BCFT Evaluation of Experts by Experience and Systems Impact
This report aims to share research into how stakeholders engage with the Every Step of the Way (ESOW) programme. It explores the programme’s impact at both service and systems level and notes lessons for the future. It also captures Experts by Experience’s views on their impact across the system.
This research set out to gain an understanding of the experiences of Experts by Experience in the ESOW programme. It also looked at the impact of Experts by Experience on individual Birmingham services. Finally, it sought to understand the system-wide impact that Experts by Experience are having.
To enter the ESOW programme as an expert, an individual must have experienced at least two complex needs in the last five years. They can be referred by a support worker or a peer, but often refer themselves. Each expert now enters the programme for two years and has an Engagement and Development worker who supports them individually through their Personal Development Impact Plan (PDIP).
The aim of the ESOW programme is to support the experts in their development at the same time has having an impact on wider system service change across Birmingham. Each expert is offered opportunities to bring their experience as service users with complex needs to services, projects and policies. The objective is to help these services, projects and policies to work better, both individually and across the system.
The key learning points that emerged from this research are the need to:
• Make ESOW more visible
• Raise awareness of what system change means
• Capture the impact of ESOW
• Use the impact feedback loop
• Prepare stakeholders to work with Experts by Experience
• Consider the quality of opportunities that arise.
