Evaluation of Birmingham City Council's Step Down Programme: report of the preliminary findings January 2017

Report

The Step Down Programme is a partnership between Birmingham City Council and Core Assets which started in July 2014 to bring young people out of residential homes into foster placements. It is underpinned by a Social Impact Bond contract, funded by Bridges Ventures, a social investor who wants to make a difference for children and young people. They pay the additional cost of the service on top of the element that Birmingham City Council can meet. Provided the young person stays in a placement for 52 weeks, the social investor receives the payments from Birmingham City Council to cover the cost of the service that they have funded and to generate a return for their investors. At the start of December 2016, 20 placements had been made via the Step-Down Programme (19 young people as one was placed twice). Thirteen placements were made in year one (Nov 2014-Oct 2015) and seven in year two (Nov 2015 - Oct 2016). Eight had graduated and six were in current Step Down placements (including two for whom the clock had restarted due to moves within the second six months of their placement). Five placements disrupted before week 14 interviews. One placement disrupted after week 14 interviews. The data in this report is based on the analysis of the quantitative information collected by Core Assets within the service delivery and 113 interviews with young people, their carers, children's and supervising social workers and the mentors (or support worker when no mentor was appointed). Interviews following placement disruptions were held only with foster carers and social workers.

Authors: Plumridge, G; Sebba, JC

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Reviewed (other)
• Publisher: Rees Centre
• Host title: Evaluation of Birmingham City Council’s Step Down Programme
• Journal: Evaluation of Birmingham City Council’s Step Down Programme
• Issue: Jan 2017
• Pages: 1-37
• Publication date: 2017-04-04
• Keywords: SBTMR