EVIDENCE 2 IMPACT
Within the UK, funding to public sector services has been severely cut and further cuts are expected over the next five years; as a result children’s services are re-focusing towards treatment services and reducing funding for prevention and early intervention. Rates of emotional and behavioural difficulties in children are high (1 in 10 experience a diagnosable mental health disorder; PHE, 2016) and children’s levels of wellbeing and life satisfaction (particularly that of girls) is worryingly low (Children’s Society, 2017). Against this backdrop, third sector organisations are experiencing higher levels of demand than ever before and are required to provide evidence of impact and value for money to funders and commissioners.
The York ESRC IAA funded project will support a partnership with Chance UK (CUK). CUK is a charity supporting children experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties that place them at risk of educational exclusion, anti-social and/or criminal behaviour in adolescence and early adult life. The project will focus on re-designing two existing CUK interventions: The Girls Programme (1:1 mentoring, 2-4 hours/week), and The Parent Programme (delivered 1:1).
The EVIDENCE 2 IMPACT project has 3 objectives:
- To increase awareness of relevant, high quality research evidence and enhance service design skills in CUK staff in order to plan and prioritise improvements to the design and delivery of two specific CUK interventions (the Girls Programme and Parent Programme).
- To explore commissioner and service-user views on the strengths and weaknesses of the two existing interventions as well as their views on how to ensure the interventions best reach and meet the needs of children and families.
- To facilitate a process of service re-design leading to the implementation of two updated interventions that will be strengthened in order to maximise their positive impact on outcomes for disadvantaged children and families.
Funding
| Funder: | York ESRC IAA |
| Start Date | January 2018 |
| End Date | December 2018 |
