Year 3 Evaluation Report Summary 2019
Next steps
Programme funding and future planning
The Neighbourhoods that Work Programme has a high profile across the neighbourhoods it supports and with key services providers/wider stakeholders. Partners understand why it was established, the priorities and core activities. This is a key strength. There is a need however to more fully articulate and publicise the impact generated.
There is a requirement to establish a timetable for the Council to consider the model for future neighbourhood management and community development activity. It is recommended that this is undertaken during 2019, to enable necessary evidence to be collected, options to be appraised and future funding sources identified. The willingness and commitment of partner agencies to support this kind of work in the future needs to be explored as part of this thinking.
As the projected end date moves closer, there is a need for a strategic review to answer the following key questions:
- have the outcomes and impacts generated been worth the investment made?
- what outcomes and impacts would we expect to see generated with further investment post October 2020?
- how has the NTW programme approach contributed to the strategic priorities of GYBC and other partner organisations?
- what is the scope from 2020 onwards?
- what is the mechanism to bring partner agencies together to identify specific outcomes which they can have a strong impact upon only by working together much more effectively or redesigning services across organisational boundaries?
- what is the mechanism for securing a dialogue with all public sector partners about co-funding successful elements of the NTW programme from 2020?
There is a need for the NTW to identify a prioritised list of services to be improved, the reasons why this is important, etc. Such an approach, if presented the correct way, is likely to appeal to senior decision makers to deliver stronger outcomes. This could include:
- housing providers - to better support vulnerable people, particularly those with insecure tenancies
- adult and children's services - they support a large number of parents and there is scope for family support plans to include access to a wider range of more suitable community-based activities
- Environmental Services - to work with communities on environmental issues such as recycling and improving street cleanliness
- Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust to develop the recovery centre model further so that it uses community assets as part of building resilience and recovery for residents
- probation service - to link probationers more effectively into community-based support networks and provision to prevent re-offending
- training and employability support providers to ensure that employability support is more person-centred, flexible and bespoke to the individual and employers
- young people's services - for delivery to be more reflective of the preferences of young people
- voluntary sector to make volunteering more creative, dynamic and inclusive
There is a need for senior management and political leaders to understand the added value of the NTW approach and the added value generated to some of the most vulnerable people and key services.
Whilst the programme can evidence clear positive impact in a number of areas, there is an emphasis during August/September 2019 to scrutinise the programme database to identify the wider impact of community development work, including the importance of social connection, on employability and health outcomes. The next evaluation report due later in 2019 will present a more comprehensive picture of the impact to date.
Full evaluation report
