evaluation of transitions in later life pilot projects · wemwbs scale immediately post...

EVALUATION OFTRANSITIONS IN LATER LIFEPILOT PROJECTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ANDFULL REPORT

Evaluation of Transitions in Later Life Pilot Projects: Executive Summary and Full ReportPublished in 2017 byCalouste Gulbenkian FoundationUK Branchwww.gulbenkian.pt/uk-branchand Centre for Ageing Betterwww.ageing-better.org.uk

https://www.Ageing-Better.org.uk

https://www.gulbenkian.pt/uk-branch

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This is an evaluation of seven pilot projects funded underthe Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s (CGF) (UKBranch) Transitions in Later Life programme. TheTransitions in Later Life programme is based on thepremise that transitions, such as retirement, provide animportant opportunity to engage people in supportand ensure people have positive experiences in later life.

This evaluation was co-commissioned by the CGF UKBranch and the Centre for Ageing Better (AB) as part of apartnership between the two organisations to useevidence and innovation to explore ways to help peoplemanage major life changes in later life.

The projects which were evaluated were:

l Age and Opportunity

l Beth Johnson Foundation, in partnership with AgeingWithout Children

l The Centre for Policy on Ageing

l Manchester MIND

l NHS Cheshire and Wirral Partnership FoundationTrust

l Positive Ageing Associates

l Workers Educational Association (WEA)

All projects delivered group-based interventions aimedat building the resilience and emotional wellbeing ofpeople aged 50+. The projects used a number of varyingtools and approaches, including: planning/goal-setting,self-reflection, self-coaching, storytelling, relaxationtechniques, mindfulness, meditation and cognitivebehavioural therapy. As well as delivering courses, theproject leads participated in a Learning Communitywhich met quarterly to share challenges and learning.

The overarching purpose of the evaluation is tounderstand how promising these approaches were insupporting people with transitions they experience inlater life, for instance retirement, and to inform thedevelopment of future service provision.

EVALUATION QUESTIONSThe evaluation was conducted by Brightpurpose andinvestigated the following questions:

l What have been the types of outcomes forparticipants?

l How have the interventions contributed to theseoutcomes?

l Who engaged with the projects and why?

l What worked well and what were the challenges, interms of:

– Recruitment

– Sustaining engagement throughout the courses

– Intervention design and delivery

l What has been the impact of the programme on theproject delivery organisations?

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EVALUATION OF TRANSITIONS IN LATER LIFEPILOT PROJECTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

“I’ve realised that it’s okay to take a few months aftermy retirement to give myself the chance to think

about what I want to do and how I want to spend mytime, a bit of time to get used to being retired.”

EVALUATION OF TRANSITIONS IN LATER LIFE PILOT PROJECTS – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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METHODOLOGY 1. Survey questionnaires administered at four points:

before the course, immediately after the course, and3, and 6-12 months afterwards. These questionnairesincluded bespoke questions and three validated tools.

2. Telephone interviews with 17 participants undertaken6-12 months after course completion.

3. Analysis of transcripts of external interviews with 12participants provided by one of the projects.

4. Two interviews with each project lead.

MAIN LIMITATIONS ANDINTERPRETATION OF THEEVALUATIONThis evaluation has considered the seven projects, andthe types of outcomes they have created, as a group, andhas not evaluated the specific outcomes from individualprojects. Participant feedback was consistent across thequalitative interviews from different projects.

Not everyone responded to the surveys; hence, we cannotbe sure this data is representative of all participants, andit was not possible to have a control group.

Participants were contacted 6-12 months aftercompleting their courses and asked to participate ininterviews. Hence, it is possible that those whovolunteered to be interviewed were those who had a morememorable experience. Further evaluation shouldinvestigate whether experiences vary for differentparticipants.

WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE COURSESMAKE FOR PARTICIPANTS?

Qualitative interviews indicated a transformative changein attitude and outlook as a result of the courses, in termsof:

l Confidence and readiness for the future;

l Resourcefulness;

l Positive attitudes to ageing and the future;

l Social connections and reduced loneliness;

l Sense of purpose.

Survey data indicated positive but relatively modestchanges for respondents in terms of confidence infacing challenges and changes, wellbeing, socialconnectedness, and resilience. The difference in scalemay be due to either the self-selection of the participantsfor interview; the ability of validated scales to capture theoutcomes described in the interviews; or other reasons.

Confidence and readiness for the future

People felt that having the time to reflect - to think aboutwhat they wanted from later life and how that could beachieved - left them feeling in greater control and moreconfident about their future. The courses often gavepeople permission to pause: to not commit right away tomeeting other people’s expectations about how theywould spend their time in the future until they had takentime to work out what they wanted for themselves.Participants reported feeling more equipped to deal withchange and face challenges head on. Survey data alsoshowed an increase in the proportion of respondentsfeeling confident or really confident in facing futurechallenges and changes by the end of their participationin the course. Furthermore, this was largely sustained upto six months after the end of the courses.

“Our financial situation isn’t brilliant, but I’ve stoppedfocusing on what we don’t have and can’t do, and startedfocusing on what we do have and what we can do. I’mgoing to work part time for a bit longer, but I feel so muchmore positive about the future and we are really enjoyingplanning ahead now.”


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Resourcefulness

Reflecting and taking stock of their strengths, skills andpersonal attributes gave participants a greater sense ofself-worth and self-belief, particularly amongst thosewho had felt they had little to offer previously.

Positive attitudes to ageing and the future

Participants reported strongly positive changes inrelation to their outlook and attitude to later life. Theyhad tended to view later life negatively, but participationled to a more balanced understanding of what it means toage. Interviewees reported increased optimism, a new-found enthusiasm, and a desire to make the most of thisstage of life.

Social connections and reduced loneliness

People reported a greater appreciation of the importanceof their social relationships and the role they would playin their life going forward. For those approachingretirement, there was an acknowledgement that theworkplace had provided a lot of their relationships,interaction and support, and that this would change oncethey retired. There was a recognition of the importanceof being proactive, and making a concerted effort to keepin regular contact with friends and family, and spendmore time with them.

Sense of purpose

People approaching retirement spoke about the sense ofpurpose and self-worth that working gave them and howtheir role in the workplace had largely shaped how theyhad seen themselves. They acknowledged that they hadbeen anxious about the gap that retirement would leavein their lives. Going on the course helped to alleviatesome of these concerns. People found that making plansand setting goals provided a sense of achievement andself-worth and added to a sense of purpose.

WHAT ASPECTS OF THE COURSES MADE THE DIFFERENCE

Interviews with participants identified the following sixinterdependent aspects of the courses to be mostimportant in achieving their outcomes:

l Space and time – dedicated time where they couldreflect on the changes, challenges, and opportunitiesahead.

l Facilitation – to create the safe space, support thediscussions and facilitate productive reflection.

l Provocation – scenarios, case studies and discussionpoints that encouraged participants to think aboutdifferent situations and to think differently aboutthem.

l Reframing – presenting later life as a life stage withpositive opportunities, challenging stereotypes aboutageing and encouraging participants to take control oftheir future.

l Tools and techniques – providing a range of practicaltools and frameworks to enable reflection, thinkingdifferently, decision-making and planning, forexample, goal-setting tools, wheel of life,mindfulness.

l Group process – sharing experiences and hearingdifferent perspectives from people in the ‘same boat’.

WHO PARTICIPATED AND WHY?The most commonly stated reason for signing up forcourses was to get help for preparing for retirement or togain skills and information that would support thetransition into retirement. Respondents reported hopingto gain a variety of immediate benefits from the course,in terms of:

l practical tools, strategies, and information

l insights and space to think

l a more positive and confident outlook

For the longer term, the most cited expectations werethat courses would equip them with skills that wouldbenefit them in the future, lead to increased confidenceor bring about a more positive outlook and attituderelated to later life.

“Hearing about what some of the other people on thecourse were doing gave me the kick I needed to look

into different things that I could be doing.”


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OPERATIONAL LESSONS LEARNEDThe majority of projects reported that recruitment tookmore time and effort than they had originallyanticipated. They perceived that this was related tobringing a new product to market which was furthercompounded by the following:

l the projects tackle the need to prepare emotionallyand psychologically for the changes experienced inlater life, which is not a need that is typicallydiscussed in society;

l the life stage that the programme prepares people foris relatively abstract until people are experiencing it,and may yet be some time away. Feeling motivated tosign up for such an intervention may therefore notseem a priority

Building and using partnerships with employers torecruit was a successful approach, and projects felt thiswas because employees were referred recruited on to thecourse by someone known and trusted. Furthermore,where these projects have run more than once, word ofmouth has become an important factor, with participantsrecommending the project to colleagues.

All projects began with a curriculum which had beendesigned in advance. However, course facilitators flexedthe flow of sessions, giving more or less emphasis ortime to each, based on feedback from participants andtheir own observations of individual or group responsesto different components on the day. This appeared towork well – the flexibility was felt to be an importantaspect of successful delivery.

WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THEPROGRAMME MAKE TO DELIVERYORGANISATIONS?Projects felt that developing new interventions under theTransitions in Later Life programme had benefittedthem through learning in terms of:

l Testing a new approach in terms of the cohesive offeraround transitions in later life, as well as differentdelivery formats

l Strengthening relationships and reputation

l Reaching a new set of clients, and increasing theirability to reach older age groups in the future

l Testing out the approach of building the capacity ofothers to deliver

Finally, in one instance, the delivery of the project wasfelt to have catalysed organisation change in relation tohow the organisation supports older workers.

“I’m hoping that instead of feeling like I’m battling throughlife and that it is likely to only get worse, that I develop amore optimistic, confident attitude that enables me torecognise and take opportunities that enrich my life insteadof letting difficulties increasingly limit it as I get older. Iwant to be exuberant, enthusiastic and engaging in my lateryears, not fearful, reticent and retiring!”

EVALUATION OF TRANSITIONS IN LATER LIFEPILOT PROJECTS

FULL REPORT

EVALUATION OF TRANSITIONS IN LATER LIFE PILOT PROJECTS – FULL REPORT

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION 3

2 WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE COURSES MAKE FOR PARTICIPANTS? 7

3 WHAT ASPECTS OF THE COURSES MADE THE DIFFERENCE? 16

4 WHO PARTICIPATED AND WHY? 21

5 OPERATIONAL LESSONS LEARNED 23

6 WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE PROGRAMME MAKE TODELIVERY ORGANISATIONS? 25

7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 26

APPENDICES 28


INTRODUCTION 3

This evaluation reports on the outcomes achieved byseven pilot projects, and how these outcomes wereachieved. The projects ran between March 2016 and May2017 and were funded under the Calouste GulbenkianFoundation’s (UK Branch) Transitions in Later Lifeprogramme.

The evaluation was co-commissioned by the CalousteGulbenkian Foundation (CGF) and the Centre for AgeingBetter (AB) as part of a partnership between the twoorganisations to use evidence and innovation to exploreways to help people manage major life changes in laterlife. The purpose of the evaluation is to understandpromising approaches to supporting transitions in laterlife, for instance retirement, and to inform thedevelopment of future service provision.

THE PROGRAMME

The Transitions in Later Life programme is based on thepremise that transitions, such as retirement, provide animportant touch point at which one can intervene andensure people have more positive experiences in laterlife. The focus of this work to date has been onunderstanding retirement, a widely experiencedtransition that is often underplayed but can bechallenging for many people. Whilst the focus of thework has been on retirement as a key life transition,some participants of the programme were not at thistransition point.

Scoping research identified that resilience is stronglyrelated to how we manage change, and that therapeutictechniques have the potential to help people to preparefor transitions and challenges in later life. Although theprojects approached the subject in different ways, allprojects delivered group-based interventions aimed atbuilding the resilience and emotional wellbeing ofpeople aged 50+. The tools and approaches utilised byeach of the projects included a combination of:

l planning/goal setting

l self-reflection

l self-coaching

l story-telling

l relaxation techniques

l mindfulness

l meditation

l cognitive behavioural therapy

1INTRODUCTION

This evaluation was conducted bybrightpurpose, who are also theauthors of this report.Learn more about its work atwww.brightpurpose.co.uk


4 INTRODUCTION

THE PROJECTS

A short description of each project is provided insummary below and in full in Appendix 1.

Age and OpportunityThis project delivered courses in three different settingsand target groups. Two courses were delivered over sixhalf-day sessions. One with a group of male prisoners ina low security prison, and another to retired communityresidents in a semi-rural setting. The third, for staff of alarge employer for those approaching retirement, wasdelivered over three full days. The courses all provided ablend of theory and practical tools and skills, aimed athelping people to understand and develop resilience andequip them for future changes and challenges.

Beth Johnson Foundation, in partnership withAgeing Without ChildrenThis project delivered the course over a single day: all butone of the courses were delivered to people aged 50+ (preand post-retirement) and recruited through localvoluntary sector organisations. One other session wasdelivered to employees of a local authority who wereapproaching retirement. The course focussed onequipping participants to prepare and plan for later lifeand provided tools and techniques to accept and adjust tofuture changes and challenges.

Centre for Policy on Ageing (CPA)This project was delivered over three sessions: two halfdays and one full day. It was delivered in partnershipwith a large-scale employer, to staff approachingretirement and their partners. In addition to delivery byCPA, staff from a third sector organisation were trainedto deliver the course to one cohort in the community. Thecourse used story-telling to explore differentexperiences of later life and to help participants explorehow they wanted their own later lives to be. This wascombined with mindfulness and reflective practices, andgoal setting.

Manchester MINDThis project was delivered over six weekly sessions, thefirst four sessions lasting two hours and the final twoover two and a half hours. The course was originallytargeted at those who were approaching retirement orrecently retired, but latterly engaged with people that hadretired but were experiencing other transitions. Positivepsychology, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT),mindfulness and relaxation/meditation were keycomponents of the course, combined with planning andgoal setting for the future.

NHS Cheshire and Wirral PartnershipFoundation TrustThis project was a two-day course run over consecutivedays, for employees of the Trust who were approachingretirement age. The course explored the factors thatsupport mental and emotional resilience, and introducedtechniques including positive thinking, visualisation,goal setting and mindfulness. Participants alsodeveloped action plans for preparing themselves for thisnext phase of life.

Positive Ageing AssociatesThis project was delivered in several different formats:weekly half-day or evening sessions over six and eight-week periods, two full consecutive days and weeklywebinars over a four-week period. Participants includedthose approaching retirement as well as people who hadalready retired. The course provided techniques andlearning drawn from Positive Ageing Theory, PositivePsychology, Mindfulness and CBT.

Workers Educational Association (WEA)This project was delivered over the equivalent of threefull days, but in different formats for different groups:one day per month for three months for self-employedwomen approaching retirement age, and one evening perweek for six weeks for employees approachingretirement from local large employers. The courseintroduced reflective writing, mindfulness and mind-mapping alongside relaxation and movementtechniques.

AIMS OF THE EVALUATION

The evaluation was conducted to answer the followingquestions:

1. What have been the outcomes for participants?(Section 2)

2. How have the interventions contributed to theseoutcomes? (Section 3)

3. Who engaged with the projects and why? (Section 4)

4. What worked well and what were the challenges, interms of: (Section 5)

a) recruitment

b) sustaining engagement throughout the courses

c) intervention design and delivery

5. What has been the impact of the programme on theproject delivery organisations? (Section 6)


INTRODUCTION 5

EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

The core components of the evaluation methodologywere as follows:

More detail is provided in Appendix 2.

Datasource

Methods used When

Participants QuantitativeSurvey questionnaires incorporating three validatedquestionnaires:l Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale(WEMWBS)

l The Resilience Centre’s 14-item Resilience Scalel The Campaign to End Loneliness measurement tool

In addition, the surveys also included bespokequestions that were developed to explore:l participants’ levels of confidence in relation tocoping with challenges and change in the future

l participants’ confidence in maintaining existingrelationships and/or developing new relationshipsthat would meet their needs

QualitativeSemi-structured telephone interviews with 17participants, lasting 30-45 minutes each

Analysis of transcripts of external interviews with 12participants, provided by one of the projects

l Before course participation (Pre)l Immediately after course completion (Post)l Three months after course completion (3m)l Around six months after course completion (6m)

6-12 months after course completion


Projectdelivery staff

Semi-structured interviews lasting between one andtwo hours

Semi-structured follow-up interviews lasting aroundtwenty minutes

Towards the end of delivery

After completion of delivery

Projectapplicationsand reports

Review of each project’s: l original funding application l interim reportl final report

Original applications at the beginning of the evaluation

Interim reports in advance of first semi-structuredinterview with project staff member

Final reports in advance of final reporting


6 WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE COURSES MAKE FOR PARTICIPANTS?

LIMITATIONS AND INTERPRETATIONOF THIS EVALUATION

This is an evaluation of seven projects that are closelyrelated to each other in their aims and approaches, butwhich have a number of differences (see Section 1 andAppendix 1) in their offer to participants, as well as thetarget group, setting and length of the courses. Their corecomponents can be defined as:

l group based intervention

l experienced facilitation

l facilitators with expertise in a range of tools andtechniques to support resilience

l reflective person-centred focus

These projects are in relatively new territory in terms ofthe type of approach they are using, and outcomes theyare seeking. As such, the primary purpose of thisevaluation is to understand what types of outcomes theseinterventions may be able to achieve, and what appears tobe driving this in terms of the projects’ practice.Findings on outcomes relates to these courses ‘as a group’rather than any individual course. The qualitativefeedback is relatively consistent across all projects,particularly in terms of the elements of projects whichthose interviewed felt supported positive outcomes.

This is the first stage of a two-phase evaluation. Thefindings in this report, especially the qualitative data onoutcomes, will help inform the design of the secondevaluation.

There are several limitations to an evaluation of thiskind:

Understanding what practices contributed tooutcomes

The evaluation hoped to differentiate between thedifferent approaches and related tools used by projects(e.g. mindfulness, storytelling, CBT, etc.) and assesswhether any were more promising than others. Therewere a number of challenges associated with this:

l participants generally discussed the most useful andlasting aspects of the course in terms of process ratherthan content.

l the majority of projects rarely explicitly labelled thetechniques they used, meaning it was difficult to traceback experiences to the specific approaches and tools.

