Commissioned research/evaluation

A 'Study of the Service Reform (SRF): Understanding Reform in National Systems' examines the innovative approaches to implementing the SRF, an ambitious 45million national programme of change which helped expand and sustain social innovation in disability, mental health and homelessness.

With 300 participant interviews collected through an Action Research approach this new report offers examples where transformative systemic change can occur at national, local and frontline service delivery levels. Action Research was central to the adaption of the process and the interviews which occurred over the lifetime of the programme surfaced the challenges and opportunities encountered as reform was implemented.

Who is this report for?

• Services and organisations who are promoting change and reform in complex challenging systems
• For those struggling to implement greater choice and dialogue across social service systems.
• For those working towards greater collaboration and meaningful partnerships across agencies
• For policy makers and decision makers involved in systems reform

View/Download A Study of the Service Reform Fund (SRF) here

Who is this guide for?

Learning As You Scale focuses on supporting people working on social innovations which are scaling in complex change environments and are often addressing ‘wicked’ problems within the social sphere. A wicked problem is a social or cultural problem that's difficult or impossible to solve - normally because of its complex and interconnected nature. Wicked problems lack clarity in both their aims and solutions and are subject to real-world constraints which hinder risk-free attempts to find a solution (Rittel and Webber, 1973). However, many of the principles and tools in this guide would be relevant to social innovations operated by social enterprises and non-profits in a market context. We trust those leading social innovations to adapt these tools, and the mix of tools, to their own needs, context and stage of innovation.

This guide has been designed specifically for those involved in social innovations who are interested in involving the people for whom the innovation is designed (the beneficiaries) within this scaling and learning process. It can be used by individuals and teams within these types of social innovations who occupy roles connected to evaluation, learning & development, and leadership, governance & strategy.

The launch of the guide took place on 28 February 2022. A recording is available to view below.

View/download Learning As You Scale guide here

Context

Internationally, increased attention is focused on the provision of personalised supports to people with disabilities and enduring illness. Personalised or individualised supports are those which address the unique needs of the individual focusing on their strengths and abilities, which are chosen by the person and which are delivered in the community fostering inclusion and participation. Recent Irish policy documents have also described and recommended a way of supporting people with disabilities which involves a reframing of provision from services towards individualised supports. The Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services recommends that the goal of full inclusion and self-determination for people with disabilities be pursued “through access to the individualised personal social supports and services needed to live a fully included life in the community”.

Aims of the evaluation

In this context this evaluation was concerned with identifying the outcomes for people with disabilities and mental health difficulties receiving individualised supports; particularly on indicators of social inclusion and quality of life but also in relation to their individual aspirations, including;

• the processes which have led to effective change and transition in terms of personal outcomes and the delivery of individualised supports.
• the direct costs of providing the personalised support for people using services and how these costs have changed as a result of the changes in support provided.
• the implications for the further development of personalised services in an Irish service context.

Follow-up study

A further data uplift by Prof. Roy McConkey and colleagues, Ulster University (UU) is taking place on this study. This will enable the longer-term impact of a move to independent living to be established as well as the impact on those individuals who had only just moved at the end of the initial study.