Realist economic evaluation of the Family Wellbeing Partnership

Determining the effectiveness of a partnership approach to supporting vulnerable families
Mother taking a young girl and boy wearing backpacks to school

Realist economic evaluation of the Family Wellbeing Partnership

Determining the effectiveness of a partnership approach to supporting vulnerable families
Title: Realist economic evaluation of the Family Wellbeing Partnership, West Cumbria
Funding amount: £201,908.46
Location: West Cumbria
Dates: 2 June 2025 – 2 October 2026
Project partners: University of Cumbria, Keele University, University of Plymouth, Cumbria Community Foundation
University of Plymouth PI: Dr Tomasina Oh  
 

Summary

The Family Wellbeing Partnership is a collection of five voluntary community and social enterprise organisations led by the Cumbria Community Foundation. 
Taking a "Think Family" approach, the partnership targets support to some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families in West Cumbria. Their aim is to support families to help them give their children a better start in life and improve their children's health, mental health, wellbeing and life chances.
This project is led by the University of Cumbria and a collaboration between the University of Plymouth and Keele University as well as the Cumbria Community Foundation. 
Funded by the NIHR Three Schools Practice Evaluation Scheme 2024/2025, it will evaluate for whom the support provided by the Family Wellbeing Partnership works, how, in what contexts and with what outcomes – including costs and benefits. It will also identify gaps or challenges in programme delivery and support replication or scaling. This will inform stakeholder, policymaker and funder decisions. 

Context of the issue

Children in parts of West Cumbria – which has many areas that fall in the 20% most deprived for employment and children's education, skills and training – face poor life chances. 
The Family Wellbeing Partnership addresses the need to support parents and families to establish stability in children's lives, achieve lasting positive outcomes and pre-empt and prevent the need for interventions from statutory services.
Teenaged girl meeting with female social worker in an informal office

Partnered with

Advancing person-centred care

The Community and Primary Care Research Centre (CPCRC) is intensively research-active and has a strong proven track record of health services research. 
Our research is conducted through the involvement of practitioners and the public, who are instrumental in helping to develop focused research questions and in designing projects.
We use a range of research methods (both qualitative and quantitative), to solve pressing and often complex research problems. Our research is often directed towards those individuals who are the most excluded or disempowered, have mental health problems and have difficulty accessing services.
 
Health carer holding hands of an elderly patient