Our Impact Findings 2020-2022
Our first impact report looked at the impact Future Pathways made from when we launch in 2016 until 2019. In 2022, we decided to look at how we built on what we have learned, and the difference Future Pathways has made since 2020.
In the last few years, we have experienced many challenges. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic and increased cost of living significantly impacted people we support, Delivery Partners, and existing services, as well as Future Pathways. Despite this, we continue to support many people to achieve life-changing outcomes.
Here are some of the things we learned through this evaluation:
Most people heard about Future Pathways through word of mouth or a statutory service.
Our waitlist was affected by increased registrations and the Covid-19 pandemic. Waiting times can be a barrier to people accessing our support.
Fewer people have registered with Future Pathways since 2020, but people often engage with us for extended periods.
The average age of people we supported was 52 and most people lived in Scotland.
Many people we supported aimed to improve their mental health.
We worked with 62 Delivery Partners to respond to people’s evolving needs. Most of the referrals were made for counselling, record searches and psychological support.
Delivery Partners told us they felt we supported them to develop relationships with people we referred. But some partners felt that our process, for example our requirement for quarterly reports about their work, hindered their work with people.
We saw examples of Delivery Partners learning about trauma and making changes to their practice to meet people’s needs.
People we support told us they felt heard and supported by us. Some felt that working with us helped them feel ready to access support.
On the other hand, when communication is poor or people feel unable to access supports equally, this can affected their trust in Future Pathways.
Some people told us they gained access to holistic support through Future Pathways.
Some people shared that they gained self-awareness, coping and relationship-building skills. People also told us their self-worth and hope for their future increased.
Some people told us they now had more confidence to access other services they needed, like housing or financial support.
Some people reported feeling more able to manage their mental health and relationships with others. And some people started making plans for their future.
Some people told us they felt more in control of their life, and better about themselves. But, for many reasons, not everyone experiences these impacts.
Some of the people we supported told us that working with Future Pathways enabled them to live, not just survive.
This evaluation also helped us identify what we don’t yet know. We want to learn more about the demographics of the people we support. This will help us understand how we can become more accessible. We also want to learn more about how we influence other services to be more trauma informed.
Many people contributed to this evaluation, including people we support, our Delivery Partners and our staff. Their contributions and insight were integral to this project. We used what we learned to develop a full impact report for 2020 to 2023.