Innovation in the Context of
Austerity
The Social Research Unit at
Dartington
Who we are
• Small research-based charity of around 20 staff, based in Dartington,
Devon and London
• Our mission:
1. Contributing to an understanding of what works in improving
children and young people’s outcomes.
2. Helping people – central and local government, consumers of
public services, trusts and foundations, service providers – apply
that evidence in the real world.
• There is a big gap between evidence and its useful application –
which we seek to fill.
Ideas for Innovation
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De-commission ineffective practice
Serve young people who most need help
Embed effective practice
Community engagement & collective efficacy
Portfolios of evidence based programmes
Consistent good practice
De-commission ineffective practice
1. Stop clearly harmful interventions
Evidence-based services deliver better
outcomes and value for consumers
Consumers of public services benefit from services that make better use of
evidence about what works and what provides best value. But few public
services make use of high-quality evidence in a systematic way (except, of
course, medical interventions)
EVIDENCE
BETTER OUTCOMES
FINANCIAL BENEFIT
Life Skills Training
Reduces offending with effect size
0.19 and drug use with effect size
0.11
£1 invested generates £4.96
for taxpayer and £1.70 for
beneficiary
Success for All
Improves attainment with effect
size 0.10
£1 invested generates £7.88
for taxpayer and £16.07 for
beneficiary
Reading Recovery
Improves attainment with effect
size 0.48
£1 invested saves £3.72 for
taxpayers and £7.59 for
beneficiary
Scared Straight
Increases offending with effect size
0.11
£1 invested costs taxpayers
£11.54
De-commission ineffective practice
1. Stop clearly harmful interventions
2. Reflect on potentially harmful interventions
3. Test the benefits of doing less
Serve young people who most need help
4. Reduce support for the worried well
5. Increase prevention for ‘unknown’ cases
Total 9-18 population of Scottish LA:
n = 15,409
53% of children with no problems
(n = 8,166)
41% of children with a few
problems (n = 6,318)
6% of children with many problems
(n = 925)
Total 9-18 population of Scottish LA:
n = 15,409
53% of children with no problems
(n = 8,166)
41% of children with a few
problems (n = 6,318)
38%
12%
50%
6% of children with many problems
(n = 925)
7% of children involved in at least one
system (n = 1,079)
38% of system-involved have no problems
(5% of total ‘no problem’ pop.)
50% of system-involved have have a few
(9% of total ‘few problems’ pop.)
12% of system-involved have have many
(14% of total ‘many problems’ pop.)
86% of those with many problems have no
service contact
Embed effective practice
6. Cognitive behavioural therapy
7. Motivational interviewing
8. Contingency management
9. Communities that Care and Evidence2Success
Other programs ($1,300,000)
Mental health programs
($460,000)
Atlanta public high
schools
($9,000,000)
After school
programs
($570,000)
Child care services
($870,000)
Child protective Services ($3,600,000)
Public health($260,000)
Foster care ($350,000)
Medicaid & Peachcare
($5,700,000)
Title 1
($1,200,000)
Pre-K & Headstart
($2,600,000)
Work assistance
($1,740,000)
Total cost: $44,750,000
Atlanta public elementary
and middle schools
($17,100,000)
Pittsburg Atlanta
Community engagement & collective efficacy
9. Communities that Care & Evidence2Success
10.Felton Earls and Collective Efficacy
Community engagement & collective efficacy
9. Communities that Care & Evidence2Success
10.Felton Earls and Collective Efficacy
Community engagement & collective efficacy
9. Communities that Care & Evidence2Success
10.Felton Earls and Collective Efficacy
Community engagement & collective efficacy
9. Communities that Care & Evidence2Success
10.Felton Earls and Collective Efficacy
Portfolios of evidence based programmes
11. Washington experiment
Overview
+100%
Cost-Benefit? Prevention
Bottom Line
Crime Rates and Taxpayer Costs:
1980 to 2005
Percent Change Since 1980
+80% Taxpayer Costs Are Up
(Inflation-Adjusted Criminal Justice
Dollars Per Household)
+60%
$$
+40%
+20%
0%
Crime
$$
-20%
$
$$$$
$
$
$$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$ $$
$
?
In 2005, crime
rates were 26%
lower than they
were in 1980.
Crime Rates Are Down
1985
1990
In 1980, taxpayers
spent $589 per
household on the
criminal justice
system. Today they
spend $1,125:
a 91% increase.
?
-40%
1980
?
1995
2000
2005
2010
?
2015
All Data are for Washington State: 1980 to 2005
17 of 24
Portfolios of evidence based programmes
11. Washington experiment
12. Project Re-direct Re-invest
13. One-per cent for prevention
Consistent good practice
14. Employ the right people and do the right
things well
18-Month Unadjusted Major Recidivism Percentage
FFT Results
63
55
47
47
43
42
34
33
33
31
28
26
26
23
23
22
20
18
14
17
17
17 17
14
18
14
12
11
8
0
C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Poor Fidelity
22
Control Group (N=313)
Individual Therapists (N=387)
Group Mean (Average)
M
8
9 10 11 12 13 M 14 15 16 17 18 M 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 M
Low Fidelity
Good Fidelity High Fidelity