1. Using research to support programme development
Examples from Seacroft Sure Start
17 September 2003

2. Research can be used to:
Steer the strategy
Prove progress
Tweak the tactics
Plus, help address tensions

3. Strategy - Health visitor study

4. Why we did it Seacroft programme is Education-led
New birth stats and contact info was not coming through
Health visitors did not seem engaged
Given the requirement to contact all new births, what do we do about this?

5. How we did it Identified those HVs with highest caseloads in area
45 minute depth interviews with these
Following pre-defined topic guide
Full written report for programme, summary sent to participating HVs

6. What came out of it
Initial consultation process left HVs feeling embattled
No-one was taking responsibility for Working Together
Communication and feedback had all but stopped
New HV appointed to Sure Start team

7. Monitoring progess - Community survey

8. Why we (first) did it To provide base-line info for Sure Start Unit
To test early impact of programme
To set a benchmark against which progress could be tracked

9. How we did it
Street interviews with random sample of parents of under 4’s
Using a pre-defined questionnaire
Used professional interviewers (for speed)
Sample of 101 first time, 200 a year later

10. Satisfaction with services in the area for young children

11. Heard of Sure Start?

12. Wider benefits Quantified the number of children in area
Helped prove the point about monitoring
Data show correlation between awareness/usage of Sure Start and other good things
Provides info from those not involved with programme
Helps promote Sure Start in itself

13. Tactics - Staff survey

14. Why we (first) did it
Became aware of issues in team early on, eg to do with:
communication
training
understanding of national objectives
awareness of local services
working together

15. How we did it Self-completion questionnaire sent to all staff at home
Reminder sent 2 weeks later
Findings presented at team meeting
Followed by workshop sessions

16. What came out of it Induction pack put together Policies reviewed
Staff development programme instigated
Job ‘shadowing’ introduced
Team organised into geographical patches

17. Research should do more than just collect information