The Islington 'Doing What Counts: Measuring What Matters' Evaluation Report

This document describes an evaluation of the "Doing What Counts and Measuring What Matters" (DWC:MWM) project in Islington, which aims to improve outcomes for children and families through the development of Motivational Social Work (MSW) practice and enhanced support for complex cases. The evaluation, conducted by an external team using a mixed-methods approach, assessed the cost-effectiveness, implementation success, and impact on child outcomes and learning capacity within the practice system. Key findings indicate positive feedback on practice quality and effectiveness of the MSW methodology, but challenges remain in demonstrating quantifiable child outcomes. The evaluation suggests the need for more time to establish the impact and recommends an extended second stage to test effectiveness and strengthen child outcome measures. The document also discusses the implications of scaling the practice model to other local authorities and emphasizes the importance of involving practitioners, parents, and children in service design and review. Concerns are raised about the theoretical depth and practical application of MSW in complex cases, with practitioners expressing the need for additional training and support. Overall, while the project shows promise in building practice system capacity for change, further research and development are needed to confirm its efficacy and improve child welfare outcomes. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: Department for Education (DfE)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation; Process evaluation
• Impact methods: Theory-based methods
• Theory-based methods: Other
• Process methods: Individual interviews; Other
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: July 2017

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes