NPC awarded Fulfilling Lives Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, Research and Evaluation Partner contract

NPC is pleased to announce it will be leading a consortium of partners on a two year research and evaluation partnership for Fulfilling Lives Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham (FLLSL). FLLSL is part of the National Fulfilling Lives Programme funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. This is a £112 million investment over eight years, supporting people facing multiple disadvantage—people who have interconnected needs as a result of mental ill-health, homelessness, substance use or offending histories. The national programme has supported 3,934 beneficiaries as of December 2019.

The research and evaluation partnership of NPC, Groundswell and the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University (CRESR) combines expertise in systems change, influencing policy-makers, peer research, trauma, and gender and culturally informed approaches. The partnership will develop a better understanding of the complex interactions in systems navigated by people facing multiple disadvantage in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham and will strengthen the case for change across those systems.

Katie Boswell, Associate Director of Strategy & Leadership at NPC, says:

We are thrilled to be working with Fulfilling Lives Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham on this research and evaluation partnership, which has the potential to transform people’s lives locally as well as influence national policy and practice. Working with our partners Groundswell and CRESR, we have put participatory research at the heart of our approach—involving stakeholders, including people who have experience as service users, throughout the research process from data collection to analysis. We know that the homelessness, criminal justice and health systems often don’t work for people facing multiple disadvantage and this research will help us to strengthen the wider case for systems change.

Diane Elizabeth Smith MBE, Head of Programme at Fulfilling Lives Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, says:

I am absolutely delighted about this new partnership and the benefits it will bring locally to Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, as well as to the national Fulfilling Lives programme. The research will contribute to influencing and changing systems that have such a powerful impact every day on the lives of people facing multiple disadvantage.

The project will generate learning that will be used across the sector and beyond the lifetime of the project. NPC and its partners will share learning through events, publications and blogs. The final evaluation is due at the end of 2021.