In 2010 we started working with Essex County Council to look at their growing population of looked after children. There were 1,600 children in the system – a rise of 28% over five years.
The intervention targeted adolescents aged 11–17 years and families with complex challenges, such as anti-social behaviours, youth offending, and conduct disorders, who were at heightened risk of being placed into residential care. Once in care, they were likely to spend more than 80% of their remaining childhood years there.
We designed a social impact bond to provide intensive family support. This was the first SIB to be commissioned by a local authority at a time when these outcomes contracts were relatively rare. This funding structure offered Essex the opportunity to target investment into an evidence-based intervention.
Eight investors provided £3.1m over five and a half years which allowed the national children’s charity Action for Children to provide a multi-systemic therapy (MST) service which operated from April 2013 to December 2018.
Multi-systemic therapy (MST) is an intensive evidence-based therapeutic treatment which aims to promote positive social behavioursin adolescents who demonstrate significant behavioural issues and areat risk of out-of-home placement.
The therapists work with family members and carers to give them the confidence and skills to manage the young person more effectively.With the family, they develop treatment plans designed to target specific problems and break negative cycles, focusing on positive behaviours and strengths of the individual and family to encouragelong-lasting change.
In this video, our partners at Action for Children explain how multi-systemic therapy works.
I think my mum understands me more and some of the things I have been through, and I like that she knows these things now.
Young person interview, taken during the Rees Evaluation
The social impact bond closed in 2018 after the completion of its five year period, and was successful in its aims. It resulted in:
Social investors received a return of 1.45 times committed capital of £3.1 million.
These outcomes were sustained:
Slides from David Burnett, chair
Our project learning (Helen Lincoln, Essex County Council)
Multisystemic therapy service in Essex: Summary of findings (Lisa Holmes, Helen Drew, Neil Harrison, Valerie Dunn)
Multisystemic therapy (Sarah Reeves, Programme Manager, Essex MST)
I would say there is a better family dynamic as we understand each other more. We can talk more rather than shout
Parent interview, taken during the Rees Evaluation
We’re helping to transform and scale employment services for people with severe mental illness, addiction and other health issues, by working in partnership with the NHS, the DWP and the OHID.
Our experience shows us that the next government can make meaningful change happen in three key areas: employment & skills, children & young people and health & social care.
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