Step Change: An Evaluation

This document summarizes the evaluation of the Step Change project, which was designed to support at-risk youth through programs like Functional Family Therapy and Multi-Systemic Therapy to improve outcomes and reduce the number entering care or custody. Conducted by the University of York, the evaluation employed mixed methods and considered feedback from young people, parents, and workers. Despite implementation challenges and limitations such as missing data and the absence of a control group, the project reported improved family functioning and well-being. However, the economic evaluation did not conclusively determine cost-effectiveness. Recommendations for future projects include ensuring strategic buy-in, long-term commitment, and involving operational staff in the development process. The Department for Education has made the report publicly available, which includes comprehensive data and references to related literature. **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
• Impact methods: Generic research method
• 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: January 2017

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

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