Interpreting the quantitative data

l the nature of the recruitment may have meant thatparticipants are not representative of the totalpopulation of people approaching (or having recentlygone through) retirement. Additionally, we know thatsome participants were outside the expected agegroup, being younger, or having been retired forseveral years.

l not everyone responded to the entry, exit, and three-and six-month post surveys. We therefore cannot besure that respondents are representative of the totalparticipant population. This is further compoundedby a fairly high attrition rate relating to the three-month post and six-month post participation surveys.This means that these results cannot be consideredstatistically significant.

l drop out from the projects was not captured orinvestigated.

l it was not possible to have a control group in thisevaluation. The data describes positive outcomes forrespondents, and the projects’ contribution to theseoutcomes, but cannot provide causal evidence ofimpact.

l the validated tools used in the surveys were selectedon the basis of an overall theory of change for thewider transitions in Later Life programme, as thosebest aligned with anticipated outcomes (and which,ideally, had been used previously for research witholder adults). A common limitation of validated toolsis that they do not necessarily comprehensivelymeasure the changes achieved through a project.However, as the programme and evaluation wereexplorative, a broad measurement tool wasappropriate, and the use of robust validated tools wasdeemed the best way to do this.

Interpreting the qualitative data

Participants volunteered to participate in the qualitativeinterviews when contacted 6-12 months after coursecompletion. The qualitative findings may therefore notbe representative of the whole population ofparticipants. It is possible that those who had amemorable experience were more likely to be moreinterested in the opportunity to talk about thisexperience. Nonetheless, the qualitative findings werevery consistent across all 17 participants interviewed,which indicates that although these may not begeneralisable to the population, there may at least be acertain group or groups of people who gain the benefitsoutlined in this report.


WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE COURSES MAKE FOR PARTICIPANTS? 7

Through analysis of the qualitative interviews, andsupporting data from the surveys, we identified thefollowing as the main outcomes experienced byparticipants:

l confidence and readiness for the future

l resourcefulness

l positive attitudes

l social connections and reduced loneliness

l sense of purpose

These will now be discussed in turn, in the followingsections. Unless otherwise stated, survey data ispresented visually, whilst the detailed narrative relates tothe interview findings. The survey data presentsdifferent ratings at different time points as outlined insection 1.4. The survey data is presented for two differentrespondent cohorts:

l total respondent population – labelled in figure titlesas ‘(a) all respondents’

l respondents that have completed all of the first threesurveys - referred to in figure titles as ‘(b)respondents completing the first three surveys’

It is worth noting that, as discussed in section 1.4.1, therehas been a fairly high attrition rate relating tocompletion of the three-month and six-month post-participation surveys. This means that the resultspresented for these time points cannot be consideredstatistically significant.

CONFIDENCE AND READINESS FORTHE FUTURE

Control and confidence

One of the most consistently reported changes amongstinterviewees and survey respondents was increasedconfidence. Whilst the interview sample was relativelysmall (n=17), feedback was universal in relation to this.Participants explained that having the time to reflect andthink about what they wanted, and how that could beachieved, left them feeling in greater control of theirfuture, and that this feeling of control gave them greaterconfidence going forward.

Considering own wants and needs

In interviews, participants reported that the course theyattended gave them permission to be a little bit ‘selfish’and really focus on what it was they wanted. The majorityof participants spoke about pressures and expectationsfrom family, friends and the workplace, whichinfluenced their thoughts about retirement and/or laterlife. Some realised there was a conflict between what theywanted and others’ expectations. Several participantsspoke about the course giving them permission to pressthe pause button and not commit to meeting others’expectations until they had taken time to work out whatthey wanted for themselves.

“I’ve realised that it’s okay to take afew months after my retirement to givemyself the chance to think about whatI want to do and how I want to spendmy time, a bit of time to get used tobeing retired.”

2WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE COURSESMAKE FOR PARTICIPANTS?



Everybody acknowledged that they had some bigdecisions to make, and that those big decisions werelikely to impact on those around them, but that they wereconfident and felt equipped following to make thosedecisions, following their participation.

Awareness of options and opportunities

Several interviewees spoke about the course giving theman insight into the different options and opportunitiesopen to them and/or reawakened the desire to do thingsthey had always wanted to do but never got around to.

“Hearing about what some of theother people on the course were doinggave me the kick I needed to look intodifferent things that I could be doing.”

Participants spoke about now having the confidence andmotivation to actually start trying new and differentthings; for example, a few had already started newhobbies, volunteering and/or social activities as a resultof going on the course.

Dealing with challenges and changes

Another area where participants reported greaterconfidence was in their ability to recognise and managefuture challenges and changes in their lives. Theyreported feeling more equipped to deal with change andface challenges head on, with several participants able toprovide examples of having done so since finishing theircourse. One example related to a man whose son wasleaving home to go to university elsewhere in the country.This participant reported that he had been dreading theday that his son would move out. However, having been onthe course, he had largely stopped thinking about negativeaspects of this change and was instead focusing on thepositives for him and his son. He also started to plan forwhen his son did leave, giving thought to social andleisure activities that he could start, to minimise the timehe would be in the house on his own.

The survey responses support this finding. Figure 1shows a notable increase in the proportion ofparticipants feeling confident or really confident infacing future challenges and changes by the end of theirparticipation. Furthermore, this is largely sustained upto six months after their participation.

1. Rating-scale answers to the question: As we approach later life we can face challenges and times of change. How confident are you that youwill be able to cope with changes in your life and deal with potentially challenging times ahead?

FIG. 1: Confidence in facing future challenges and changes over time for:1

(a) all respondents and (b) respondents completing the first three surveys

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RESOURCEFULNESS

Participants reported that the course had helped themidentify, recognise and rediscover their strengths, skillsand attributes. For some, the value of this was inreaffirming what they already thought were theirpersonal strengths and skills, but prior to participationhad become tinged with self-doubt. For others, it helpedthem to recognise skills, strengths and/or personalattributes that they previously hadn’t considered.

Participants reported that reflecting and taking stock oftheir strengths, skills and/or personal attributes hadgiven them a greater sense of self-worth and self-belief,particularly amongst those that had felt they had little tooffer previously. Some participants also reported thatacknowledging their strengths and skills had influencedtheir future-oriented thinking, as well as giving them thebelief that they could handle whatever life was going tothrow at them.

Participants also spoke about the courses helping them torecognise and acknowledge the positive aspects of theirlives more widely. These included their social networks,hobbies and activities they enjoyed. They said this helpedthem to shift towards having a greater appreciation ofwhat they already had, and the part this could play in afulfilling future.

POSITIVE ATTITUDES TO AGEING AND THE FUTURE

The majority of interviewees reported strongly positivechanges in relation to their outlook and attitude to laterlife. Before the course, many said they tended to viewlater life in negative terms, but participating in thecourse led to a more balanced perspective. Participantsaccepted that there would be challenges and changesahead, but they were also able to recognise, and takecomfort from, the many possibilities and opportunitiesthat they felt that this life stage would bring.

Interviewees described having a much more positiveoutlook, and remarked that they now see later life andpost-retirement as an exciting new chapter in their lives.They reported increased optimism, a new-foundenthusiasm, and a desire to make the most of this stage oflife.

Several interviewees explained that it had brought abouta new way of thinking about later life and, by changingthe way they thought about it, it had changed the way theyfelt about it. Fear, apprehension, anxiousness anduncertainty were all words that they used to describe howthey had previously felt about retirement/later life,feelings that they say they do not have anymore. Someparticipants talked about the course helping them tofocus positively on the things they can control, ratherthan worrying about things they cannot control, and thatthis also brought more contentment.

“Our financial situation isn’tbrilliant, but I’ve stopped focusing onwhat we don’t have and can’t do, andstarted focusing on what we do haveand what we can do. I’m going towork part time for a bit longer, but Ifeel so much more positive about thefuture and we are really enjoyingplanning ahead now.”

It is important to note that these interviews wereconducted six to twelve months after completion of theircourse, thus indicating that the experience had a lastingeffective on attitudes and outlook for these participants.



SOCIAL CONNECTIONS ANDREDUCED LONELINESS

Most interviewees spoke about having a greaterappreciation of the importance of their social networkand the role that it could play in their life. The course hadprompted them to think more about what they wantedand needed from existing relationships, and the changesthey wanted to make. For those approaching retirement,there was an acknowledgement that the workplaceprovided most of their relationships, social interactionand support network and that this would change byvarying degrees post-retirement.

For some this has resulted in them taking steps to re-establish relationships with friends or family with whomthey had lost touch. For others, the course has given themthe confidence and motivation to start new activitieswhich provide opportunities to meet new people andestablish new relationships. Being more proactive, andmaking a concerted effort to keep in regular contact withfriends and family, and spend more time with them, wasanother consistent theme. There were also someexamples of new friendships between participants on thesame course, which continued after the course hadfinished.

“I was really hoping to meet somelike-minded people on the course, andI did. Now if I bump into them intown we have a coffee or stand andchat. And there was one person therethat I just clicked with straight away.She’s become a really good friend, andI’m so glad I met her on the course.”

Most interviewees reported that they were now moreconfident that their relationships and social circle mettheir needs, and contributed to their positive outlook andtheir enjoyment of life. Several interviewees also spokeabout the importance of being there to providefriendship and/or support to others as well.

