Tackling child poverty pathfinders: evaluability assessment

Appendix 5 – Costs and benefits in scope for the economic evaluation

The main costs of the service to capture in the evaluation were identified in the economic evaluation workshop. These were categorised into costs coming from the direct funding of the Pathfinders, and in-kind costs, as shown below.

Costs

Direct

• Enrolment of Glasgow Helps customer care team
• Procurement of services – delivery of referral
• Rent of buildings
• Customer record management (IT system)
• Telephony system
• Evaluation activities
• Direct Pathfinder delivery team (staffing costs)
• Local authority Pathfinder team – coordination role

In-kind

• Scottish Government costs to support Pathfinder
• In-kind referrals – food parcels etc.
• Staff in partner organisations
• Fuel support scheme costs
• Costs to DWP and SSS budgets
• Costs to ELC budget
• Fire and rescue team member
• Scottish Government analytical support, project management and policy impact

On the benefits side, in the workshop we collected a longlist of benefits that could arise, and then categorised these based on whether they should be included or excluded. This categorisation was based on whether the beneficiary was part of the first-hand impacts of the Pathfinder (in which case they should be included), or whether the benefits arose as indirect, knock-on effects (in which case they were excluded. The diagram below illustrates the beneficiaries and associated benefits in scope for the evaluation.

As set out in detail in the section on evaluating value for money, if adopting a quasi-experimental approach, it is possible to quantify benefits based on the outcomes measured in the impact evaluation. This would limit the benefits in the CBA to those included in the impact evaluation. On the other hand, if not using this approach, and instead relying on internal data from the Pathfinders – or other data collected as part of the impact evaluation – then the following data sources may be used to identify the number of beneficiaries against each benefit.

Data sources for calculating the number of beneficiaries

Benefit: Fewer children with intensive or complex needs – less resource demand (education services)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People supported with children with complex needs

Dundee data source

• Case management data
• Client spreadsheet
• Dundee Pathfinder monitoring Data Excel Spreadsheet
• Exit interviews

Glasgow data source

• Exit interviews
• Glasgow Helps Monitoring Data Excel Spreadsheet
• Holistic Needs Assessment

Benefit: Reduction in demand for services (housing support)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People provided support in relation to housing

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Reduction in children care home spend

Method of counting beneficiaries: People supported with care-experienced children

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Less intensive support required (HSCP)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People with health and social care issues resolved

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Reduced spending on and demand for services (HSCP)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People with health and social care issues resolved

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Fewer arrears (housing)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People provided support in relation to housing costs

Dundee data source

As above plus:

• Housing benefit and council tax reduction data

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Better tenants leading to lower maintenance costs (housing)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People provided support in relation to housing

Dundee data source

• Case management data
• Client spreadsheet
• Dundee Pathfinder monitoring Data Excel Spreadsheet
• Exit interviews

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Reduced patient numbers (NHS)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People provided health-related support

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Less staff resource on contested claims/sanctions (DWP)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People provided support on benefits

Dundee data source

As above plus:

• DWP customer database

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Reduced benefits payments (DWP)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People who moved off benefits and into employment

Dundee data source

• Case management data
• Client spreadsheet
• Dundee Pathfinder monitoring Data Excel Spreadsheet

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Greater supply of skilled workforce (employers)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People gaining qualifications

Dundee data source

As above plus:

• Exit interviews

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Reduction in antisocial behaviour (Police)

Method of counting beneficiaries: Support provided for people at risk of antisocial behaviour / crime

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Reduction in crime (Police)

Method of counting beneficiaries: Support provided for people at risk of antisocial behaviour / crime

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Fewer neighbourhood problems

Method of counting beneficiaries: Support provided for people at risk of antisocial behaviour / crime

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Improved community capital (spending in local businesses plus community feeling)

Method of counting beneficiaries: People with increased income

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Local employment

Method of counting beneficiaries: People entering employment in local business

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Improved family relationships

Method of counting beneficiaries: Number of families supported reporting improved relationships

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Better standard of living

Method of counting beneficiaries: People with increased income; people who entered employment; people reporting improved health

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Easier navigation through the system

Method of counting beneficiaries: People who reported improved understanding of the system

Dundee data source

• Exit interviews

Glasgow data source

• Exit interviews

Benefit: Improved wellbeing:

• Greater confidence
• Enhanced resilience

Method of counting beneficiaries: People who reported improved wellbeing

Dundee data source

• Case management data
• Client spreadsheet
• Dundee Pathfinder monitoring Data Excel Spreadsheet
• Exit interviews

Glasgow data source

• Anxiety matrix spreadsheet
• Exit interviews
• Glasgow Helps Monitoring Data Excel Spreadsheet
• Holistic Needs Assessment

Benefit: Increased income from employment

Method of counting beneficiaries: People who entered employment

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• Exit interviews
• Glasgow Helps Monitoring Data Excel Spreadsheet
• Holistic Needs Assessment

Benefit: Increased income from social security

Method of counting beneficiaries: People who accessed social security

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Improved skills and qualifications

Method of counting beneficiaries: People who gained a qualification

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Access to childcare

Method of counting beneficiaries: People who accessed childcare

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Better supported in education

Method of counting beneficiaries: People supported with children with attendance or attainment issues

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Better able to realise potential

Method of counting beneficiaries: People supported with children with attendance or attainment issues

Dundee data source

• As above

Glasgow data source

• As above

Benefit: Having parent as a role model – improved parental skills

Method of counting beneficiaries: People who reported improved parental relationships/abilities

Dundee data source

• Exit interviews

Glasgow data source

• Exit interviews