Supporting everyone to achieve their potential is part of the government’s Levelling Up strategy.

Our team works with policymakers, funders and delivery partners in the public, voluntary and private sectors to reduce inequalities and intersectional disadvantage. Our aim is to directly inform public sector policy and practice in this area by engaging with service users, practitioners, delivery partners and other stakeholders.

We use a wide range of proven methodologies, and our experienced team engages with an array of audiences to deliver:

Policy and programme evaluation

Process, impact and economic evaluation of policies and interventions to determine if the original objectives have been achieved for ‘hard to reach’ groups as well as identifying what worked well and areas for improvement.

Evaluation of prevention and early intervention programmes

Research and evaluation on the pivotal role that prevention and early intervention plays in helping to reduce inequalities and support positive outcomes for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

Employability and skills programmes

Evaluation of interventions aimed at supporting the economic inclusion of specific groups by empowering them to overcome the barriers that underpin their exclusion, to access employment-related opportunities and help them develop the skills they need to make a successful transition into work or further education.

We have a strong track record in evaluating public sector initiatives to tackle disadvantage. Our team has experience in a range of research methods, with a particular emphasis on robust theory-based and quasi-experimental designs. Examples include:

• Process and impact evaluation of programmes designed to tackle multiple deprivation eg an early years’ development programme to give young children in some of the most deprived areas of the UK a better start in life.
• Process and impact evaluation of employability programmes for vulnerable groups eg a programme which aims to support skills development for young people across the UK who are at risk of crime.
• Process and impact evaluation of programmes designed to improve diversity and solve current skills gaps eg UK cyber security skills development programmes aimed at encouraging more women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds into the sector; and return to work programmes for health professionals.
• Review of equality and inclusion policies eg baseline analysis of the status of the United Nations (UNCRPD Article 27) right to work and employment for persons with disabilities in Ireland.
• Review of current service provision and practice eg a review of childcare services in Northern Ireland and a review of educational provision for adults with disabilities in day services in Ireland.
• Rapid evidence reviews on high profile and topical issues relating to inclusion and cohesion eg robust analysis of data collected through a Call for Evidence on experiences of extremism and its impact on social cohesion, as well as interviews with victims, to provide well evidenced conclusions that will support independent recommendations made to the UK government.

Our approach

Our specialist team of researchers, evaluators, statisticians and modellers utilise a variety of methods to deliver results to our clients. These include rapid reviews of existing research, analysing national statistics, supplemented with participant surveys and stakeholder consultations, and using our knowledge of the barriers to inclusion for multiply disadvantaged groups.

We also have access to best practice knowledge and networks regarding interventions that have worked on various issues across the UK and internationally

Through our investigative work, we strive to provide policymakers and practitioners with robust evidence to support a more inclusive and fairer society.