VT Research (now Babcock Research) provided a longitudinal outcome evaluation for the Hartlepool Children’s Fund for three years with an additional one year’s input. 

VT Research provided a ‘critical friend’ approach, combining professionalism with support to the programme and of diverse projects making up the programmes. delivered over and above the specification, providing formative work and support to the Board, additional capacity building, presentations and innovative work to support the Programme and its evaluation.

Throughout the evaluation, maintained its independence and delivered: a retrospective report and formative (briefing) reports and summative reporting. The evaluation included; children’s consultation, peer evaluation; stakeholder and project manager consultation; parent/community consultation; secondary data review including an analysis of programme and project management information and national, local, and ward-level data; baseline and target setting and monitoring; outcome setting in relation to Every Child Matters Outcomes.  Babcock Research worked with projects in the Voluntary and Community Sector and with the Statutory Sector.  The Peer Review Evaluation work that undertook with a group of young people required additional input and methodological and ethical expertise to engage the young people and produce the outputs.

The VT Research Director devised methodology to simultaneously teach research methods to children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties to undertake evaluation with other young people and service providers. The children and young people presented their work at a poster event.

The work evaluated the impact of the programme over its course (pre- and post intervention measures) including the following: management and systems; process; participation of beneficiaries; identification of need; value for money; outputs from the programme; impact of the programme; progress over time; partnership working;  mainstreaming and sustainability of the outcomes/projects; progress against Every Child Matters outcomes.  The evaluation provided summary and recommendations for future planning and delivery.  The evaluation covered the seven sub-objectives/themes including health; education; crime; accessibility; and sustainability.

VT Research also worked with partners and other Children’s Fund evaluators to further their evaluation.

At all times VT Research maintained a high level of professionalism that left Hartlepool’s Children’s Fund Partnership confident in their ability and satisfied with the integrity of their findings. I have no hesitation in recommending them.