A very small number of interviewees were not satisfiedwith their relationships and wanted to expand theirsocial network. One interviewee reported that this wasdue to existing friends not really being there for themwhen they needed help or support and for two others,they simply felt that they needed a wider social networkto meet their needs. They reported that the onus wouldbe on them to reach out and do so.

The findings from the participant surveys also suggestthat participants experienced positive changes in termsof reduced levels of loneliness. The Campaign to EndLoneliness Measure was used as a proxy for measuringsocial connection and levels of loneliness, whereby areduction in score over time indicates an improvement.


WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE COURSES MAKE FOR PARTICIPANT? 11

Figure 2 shows that the average levels of lonelinessamong all survey respondents has decreased by the endof their participation, and that this improvement issustained six months after participation.

Figure 3 shows participants self-rated level of confidencein maintaining existing relationships and/or developingnew ones. The proportion of respondents feelingconfident or really confident increases over time both forall respondents and those completing all of the first threesurveys. Whilst there is a slight drop at the three-monthpost-participation stage for all respondents, thisincreases again at the six-month post stage. Amongparticipants who completed all three surveys, there wasan increase at each of the survey points.

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80

100

Pre(n=43)

Post(n=43)

3m(n=43)

40%45%

58%

FIG. 2: Levels of loneliness over time for:2

(a) all respondents and (b) respondents completing the first three surveys(scores from The Campaign to End Loneliness measurement tool range from 0 – least lonely, to 12 – most lonely)

FIG. 3: Confidence in maintaining and/or developing new relationships over time for:3

(a) all respondents and (b) respondents completing all three surveys

2. Average across respondents’ scores from The Campaign to End Loneliness measurement tool 3. Rating-scale answers to the question: As we approach later life we can find our relationships and friendships change. How confident are

you that you will be able to maintain existing and/or develop new relationships and friendships that will satisfy your needs?



SENSE OF PURPOSE

Interviewees who were approaching retirement spokeabout the sense of purpose and self-worth that workinggave them, and of their role in the workplace influencinghow they see themselves. The workplace provides theenvironment that lets them use their skills and strengthsand make a valued contribution. Intervieweesacknowledged that prior to the course they were anxiousabout the gap that retirement would leave in their lives.We also heard from those who were already retired butfound themselves ‘in a bit of a rut’. These people felt thatthey still had something to offer and things they wantedto do, but found that they lacked the motivation,confidence or knowledge to change the position theyfound themselves in.

Those approaching retirement reported that the chanceto explore different ideas, options and potentialopportunities helped to alleviate some of their concerns,helping them to see that the end of working life does notmean the end of doing something constructive,worthwhile and valued. As a result of the course, severalpeople had already made plans for what they wanted to dofollowing their retirement. Similarly, the courses re-enthused those interviewed who were already retired,giving them a greater sense of self-belief and a desire tomake positive change. Making plans and setting goalshas been an important element for those already retired.Having something to aim for and achieving goalsprovided a sense of achievement and self-worth.Furthermore, those who had set themselves goals to donew and different things were finding that this alsoadded to the sense of purpose that they now had.



MENTAL WELLBEING

Figure 4 shows that there was a slight improvement inaverage levels of wellbeing over the duration of thecourse, and for those who completed the first threesurveys. This is sustained beyond course participation,as shown by the fact that the score achieved on theWEMWBS scale immediately post participation in thecourse is sustained until the 6-month timepoint.

The findings from the survey suggest only a modestimprovement in wellbeing. However, the qualitativeinterview feedback provides a richer insight into thechanges that people have experienced and the reasonswhy these changes have happened. Areas such asconfidence, optimism, positivity and relationships withothers are aspects that are measured in the WEMWBSand are all areas where interviewees reported positivechange and/or improvement. Furthermore,interviewees’ feedback indicated that theseimprovements were more dramatic than appears to beindicated by the WEMWBS scores. It is not clear whetherthis is because the survey covered a wider range ofcomponents of wellbeing that participation did notinfluence any change in, or whether there were a widerrange of experiences within the whole population thanreported in the qualitative interviews.

4. Average across respondents’ scores from the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) questionnaire.

WEM

WBS

score

WEM

WBS

score

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Pre(n=330)

Post(n=214)

3m(n=71)

6m(n=39)

4952 52 52

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Pre(n=43)

Post(n=43)

3m(n=43)

4752 52

FIG. 4. Levels of wellbeing over time for:

(a) all respondents and (b) respondents completing the first three surveys(scores from WEMWBS range from 14 – lowest level of wellbeing, to 70 – highest level of wellbeing)



RESILIENCE

Resilience is a broader term encapsulating many of thecharacteristics outlined above. We used a validated toolin the surveys to measure changes in this for participants– the 14-item Resilience Scale. The scale was developedby The Resilience Centre, who define resilience as ‘thecapacity each of us can develop that prepares us for life’sups and downs and promotes positive adaptation to anysituation no matter how serious and stressful it mightbe’.

Figure 5 shows a moderate and sustained increase inresilience levels for respondents to the survey. It is alsoworth noting that scores at each of the survey points arewithin the ‘high resilience’ range (a score from 64 up to81) as defined in the 14-item Resilience Scale.Respondents who completed the first three surveysfollow a similar pattern, though the average pre-participation score for this sample was slightly lowerthan that of all respondents, whilst scores three monthsafter participation were more or less the same.

Whilst the changes in resilience levels are fairly modest,and start from a relatively high base, it is striking thatresilience levels continue to rise beyond the point thatparticipation has ended. This aligns with the feedbackgathered during interviews, with participants reportingthat they have faced tough decisions, choices and/orchanges, managed to navigate them and feel stronger andbetter equipped for having been through them.

In common with the WEMWBS results, the quantitativeresilience findings tell a modestly positive story.However, the feedback from interviewees presents amore meaningful change in perceived resilience, and inthe many components that contribute to resilience, suchas confidence, managing difficult situations, self-belief,being interested in different things, and having a senseof purpose.

5. Average across respondents’ scores from the 14-item Resilience Scale questionnaire.

RS

score

RS

score

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Pre(n=327)

Post(n=212)

3m(n=71)

6m(n=36)

7376 77 79

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Pre(n=41)

Post(n=41)

3m(n=41)

6973

76

FIG. 5. Levels of resilience for:5

(a) all respondents and (b) respondents completing the first three surveys(scores from The 14-item Resilience Scale range from 14 – lowest level of resilience, 98 – highest level of resilience)



MAKING CHANGES

The post-course survey (immediately after participation)asked participants whether they planned to do anythingdifferently as a result of their participation. Thefollowing chart provides a breakdown of the main themesrespondents reported, and the proportion of participantswho reported them. Overall, 87% of respondentsreported at least one planned change.

At the third survey, three months after participation,respondents were asked if they had actually made anychanges as a result of their participation. Eighty ninepercent of all respondents to the three-month postparticipation survey reported making at least onepositive change. This was also explored duringinterviews with participants. The changes that werereported covered four main themes, as set out in figure 7:

6. Free-text responses to the question: As a result of attending the course are you planning to do anything differently? If so, tell us a littleabout that.

7. Free-text responses to the question: What changes, if any, have you made in your life to prepare for times ahead since completing theprogramme/workshop/event?

% of respondents

Make a plan/plan ahead

Maintain positive outlook

Do something new/different

Nurture myself, more me time

Put the skills learned into practice

Focus on finances

Continue to practice mindfulness

Socialise more

Work related changes

Be more self aware

Be more active/get out more

22%

22%

15%

12%

7%

7%

7%

6%

1%

1%

% of respondents

Changes to thinking and behaviour

Doing something new or different

Changes to lifestyle

Changes to social life/connections

44%

41%

38%

20%

FIG. 7. Reported changes as a result of participating in the courses7

n=64 (providing 91 responses)

FIG. 6. Planned changes reported by participants6



16 WHAT ASPECTS OF THE COURSES MADE THE DIFFERENCE?

Our qualitative interviews with participants examinedboth the course outcomes and the characteristics of thecourses that led to those outcomes. We explored withparticipants their perceptions of the impact of differentcomponents of the course and the ways in which it wasdelivered, and found that six aspects of delivery were feltto be essential in contributing to the outcomes describedby participants. These are summarised below, anddiscussed in more detail in the following sections:

l space and time

l facilitation

l provocation

l reframing later life

l group process and peer support

l tools and techniques

It is important to note that all of these areinterdependent – each component is supported by theother five. For example, simply having a couple of daysoff from work, to focus on later life and the future, mightprovide space and time, but it would not be effective byitself. Participants told us they also needed a structure,tools and the support of others (facilitators and peers) tobe able to focus productively on the transitions ahead.The interviews were less successful in understandingparticipants’ perceptions of which tools or techniques ofthe courses had been most helpful (e.g. mindfulness,CBT, self-coaching). Participants interviewed did notname specific elements, potentially because they werenot introduced or labelled as such in the courses.

SPACE AND TIME

Interviewees reported that the course gave them spaceand time to think about the next stage in their lives andhow they would approach it. They stated that they wouldnot have made that time for themselves otherwise.Furthermore, 29% of post-participation surveyrespondents reported that having the opportunity andtime to think and reflect was the most valuable aspect ofthe course. This is in contrast to pre-course surveyswhere it was relatively low on the list of reasons forparticipation.

