The Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is seeking to commission a pilot evaluation of a promising practice approach – the psychologically-informed key worker approach based on systemic practice. This series of reports is intended to help build the evidence base and prepare for future evaluation.

These reports form part of WWEICSC’s existing work on the Supporting Families Programme and build on the four feasibility studies that were conducted last year (2021/22).

Overview of the reports  

Links to the four reports and a brief description of each are provided below.

Scoping the core components of a systemically-informed key worker model
This report provides detailed information on each of the core components of systemic practice and how they could be implemented. The research involved a review of literature and desk research.

Scoping the use of systemic practice components in Early Help services in English local authorities
This report summarises findings from desk research and a survey used to identify the prevalence of systemic practice components in Early Help services in local areas in England. This provides valuable information on which local areas are not eligible to take part in the pilot evaluation as they are already implementing elements of systemic practice.

Piloting the implementation of systemic training and feedback tools in Rotherham’s Early Help & Family Engagement Service: Evaluation report
This evaluation report details the findings of a randomised control trial in Rotherham looking at implementing a systemic practice training, and the use of two family feedback tools in Early Help. The evaluation used mixed research methods, including observations, surveys, interviews, use of validated outcome measures, and analysis of administrative data. The results found it was both feasible to implement and that there was evidence of promise regarding improved outcomes for practitioners and families.

Lessons learned from conducting evaluations of the Supporting Families Programme in Early Help settings
Our lessons learned report collates key learnings from evaluations conducted in Early Help this year and last year. The report offers thoughts and reflections on carrying out an evaluation with Early Help teams which can be used when planning future evaluation.

Conclusions and next steps

Our work takes an important first step in exploring how the systemic practice model could be implemented and evaluated, whether this is feasible and whether it has the potential to improve outcomes. The reports provide important information to inform the pilot evaluation on systemic practice that DLUHC is seeking to commission.

Recommended next steps for the evaluator are: to establish an agreed and clearly defined model so that it can be implemented consistently across key workers and local areas involved in the study; and to develop a refined logic model which can be tested in future evaluation.