What have we learned from the national evaluation of HeadStart? Final report now available
We are pleased to share the final evaluation report for HeadStart – a six-year programme delivered across six local authorities in England. HeadStart aimed to explore and test new ways to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 10–16 and prevent serious mental health issues from developing.
CORC has been a proud part of the HeadStart Learning Team since 2016. Through this newsletter we have been able to share regular outputs from the different strands of the evaluation as findings have emerged - through evidence briefings, animations, events, roundtables and training days. The final report looks across the full evaluation, offering up an analysis of key programme outcomes and an overview of key messages based on learning from the programme.
The evaluation not only examined HeadStart’s contribution to young people’s mental health and wellbeing but also involved an extensive programme of research that has contributed rich learning and a wider understanding of the picture of young people’s mental health in England, including about risk and protective factors and the role of families, schools and communities in supporting young people’s mental health.
Our evaluation shows the success of some specific interventions delivered within HeadStart and demonstrated what effective mental health support for young people might look like. For example, we learned about the overall outcomes of support that are most valued by young people, parents and carers and school staff, including emotional and behavioural improvements, help managing relationships and gaining the confidence to help others.
Download the report and find out more about the evaluation of HeadStart.
You can also access the following latest reports from HeadStart too:
- HeadStart heads up: what has gender got to do with young people’s mental health?
- Changes in local areas as a result of HeadStart: stakeholder perspectives