Projects

This project will develop a methodology for conducting social cost-benefit analysis (SCBA) of the national Youth Guarantee schemes. It will also develop a guide with training modules to enhance national capability in carrying out SCBA of these schemes.

The aim of this study is to provide quantitative and qualitative evidence of the current employment dynamics within European countries and regions. It will highlight the key trends and main drivers of location preferences and focus on the links between knowledge economies, new patterns of (youth) migration flows within and between countries, and socio-spatial disparities.

IES has been commissioned by Newcastle University to carry out an independent evaluation of the Realising Opportunities programme. The programme unites 15 leading research intensive universities to promote progression for able students from under-represented groups (‘the most able but least likely’) to highly selective HEIs in England. The programme provides programmes of continual, wrap-around, personalised and local support to eligible Year 12 students, in order to raise their aspirations to attend leading universities, and to promote the skills and provide the information required to make informed decisions about HE and make successful applications to leading universities.

This evaluation, being undertaken by IES in partnership with the York Health Economics Consortium and the University of Liverpool, will use a mixed methods approach to provide evidence on what works in scaling and speeding the pace of innovations across health care organisations. It will be combined with an impact evaluation to provide evidence on the scale of benefits to organisations, patients and the wider healthcare economy.

IES will conduct a mixed method study to evaluate Mind’s new Wellbeing Index which aims to benchmark employers with respect to current wellbeing practices and policies and to signal areas for improvement. Mind will provide a selection of employers with tailored support. The evaluation comprises secondary data analysis as well as interview, case study and survey elements.

The Cycle to Work scheme is a salary sacrifice employee benefit that encourages greater numbers of people to commute to work by bicycle. The main providers of the scheme commissioned IES to estimate the economic benefits of the scheme for employers, employees and society in general based on a review of appropriate data and literature

IES was commissioned by Health Education England to evaluate its Paramedic Pre-Degree pilot programme. The research team took an in-depth case study approach to explore the attitudes, experiences and career intentions of students, and also to provide insight into whole systems issues by involving local employers and Higher Education providers.

This study for the University of Oxford will evaluate its outreach activity, activity which aims to improve both representation but also progression of under-represented groups at the University and other selective institutions, and help the University to further develop its outreach provision. The project uses a mixed method approach, making use of management information on initiative participants matched to wider education and outcome data with control groups to account for background characteristics; collecting primary data on expectations, experiences and outcomes from participants (and potential participants) of University facilitated events through surveys; and capturing qualitative data through stakeholder and adviser interviews.

IES was commissioned by the Social Care Institute for Excellence to evaluate a two-year pilot programme, which focused on testing and finding out ‘what works’ to support carers to remain in employment and economically active. Nine English local authorities were selected to participate in The Carers in Employment pilot which involves provision of support to employers as well as carers themselves.

IES was commissioned, with SPRU at the University of York, to lead qualitative research into ESA claimants’ experience of three new trials designed to move participants closer to the labour market – Voluntary Early Intervention (VEI), Claimant Commitment (CC) and More Intensive Support (MIS). IES led interviews with claimants, observing their meetings with Work Coaches, and explored claimants’ attitudes towards the support, their motivation and engagement in work-focused discussions, and how these changed over the course of receiving the support. The aim was for data gathered to inform decision-making on national roll-out and the final operational design of the interventions.