“It’s not something I had given a greatdeal of thought to. Not because I wasputting off thinking about it, you justfind yourself giving all your time andenergy to the things going on in yourlife now. Just having that time, andforcing yourself to think further aheadhas been so useful and has made mefeel more prepared.”

In some cases, interviewees admitted they had beenavoiding thinking about retirement and this next phaseof their lives. The course provided a safe space -described by participants as somewhere they feltcomfortable being open and honest without fear of beingjudged in an environment of mutual trust and respect -to face up to the changes and challenges ahead, as well asdecisions they had to make about the future.

“We’d both been ignoring it andhoping it would go away. It was justtoo hard to think about. After thecourse, I went home and talked to myhusband about it, and now we’vefaced up to it. We’ve got a plan, and Ifeel much less worried. It’s so muchbetter than not knowing.”

3WHAT ASPECTS OF THE COURSES MADETHE DIFFERENCE?


WHAT ASPECTS OF THE COURSES MADE THE DIFFERENCE? 17

Others said they knew they needed to think about it andplan for it, but struggled to carve out time in their busylives. Furthermore, they did not find it easy to focus onthe subject with so many immediate calls upon their timeand attention.

Participants also valued the opportunity to reflect on thepast. This was an important element which enabledparticipants to think about past challenges andtransitions, how they had navigated them, and how theycould draw on these experiences to help them navigatefuture challenges and transitions.

“I valued the chance to think aboutand discuss with others in the groupsome of the tough times I’ve beenthrough in the past, and how I gotthrough them. It was reassuring andgave me confidence that if I’ve done itbefore I can do it again.”

FACILITATION

The importance of effective facilitation was highlightedboth by participants and by project staff. Participantsreported that the project facilitators had had a highlypositive influence on their overall experience and playedthe following essential roles:

l rapidly establishing trust and openness among thegroup

l encouraging participants to share experiences, bysharing their own experiences with the group

l ensuring all members of the group had theopportunity to participate

l managing occasionally difficult group members

l introducing a variety of tools and techniques inresponse to participant discussion and feedback

l making the sessions feel exploratory and a sharedjourney rather than a ‘talk and chalk’ course

“They (the facilitators) were excellent,sensitive when they needed to be,respectful of the group and you couldtell they were interested in you andwhat you had to say. They managedthe space really well, gave everyonethe chance to speak and brought outinsights. They made the course whatit was.”

Furthermore, the project leads reported needing to haveadvanced facilitation skills to be able to deliver theircourses. They stated that, although there was a plannedcurriculum, they needed to flex and adapt thatcurriculum depending on participants’ responses todifferent tools, techniques, approaches and activities.Examples of this included flexing the time allocated todifferent topic areas, introducing new topics, and re-ordering content. Consequently, in addition to strongfacilitation skills, they needed deep expertise of thesubject matter covered during the course (bothresilience itself and the concepts introduced such asmindfulness, goal-setting, etc.) alongside relevant toolsand techniques, to allow them to dip into their tool bagfor alternatives as required. In most projects, thedelivery staff were already skilled and experienced indelivery of these techniques. However, in one projectthis was not the case for all staff, and the project leadhighlighted the challenge of making sure staff acquirethe necessary skills, especially in therapeutic techniques,so that the course can be delivered safely and effectively.



PROVOCATION

Those participants who reported the importance ofhaving space and time to think also stated that the courseencouraged them to think differently. For example, thiswas done through facilitators posing scenarios and real-life stories, which participants then discussed so as toidentify how they would respond in the same situation.The scenarios and stories themselves provokedparticipants to consider issues they would not have doneotherwise.

“It made me consider so many thingsthat I was putting off thinking about,or just didn’t know what I was goingto do about certain things. It gave methe chance to work through some ofthe things that were bothering me.”

Furthermore, provocation also came from sharingexperiences and hearing fellow participants’ ideas andperspectives. Participants reported that this caused themto reflect deeply about themselves, their responses tosituations, and the assumptions that underpinned them,and to see that there were different ways of looking at andtackling situations.

“I got a lot from the others on thecourse. Some of them were soinspiring, what they had beenthrough, how they had coped and gotthrough it, it really made me thinkabout how I can deal with things inthe future.”

Whatever the point under discussion, participantsreported that this provocation to think hard about issuesled to them thinking and feeling differently about whatthey wanted to do, and how much control they had overwhat they did in later life.

REFRAMING LATER LIFE

Across all projects, staff reported people engagingpositively with activities and discussions whichchallenged stereotypes around ageing and which framedageing in a positive light, focusing on the opportunities itpresents.

Feedback from participants reinforces the view ofdelivery staff. Participants reported that the course hadbeen very effective at reframing later life, helping themto see the positives and opportunities rather than havingmore negative connotations. Some participants reportedfinding the word ‘retirement’ negative, as it implied anend to the productive phase of their lives and suggestedthat they would no longer make a valuable contribution.Many interviewees described gaining much of their dailystructure, social life and sense of self from their work,and that they had felt anxious about what their liveswould be like after they finished work. Some were alsoconcerned about possible financial challenges post-retirement, which created a further negative perceptionabout what later life might be like for them.

Talking through scenarios

Examples of scenarios that participants had the opportunityto discuss and reflect on included:

l how to deal with family expectations of what they mightdo in their retirement, such as providing childcare forgrandchildren or visiting relatives more often

l whether they wanted to continue working, or even pursuea different kind of work

l how they might grow and nurture their social life afterretirement

l how they could use their skills and experiences in differentways after retirement

l what they still dreamed of doing and how they couldmake that happen


WHAT ASPECTS OF THE COURSES MADE THE DIFFERENCE? 19

“The thought of retirement terrifiedme. I’ve given so much to my work, it’sbeen such a big part of my life andsuch a big part of who I am, my worthand my friends. The course has mademe feel different about my retirementand what I can do once I’ve retired tohave that sense of self-worth andmaking a contribution. I’m muchmore positive about it and haveclarity.”

Participants reported that the course encouraged them tothink positively about the future, and about the thingsthey could do rather than those they couldn’t do. Thecourse stimulated them to think about taking control of‘designing’ their later life, and gave them tools,techniques, and support to do so. Participants reportedthat the course did not shy away from the challenges theymay face in later life, but equipped them to maintain apositive attitude and to focus on changing what theycould change rather than worrying about things theycould not. This was a big shift for many interviewees,who reported a tendency to worry about and feel at themercy of uncertainties.

“I was feeling negative and scaredabout life after retirement but now I’mactually quite excited about. I knowit’s not going to be perfect and therewill be tough times, but I see so manyopportunities as well.”

For some participants, this reframing of later life wasalso about presenting new options for how to remainactive and purposeful in their later years. They said thecourse opened up new thinking for them aboutentrepreneurship in general, social entrepreneurship inparticular, freelancing and part-time working. Most hadconsidered volunteering and hobbies, but had not reallythought about other activities that they more closelyassociated with a working life. Finally, for a smallnumber, this reframing of later life led them to decide tostay in their current role for longer. In some cases, theyhadn’t realised that this was possible, thinking theywould have to retire once they reached a certain length ofservice or age, until they came on the course.

GROUP PROCESS AND PEERSUPPORT

Participants reported that being part of a group was veryvaluable and a crucial part of them gaining so much fromthe course. Much of the activity within the sessionsinvolved group discussion, whether that was as a wholegroup or in smaller groups and pairs, and participantsfound this beneficial for the following reasons:

l sharing experiences with people who were in ‘thesame boat’ felt positive and affirmed that they werenot the only one facing these transitions

l hearing other people’s perspectives on an issuechallenged their assumptions and caused them toconsider the issue from other angles, and sometimesto see it differently

l hearing others’ experiences prompted new ideas forhow they might tackle a similar issue in future

l small group discussion enabled people to explore anissue in-depth with others, enabling them to get togrips with it more than they sometimes could in alarger group

l being exposed to new ideas and opportunitiesbroadened participant thinking in relation to howthey would spend their time post-retirement

“The group gelled really quickly andeveryone seemed open and willing toshare. I took so much from others inthe group, learnt so much from theirexperiences and ideas.”



Feedback from project leads and participants suggeststhat creation of a safe space, where people could shareideas, experiences and perspectives openly, was anessential precursor to achieving these peer supportbenefits. The role of the facilitator was key to this. Thefacilitators set ground rules at the outset, which helped tocreate the conditions for safe interaction and opendiscussion, and they described working hard to monitorand facilitate a constructive group process.

Staff described a high level of trust and opennessbetween participants, especially when they were workingin pairs and small groups. This, perhaps understandably,appeared to increase over time. Where projects weredelivered in a more compressed timeframe, staffquestioned whether peer relationships had sufficienttime to develop to their full potential. Their perceptionwas that connection cannot be rushed, and when aproject ran over fewer sessions or in an intense burst,there was less space for those connections to grow.

TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

Participants reported that the course gave them usefultools and strategies to help them think differently aboutsituations and to adopt a more positive approach. Theyalso reported that tools to help with planning anddecision making were very helpful. They reported that itwas very important to have frameworks to help with theirthinking, as they may otherwise have ruminated withoutfocus or not known where to begin. Frameworks andtools gave them a scaffolding to build their thoughtsaround, and felt more concrete and purposeful thansimply thinking ‘freestyle’.

