Kada Research were commissioned by HEY Creative, the Cultural Compact for Hull and East Yorkshire, to conduct scoping research into the current and potential international creative and cultural links within Hull and East Yorkshire. It also aimed to highlight the importance of cross sectoral working and the benefits of creative and cultural activities to the economy, social wellbeing and health.

Kada consulted creative and cultural organisations and wider stakeholders based in the HEY region to learn more about their previous and current international connections, enablers and barriers to international connections and the potential for new international connections to be forged in the future. Inquires looked not only at creative and cultural links, but a cross-sectoral collaborations such as the link between art and mental health care. Following inquires, Kada presented a list of over 50 global connections to the HEY Creative Board who identified four connections for in-depth study. These were Flanders, Rotterdam, Fengtai and the University of the Arctic.

Kada undertook a thorough desk review of each identified region, drawing parallels between the international region and HEY. Research focused on imports and exports, the creative and cultural sector, shared history and heritage, demography and examples of best practice. Through increased focus, engagement and funding, greater creative, civic, academic and commercial connections can be developed between these regions, with culture as a conduit for stronger international relationships.

Kada drafted several recommendations to support HEY Creative to develop international creative and cultural connections. These included nurturing soft power by encouraging and facilitating exchanges between regions, better showcasing the impact of international collaborations, providing tailored support for organisations looking to develop international links and developing an action plan for cultural and cross-sectoral collaboration.

You can find out more about the report here.

If you are thinking about commissioning a research study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk.

Kada Research were commissioned by Active Humber to create an advocacy piece, highlighting the current and potential benefits of embedding physical activity at the heart of daily life. Active Humber is one of 43 Active Partnerships in England. The organisation aims to support people of all ages and backgrounds to improve their health and wellbeing by moving more each day.

Aligning closely with sub-regional priorities, the research evidenced how movement can support Yorkshire and the Humber to become healthier, happier, and more prosperous.

A desk review of current participation in physical activity in Yorkshire and the Humber was undertaken, supported by wider research highlighting the impacts of sport and physical activity on health, employment and productivity. This included exploring local NHS data, sector employment figures and economic inactivity trends. Where available, comparisons were drawn between Yorkshire and the Humber and national figures, to better understand where the region is currently excelling, and where improvements can be made.

To consolidate the place-based evidence, two workshops were held with experts in the field. Attendees highlighted how they are currently using sport and physical activity to improve their local area and pointed to real-world examples of the positive impact moving more has had on residents in Yorkshire and the Humber. They also highlighted challenges they faced supporting people to become more active and what changes should be implemented to overcome these challenges. Several case studies were selected to exemplify the research findings. Kada also provided estimates for the economic and wellbeing benefits of engagement in sport and physical activity.

Kada’s research concluded that moving more has tangible benefits for Yorkshire and the Humber, including a reduction in disease and age-related decline, improved mental wellbeing and a reduction in air pollution. Moving more also has a positive impact of the economy, providing approximately £414m GVA generated by 13,355 jobs.

If you are thinking about commissioning a research study or if you would like to talk through an idea or hear about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk

Kada Research were commissioned by the Yorkshire Sport Foundation to explore the social and economic benefits of sport, movement and physical activity in South and West Yorkshire, and how sport and physical activity can help to meet sub-regional priorities. The place-based advocacy documents highlight the importance of investment in sport and physical activity initiatives at both a regional and community level.

A desk review of localised, sub-regional context was undertaken for both South and West Yorkshire, highlighting the health, wellbeing and future of sport and physical activity in the area. These place-based reviews were further supported by wider policy surrounding health, sport and participation and academic research. The merits of sport and physical activity and general attitudes towards engagement were detailed.

Consultations with local leaders and experts in the field of health, wellbeing and physical activity were undertaken. These consultees provided valuable insights into challenges faced in the sub-region, how challenges can be addressed through sport and physical activity, and examples of sport and physical activity being used to make a positive difference within local communities. Kada also provided estimates for the economic and wellbeing benefits of engagement in sport and physical activity.

