youth sector outcomes framework

The Young Foundation 2012

Moving to framework of outcomes for young peopleJanuary 2012

Bethia McNeil, The Young Foundation for the Catalyst Consortium, the Department for Education’s strategic partner for young people


The sector lacks a common language and good process for sharing

knowledge

Not all youth sector providers are:• Considering their impact

as part of their core business; or

• Presenting outcomes in a consistent way.

Not all commissioners are:• Specifying social

outcomes in tenders; or• Accounting for social

impact in a ‘smart’ way when buying goods and services.

Not all investors are:• Accounting for social

impact in a way that is appropriate for the youth sector when making investment decisions; or

• Asking investees to report on their social impact.

What’s the problem?


What’s our ambition for the framework? 1. Accepted by key champions amongst commissioners,

providers and social investors

2. Bold, yet flexible

3. Straight forward to use whilst also reasonably robust

4. Based on a coherent ‘theory of change’

5. Enabling benchmarking of ‘value added’, taking forward knowledge on ‘what works’

6. Use of a common language to promote consistent measurement of the difference services make for young people


The framework of outcomes aims to underpin answers to five key questions for young people’s services 1. What are we trying to achieve?

To build consensus on what we aim to achieve with and for young people

2.What difference do services make?To measure the change in outcomes from services for young people

3.Why should someone commission, fund or invest in a service?To articulate the value of a youth service or programme

4. With limited resource, who and what is our focus? To target and tailor support for different young people 5. How can we make the biggest difference for young people?To inform practice and the sector’s development


How might the outcomes framework be used, and by whom?

Audience Why might they use the framework?

What attributes do they need the framework to have?

Commissioners (e.g. Local Authorities)

• To target resources effectively to local needs

• To intelligently commission a range of services which ‘speak’ to one another

• To share best practice

• Allows comparability across providers

• Clear to understand• Reliable/evidence based/robust

Providers (e.g. youth services)

• To demonstrate the difference made for young people

• To articulate value• To improve services for

young people• To grow the evidence

base• To build consensus• To benchmark the

difference they make to young people

• Flexible and adaptable to their context

• Easy to use• Affordable• Low resource intensity• Recognised by central/local

government, commissioners and investors

Investors (e.g. central government, philanthropists)

• To help decide between competing priorities

• To inform investment decisions

• To understand the potential of the sector

• Allow comparability across providers

• Low resource intensity • Clear to understand• Reliable/evidenced based/robust• Sit alongside existing impact

measurement tools


Outputs of the framework

• Typology of outcome areas - ‘cluster model’

• Case studies on how outcomes framework can be used in practice

• Table highlighting a small number of established tools


How have we developed an answer?

• Focus groups (young people, commissioners, funders etc)

• Advisory group

• Consultation across the sector

• Literature review


Outcomes: what matters?


Key to our approach is a link between capabilities, intrinsic and extrinsic outcomes …

Educational Development

Results In

Increased Protective Factors

Decreased Risk

Factors

Producing

Personal Development

SocialDevelopment

Intrinsic Outcomes (individual well-being)

Extrinsic Outcomes (wider social good)


… that can be summarised as a relationship between long-term outcomes, interim indicators, social & emotional capabilities


… which is supported by a strong evidence base …


At the heart of the Outcomes Framework are seven clusters of capabilities


Consistency across frameworks

Dartington SRU - key developmental outcomes

1. Educational skills and attainment 2. Emotional wellbeing 3. Physical health 4. Positive behavior 5. Positive relationships

New Philanthropy Capital

Self-esteem Resilience Emotional wellbeing Peer relationships Family relationships Satisfaction with school environment Satisfaction with local community

Fairbridge

Communicating, Managing feelings, Establishing interpersonal relationships,

Understanding social values, Understanding and identifying with others,

Negotiating, Problem solving, Planning, Reviewing

AQR Mental Toughness

1. Control

2. Challenge

3. Commitment

4. Confidence


Using the Outcomes Framework


Stages in using the Framework


Case study: provider working with victims of bullying


Step 1: What’s the need?Young people in the local area have been victims of bullying. They have suffered from physical and verbal abuse and their school

attendance has worsened. 15 young people have been referred to the scheme.

Resilience & Determination

Managing Feelings

Confidence & Agency

Communication

Step 2: Planned outputs & outcomes

Provide refuge/safe-place

Provide supported activities to build social ands emotional skills

Work with schools to stop the bullying

Step 3: Which clusters?

Step 4: Service design

Activity C

Local Authority funded therapist who can provide a two hour session once a week

Activity B

3 volunteers who can each devote an evening a week (6 till 9 pm)

Training sessions with teachers

Activities Inputs

Use of church hall two evenings a week (4pm till 9.30pm)

1 full time dedicated member of staff

Activity A



Matrix of tools


• We have collated information on commonly-used and referenced measurement tools and techniques

• Information includes an overview of which clusters are covered; the cost of using the tool; and the robustness of the underlying evidence base

Approach to assessing tools


Next steps • Pilot phase

For example, applied in LGA/NYA case study work with councils on investment analysis

• Generating knowledge Continuing to gather information on tools and

their use Working with groups of practitioners and analysts

to share data and experiences

• Encouragement from commissioners and funders


Contact

Bethia [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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