Critical mass - Big Lottery funded research project

There is no national data source that covers non statutory homeless people at all stages of their journey, from  living on the streets to moving into a home.

The best proxy is Supporting People, but this only covers accommodation based services. Our 2010 SNAP research shows that 95% of homelessness services use some form of client-recording system to monitor and report on clients' needs and outcomes achieved across all forms of provision. Critical Mass, a research project funded by the Big Lottery, will bring this data together for the first time to produce a comprehensive wider data set.

It is often thought that client recording systems could yield powerful and valuable data but this has never been tested. Homeless Link has received 3 year funding from the Big Lottery to collate, combine and analyse client recording data from 8 partners using In-Form and to report on the findings. The aim is to see if client recording data can be used to inform policy and practice.

What research questions will the project address?

We have set ourselves the following research questions, initially using data from 2005-2009 and then repeating the exercise in the final year of the project:

  1. What is the demographic and needs profile of people using homelessness services and how does this differ from the general population?
  2. How have these characteristics changed over the past 5 years?
  3. What are the characteristics of the client groups of different types of services compared to the wider population?
  4. In what ways do different service types deliver different outcomes for homeless people? 

How will it help me? 

  • As a provider – this project will enable you to use evidence based knowledge to benchmark and improve your services, and to influence local commissioners and strategies to tackle unmet need
  • As a provider/researcher – this project will enable you to access and use operational data to undertake research and explore client need and the effects of the provision clients receive
  • As a local commissioner – this project will enable you to use operational data in strategic and commissioning decisions relating to the spectrum of services for homeless people
  • As a national policy maker – this project will enable you to use a comprehensive and sound evidence base to guide national policies and spend across Whitehall

Project oversight 

  • The project is being advised and guided by the University of St Andrews to ensure that the research methodology and findings are robust.
  • All 8 partners will be meeting regularly with Homeless Link to ensure that the research and materials meet their requirements and provides them with the necessary tools.
  • A project steering group of national policy makers and commissioners will be set up to advise on how the findings can be strategically presented to influence policy and commissioning decisions.

What about the ethical issues associated with client data?

The use of client recording data for research, policy and practice issues raises ethical issues and the need to ensure that clients have given informed consent and understand how their data could be used.

During the first year of the project Homeless Link will be working with a group of service users to discuss the ethical issues around using client recording system data for policy/research and developing draft guidance for consultation with the sector.

What will the project do? 

The project is divided into three key stages:

  1. initial research – year 1
  2. influencing of practice and policy and working to improve data collection – year 2
  3. final research - year 3

During the first year initial quantitative research on the client data will be carried out to see if it can yield the valuable data across agencies. Additionally frontline workers, commissioners and senior managers will be consulted to validate the data and to understand how best to present the data to make it accessible.

By the end of year one the following materials will be produced:

  • A report with the findings from the analysis of the data
  • Tools/templates on how to use data to influence commissioners, how to analyse and present data, how to improve data collection
  • A short summary showing the limitations of using client recording system data and recommendations to improve collection.

In years 2 and 3 we will work to ensure that agencies are supported to improve data collection, to use data to improve practice and influence commissioning and policy. We will also repeat the research questions in year 3.

How do I find out more?

To find out more contact us.

 

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