The report concluded that sport and physical activity have tangible health and wellbeing benefits, such as a reduction in loneliness and mental ill health, a reduction in disease and age-related decline, and an improvement in social cohesion and trust. Sport and physical activity was also found to have a significant positive impact on local economies’, providing upwards of £380m GVA in South Yorkshire and £830m GVA in West Yorkshire.

Karl Dalgleish, Kada’s Study Director outlined:

 

If you are thinking about commissioning a health and wellbeing research study or if you would like to talk through an idea or to hear more about this work, you can contact us at info@kadaresearch.co.uk

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner commissioned Kada Research to evaluate North Yorkshire’s public safety service (PSS) pilot. The PSS provides generalist support to the community and targeted interventions preventing harm and risk, particularly to vulnerable residents in rural areas.

The pilot aims to improve local capacity across multiple services (initially including the North Yorkshire Police, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), and the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service) by providing support and targeted prevention interventions through specific services. It brings together several organisations to improve the safety and resilience of communities.

The PSS is a model based on an outcome-led Public Health approach. It focuses on ‘population’ not ‘the sector’ or ‘the service’. It was established on the understanding that it was not designed to deliver ‘quick fix’ solutions, but to address the underlying causes of vulnerability that could lead to harm, whether that be from crime, fire, or health-related matters, acknowledging that it would also benefit other organisations.

Importantly, Public Safety Officers rarely act for one of the partner services at a time. The PSS is premised on the fact that every time a threshold is crossed, vulnerability and need is assessed from all service perspectives, regardless of the original reason for crossing. This allows for a holistic approach to preventing vulnerability and reducing harm.

Kada’s evaluation report of Phase Three of the pilot, published in October 2022, incorporates findings from interviews with key stakeholders including members of the tactical and steering groups, and the Public Safety Officers. A logic model was developed; an analysis of recent PSO activity was undertaken, as well as an assessment of the impact and social value of the service. Case studies, which include testimonies from people who have been impacted by the public safety service and a PSO video diary, including two case studies on water safety and road safety, were produced. You can watch our video case study here.

Our research found that the pilot has been successful; the rationale for the service around preventing vulnerability and risk remains as relevant as ever and the service’s objectives are clear-cut. PSOs have helped vulnerable people and reduced risk. A team of four high-calibre well-respected officers were recruited and started to embed a preventative philosophy within the county and extend the reach of harm reduction activities providing crime prevention, fire safety, and health and wellbeing information, as well as supporting community problem-solving. There was a noticeable shift away from response to prevention activity and PSOs have been making themselves very visible in their local communities. The profile of the services has grown as a result.  It was concluded that there was consensus that scale-up of the service was both desirable and entirely feasible.

If you are thinking of commissioning an evaluation of a pilot service or similar project, or would like to hear more about large range of evaluation projects we undertake at Kada, please contact our Managing Director, Karl Dalgleish at karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk.

The Grad Informatics and Technology Fast-Track Stream is a pilot recruitment scheme, delivered by the Health Innovation Network, the Academic Health Science Network for South London. The scheme aims to address the current skills gap and lack of digitally trained NHS employees by placing skilled IT graduates within NHS trusts. Kada was commissioned to assess the scheme with a mid-term evaluation of its effectiveness.

Kada conducted a desk based review of the strategic context to assess how the pilot aligns with wider initiatives such as Health Education England’s (HEE) ‘Building a Digital Ready Workforce’ Programme, which aspires for the NHS to transform its digital literacy over the next 20 years, and digital workforce statistics. In addition, we spoke to the pilot’s graduates, their managers, delivery partners and stakeholders to gain multiple perspectives of the pilot’s process, delivery and impacts.

We also investigated the scheme’s scale up potential, lessons and recommendations for the future. During the evaluation, we also noted the importance of assessing the potential impact of COVID-19 on the scheme, as the outbreak began to escalate during our research process.

Thanks very much for this – it looks really good, hopefully it will be helpful for Health Education England too……I really appreciate all the hard work on this.

– Louise Brennan (Programme Manager, Graduates into Health).

Get in touch: If you are thinking about evaluating a scheme or pilot e-mail karl.dalgleish@kadaresearch.co.uk and we will respond within 24 hours and offer a free initial two hour consultation.