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Demonstrating our Impact

It’s vital that we measure the impact we have. It ensures we effectively assess not only the value of our support, but the difference it makes to people’s lives. More than just counting numbers, impact is the long-term contribution we can make to:

  • The lives of services users
  • The communities they live in
  • Reducing the need for further care and support in the future

Impact Reports

Our latest impact report explores how Family Action has been ‘taking action’ – whether that is creating new service models to meet emerging needs, fundraising so we can offer additional help, or supporting families to have a bolder, stronger voice.

 

Our 2022 impact report looks at how we have supported families to thrive in an uncertain time, shares more about our work, social value and our theory of change which underpins everything we do.

Family Action Impact Report 2022

This report demonstrates how we have responded to the challenges posed by COVID-19, through adapting our work, supporting our staff and volunteers, continuing with business as usual wherever safe and possible, and innovating in order to meet new needs emerging for families or to continue to provide support in different ways.

Family Action: our response to the challenges of COVID-19

Our fifth impact report looks at how Family Action has continued to evolve over the last 150 years, in order to improve our services and better meet the needs of our service users.

Family Action Impact Report Issue 5

Family Action’s fourth impact report looks at how the charity has continued to challenge itself and to innovate to ensure we support the most vulnerable children and families across the country.

Family Action Impact Report issue 4

Our third impact report focuses on understanding how our services have had a positive effect on the lives of the children, young people and families we support.

Family Action Impact Report issue 3

The second impact report we commissioned highlights how we use the Theory of Change to demonstrate how our activities contribute to outcomes which, in turn, help us achieve our final goal.

Family Action Impact Report issue 2

Our 2014 inaugural Impact Report focused on a successful service from each of our areas of work.

Family Action Impact Report issue 1

 

Academic projects and wider research

In 2020 and 2021 Family Action worked with Essex academics to find out how family relationships had been affected by the pandemic to help plan future services. Families have coped remarkably well with the challenges thrown at them during the pandemic, but improved services for the most vulnerable and better signposting to support are needed.

Final Report on IAA Challenge Lab July 2021

In 2021 we released a report based on research undertaken with LV= General Insurance about the impact of COVID-19 on family resilience.

Family Resilience: The impact of COVID-19

Service Evaluations

Our services are innovative, and by focusing on interventions that improve outcomes in these areas, we can have a positive effect on the lives of services users, on those who commission our services, and on those who create policy and influence change. We conduct in house and external evaluations and all our up-to-date reports can be found here:

Our Perinatal Service

Perinatal Support Service Outcome Triangle

Southwark Perinatal Support Project Evaluation 2009

Perinatal Support Project Evaluation 2012 Professor Jane Barlow

Pro Bono Economics Economic Assessment of the Perinatal Support Service 2014

Medway Perinatal Support Service Evaluation Final Report May 2018

Medway PSS Technical Appendix

Stockton Perinatal Support Service Evaluation Final Report February 2023

Stockton Perinatal Support Service Evaluation Summary February 2023

 

Friendship Works

Friendship Works matches children and young adults with volunteer mentors who, through quality friendship, give young people access to new opportunities, helping to build their self confidence and develop the resilience needed to manage adversity now and in the future.

Friendship Works Evaluation 2022

 

Sandwell Helping Hands Service

The Helping Hands Service supports families who have a child diagnosed with ASD or ADHD (and/or other disorders that result in particularly challenging behaviours), or where they are waiting for a diagnosis, a context within which there are potential gaps in access to appropriate intervention and support. Along with helping parents to develop a better understanding around sensory processing and challenging behaviours, the service aims to increase parents’ social networks, improve wellbeing, and to reduce the impact of ASD and ADHD on the whole family.

Sandwell Helping Hands Service report 2021

 

National School Breakfast Programme

The Government-funded National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) was launched in March 2018 to ensure children in the most disadvantaged areas of England had access to a healthy breakfast at school, without barrier or stigma, and where children who would most benefit were identified and encouraged to attend.

