Social Value UK

Document Keyword: reoffending

  • Report on Social Value created by Offploy in 2023

    Report on Social Value created by Offploy in 2023

    “This research was commissioned by Offploy CIC and conducted by Bean Research. It forms part of a project to understand how the organisation creates social value, what its social return on investment is, and the development of a toolkit to support the wider rehabilitation sector in measuring and reporting the difference it makes.

    Offploy supports people at risk of offending and re-offending, empowering them to access greater opportunities and achieve their full potential. They focus on tangible opportunities, such as skills development and access to resources, alongside tackling the mindset and self-belief challenges that individuals face.

    This project was conducted through quantitative and qualitative research, using the Social Value International (SVI) Principles as a guide to make decisions and to take into account the broader definition of value. The specific focus of the social valuation was on the Candidates who participated in the programme. Offploy Candidates were actively involved as those affected by the programme, so their experiences have been respected, and their voices influence the process.

    This research project and report show that Offploy creates significant value to society through its work with Candidates, generating outcomes based on the development of financial capability, employability and vocational skills, a more positive mindset, and employment opportunities.

    Overall, the research shows that Offploy has generated just over £7 million of social value through their activities in 2023. When factoring in the investment required, this means the Social Return on Investment (SROI) ratio is £1: £12.09, although based on further sensitivity analysis, this should be more truly shown as a range between £1: £9.20-£15.30.

    Our analysis shows that the largest contribution to social value is the increased positive mindset of Candidates created through working with Offploy, measured by an increase in scores of wellbeing. This accounts for 37% of the overall social value.

    Offploy is keen to use the research to provide greater insight into how to better support its Candidates and create the most social value for them. Through this research, Offploy has been working with the researchers to not just understand how and how much social value is created but to develop the tools, systems and understanding to conduct future social value measurement themselves.

    In addition, Offploy is keen to go one step further and share these systems and processes with the rest of the sector, as well as the details behind the valuations, causality, and sensitivity assumptions made. Our joint hope is that this report is the first step in the journey.”

  • Social Return on Investment Evaluation Recycling Lives Charity

    Social Return on Investment Evaluation Recycling Lives Charity

    Recycling Lives Charity & Social Enterprise is an organisation based in Preston and serving the North West of England. It delivers three specific programmes of offender support and food redistribution.

    The Recycling Lives offender rehabilitation programme works with ex-offenders both in prison and in the community. By supporting men and women to improve their skills, confidence, and resilience and secure good jobs, it significantly reduces reoffending rates. The residential programme supports men experiencing homelessness. Offering personalised support, access to training and work placements and safe, stable accommodation, it supports men to regain their independence, moving into work and a home of their own. The food redistribution programme aims to tackle food poverty while preventing food waste. Working in partnership with FareShare it takes surplus stock from food retailers and redistributes this to communities, feeding people in need.

  • Social Return on Investment Report of Criminon Project

    Social Return on Investment Report of Criminon Project

    The Association for No Crime, R.O.C. was established in 2009 with the purpose “to bring together different sectors and personages in promoting drug rehab education, promoting learning technologies, assisting with crime prevention, and correcting the values of criminals, so as to elevate the character of citizens, reduce crime, and promote a harmonious society.” The association mainly provides Criminon Program to prison inmates, and uses course arrangements to sequentially help each inmate face difficulties in their past, present, and future. This way, inmates have ways to handle obstacles they encounter in life, and to regain and rebuild their self-respect, so that they become capable citizens when they return to society in the future.

    We further adopted a commonly used methodology for evaluating social impact, Social Return On Investment (SROI), in 2017, to examine the results and effects of Criminon Program more comprehensively and in-depth, which examinations then provide a basis for future program planning and improvement. This program analyzes students that received training in Tainan, Pingtung, and Changhua Prisons from 2015 to 2017. We identified a number of rich outcomes after in-depth interviews and questionnaire surveys of stakeholders, such as: Students that took the programs gained better reading abilities, and the content of the courses helped them improve their relationships with their families and also increased their senses of identity. More importantly, students were less likely to become repeat offenders, resulting in a lower recidivism rate. Instructors were inspired by the positive changes among students, and they gained higher learning motivation, making them willing to engage in lifelong learning with related courses, and even pursue further education to have a greater impact on students.

    We compiled a list of abstract outcomes and determined their monetized value. On this basis, we calculated that every NT$1 input by this program will generate NT$6.30 in social value. If uncertain factors are taken into consideration for sensitivity analysis, the result will be in the range NT$4.38-11.73. We used findings from statistics of outcomes and observations during implementation of the SROI project as a basis for improving the program. For example, we considered how to achieve the purpose and effect of project management by having students who were released share their experiences, adjusting the student recruitment structure, encouraging students to continue reading and learning after class, and strengthening contact with students after program. We hope to more effectively allocate and manage our limited resources, and also increase the social value generated by the Criminon Program.