Leonard Cheshire Disability
What we were asked to do
SQW’s initial proposal to Leonard Cheshire Disability was in response to a brief issued in 2016, requesting a desk review of documentation, consultations with a random sample of stakeholders (including managers of support centres and care homes) and data analysis and reporting in 2017. Following a restructuring at the charity, however, which included the appointment of an internal quality and data manager, SQW were asked whether they could take on a new role of critical friend (to provide advice on data collection and analysis) and trainer (supporting best practice in monitoring and facilitating the use of data collection new tools).
What we did
The new role SQW adopted involved undertaking interactive, ‘diagnostic’ exercises with core staff at the charity in order to review their new evaluation materials, identify data and skills gaps and to providing a bespoke support and training programme and guidance materials to enable the Discover IT team and regional leads carry out internal evaluation more robustly.
Across the next eight months, SQW provided ad hoc email and telephone support; capacity-building workshop sessions with the core team and regional coordinators (using futurising methodologies) and a range of training and co-production sessions.
Findings and Impact
The support provided by SQW led to the development, co-production and subsequent deployment of a range of tools, including:
- an observation tool that enabled diagnosis of need, for use by Leonard Cheshire Disability staff in client meetings
- a new assessment tool to measure client progress
- re-designed exit surveys for users of the service
The tools and the learning that took place in discussions and at workshop and training sessions enabled Leonard Cheshire Disability to evaluate progress made with clients; be clear about relative inputs, outputs and outcomes for particular groups of clients; and identify and promote good practice in working with clients.
Client feedback (March 2019):
I’m pleased to let you know that the tools are working brilliantly so far! Thank you for all your support, we really valued your inputs and expertise over the past nine months.
