West Yorkshire Finding Independence has contributed to the latest report from the Fulfilling Lives Evaluation Team at CFE, which has been released this week.
The report draws together the experiences and perspectives of staff in various roles at four Fulfilling Lives partnerships whose direct work supporting beneficiaries has come to an end. This includes WY-FI – our direct support ended on 31st May 2020.
The report covers the following areas of project close down:
Internal planning and preparation
External preparation and system change considerations
West Yorkshire Finding Independence was recently featured in the Yorkshire Post, a regional online and print outlet that covers the whole of the Yorkshire region.
The article ran with the headline ‘Project played ‘vital role’ in helping vulnerable’.
A National Lottery funded project which aims to help people facing issues of homelessness, addiction, reoffending and mental health across the West Yorkshire area, has had a “transformational impact”, a final study on its work has found.
Sheffield Hallam University’s Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), found that the West Yorkshire – Finding Independence project (WY-FI) “has played a vital role in helping people with complex needs access support”.
Assessing the impact on over 800 individuals, CRESR’s final evaluation of the main, six year project, stated: “The project has had a transformational impact on the lives of many men and women across West Yorkshire.”
It stated: “All interviewees reported that their lives had improved, sometimes significantly, since working with the project.
The process of positive change was largely ascribed to the relationship established with WY-FI’s Multiple Needs Navigators which was instrumental in facilitating improvements or stability in beneficiaries’ lives. Many described an improved sense of well-being derived from having somebody in their lives that they could access when they needed support, could rely on and who ‘cared’.
Sue Northcott, WY-FI Programme Manager, said: “Our work has been incredibly rewarding and we have learnt so much from our beneficiaries.
“Finding the right help when experiencing any one of these multiple needs can be difficult. WY-FI is about making sure the right kind of help is available for people when they need it, so supporting them to live a more fulfilling life.”
The service, which is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund Fulfilling Lives programme, supported a total of 823 people in West Yorkshire between 2014 and 2020.
WY-FI Multiple Needs Navigators helped them engage and re-engage with local services related to their needs. These included drug and alcohol services such as Forward Leeds and Calderdale Recovery Steps.
The workers also liaised with local authority housing services and probation, GP surgeries and mental health services.
Sue said: “WY-FI, alongside all 12 of the Fulfilling Lives projects, has been committed to making sure the right kind of help is available for people when they need it, supporting them to live a more fulfilling life”.
The WY-FI project, now in its seventh and final year of activity, now has a renewed focus on system change across West Yorkshire to ensure effective, ongoing support for people with multiple needs.
Notes to Editors:
Notes
Sue Northcott is available for interviews. For further information please contact Sarah Pearson, Marketing and Communications Officer at WY-FI, 07789 633723 sarah.pearson@humankindcharity.org.uk
About WY-FI
WY-FI was established in May 2014 and is one of 12 Fulfilling Lives partnerships, made possible with funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. WY-FI has supported a total of 823 people in West Yorkshire between 2014 and 2020 with multiple and complex needs in the areas of homelessness, addiction, reoffending and mental health. WY-FI is now in its 7th and final year of activity. It has wound down direct support for people and is focused on using the learning and insight gathered over the six years of direct delivery to influence system change across West Yorkshire to ensure effective support for people experiencing multiple needs. WY-FI’s lead partner is Humankind Charity WY-FI’s delivery partner for Education, Training and Employment (ETE) is Touchstone. WY-FI’s former delivery partners, who provided direct support for beneficiaries between 2014 and 2020 are Barca-Leeds, The Bridge Project (Bradford), Spectrum CIC (Wakefield), Foundation (Calderdale) and Community Links (Kirklees). Note: Foundation and Community Links are now part of Inspire North.
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