National School Breakfast Programme Impact Report

 

Sandwell Families Together Service

Sandwell Families Together is a group prevention programme for families in Sandwell where there is a risk of domestic violence and abuse. The service is designed to support men and women to recognise and overcome domestic abuse, enabling families to develop greater awareness of problem behaviours, improve their confidence and self-esteem, and ultimately support families to feel safer and have healthier family relationships.

Sandwell Families Together Evaluation Report

 

Edge of Care Service

This pilot service worked with families where a child was on the edge of care and child care proceedings were likely/imminent, or where a child was recently taken into care and support could enable them to return safely to their family home. The service offered a dedicated worker for six months to give the family time to make changes.

Edge of Care Evaluation Report

 

Our National School Breakfast Programme

Impact Report 2021 

Food for Thought Progress Report 2019

 

Southend Children’s Centres

Our Children’s Centres are a place where parents and children have the opportunity to meet other families from their community as well as professionals such as Early Years Practitioners, Family Support Workers, Health Visitors, Midwives, Speech and Language Therapists and many more. A range of core services are offered in each centre to support individuals and families.

Southend Children’s Centres Impact Report

 

Small Steps

The aim of the Small Steps Service is to provide early support and evidence-based interventions to families of children and young people displaying behaviour that causes concern or challenges: both for families where there is no formal diagnosis of ASD or ADHD, and for families that have had a diagnosis of ASD and/or ADHD.

Small Steps Service Evaluation Report

Small Steps Evaluation Executive Summary

 

Canterbury Domestic Abuse Advice

Our service provides support to victims of domestic abuse who require free, quick and confidential specialist benefit advice within Bradford and Keighley.

Taking Back Control Report

 

Social Prescribing in Secondary Care

Commissioned by Healthy London Partnership, the Social Prescribing in Secondary Care Service supported individuals either in Homerton Hospital, Hackney, or who had been recently discharged, to access community services. A How to Guide has been developed to share learning about how to implement this service.

Social Prescribing in Secondary Care Evaluation Report

Social Prescribing in Secondary Care – How to Guide

 

Health Champions, Peterborough, Swaffham and Sandwell

Funded by the Department of Health, the Health Champions Service is designed to support families where children or young people in the family are diagnosed with, or are suspected of being affected by, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It provides befriending, peer support groups, and help for parents to access other relevant services.

Health Champions Evaluation Final Report

Health Champions Evaluation Executive Summary

 

East Midlands Adoption Support Service (EMASS)

Funded by the Department for Education, this is a post-adoption support service available to adoptive families and Special Guardians going through crisis after adoption placement or after a Special Guardianship Order.

EMASS Evaluation Report 2018 Executive Summary

EMASS Evaluation Report 2018

 

Safe Haven

The Safe Haven model was developed by Family Action to provide support to the most vulnerable young people in care through 24/7 support that included mentring and crisis intervention.

Safe Haven Final Evaluation Report

Safe Haven Cost Benefit Analysis

 

Improving Futures: Family Support Services, Haringey and Southend

Funded by the Big Lottery Fund, these services offer holistic support for families with a child up to the age of 10.

Improving Futures Executive Summary

Improving Futures Final Report 2017

 

Our Wellfamily Service

Hackney WellFamily Evaluation Summary

Hackney WellFamily Evaluation Executive Summary

Hackney WellFamily Evaluation

Evaluation of Hackney A&E WellFamily Pilot Service 2018

 

Family Star

Outcomes Star in Practice

Family Star Evaluation Summary Report

Family Star Evaluation

 

Our ESCAPE Allotment Service

Friends of Swaffham Orchard Project Evaluation 2016

ESCAPE SROI Assured Report

 

Our Building Bridges Service

Building Bridges for Young People Evaulation

Building Bridges Evaluation Summary

Early Intervention Grasping the Nettle Full Report