Recent evaluations

I have conducted many process, outcome, formative and summative evaluations. My focus is to provide useful learning to inform and improve service design, delivery and practice.

“The team all felt that the evaluator quickly understood the complexities of the service and the unique issues this client group presented.”

Changing Pathways

Evaluation of City and Hackney VCS Health and Care Enabler programme 2023

The City and Hackney VCS Health Enabler was set up to improve communication and joint working across the VCS and local health and care systems. Multiple health social care and VCS agencies link on many levels, through different partnerships, pathways and processes. Statutory organisations were keen to build on the VCS’s reach into and trust among diverse communities and harness the VCS’s responsiveness and innovation, to help address the barriers Black and other minoritised groups face in accessing services. These are known to contribute to the poorer health outcomes experienced and were highlighted during and after the Pandemic  The VCS and statutory partners worked together on many levels and groupings to improve mutual understanding and collaboration. As well as helping the programme develop its theory of change and core priorities, the evaluation shared perspectives from the different stakeholders about key benefits and challenges, clarified operational systems and processes and helped develop priorities going forward. PPT slide pack report; and PDF summary Report

Evaluation of community Haringey mental health inititives

Over 2022, I worked with Bristol University to evaluate a programme funded by OHID (formerly Public Health England), via Haringey Public Health, to enable small Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations to provide mental health support to local people. This ‘Community Protect’ programme targeted diverse and vulnerable groups, recognised to have a high risk of poor mental health, but also less likely to access preventative and first-tier mental health services. The evaluation explored service delivery and coordination, highlighting several helpful learning points for future programmes.

VCS and Public Health collaboration to improve COVID-19 services for disadvantaged communities

Over 2021-22, I evaluated an innovative collaboration between the City and Hackney Public Health Department, Hackney CVS and Volunteer Centre Hackney. The programme supported local VCS organisations serving marginalised groups with grant funding, the latest COVID19 information, training, support and opportunities to network. It help proved disadvantaged communities with the most up to date COVID19 information as well as financial and practical support to improve access to vaccines. The evaluation report and summary provided useful pointers for collaboration between Public Health and the third sector.

Our Social Networks

I conducted a process and outcome evaluation of Mencap Cymru’s innovative project – Our Social Networks (OSN), ( 2018-21). OSN collected 40 oral histories, mostly from adults with learning disabilities. These personal narratives illustrated the critical importance of friendships and relationships, as well as the enormous challenges people face in exercising their hum rights to meet others, socialise and have friendships and relationships. Mencap Cymru’s work highlighted the need for more awareness, education and support in this area. Read a summary here; or the full report here.

From the very start of the project Berni sought to prioritise relationships with the wider team in order to build trust and a genuine understanding of project delivery”

Sian Davies, Head of Strategic Programmes  /
Pennaeth Rhaglenni Strategol, Mencap Cymru

Cumbria Early Intervention Project

Over 2018-20, I conducted a formative, process and outcomes evaluation of this multi-agency, multi-programme, early intervention programme for children who have severe learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges. It built on a ‘positive behavioural support model‘, developed by the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, Kent University Tizard Centre, Northumbria University and others. The pilot programme benefitted from a close collaboration between various NHS departments and specialists , family carers, learning disability charities and universities. Read a summary here and full evaluation report here.

Many thanks Berni, you have made ad great contribution to the project and we hope be able to work with you again in the future”

Viv Cooper OBE, Chief Executive, The Challenging Behaviour Foundation

Examples of earlier evaluations

  • Training programme by the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, to improve professionals’ awareness of its relationship with poor mental health and substance misuse among adults.
  • An innovative specialist service supporting people experiencing stalking and harassment.
  • Contact’s welfare rights advice service for families with disabled children. Executive summary and full report
  • Lambeth Early Action Partnership, a multi-agency, multi-faceted family support programme, funded by Big Lottery.
  • A trial of an online tool to support mental health support for children and young people.
  • Our Rights Our Voice, a Department of Health funded project to improve awareness among disabled children and young people of their rights when using NHS services.
  • The participation of disabled young people in the VIPER project
  • A MIND project, which trained young people to provide peer-to-peer mental health support.
  • An NHS project working with families to tackle childhood obesity in west London.
  • An NHS project to promote breast feeding, exploring fathers’ role and experiences.
  • Piloting community-based, eye healthcare treatment, for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and RNIB.
  • REAL: programme to help families understand and promote young children’s literacy .
  • A local history inter-generational Heritage Lottery projected focusing on immigration, personal narratives, international cuisine and food markets in East London.
  • Prince’s Trust projects aiming to increase their engagement with young Muslims