Department of Health’s Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund: national evaluation

Jane SouthProfessor of Healthy Communities

j.south@leedsmet.c.uk

Acknowledgements• The HSCVF evaluation was commissioned by

ECORYS (fund managers on behalf of DH) and HSCVF partners- Attend, CSV and Primetimers.

• Evaluation was carried out by a team from Centre for Health Promotion Research, Leeds Metropolitan University: – Jane South [PI], Ruth Cross, Karina Kinsella, Louise

Warwick-Booth, James Woodall, Judy White.

Presentation outlinePresentation will include:

– Background– Evaluation aim and approach– Overview of evaluation methods– Findings – projects; volunteers; communities– Future challenges

Number of health and social care employees, volunteers and carers in England

Source: The King’s Fund (2013) Volunteering in health a care. Securing a sustainable future.

Department of Health’s Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund

• Capacity building programme – funds and support package

• 2010 & 2011 rounds, 94 local and 13 national projects based in VCSE organisations

• For further details of projects see: http://volunteeringfund.com/map

Desk-based Review

Workshops (3)

Case Studies –2 national

6 local

Volunteer Survey

(623 volunteers)National

Interviews (9)

FINAL REPORT

HSCVF Fund

Capacity Building

Volunteer Engagement

Learning

Organisational Impact

Making a Difference

Evaluation design & methods

Synthesis of results

leedsmet.ac.uk/vfp/

Local projects by funding themeThemes %2010 projects (n=43)  Addressing Social Care priorities 16Health inequalities 21Both themes 63

2011 projects (n=51)  Patient-led NHS 14Delivering better health outcomes 12Improving public health 26Improving health and social care 49

Source: HSCVF project monitoring forms

Strengthening volunteering

• 2010 local projects recruited a total of 517 new volunteers who carried out a total of 11,856 extra volunteering hours.

• 2011 local projects recruited 687 new volunteers and created 20,335 extra volunteering hours.

• Volunteer coordinator = key role.

Volunteer roles

Most common volunteering activities were (n= 623):• befriending (45%) • giving advice, information, counselling (38%)• practical help (33%) • visiting people (32%)• organising or helping run events (25%).

Making a difference for volunteers• Personal benefits of

volunteering:– increased confidence– having a sense of purpose– feeling listened to – awareness of health and

social care issues.

• Volunteer pathways– personal development– education and skills– volunteer and paid roles

• Stronger ties – new contacts

‘It’s that warm feeling inside of thinking I’m doing something decent here…and there is an enormous amount of feel

good factor for somebody like me…on a personal level it leaves something with me, on a professional level I’m learning

to do what I want to do.’ [Place2Be]

‘If I wasn’t a volunteer I would be stuck in a day centre, just looking at four walls basically. Whereas I can

get out and meet people and it gives me a better social life.’ [My Care, My Choice]

%

Black and minority ethnic groups 24

Carers 16

Children or young people 22

Disabled people 26

Lesbian, gay or bisexual people 5

Older people 39

People with learning disabilities 22

People with long term conditions 31

People with mental health conditions 39

Which groups do volunteers work with? Source: Volunteers’ Views Survey (n=544)

Views about impact of projects in the community

Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Strongly disagree0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

240

152

20

3 1

236

155

21

3 1

136

193

68

132

My project is making a difference in the communityMy project reaches people with a lot of needsI feel valued by my community

Perc

ent

Source: Volunteers’ Views Survey

Making a difference for communities‘These volunteers are the first step of knowledge about the

whole thing. Midwives, Doctors, GP surgeries don’t reach to that

point. These volunteers are reaching right out into the community, and even their

families it’s wonderful.’ [Maternity Outreach]

‘I’ve befriended lots of parents unofficially because you can’t stop it once you start doing it. You can’t see

somebody trapped if you can just chat to them, even if it’s just let’s go

down to Sainsbury’s and have a quick cup of coffee and a laugh.’

[Calderdale Parent and Carers]

‘I think when you are saying you are a carer yourself, then you just want to help other carers, that barrier

goes down.’ [Older People’s Budgets]

Future challenges• Changes in health and social care impacting on

voluntary and community sector, volunteers and communities they serve.

• Navigating local commissioning to secure future funding

• Connecting up to health and social care services so volunteering adds value to statutory provision

• Small peer support projects have place in health and social care system but how to support?

Thank you

• Report is due to be launched in November 2013.

• Research briefings for local commissioners and NHS staff (later)

• For further information please contactj.south@leedsmet.ac.uk