideas, expertise, and collaboration to help us make a lasting impact.

Together, we can create communities that allow everyone to flourish, now and for generations to come. Let’s work together to build a world where innovation and compassion go hand-in-hand to support healthy ageing and transformative care.

Interested in partnering with us?

Blogs

Innovation in Action: Co-Designing the Rapid Response System

In collaboration with the team at Garden House, the Innovation Team recently concluded a successful trial of a co-designed Rapid Response System. This initiative, developed alongside our care and clinical teams, represents an encouraging step in demonstrating how an innovative mindset can address operational challenges in the care sector.

Spotlight

100 Years. 100 Good Ideas.

As we celebrate 100 years since St Monica Trust welcomed its first residents, we are asking for 100 Good Ideas to help people live happy, healthy and independent lives as they grow older. Ideas can be big or small, short-term or long-term, but the key is that they help us to think about the future – in our communities and beyond. The top 100 ideas will be shared in March with prizes for the top teams and individuals.