Female offenders (Phase 2 WrapAround Service)

MOPAC is providing funding to Advance Minerva and South London Alliance to improve female offender services in London. Services will be provided for female offenders in 21 London boroughs, and put in place a whole system approach to supporting women involved in the criminal justice system, including 1:1 advocacy support, group workshops, peer mentoring and other specialist support.

The services aim to improve the holistic support offer to women in London by improving partnerships across specialist voluntary and community sector (VCS) agencies & local borough networks.

An evaluation is being undertaken by MOPAC Evidence & Insight (E&I) to evaluate the success of this initiative and create learning for future programmes, building on the previous pilot service and the knowledge gained from the evaluation of this.

The key objectives for the evaluation are:

• monitor delivery of the programme in terms of referrals and activities

• describe and assess the implementation and delivery process of the programme according to key objectives

• capture the views of key agencies and practitioners

• capture the views of women engaged in the scheme and assess how the scheme affects their quality of life

• capture information on the key characteristics and needs of those offered support via the initiative

• assess impact of the initiative on reoffending

The evaluation will be complimented by ‘deep dive’ qualitative research being undertaken by commissioned research partners.

The overarching aims of this research are:

• provide a detailed chronological insight into the life experiences and wider journey of female offenders prior to, during, and post receiving holistic tailored support

• provide further understanding of the response to their needs and experiences

• provide greater understanding regarding the whole systems approach to female offending

Evaluation methodology overview

Performance metrics provides regular core metrics (e.g. service usage and throughput, and client demographics) enabling general service monitoring and ensures an active feedback loop for programme management and governance.

Impact evaluation provides a robust empirical assessment of the programme in achieving the core aim of reducing offending (that is, leading short-term impact measures of arrest and charge data), in addition to longer-term reconviction data (offending, severity, speed, frequency).

Process learning generates in-depth understanding of processes underpinning service delivery including learning from mobilisation to inform design of future operating models and implementation. In addition to interviews with Advance and WiP delivery practitioners, MOPAC E&I will conduct interviews with wider system partners enabling a qualitative review of the whole systems approach.

MOPAC E&I will conduct data collection with practitioners and stakeholders for the purposes of a:

• whole systems diagnostic (outlining the current picture for the strands of culture, strategy, systems, people, and processes)
• gap analysis of whole systems diagnostic with vision and ambitions contained in the (reducing female offending) Blueprint
• capture future actionable recommendations for the wider system going forward