Findings from this stage resulted in the development of the programme Theory of Change (ToC) which sets out the overarching logic for the delivery of the programme and informed the subsequent evaluation framework. [...] The interviews explored: • experience of engagement with YES North East and details of their participation in the programme • the perceived impact of YES North East on the young people receiving support through the programme • perspectives on the impact of the programme on the employer’s own staff and the organisation as a whole. [...] To estimate the causal impact of any programme, it is necessary to form a credible estimate of the outcomes that participants would have been expected to attain in the absence of the intervention. [...] To reflect differences in the way neurodiversity affects men and women and the potential for these differences to shape experiences of the programme, throughout this report participant quotes have been labelled with the gender of the respondent. [...] The overrepresentation of males was likely to be due to the disparity in recognition and diagnosis of autism and other types of neurodiversity between men and women.17 This suggests that, despite not requiring a diagnosis of a neurodiverse condition, the programme could potentially have done more to reach a broader range of participants suitable for the programme.
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- Pages
- 95
- Published in
- United Kingdom
Table of Contents
- Executive summary 6
- The project 6
- Evaluation objectives 6
- Findings 7
- Who did YES North East support? 7
- How was YES North East delivered? 7
- What difference did YES North East make? 7
- Recommendations for the design and delivery of similar programmes 8
- 1. Introduction 9
- Background 9
- Programme 9
- Methodology 10
- Mobilisation and evaluation design period 10
- Programme evaluation 11
- Management information analysis 12
- Participant survey and outcomes tracking 12
- Depth interviews 15
- Interviews with programme participants 15
- Interviews with delivery staff 15
- Interviews with referral and delivery partners 15
- Interviews with employers 16
- Feasibility study 16
- Structure 17
- 2. Programme design and delivery 18
- Programme specification and structure 18
- Key components of programme 18
- Eligibility 18
- Engagement and onboarding process 18
- Twice weekly half-day in-person workshop support sessions delivered over a 12-week period by YES North East employment specialists 19
- Additional support 19
- Sustained contact 19
- Distinctive elements of support in comparison to mainstream provision 20
- Alterations to programme design during implementation 20
- Programme delivery 21
- Jobcentre Plus 21
- Challenges with referrals and signposting 21
- Changes to referrals, signposting and outreach 22
- Onboarding and registration 23
- Suitability and need 24
- Workshops 24
- Work placements 25
- Employer engagement and participant matching 25
- Designing and delivering the placement 25
- Key success factors 26
- Challenges 27
- Additional support 28
- Sustained contact 28
- 3. Programme participants 30
- Participant characteristics and circumstances 33
- Age 33
- Gender identity 35
- Health 37
- Learning difficulties and neurodiversity 37
- Autism 39
- Dyslexia 40
- Dyspraxia 40
- ADHD 40
- Disability and health conditions 40
- Mental health difficulties 40
- Depression 40
- Anxiety 41
- Physical health conditions 41
- Coexistence of neurodiversity and mental health difficulties 41
- Ethnicity 41
- Education and skills 41
- Experience of compulsory education 42
- Experience of post-16 compulsory education 43
- Experience of university and degree level education 44
- Experience of prior employment 44
- Experience of looking for work at time of joining YES North East 44
- Previous experiences of employment 45
- Perceived barriers to employment 46
- Job search and the application process 46
- Types of roles and requirements 47
- Lack of reasonable adjustments in the workplace and lack of employer support 47
- Location and travel 47
- Employer understanding and prejudice 48
- 4. Participant experiences of Youth Employment Service North East 49
- Referrals and registrations 49
- Referrals and signposting routes 49
- Experience of referral and signposting 49
- Information provided about the programme 49
- Meeting employment-related skills or knowledge need 50
- Targeted support offer for neurodiverse young people 50
- Providing a routine 51
- Told to attend by Jobcentre Plus or parents 51
- Registration process 51
- Facilitators during registration 52
- Supportive employment specialist at registration 52
- Taster day 52
- Views of programme delivery 52
- Workshops and additional support 53
- Participant experience of workshops 53
- Group interaction and social format 53
- Content 54
- Role of YES North East staff 55
- Leading the workshops 55
- One-to-one support 56
- Additional activities 57
- Getting out and about 57
- Guest speaker sessions 57
- Work placements 58
- Sustained contact 60
- 5. Employer and stakeholder experience and views 62
- Jobcentre Plus experiences 62
- Delivery partner experiences 64
- Employer experiences 64
- Suggestions for improvement 65
- 6. Programme outcomes 67
- Participant experience of outcomes 68
- Participant destinations following course completion 68
- Employment 69
- Education and training 71
- Volunteering outcomes 71
- Employability and skills outcomes 71
- Participant job seeking status following course completion 72
- Capability and opportunities to find a job 72
- Employment-related aspirations 74
- Social and emotional outcomes 76
- Increased confidence 76
- Self-efficacy 78
- Improved wellbeing 80
- Improved social connection 81
- Employer perspectives on outcomes 81
- Delivery staff perspective on outcomes 83
- 7. Conclusions and recommendations 86
- Recommendations for the design and delivery of similar programmes 86
- References 89
- Appendix 1: Theory of Change 90
- Appendix 2: Evaluation Framework 92
