Our deep data analysis is shaping our programme and improving our impact

We regularly analyse our data to inform our programme refinement. Our outcomes-based funding model requires a data-driven approach providing evidence of impact for payment, but it is the deep data dives that provide the insights we need to constantly improve our programme design.

For example, our analysis of our social and emotional data for our third Cohort (who finished the programme in 2020) showed us that the greatest positive change was achieved by children who started the programme with the highest levels of risk.

The charts above show the average change in score in these social/emotional areas between baseline and endpoint (green boxes around the greatest levels of change). CYP stands for children and young people.*

We are currently working with over 1,000 children who all have their own different profiles and their own tailored WLZ 2-year support plan. We always aim to provide the right support at the right time – so to confirm with statistical significance that we are having a positive impact on those children who need our support the most validates our careful process of identifying need and matching support.

We are continually building our understanding of our impact, and it is still quite early on in our journey to draw conclusions from relatively small datasets. However, information like that presented above can lead to small but important refinements in our theory of change. For example, we can use this analysis to develop how we work with schools to better target the children who need our support and will benefit the most from it in future.

Our Link Workers get to know the children and families they work with really well, and their judgement and work with parents, schools and children helps to design support plans that are impactful. However, we have also always been data-driven in our approach. Building up our evidence base will enable us to provide even more information on what works for children of similar profiles – leading to an even greater impact for each child in future.

Joe Prendiville, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Impact

*When we measure Emotional Wellbeing and Peer Relations we use a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) score which categorises results into three categories: at risk, borderline and not at risk (meaning average for their age).