The importance of data in improving social wellbeing policies

Anne HampshireNational Manager, Research & Social Policy

Mission Australia

The Community Indicators Summit

Brisbane, July 2009

Mission Australia

National NGO - homeless, children/ family, youth, employment & training services.

2008: supported 330,000+ low income & disadvantaged Australians

Vision: To see a fairer Australia by enabling people in need to find pathways to a better life

Strong commitment to research (what impact are we making), innovation (testing new models) & advocacy (fairer Australia)

A 4 component organisational wide approach

Outcomes hierarchy

ProgramLogic

ProgramTheory

Evaluation Framework

Pathways to prevention: The importance & challenge of data

Recommendation 16, 1999Recommendation 16, 1999 Target multiple risk & protective factors at multiple levels (individual, family, immediate social group, & larger community) At multiple life phases and transition points in an individual’s development.

Planning began 1999 – MA, GU, phil $, (Dept of Educ, QLD)

Most disadvantaged urban community in QLD; significant ATSI, Pacific Islander & Vietnamese communities

Whole-of-community model incorporating range of programs & services, rather than single program.

Individual SupportCounselling; ER; Therapy; Family Mediation; Intensive Parenting/Home Visiting; AdvocacySchool Liaison

Parent Support GroupsSupporting children’s school success Lifeskills ;Healthy lifestyle; CraftGeneral support

Parent EducationEffective parenting and behaviour management

Early Childhood Initiatives

PlaygroupsSing and GrowSKiLLS

Community Liaison

FestivalsMeetings

Child Support ProgramPersonal Development programs, Recreational programs

Linking to Learn & Learning to Link

Strengthening home-school relationships

Circles of CareIntegrated model of support for children’s +ve development

Family Literacy Program

Comprehensive approach to literacy development

Some child, family & school support activities

2005-08 600 families participated - 108 Indigenous - 123 Vietnamese - 89 PI reaching ‘hard to reach’

Multi-layered responses require multiple measures:- Standard Statistical tests highlight key changes: child wellbeing; family empowerment; child behaviour; school performance; system connectedness; teacher stress & strategies for connecting with families

- Quotes - Rich & informative on what’s happening for individuals, families, institutions

- Journey mapping - Quantifies ‘small victories’

Measuring inputs and impact

PIP: Preschool Intervention Program & FIP: Family Independence ProgramPIP: Preschool Intervention Program & FIP: Family Independence ProgramInitial Effects & 1 Year follow up: Matched SamplesInitial Effects & 1 Year follow up: Matched Samples

Effect of program participation on preschool children's level of difficult behaviour

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

None FIP Only PIP Only FIP + PIP

Program Group

RBRI Score

Measuring impact: P2P Phase 1Pathways to prevention

Grade 1 performance: Initial Effects & 1 Year follow up: Matched SamplesInitial Effects & 1 Year follow up: Matched Samples

Measuring impact: P2P Phase 1Pathways to prevention

social isolation

support networks, people to trust, someone who cares

behaviour of child in school

parenting strategies

Better $ management strategies debt reduction

in family conflict

relationship with schools/ retention/ more support accessed for child

Main outcomes reported by clients

Cost effectiveness: Phase 1

$ of Pathways (pre-school) social skills & communication programs = $62,000

$ of Local behavioural management (school) program = $236,000

$ of Special School (Dept Ed) program = $417,000(Note: numbers supported by each program vary)

Even assuming ‘worst case’ scenario eg Pathways 25% effective & Special school 100% effective:- $ per participant for Pathways = $560- $ per participant for Special school = $19,879(Note: Comparing similar numbers)

Important work for policy considerations (but $)

Pathways is a model that is:

• Flexible, multi-layered, comprehensive, enduring• Effective – i.e it works• Cost-effective • Sustainable• Replicable• Can be brought to scale • But it’s messy, complex & not (easily) understood in

1 sentence challenging in a policy context!

The model of intervention works! Development is ongoing process Change is sometimes (often) slow and incremental – need

measures that capture such change Changing institutions (eg schools) v important Invest in development phase, research, data collection &

analysis Research – practitioner partnership v challenging, time

consuming but v valuable - find lingua franca Agreement on what outcomes are important Explaining complexity of such initiatives for policy audience is

complex but essential

Some Pathways learnings