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Monitoring your Outcomes and Impact

These pages provide access to outcome monitoring tools that YIACS may wish to use and guidance on how to monitor outcomes.

Outcome tools for advice work:

Youth Advice Outcomes Toolkit (Youth Access 2010)
This Toolkit, published by Youth Access in September 2010, provides fully tested forms and guidance aimed at enabling any agency providing rights-based advice to young people, particularly within a holistic YIACS setting, to monitor the outcomes of its advice work.

The Toolkit is free for Youth Access members to use, but we ask that you contact us before undertaking your outcomes monitoring exercise. This is so that we can both know who is using it and offer advice on the Toolkit’s effective implementation.

Download The Youth Advice Outcomes Toolkit (only available to Youth Access members with their log-in details)

Excel data analysis spreadsheet.

Evaluation report on pilots of The Youth Advice Outcomes Toolkit, Evaluation Trust, 2010.

Two-stage ‘before and after’ methods
Youth Access tested this two-stage survey for youth advice services in 2006-07 (NB: We found it required the input of significant staff resource to obtain relatively little data, but have made it available here as some agencies may find it of interest.)
Young person’s self-assessment form Part 1
Young person’s self-assessment form Part 2

Youth Access member, The Rendezvous in Dorset, has developed this two-stage survey for monitoring the outcomes of its advice work
Rendezvous initial survey form
Rendezvous follow up form

Resources for advice agencies
Advice Services Alliance has published a number of resources for advice agencies as part of the Working Together for Advice project, including:
Choosing your method: survey or focus group?
Conducting a focus group
Outcomes Analysis Spreadsheet – contains tips about how to use Excel to analyse your results and put them into tables.

ASA outcomes evaluation - lessons learned from the pilots – contains a summary of the pilot work conducted by ASA with several different types of advice agency and some lessons for funders and policy makers on the challenges of measuring outcomes.

Training on outcomes monitoring
Youth Access has developed an in-house training course for agencies wanting help to embed use of the Youth Advice Outcomes Toolkit in their agency, as well as a more general course on Monitoring the outcomes of advice work with young people for those unsure about which tool would be most suitable to their agency.

Outcome tools for counselling and mental health services:

Young Persons CORE
A clinical outcome routine evaluations tool, 2007.
Youth Access members and young people have been consulted on the use of this tool.
YPCORE Beta Tool
Guidelines

HoNOSCA
HoNOSCAis a routine outcome measurement tool used to assess children and young people with mental health problems. Includes guidance on use and measurement.
The Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and AdolescentsTools for measuring well-being and quality of life

Youth Access Testing
As part of Youth Access’ Making Tracks Project, our pilot agencies are testing a number of outcome tools, including Core 10, PHQ 9, GAD 7 and the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) outcome tools. Contact Catherine Wilson for further information.

Tools for measuring well-being and quality of life

‘How do you rate your life?’
This tool has been developed by young people at The Market Place, a Youth Access member in Leeds, and is designed to capture data from young people who have accessed one to one young person-centred services, including information, support and counselling.
How do you rate your life at the moment? The evidence, The Market Place, 2008.
For a copy of the evaluation tool itself, please email Liz Neill

The SOUL Record
Developed by a consortium from the Norfolk Voluntary Sector and The Research Centre, City College Norwich, this is a toolkit that allows you to measure soft outcome progression and informal learning, such as increases in confidence, self-esteem and motivation.
Further information on The SOUL Record

Child Well-being Questionnaire
New Philanthropy Capital are developing an online tool to help charities monitor the well-being of the children and young people they work with.
Further information on the Child Well-being Questionnaire

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

Questionnaires for self-completion by young people aged 11-16, depending on their level of understanding and literacy.
SDQ Questionnaire
SDQ Scoring Instructions
SDQ Follow Up Self Assessment

Miscellaneous resources on monitoring outcomes:

Outcome Monitoring in YIACS (Youth Access, 2003)
Training Pack and supporting resources for YIACS managers on outcome monitoring produced as a resource for a Youth Access Co-ordinators' Training Course.

Explaining the difference your project makes – A guide to using an outcome approach (BLF, 2006)
This is a Big Lottery Guide to its outcome funding approach. The guide sets out some of the main steps that you will have to take to plan and manage a project. The guide will be useful for a wide range of applicants, but it is primarily aimed at those who are new to the outcomes approach and want to find out more.