Matthew Hill presents the interim evaluation findings at the London Learn and Share event in July 2015, as part of the NCVO Volunteering in Care Homes project

1. Interim evaluation and next
steps
Matthew Hill
Learn and share events
July 2015

2. Session plan
• Three areas of evaluation:
• Activity
• Impact
• Good practice learning
• Draw on your expertise and experience to interpret
and respond to the results
• Issues and next steps for the evaluation

3. The interim evaluation
• Monitoring data for all sites from October 2013-
March 2015
• Online survey
• 42% of volunteers (n=52)
• 54% of care home staff (n=14)
• Telephone interviews
• All 5 Volunteer Centres (6 staff)
• 12 out of 13 care homes (13 staff)
• 5 in-depth case studies (36 in-depth interviews)

4. Activity

5. Volunteer activity - overall
• 178 volunteers have been successfully placed
across 13 care homes contributing 4,825 hours
(Jan ’14 - Mar ‘15)
• 27 hours (mean per volunteer)
• These are split between befriending roles (55%)
and activity based roles (45%)
• including arts and craft, reminiscence, training,
cat therapy and boccia

6. Volunteer activity - overall
• Variety across care homes
• 10 times as much in some than others (60 to 684hrs)
• Variety across volunteers
• 16% have contributed half the hours
• Variety across CCG areas
• 76% of activity in 2 of 5 areas
• Recruitment has been diverse
• 30% between 16-25 years old
• 30% non-white
• 13% with a disability
• 76% female

7. A tale of two types of home
Only one home does not aim to significantly increase the level of
activity. The others fit into two categories.
• Those who want to build on success…
“It would be great to have 10 or a few more so they have a couple of
hours each day. Was hoping to have more in place but really happy
with the four thus far” [Manager]
• Frustration with very low level of contribution…
“because we have not had enough volunteers we have not been able
to do what we wanted” [Care home Manager]

8. Impact

9. Social impacts
• Fundamental socialisation - very basic ‘sitting and being’ to
substantial long term one-to-one befriending
• One-to-one befriending includes deep relationships,
emotional and practical support
“I don’t think she recognises me, she doesn’t know my name so I just go through
the newspaper with her and chat to her” [volunteer]
"It has a massive impact on them… It is having that time to have the one-to-one
chats with them because we don't always have time to do that" "they don't
always get family visiting and with the volunteers they look forward to them
coming in" [Senior carer]

10. Emotional impacts
• Seen most in befriending relationships
• A number of powerful examples
• Sense of significance
"It is just so relaxing and so nice and they talk to others and a little group forms
quite often and it is just brilliant"… "It has improved their lives so much"
[Activities Coordinator]
"If I didn't have the volunteer my morale would be very low. I'd be shouting at
everybody" [resident]

11. Mental impacts
• Emerging evidence from wider research that psycho-social
stimulation can have positive impacts and reduce cognitive
decline
•The stimulation is “keeping them sharper and a bit more interested
in their environment for longer” [Manager]
Physical impacts
• Additional activities have positive impacts on physical
activity
• Little evidence of major impacts (although some
perceptions of increased eating and sleeping)

12. Other ways to categorise impact
• Time and resources
• £58,064 in value so far
"the care is fantastic as far as I can see... my role is to do what they can't do
because they haven't got the time - just sit and have a chat" [Volunteer]
• Distinctive contribution
"To some extent she has been like a family. If my wife had been able to get in she
could have done a lot of this and my son if he hadn't been travelling so much"
[Resident]
• Community engagement
• Less evidence of volunteers shaping services or impacting
organisational culture

13. Relatives
• Many residents don’t have relatives or visitors
• Where there are relatives it provides satisfaction and peace of
mind
“If they can they meet the relatives. They are happy with it. They think it's a very
good idea. They can't be here 24/7 so to know that someone comes in and
brightens up the day of their relative" [Activities Coordinator]

14. Volunteers
• We know the huge impact that this type of volunteering can have

15. Good practice

20. Next steps for
evaluation

21. Two issues for the evaluation
• Social and emotional impacts vs
mental and physical impacts
• Subjective vs objective measures of
impact

22. Thank you!
&
Questions?