Funding strategies Building the case for homelessness

8th June 2012

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Social Return On Investment: Demonstrating value in homelessness services

Introductions

• Emma Vallance

Social Impact Scotland, Forth Sector Development

Emma.Vallance@forthsector.org.uk

• Rhona MacPherson

Senior Manager, Dumfries and Galloway CouncilRhona.Lewis@dumgal.gov.uk

Outline

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•What is Social Return on Investment & what is Social Impact?

•Why use it and how does it work?

•What support and information is available?

•Dumfries & Galloway Outcomes Commissioning framework

What is ‘Social Impact?’ & ‘SROI’?

• Social Return on Investment (SROI) is a way to measure your Social Impact

• The effects on various people, resulting from an activity

• The change that happens for people

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Why?

• Communicate the SOCIAL VALUE generated - Increase the Social Impact & improve service

delivery- Evidence- Adjust services- Consider spend and understand what works- Partnerships

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Social Return on Investment (SROI)

• VALUES the impact of an activity experienced by stakeholders (financial proxies)

• Ratio of the investment into the activity: SOCIAL RETURN generated

• Full report – story is essential (Forecast or Evaluation)

Principles

1 Involve stakeholders

2 Understand what changes

3 Value what matters

4 Only include what is material

5 Do not over claim

6 Be Transparent

7 Verify the Result

Social Return on Investment (SROI)

• Whole formalised process?

• Cost savings/effectiveness?

• Broader picture of value (stakeholders)

• Communicate Social Value

SROI = a ratio of investment to social return + a full report detailing the STORY of CHANGE

for your activity

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Theory of Change

Inputs Outputs Outcomes Impacts

‘Outcomes are the changes, benefits, learning or other effects

that happen as a result of your work’ Charities Evaluation Service

Outcomes

Intended

Positive

Unintended

Positive

Unintended

Negative

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Positive

Negative

Intended Unintended

Stakeholder Outcome Indicator Possible Financial

Proxy

Person with mental health

problem

Improved mental health

Level of use of mental health

services

Cost of counselling

services etc.

Getting Started• Why?

– Agenda

• Resources required

– Stakeholder analysis and monitoring practice

– Baseline outcomes data

– Outcomes to be delivered

• Timescales

– Limitations and challenges

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Resources

• Social Impact Scotland

• http://www.socialimpactscotland.org.uk/home.aspx– Impact Arts ‘Fab Pad’ SROI Case study

• Charities Evaluation Service• Evaluation Support Scotland• New Economics Foundation – prove and

improve

Dumfries and Galloway Council

• Unitary authority in south west Scotland• 6426 sq km• Population 150,000• Rural economy• Good working relationships (strategic and

operational) with National Health Service, third sector and private providers

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Drivers

• Decreasing budgets

• Increasing demand

• Desire to ensure spend achieves results

• Capture innovation of providers

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Stage 1- move elected member and officer thinking to outcomes

• Developed a Commissioning and Service Delivery strategy for all Council services

• Emphasis on outcomes for the first time

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Stage 2 – prepare stakeholder groups for the change

• Chief Executive used a large third sector conference to announce the shift to outcomes

• Followed up in weeks that followed by meetings with key players in sector

• Encouraged feedback, consultation and debate on how this would work

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Stage 3 –train our own staff

• Worked with Forth Sector to provide training on concepts and open up internal debate

• Linked the work to what was required in terms of our Commissioning and Service Delivery Strategy

• Offered endless support in preparing commission briefs and outlines

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Stage 4– tender

• First tender would be a stepping stone towards full outcome based commissioning next time

• Use first contract period to collect data on what does and doesn’t work

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Lessons Learned

• No matter how well people embrace the concepts – the harsh reality of outcome based tendering is a culture shock that will be resisted

• Difficult to keep elected members out of detail and returning to input specifications

• Don’t tender close to elections!• Don’t set strategic outcomes for front line staff –

measure the right outcomes at each level

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Service Users and Community Stakeholders

Public, Private and Third Sector Service Providers

Local Authority Commissioning

SOA, Strategic Priorities and

Department Business Plans

National priorities‘Golden Thread’ for Strategic Planning and Reporting of Outcomes

For the impact measurement to be correct, meaningful front line user data needs to be collected.

We recommend the use of a tool such as “outcomes star”. It is easy to follow for both case workers and service users…you can view the tool at

www.outcomesstar.org.uk

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What is measured at service user level?

• Motivation and taking responsibility• Self care and living skills • Managing money• Social networks and relationships• Drug and alcohol misuse• Physical health • Mental health• Offending and criminal behaviour• Emotional and mental health • Meaningful use of time• Managing tenancy and accommodation

•

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Key messages

• The evidence of what does and does not make an impact may generate surprises

• As society changes, so will what works.

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Take the first step….

It’s an exciting journey!

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