National Youth Homelessness Scheme

Measuring the impact of the work

Monitoring is a way of collecting information in a routine and systematic way. It is important in this work to set up monitoring systems which will help you to find out the impact of the work in the short and long term against the stated aims of the work.

The information gathered can help answer the following sorts of questions:

  • How well are we doing?
  • Are we doing the right things?
  • What difference are we making?
  • How much we are doing?
  • What is the quality of what we do?
  • Are we reaching the people we need to?

Measuring the immediate impact on the awareness levels of young people who have been part of sessions is one element that can be monitored routinely. Asking young people to fill in very short questionnaire type forms at the very beginning of the session, which ask them how much they know about homelessness, then, doing the same at the end of the session, will give an indication of increased awareness.

Good practice is to have an adaptable and evolving approach to working with schools. Feedback from young people on what they enjoyed most, combined with your staff members' and any peer educators experience of delivering sessions will give valuable information about what might be changed.

Measuring the long term impact requires patience and close working with local housing departments. A longitudinal study should reveal any real impact on reduction of homelessness. The following points may be useful to consider:

  • At the point of establishing the work, find out as much data as possible at ward or area based level on 16 and 17 year olds: for example, numbers of young people leaving school each year,  numbers of 16 and 17 year olds presenting themselves as homeless, rough sleeping, sofa surfing, young people in bed and breakfasts.
  • If possible, also find out which schools have had high numbers of pupils who present as homeless and then target work at those schools with high numbers.
  • Try to work with schools over several years. Explaining to schools your long term objectives may help them realise the importance of the work.
  • Monitor with the local authority the impact on local homelessness figures for 16 and 17 year olds and older young people as well. 

All of this information, gathered over 2 years or more, will help to make the case for investing in preventative work, as an effective spend to save option.

Evaluation uses the monitoring data and other information to make more in depth judgments about the effectiveness of working with schools. Whilst there is a role for self-evaluation, independent evaluation is also useful because it allows for greater objectivity.

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