Evaluating the West Ham United Foundation PCN mentoring programme
CORC completed a two year evaluation of the West Ham United Foundation PCN mentoring programme. The programme links 12–18 year olds with a mentor for up to six months (usually an hour a week, or every other week). Referrals were received via GPs, and sessions took place mainly in GP practices, and where possible, in schools and community venues across Newham and Barking & Dagenham.
It originally started as a knife crime prevention pilot, and then grew into a broader, community-based wellbeing mentoring offer.
Our evaluation drew on administrative outcomes data (including SWEMWBS wellbeing and SRS resilience measures) and interviews with young people and staff, including mentors.
You can read a further overview in this blog here.
Some key questions arose from our evaluation that may be used in the development of support offers: Is the offer clear and consistently explained? Are thresholds proportionate to need? Is there continuity (named worker, predictable, planned endings)? Do any partner services have the relevant things in place to deliver relational work (space, capacity and supervision)? And are we measuring what matters (choice points relate to engagement, goals, and experience as well as symptoms and wellbeing) and using it to close communication loops with young people and between services?
You can access the full report here: