WHAT WERE THE IMPACTS OF A ‘FAMILY INNOVATION FUND’? / Liam’s Story
Brief:
Essex County Council launched a ‘Family Innovation Fund’ Early Help programme to help families in volatile situations build resilience, and reduce their reliance on statutory support in the future. The programme was 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?
Result:
We visited families who were recipients of different forms of intervention, each with their own story to tell. We looked at the context leading up to referral, the experience of support, and the overall impact. Our research contributed to this written report, designed by Close-Up, and published by the Office for Public Management.
Testimonial:
“I would thoroughly recommend Close-Up Research, and would not hesitate to use you again. You quickly developed a sound understanding of the programme, and put the families at ease. Our end-client was extremely happy with the end results, emailing to say: ‘What a wonderful way to see the impact of programmes we’re trying to understand. Really highlights the importance of understanding the changes for the whole family – not just the child receiving the intervention and the parent(s) – but the siblings and others who might live at home. If ever there was evidence of holistic interventions – really great.’”
– Senior Consultant, Insight & Innovation at OPM (commissioned the work on behalf of Essex County Council)