Most of our work is bound by client/participant confidentiality. Below however are some examples we can share, mainly focussed on social policy, to give you an idea of what case studies in general can look like.
Community Contributions Amongst Older People / Centre for Ageing Better
Background:
The Centre for Ageing better wanted to map out the ‘community contributions’ of older people in the UK, with a particular focus on ‘informal volunteering’ amongst those from ethnic minority backgrounds and lower socio-economic areas. As such, we’ve been travelling the country, to find out: how and why do people contribute to their communities, and what barriers, if any, do they face? And how could older people be better supported to help out within their communities? The case study above features Tina, from Bristol, with her partner Fred.
Testimonial:
As we still have one more case study to go, we don’t have a final testimonial to share yet. However the client emailed last week to say that, on the strength of the work we’ve done so far, they’re now intending to enter the case studies into The Daily Mirror’s ‘Pride of Britain Awards’.
Evaluating the impact of a ‘Cultural Citizens Programme’ / Arts Council England
Background:
Last year the Arts Council funded a ‘Cultural Citizens Programme’ to promote arts and culture to young people who would not normally have access or an interest. The programme was implemented by different organisations across the country. So the Arts Council wanted to find out: what was it like being on the programme, what were its impacts, and how could it be improved? We visited a pilot area in Liverpool during and after the programme, to document the experiences of one school group.
Testimonial:
“Working with Close-Up Research was a really positive experience, and we really appreciated your flexibility and patience. I felt very confident sending you to Blackpool, knowing something good would come back. I think this encapsulates both your sensitive approach and level of trust when working with people from vulnerable backgrounds. We were very pleased with the results, and the school loved the film. The level of insight you got out from the participants was particularly impressive. I’d definitely recommend you.”
– Head of Impact & Evaluation, Renaisi (commissioned the work on behalf of Arts Council England)
Assessing the impact of a ‘Family Innovation Fund’ / Essex County Council
Background:
Essex County Council’s new ‘Family Innovation Fund’ programme aims to help families and individuals in volatile situations build resilience, and reduce their reliance on statutory support. The programme is being implemented by six different partners across the region, each offering their own intervention service. As such, the client asked us to find out: what impact, if any, have these interventions had? And where could they be improved? We visited families who were recipients of different forms of intervention, each with their own story to tell. The video above follows 12-year-old Lewis, who had been experiencing extreme behaviour at home.
Testimonial:
“You quickly developed a sound understanding of the programme, and clearly explained what the process would be. You put the families at ease, and the resulting films tell moving and insightful stories, helping to bring the evaluation findings to life. Our client was extremely happy with the end results, using them to help build a case for funding their future programmes. I would thoroughly recommend Close-Up Research and would not hesitate to use them again.”
– Senior Consultant, Impact & Evaluation at OPM (commissioned the work on behalf of ECC)
Understanding the Impacts of ‘Personal Health Budgets’ / NHS England
Background:
Traditionally, local authorities determined what form of care a person with long-term conditions received, and when. However with personal health budgets, the recipient is allocated a budget directly. As such, NHS England commissioned us to find out: what are the impacts of personal health budgets? And how can the budgets be applied most effectively? We visited budget recipients across the country, each representing different demographic segments, with different long-term conditions. The video above tells the story of Adrian, as well as interviews with his personal assistant and two service providers.
Testimonial:
“You were great to work with. You’re extremely professional and really take the the time to understand our needs, balancing that effectively with providing expert advice. We’ve had great feedback from all participants, who say you asked extremely insightful questions. The quality of the case studies has been consistently high, and they’re now regularly used to help people understand the impacts of more personalised care. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending you.”
– Senior Communications Manager, NHS England