“I think part of my anxiety aboutretiring was not knowing what it heldfor me, what I wanted to do or evenwhat I would be able to do. Having thetime to think about what would makethe next stage of my life good for me,and actually planning for achievingthat has really helped me.”

A goal of this evaluation was to determine whether sometools and techniques were more acceptable than othersand whether some were more effective than others.There were a number of challenges with exploring this.

Firstly, participants described the most useful andlasting aspects of the course in terms of process – i.e. theprinciples described above. Secondly, the majority ofprojects, during delivery, didn’t explicitly label most ofthe techniques they used, so when interviewees didhighlight content it tended to be in quite loose terms.

“One of the best sessions was onperceptions of self and identity andhow this can influence you. It’s helpedme to rethink the way I see myself andhow others see me. Another usefulsession was around managingnegative thoughts and how toenhance your mood when you’re notfeeling that great – it’s something I’veused since being on the course.”

Observations from project staff suggest that participants’reactions to the different topics, tools and strategiesvaried, with participants engaging and responding todifferent aspects to varying degrees. For example, someappeared to embrace meditation and relaxationtechniques, while others were more sceptical aboutthem. Project staff reported that having a blend ofdifferent activities, tools and techniques ensured thateveryone got something positive from each session, evenif they didn’t embrace every single aspect. That said, thecontent that participants most commonly highlighted asmost valuable and beneficial related to planning andgoal-setting tools and decision-making strategies andapproaches.

One project did label the techniques used, and alsoprovided a workbook which contained all the techniques.In this case participants were more likely to be able toname specific techniques they had used and foundvaluable. They also reported going back to the workbooksince the course and trying out techniques again,including those that had not particularly resonated withthem during the course.


WHO PARTICIPATED AND WHY? 21

We provide a full demographic breakdown ofrespondents at Appendix 3, but in summary:

l the majority of participants were in their late 50s orearly 60s

l 75% were female and 25% male

l 62% were either employed or self-employed, 28%were already retired, the remaining 10% were a mix ofunemployed, unable to work or ‘other’

l 62% were living with a partner, 38% were not

l 95% described their ethnicity as white

Across the same demographic categories at a nationallevel (England and Wales), data gathered from the Officefor National statistics datasets show:

l of the population in the age range 55-64, 51% arefemale and 49% male8

l of the population in the age range 50-64, 69% areeither employed or self employed9

l of the population in the age range 55-64, 73% wereliving with a partner, 27% were not10

l of the population in the age range 55-64, 93%described their ethnicity as white11

PARTICIPANTS’ MOTIVATIONS ANDASPIRATIONS

In the baseline evaluation questionnaire, we askedparticipants about their reasons for signing up for thecourse, and what they hoped to gain both in theimmediate and longer term.

The most commonly stated reason for signing up forcourses was to help to prepare for retirement or to gainskills and information that would support the transitioninto retirement. The most common responses are shownbelow, and were reinforced by qualitative interviewfeedback responses (Fig. 8):

4WHO PARTICIPATED AND WHY?

8. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/adhocs/006398populationestimatesanddeathsbysingleyearofageforenglandandwalesandtheuk1961to2015

9. https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/004933employmentstatusbyage2001to2015

10. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesbymaritalstatusandlivingarrangements

11. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/adhocs/005378ct05702011censussexbyagebyimd2004byethnicgroup

12. Free-text responses to the question: Please tell us why you signed up for this course?

% of responses

Part of preparation for retirement

Looking for practical skills and info re transition to retirement

Interested in topic

Recommended / asked by manager

To age positively

To improve resilience and mental wellbeing

To be equipped to help others facing transitions in later life

To meet people/share experiences

Work-related reasons

To help with life circumstances

To learn mindfulness/relaxation

34%

25%

14%

10%

8%

7%

5%

5%

3%

3%

2%

FIG. 8. Reasons for participation12


https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/adhocs/005378ct05702011censussexbyagebyimd2004byethnicgroup

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/ethnicity/adhocs/005378ct05702011censussexbyagebyimd2004byethnicgroup

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesbymaritalstatusandlivingarrangements

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesbymaritalstatusandlivingarrangements

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/004933employmentstatusbyage2001to2015

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/004933employmentstatusbyage2001to2015

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/adhocs/006398populationestimatesanddeathsbysingleyearofageforenglandandwalesandtheuk1961to2015

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/adhocs/006398populationestimatesanddeathsbysingleyearofageforenglandandwalesandtheuk1961to2015


22 WHO PARTICIPATED AND WHY?

Respondents reported hoping to gain a variety ofimmediate benefits from the course, which fell intothree broad categories:13

l practical tools, strategies and information

l insights and space to think

l a more positive and confident outlook

We also asked how they hoped the course would benefitthem in the longer term, as they face their later years.Figure 9 below shows that most respondents expectedthat their participation would equip them with skills thatwould benefit them going forward, lead to increasedconfidence or bring about a more positive outlook andattitude.

As one respondent put it:

“I’m hoping that instead of feelinglike I’m battling through life and thatit is likely to only get worse, that Idevelop a more optimistic, confidentattitude that enables me to recogniseand take opportunities that enrich mylife instead of letting difficultiesincreasingly limit it as I get older. Iwant to be exuberant, enthusiasticand engaging in my later years, notfearful, reticent and retiring!”

13. The question was answered by 295 respondents, who between them gave 376 responses14. Free-text responses to the question: What difference do you hope this course will make to the way you face your later years in life?15. Windle, G. et al (2011) A methodological review of resilience measurement scales. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 9

% of respondents

Skills to face changes/coping strategies/making difficult decisions

Confidence

More positive about future, improved attitude to ageing

Be more organised/prepared

More optimistic, happier, content, determined, stronger

How to cope and enjoy benefits of retirement

More relaxed, less anxious, less afraid, cope with negativity

Resilience

26%

20%

20%

17 %

12%

5%

5%

3%

FIG. 9. Anticipated longer term benefits14


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3042897/


OPERATIONAL LESSONS LEARNED 23

RECRUITMENT AND ENGAGEMENT

Projects recruited participants via a variety of differentroutes and methods:

l as an employer – one project was run entirely by apublic sector employer who recruited their employeesdirectly onto the course

l employer partnerships – recruiting through one ormore local employers, either as a referring partner ora delivery partner

l other partnerships – working with localorganisations, community groups and serviceproviders to recruit through their local networks

l advertising – using a range of media includingposters, flyers and local press articles

The majority of projects reported that recruitment tookmore time and effort than they had originallyanticipated. They perceived that this was related tobringing a new product to market which was furthercompounded by the following:

l the projects tackle the need to prepare emotionallyand psychologically for the changes experienced inlater life, which is not a need that is typicallydiscussed in society;

l the life stage that the projects prepare people for isrelatively abstract until they are experiencing it, andmay yet be some time away; feeling motivated to signup for such an intervention may not seem a priority

Employer partnerships

Partnerships with employers took one of two forms,either working with an employer as a delivery partner,offering the intervention to staff ‘in-house’, or where theemployer would refer staff in to a project being deliveredlocally. Both these approaches were successful, andprojects felt this was because employees were referred orrecruited by someone known and trusted. Furthermore,where these projects have run more than once, word ofmouth has become an important factor, with participantsrecommending the project to colleagues. Projects reportthat a successful partnership requires close workingbetween the employer and the project, and a strong levelof understanding and buy in to the concept.

Some projects found that they had to build relationshipswith multiple employers to find one who bought in to theconcept and could devote the resources to promote theproject. Even where these factors are in place, theoperational context of the organisation can prevent apartnership progressing.

Other partnerships

Projects also developed partnerships with other localorganisations that have good local community knowledgeand/or existing networks with the target audience. Closepartnership working, frequent communication andstrong buy-in were also seen as the key success factorsfor these partnerships. So too were the partnerorganisation’s presence in and links with the localcommunity important as an enabler to reaching andengaging the target audience.

However, this approach to recruitment has had mixedsuccess in term of attracting sufficient numbers ofparticipants in a reasonable time frame. Where it hasn’tworked so well, projects felt this was because the partneragencies were unable to resource the recruitment activitysufficiently or didn’t necessarily understand the offeringwell enough to promote it.

5OPERATIONAL LESSONS LEARNED


24 OPERATIONAL LESSONS LEARNED

INTERVENTION DESIGN AND DELIVERY

Approaches to design

All projects drew on past experience of delivering similarsubject matter, in terms of wellbeing and resilience,sometimes with other target groups, to inform the designof their intervention. This combined with reference tothe evidence base of the types of interventions that couldsupport their learning objectives.

A small number of projects also included an element ofco-production in their design process, drawing on theknowledge and experience of people with livedexperience to test the design. Projects reported that thisprocess provided valuable insight into what the targetclient group needed and wanted. Whilst it required anadditional investment of time, projects reported that theadvantages of doing this made it worth it.

