In order to measure the impact that your work has you will need to collect information at the beginning and end of a project to measure progress. One way to do this is to design your own feedback form which asks questions from your service users. You should let them know how you are going to use the findings. If it contains any personal data you will also have to explain how you are going to store the data securely. Survey Monkey and Microsoft Forms can help you to create easy online forms. There are many existing tools that you can use to capture information such as:
- Strengths and difficulties questionnaires. These are behavioural screening questionnaires for children aged 3 to 16 which can be used at the beginning and the end of a project to measure progress. All versions can be found on the Youth in Mind website.
- Warwick-Edinburgh scale. This widely-used scale can be used to evaluate projects which aim to improve mental wellbeing. It is free to registered charities and Community Interest Companies and can be used at the beginning and end of a project to measure progress.
- The Outcomes Star. This is a family of evidence-based measurement tools using a person-centered approach, tailored to specific sectors such as mental health, homelessness, community, education or adult care. You can see a full list on their website. Everyone using the Outcomes Star must have a licence and have completed their core training, so it can be expensive to use in small projects.
Try to set aside enough time to analyse the data you collect. You will need systems in place to respond to the findings if you find anything challenging. If the data shows that you aren’t making the difference you hoped, think about what steps you can take to make changes to the project.