P202 Development of What Works Process and Tools for Working with Clients

Project Background

In recent years, across the world, a growing number of evidence-based programmes (EBPs) aimed at services for children and families have been developed. These programmes, services or interventions seek to apply lessons from research about what works to their planning and practice, that have demonstrated they can achieve measurable improvements for service users using these principles.

Researchers and practitioners have begun to distil the shared features of effective programmes and services that seem to be responsible for their positive effects. These ‘in common’ characteristics are sometimes called “principles of effectiveness”, “active ingredients” or “best practices”. In January 2011 The Centre for Effective Services launched the What Works Process and Tool, a comprehensive multi-dimensional review of the extent to which a service is currently working in evidence-informed ways.

In designing this tool, we have taken the view that the identification of common characteristics among effective programmes and services does offer an opportunity for practitioners to reflect upon their own services, whether or not they are implementing a recognised evidence-based programme (EBP) or wish to make their practice or service more evidence informed .

Project outputs

Project Outline - download
To order a copy of The What Works Process, please contact office@effectiveservices.org and quote P202. Please note, there is a small charge of £8 or €12 for this publication

Contact

For more information about this project, please contact Dr Sean Denyer

sdenyer@effectiveservices.org