The Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has recently published a suite of reports from the Changing Futures programme evaluation, which is being delivered by Cordis Bright and our partners CFE Research, Revolving Doors Agency and University of Sheffield.

• Baseline report.
• Trauma-informed approaches to supporting people experiencing multiple disadvantage: a rapid evidence assessment.
• Frontline support models for people experiencing multiple disadvantage: a rapid evidence assessment.
• Feasibility study: final report and annex.

Changing Futures is a £64 million initiative between the UK Government and The National Lottery Community Fund. It seeks to test innovative approaches to improving outcomes for people experiencing multiple disadvantage (defined as experience of a combination of some or all of homelessness, mental health challenges, contact with the criminal justice system, substance misuse and domestic abuse). The programme is running in 15 areas across England from 2021 to 2025.

The objectives of our evaluation are to:

• Provide evidence on whether (and why/how) Changing Futures has made a difference to individuals who experience multiple disadvantage.
• Provide evidence on whether (and why/how) Changing Futures has made a difference to how public service systems operate, including considering how systems-level changes affect the way services operate and are delivered and experienced by people who experience multiple disadvantage.
• Assess the value for money of the programme and make recommendations on the most effective use of any additional resources going into this area in the future.

These reports set out the baseline position at the start of the programme and the evidence underpinning some of the approaches being taken in Changing Futures areas to supporting people experiencing multiple disadvantage. DLUHC has also published the feasibility study carried out by our team to inform the design of the evaluation. Since these reports were produced, we have been undertaking fieldwork and data analysis, and a further report on the progress made so far by the programme will be available in the Summer.

For more information contact Jane Harris (project director) or Ross Murray (project manager). You can download the reports below.