Content

All projects designed their course content to offer acombination of:

l tools, approaches and techniques to help participantscope and thrive in the future

l space and time for participants to reflect on theircurrent and future life stages – e.g. feelings towardsthe future, hopes, goals, concerns and plans

All projects began with a curriculum which had beendesigned in advance. However, project leads report thatthey adapted the content of courses in response to theneeds of the group, albeit always staying within theparameters of the planned learning outcomes. Coursefacilitators flexed the combination of topics andactivities, giving more or less emphasis or time to each,based on feedback from participants and their ownobservations of individual or group responses todifferent components on the day. In some cases this wasas simple as rearranging the order of the content torespond in the moment, and giving more time to an issuethat emerged from group discussion sessions. Thisappeared to work well as flexibility was felt to be animportant aspect of successful delivery.

The blend and range of content was spoken aboutpositively by interviewees, who reported that the contentwas relevant to where they were at in life and what theyhoped to gain from participation. They also reported thatthe variety of topics, tools and techniques covered keptthings interesting. The findings suggest that Phase 2 ofdelivery should build on the tools used in Phase 1, whichappear to have been well-received.

Appendix 1 provides a project-by-project breakdownwhich details the different formats used as well as the keycontent that was delivered.

Learning input

The tools, techniques and strategies were introducedwith short presentations and demonstrations, and thenparticipants had opportunities to try them out in asupported environment.

The activities geared towards reflection, self-awarenessand building a personal sense of resourcefulness wereinitiated with case studies/real life stories, scenarios andfocal questions, discussed in small groups, triads andpairs. The key themes from these smaller groupdiscussions were then shared as a whole group duringfacilitated plenary feedback. Participants reported thatthe blend of input from facilitators and interaction withother participants was well balanced.

Project leads reported that many participants seemed toneed a little time to feel comfortable opening up anddiscussing experiences and opinions, though onceacclimatised to the facilitative and reflective style themajority responded extremely positively and fed back tofacilitators that it was a style they found helpful andenjoyable. Qualitative interviews confirmed this, withinterviewees explaining the style was very different totheir past experience of courses, but that it enabled themto consider the issues deeply and apply the learning totheir lives.

Delivery formats

One project trialled a webinar format of delivery but allother courses were delivered as face-to-face groupworkshops. The group process was perceived by projectsto be a valuable aspect as it enabled participants to shareexperiences and ideas, and to learn from one another. Alive chat function was used during the webinar deliveryas means of enabling interaction between participants.

The number of sessions ranged across projects from oneto eight, as did the duration and timings of sessions. Theconsensus among delivery staff is that the ideal is to havetwo or more sessions with breaks between sessions toallow participants to reflect on and digest learning. Ourqualitative interviews with participants indicate allapproaches were equally acceptable with no-onereporting any issues with sessions timing, duration orfrequency. All reported that the pace of session wasmanaged well and ensured that everything was covered inadequate depth and provided enough time for thedifferent activities. Furthermore, of the completed postparticipation surveys, 96% of respondents stated that thecourse was delivered in the right way for them.


WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE PROGRAMME MAKE TO DELIVERY ORGANISATIONS? 25

TESTING A NEW APPROACH

For most projects, this was the first time they hadbrought the different components and content togetheras a cohesive offering, and the programme provided theopportunity to test and refine it. This has resulted insome service provider organisations exploring thepotential for this model of support to become part oftheir client offering. For one project in particular, theopportunity to try different formats of delivery as well assession numbers and durations, has provided them withadded insight and understanding. This mainly related tohow content and activities can be tailored to fit withdelivery over fewer sessions without sacrificing learningoutcomes. They also gained added understanding of thestrengths and limitations of delivering through a webinarformat.

STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPSAND REPUTATION

Most projects reported that they had developed newrelationships and/or rekindled existing relationshipswith employers and other organisations. They perceivethis activity to have helped raise awareness and enhancethe reputation of their organisation and has the potentialto provide and/or support future opportunities andactivities. One project has already been commissioned torun future courses for a local older people’s project andfor the local Clinical Commissioning Group.

REACHING NEW CLIENTS

All delivery organisations have reached new clients withtheir courses, rather than delivering to individuals andgroups already known to them. The projects were anopportunity for them to provide a new offer to newpeople, and increased their ability to reach an older agegroup.

Two organisations also reported that it had helped themto recognise the potential benefit of this type ofintervention (focusing on resilience and transitions) forother groups, not just those in later life. They hadincluded other participants not approaching retirement(or recently retired), in their courses, and found thatthese people also responded very positively to thecourses.

One project also reported that delivery to differentgroups, such as prisoners, had helped to break downtheir own stereotypes and perceptions about how theythought some groups would engage with and respond tocertain content and activities.

DELIVERING THROUGH OTHERS

One project’s initial approach was to build others’capacity to deliver in the future, through thedevelopment of open source material which is handedover to the organisation after a period of co-delivery.This is an approach that some other projects now see asbeing the most effective way of achieving scale and long-term sustainability, with several planning to do so in thenext phase of their project. Some projects will alsosupport this with co-delivery and/or ‘train the trainer’before handover.

CATALYSING ORGANISATIONALCHANGE

One employer-based project, within a large NHSorganisation, has helped to highlight issues relating tohow older workers are supported. The project has beenthe catalyst for the organisation to start a task and finishgroup on the subject, which will inform theorganisation’s wellbeing strategy and therefore have aninfluence on support for the whole workforce in future.

6WHAT DIFFERENCE DID THE PROGRAMMEMAKE TO DELIVERY ORGANISATIONS?


26 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The following conclusions and recommendations focuson:

l types of participant outcomes

l the components that appeared to be critical inparticipants achieving outcomes

l what this means for future delivery, evaluation andoutcome measurement

PARTICIPANT OUTCOMES

In the qualitative interviews, all participants reportedtransformative differences in their attitude and outlookas a result of the course. These fell into the five categoriesshown below.

The survey findings found positive changes for therespondents for the three factors being measured:wellbeing, social connectedness and resilience, but thedegree of change indicated by the validated tools is moremodest than that reported in qualitative interviews.

The findings overall suggest that there is - at a minimum- a group of people for whom group-based psychosocialinterventions are effective in improving confidence,changing attitudes and preparing for or managing thetransition into retirement and later life.

The possible reasons for the difference in scale betweenthe qualitative and quantitative research have beendiscussed in the report, and suggest for the next phase orsimilar evaluations that:

l evaluation needs to aim explore the full range ofexperiences of participants to understand whethersome people respond differently to others, both to theoverall experience and to specific aspects of content

l targeted outcome measures may be better thanvalidated tools (with a broader focus such aswellbeing) at detecting specific changes

l the five categories above form a basis for sourcingoutcome measures for evaluation of these projects inthe next phase

7CONCLUSIONS ANDRECOMMENDATIONS

Confidence andreadiness for the

future

Resourcefulness Positivity Socialconnectedness

Sense of purpose


CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 27

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

One of our core objectives for the evaluation was tounderstand which aspects of delivery led to participantoutcomes. Every project tested different combinations ofcontent and different modes of delivery, and we aimed toidentify the critical success factors and most impactfultypes and styles of content.

Participants consistently described the most valuableand useful aspects of their courses in terms of processand delivery style rather than in terms of content.Analysis of this feedback revealed six interdependentprocess factors which appear to have contributed to theoutcomes achieved by participants, as shown below:

l space and time – dedicated and facilitated timewhere they could reflect on the changes, challengesand opportunities ahead

l facilitation – to create the safe space, supportthe discussions and facilitate productivereflection

l provocation – scenarios, case studies/real-lifestories and discussion points that encouragedparticipants to think about different situationsand to think differently about them

l reframing – presenting later life as a life stagewith positive opportunities, challengingstereotypes about ageing and encouragingparticipants to take control of their future

l tools and techniques – providing a range ofpractical tools and frameworks to enablereflection, thinking differently, decision-making and planning, for example, goal-settingtools, wheel of life, mindfulness

l group process – sharing experiences andhearing different perspectives from people inthe ‘same boat’

Interventions aiming to provide psychosocialsupport to people approaching or going through theretirement transition should be based on the sixcritical process factors listed above. These provide aframework, which should be supported with acombination of different content, tools and techniquesto fit with participants’ different preferences.

The evaluation findings do not indicate any commonpreference of participants for specific types orcombinations of content. However, it was difficult toinvestigate this in the evaluation, especially withparticipants’ limited ability to name techniques they

experienced 6-12 months previously. A different type ofinvestigation would be needed in future evaluation inorder to distinguish between the usefulness of differenttechniques.

We note that several projects are looking at buildingothers’ capacity to deliver courses in future, and asfacilitation is so important to the projects’ success, it willbe important to define the type of facilitation skillsneeded in more detail. These are not courses that can bedelivered according to a ‘script’ by a trainerinexperienced in the subject matter of, and the tools andtechniques available to support, wellbeing andresilience.

Space and time

Reframing

FacilitationGroupprocess

Tools andtechniques Provication


28 APPENDIX 1

Deliveryorganisation

Numberof

sessions

Sessionfrequency

Sessionduration

Key components/content

Age andOpportunity

3 Consecutiveworkingdays (Fri,Mon, Tues)

7 hours l Understanding resiliencel Understanding selfl Understanding change as we age and the factorsthat influence this

l Managing change and challengesl Assertivenessl Recognising skills and strengthsl Planning/goal settingl Learning to be optimistic and resilientl Creative problem solving/solutionsl Money and peace of mindl Reflection (past transitions)

Beth JohnsonFoundation

1 N/A 7 hours l Planning for later life – underpinned and aligned tothe 5 ways to wellbeing

l Preparing for later life – mindfulness and CBTtechniques

l Acceptance and adjustment to future changes andchallenges

Centre for Policy onAgeing

3 Weekly 2.5 hours5 hours2.5 hours

l Reflective practice, mindfulness and reflective walkl Storytelling (others’ and own stories)l Personal coaching (use of coaching techniquesrather than individual coaching sessions)

l Finding purpose and opportunity

Cheshire and WirralPartnership

2 Daily(consecutivedays)

7 hours l Understanding what makes us mentally andemotionally healthy and resilient

l Developing resilience – tools and techniques– Positive thinking– Visualisation– Attentional control– Anxiety control– Practical goal setting– Biofeedback

l Complementary tools and techniques– Fatigue– Mindfulness– Change Theory and management

l Action planning

APPENDIX 1

OVERVIEW OF EACH PROJECT


APPENDIX 1 29

Deliveryorganisation

Numberof

sessions

Sessionfrequency

Sessionduration

Key components/content

Manchester MIND 6 Weekly 2 hours(thoughsession 5and 6extended to2.5 hoursin latercourses)

l Perceptions of retirement and myth bustingl Relaxation, breathing techniques and mindfulnessl Understanding and normalising anxietyl Balancing out the negative biasUnderstanding thoughtsl Learning about own worries and working on theml Basic CBTl Stress relieversl Self-compassionl Personal strengths and changing identitiesl Social networksl Goal settingl Signposting and sharing of activities and networksl Learning about comfort zones and setting challenges

Positive AgeingAssociates

8

6

4 (webinarformat)

2

6

Weekly

Weekly

Weekly

Consecutivedays

Weekly

2.5 hours

2.5 hours

2.5 hours

7 hours

3.5 hours

l Drawn from Positive Ageing Theory, PositivePsychology, Mindfulness and CBT:– Myth busting– Five ways to wellbeing– Link between thoughts and feelings – if you canchange thoughts you can change feelings– Mindfulness– Positive emotions and cultivating positivity– Identifying and using personal strengths– The role of optimism and strategy for learningoptimism– The role of self purpose and developing self purpose– Planning for the future

WorkersEducationalAssociation

3

6

Monthly

Weekly

6 hours

2.5 hours

l Mindfulnessl Life cycle / mind mappingl Reflective writingl Relaxation and movement– Qi Kung– Deep relaxation


30 APPENDIX 2

Core components of themethodology

The table below shows the different methods used.

APPENDIX 2

METHODOLOGY

Data source Methods used When

Participants QuantitativeSurvey questionnaires incorporating three validatedquestionnaires:l Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale(WEMWBS)

l The Resilience Centre’s 14-item Resilience Scalel The Campaign to End Loneliness measurement tool

In addition, the surveys also included bespokequestions that were developed to explore:l participants’ levels of confidence in relation tocoping with challenges and change in the future

l participants’ confidence in maintaining existingrelationships and/or developing new relationshipsthat would meet their needs

QualitativeSemi-structured telephone interviews with 17participants, lasting 30-45 minutes each

Analysis of transcripts of external interviews with 12participants, provided by one of the projects

l Before course participation (Pre)l Immediately after course completion (Post)l Three months after course completion (3m)l Around six months after course completion (6m)



Projectdeliverystaff

Semi-structured interviews lasting between one andtwo hours

Semi-structured follow-up interviews lasting aroundtwenty minutes

Towards the end of delivery

After completion of delivery

Projectapplicationsand reports

Review of each project’s: l original funding application l interim reportl final report

Original applications at the beginning of the evaluation

Interim reports in advance of first semi-structuredinterview with project staff member

Final reports in advance of final reporting


APPENDIX 2 31

Survey data entry

Five projects sent their surveys back to Brightpurpose inhard copy, for data entry by our administrative team. Twoprojects had a member of staff input the surveyresponses into the data entry spreadsheet provided tothem by Brightpurpose.

Sampling for participant interviews

All projects were asked to seek consent from pastparticipants to participate in the semi-structuredparticipant interviews. Five projects did so, but we do nothave details of how many participants were contacted.The contact details of those consenting to be interviewedwere supplied to the Brightpurpose team. All whoconsented were interviewed.

Two projects did not contact participants, as they hadalready asked participants for qualitative feedback. Onehad involved participants in providing video feedback,and we were provided with an edited montage of this.One had commissioned an external evaluator to conductsemi-structured interviews with a sample ofparticipants, to answer the project’s evaluationquestions. We were provided with transcripts of thoseinterviews to include in our analysis.

Selecting validated tools forparticipant surveys

The programme’s theory of change identified changes inmental wellbeing, resilience and social connectedness asdesired outcomes for participants. We identifiedvalidated tools to measure these changes, as follows:

Wellbeing

The WEMWBS was selected because it is widely used andits dimensions offered a very close fit with theprogramme’s objectives. It was also being used in theevaluation of another of the Calouste GulbenkianFoundation’s (UK Branch) programmes.

Social Connectedness

We were unable to find a suitable validated measure ofsocial connectedness. We therefore agreed with theCalouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch) and theCentre for Ageing Better that a measure of lonelinesswould be acceptable as a reverse proxy. We consideredthree tools:

l the Campaign to End Loneliness measurement tool

l the Three Item Loneliness Scale

l the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-UCLA)

The R-UCLA was rejected for its length (20 items). TheCampaign to End Loneliness measurement tool wasselected in preference to the Three-Item LonelinessScale for two reasons: firstly, it was designed specificallyfor later life, and secondly the language used was positiveand does not mention the word ‘loneliness’. As we wereaiming to measure connectedness rather thanloneliness, we agreed with the programme team that thiswould be a better fit.

To prevent confusion, we refer to loneliness rather thansocial connectedness when we present the findings of thesurveys throughout the report.

Resilience

Selecting a measure for resilience was lessstraightforward, as the evidence base in this field is stilldeveloping, and there is not a clear and sharedunderstanding as to what resilience is or how it should bemeasured. We referred to a previous review of resiliencemeasures by Windle et al15 to inform our selection, andsought advice from the Centre for Ageing Better, which atthe time was working with a reference group ofresearchers in this field. The evidence and the currentthinking pointed to there being no ideal measure to suitour needs. We selected the 14-item Resilience Scale (RS-14) for the following reasons:

l it was developed originally for older women

l it has a relatively small number of items

l the items appeared to be a good fit with theprogramme objectives


32 APPENDIX 3

The data for this section is drawn from baselineevaluation questionnaires, completed when participantsjoined the course. Not every participant completed aquestionnaire.

Participant profile

Participants ranged in age from 40 to over 85, but, asshown in the figure below, the majority of participantswere in their late 50s and early 60s. 75% were female and25% male. The overwhelming majority (95%) describedtheir ethnicity as White, with 3% Asian, 2% Black and 1%Mixed. (Fig. 10)

FIG. 10. Age distributionn=331

We asked participants about their employment status.28% were already retired, 53% were employed and 8%were self-employed. About one third of those employedwere working part time. Of the remaining 10%respondents, 36% were unable to work, 39% wereunemployed and 24% categorised their employmentstatus as ‘other’.

We also asked about participants’ relationship status.62% were living with a partner and 38% were not. Thefigure below shows the distribution of responses. (Fig. 11)

APPENDIX 3

PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS

40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65–69 70–74 75–79 80–84

% o

f re

spon

den

ts

Age

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

FIG. 11. Marital statusn=327

Married55%

Separated4%

Widowed5%

Divorced12%

Single17%

Living together7%

Calouste Gulbenkian FoundationUK Branch50 Hoxton SquareLondon N1 6PB+44 (0)20 7012 [email protected]/uk-branch

Centre for Ageing BetterLevel 3, Angel Building407 St John StreetLondon EC1V 4AD+44 (0)20 3829 [email protected]

ABOUT THE CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN FOUNDATION

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation isan international charitable foundationwith cultural, educational, social andscientific interests. Based in Lisbonwith branches in London and Paris,the Foundation is in a privilegedposition to support national andtransnational work tacklingcontemporary issues. The purpose ofthe UK Branch, based in London, is tobring about long-term improvementsin wellbeing particularly for the mostvulnerable, by creating connectionsacross boundaries (national borders,communities, disciplines and sectors)which deliver social, cultural andenvironmental value.

ABOUT THE CENTRE FORAGEING BETTER

The Centre for Ageing Better is anindependent charitable foundation,bringing about change for people inlater life today and for futuregenerations. It draws on practicalsolutions, research about what worksbest and people’s own insight to helpmake this change. Ageing Bettershares this information and supportsothers to act on it, as well as tryingout new approaches to improvinglater lives.

The Centre for Ageing Better received£50 million of National lottery fundingfrom the Big Lottery Fund in January2015 in the form of an endowment toenable it to identify what works in theageing sector by bridging the gapbetween research, evidence andpractice.

https://www.Ageing-Better.org.uk

mailto:[email protected]

https://www.gulbenkian.pt/uk-branch

mailto:[email protected]

evaluation of transitions in later life pilot projects · wemwbs scale immediately post...

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