Institute for Social Innovation and Impact (ISII)

Institute for Social Innovation and Impact Leadership

• Prof. Richard Hazenberg – Institute Lead

You can view our institute’s researchers on PURE.

ISII Canon Young People Programme Evaluation Social Impact Report

The Institute for Social Innovation and Impact (ISII) at the University of Northampton conducted a research evaluation to identify the social impact and social value created by the Canon Young People Programme. The findings from the evaluation are based on the voices of 110 stakeholders who were engaged through both focus groups (n=21) and questionnaires (n=89). The report is accompanied by a bespoke Social Impact Measurement Framework which highlights the programmes social impact areas across three stakeholder groups: young people, the community, and organisations. It outlines the following key findings:

• Inclusive impact – the programme benefits all participants equally, regardless of gender or education level. The longer youth stay involved, the greater the positive outcomes they experience.
• Photography provides tool for change – young people gain a voice to highlight social and environmental issues in their communities, often leading conversations and inspiring action through exhibitions and visual storytelling.
• Boosting skills and employability – participants develop real-world skills that improve employability. Some have started businesses, others discovered new career paths in industries like tourism and hospitality.
• Leadership and peer support – Youth benefit from taking on leadership roles and mentoring peers which builds confidence, self-efficacy, and wellbeing.
• Supporting partner organisations – Access to Canon equipment means partner organisations are supported to deliver consistent and high-quality learning experiences for youth.
• Strong collaboration – Canon’s clear goals and strong local partnerships create impactful, youth-focused opportunities that extend beyond the classroom and into the community and wider voluntary sector.

View ISII Canon Young People Programme report (PDF, 4MB)

The social impact and value of the Cadet Forces in the UK (PDF, 7MB)

Between 2016 and 2020 the Institute for Social Innovation and Impact at the University of Northampton carried out research to identify the social impact and value of the Cadet Forces in the UK. This study covered both community cadet units and CCF contingents. The current research seeks to build upon this evidence base, to identify and describe the impact and value of the CCF and other school-based Cadet Force units to stakeholders within schools (and outside). This project was given the following seven research objectives by the Ministry of Defence Youth and Cadet Team and the Combined Cadet Force Association.

1. To identify the impacts of school-based Cadet Forces on school outcomes as measured by Ofsted, Education Scotland, Estyn (Wales), the Education and Training Inspectorate (N. Ireland), and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (England only),

2. To identify the impacts of school-based Cadet Forces on pupil attainment,

3. To identify the impacts of school-based Cadet Forces on pupil participation and leadership in wider school activities

4. To identify the impacts of school-based Cadet Forces on the career aspirations and intentions of pupils

5. To identify the impacts of school-based Cadet Forces on teacher – student relations

6. To identify the impacts of school-based Cadet Forces on teacher confidence and competence

7. To identify the potential value for money of the impacts of school-based Cadet Forces.

This document presents the final report for this evaluation, demonstrating the strong impact that CCF and other Cadet Force units bring to young people, schools and society more widely.

Reviewing & improving identification of ex-service personnel in the Criminal Justice System in England, Wales and Scotland and their access to and take up of support

This project is a partnership between Nacro, the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice (IPSCJ) and the Institute of Social Innovation and Impact (ISII) at the University of Northampton. This collaboration brings together highly regarded academic expertise; working experience of every stage of the criminal justice pathway; experience of working with ex-service personnel; and a strong track record of creating policy and practice change.

There is currently limited data on the numbers of ex-service personnel in the CJS across England, Wales and Scotland. More is known about those people who are imprisoned but the statistics across all three jurisdictions provide an incomplete picture for a number of reasons, most significantly the reliance on self-disclosure. Government statistics estimate that approximately 3.5% – 4% in custody and on community orders in England & Wales are ex-service personnel, and external estimates have reported that the proportion in the prison population ranges from 3.5% and 17%. 11% of people in prison in Scotland reported having been in the armed forces in the 2019 Scottish Prison Survey.

Across other areas of the CJS there is a lack of reliable data, such as for those on probation (it was estimated that 3.4% of those subject to probation supervision in 2011 were ex-service personnel), and in addition there is a lack of data on those who are at risk of offending, such as those who may have been identified by social or welfare services.

An evaluation of the Social Impact of the YMCA Under One Roof Project

The new YMCA building in Milton Keynes (MK) provides an opportunity to build a new culture and an assets-based approach to helping people who are homeless as part of the Under One Roof (U1R) project. This project is significant for the growing numbers of young people who come to the MK YMCA with a range of complex needs.

This research aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation framework capable of both assessing the social impact of the U1R service and seeking to measure longitudinal change, across the three years of the research, in outcomes over time (e.g. wellbeing, self-efficacy). Building on the University of Northampton’s ‘Social Impact Matrix©’ approach, the research will evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes of the services on young people, aged 18-35 years, in relation to their personalised pathway of support, across all three stages, from emergency accommodation to living independently, moving on and gaining employment.

Building on the University of Northampton’s ‘Social Impact Matrix©’ approach, this evaluation will evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes of the services on young people, aged 18-35 years in relation to their personalised pathway of support, across its three stages:

• Stage 1: emergency accommodation
• Stage 2: cluster/supported living
• Stage 3: living independently, moving on and gaining employment.

Advancing Digital Competence in Higher Education

ADVICE project is a joint effort of higher education institutions from four countries – Italy, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Poland as coordinator – utilizing synergy between a variety of experiences.

It is aimed at supporting higher education teachers in tackling their digital competence gaps and mismatches, by creating a Digital Competence Learning Hub – an open platform integrating a competence assessment tool and a complementary database of tools and resources available online. The project also aims at preparing a set of recommendations for stakeholders and decision-makers, which should help build the capacity of higher education systems for more inclusive online education.

Social Innovation Linkages for Knowledge Exchange Networks (SILKEN) Vietnam

SILKEN-VIETNAM will take the lessons learnt from the SILKEN project seeking to embed some of its initiatives at an institutional level within Vietnamese and partner UK universities. The project will establish ‘social innovation support units’ within six Vietnamese universities, partnering with similar units already operating within their UK counterpart institutions. It will support Vietnamese HEIs with curriculum development, research, knowledge exchange, internationalisation, and incubation.

Find out more about our institute’s projects here.

• Building Better Opportunities: Working Progress – Year 3 Interim Report
• Giroletti, T. & Paterson-Young, C., Feb 2022, University of Northampton. 
• Building Capabilities of Youth Through Participatory Oral History Project: The South Hebron Hills, a Palestinian Case Study
• Soliman, M., Sulin, L. & Karlidag-Dennis, E., 3 Jan 2022, In: Journal of Human Development and Capabilities. 23, 1, p. 116-135 20 p. 
• Educating to Deliver Environmentally Focused Social Innovation
• Hazenberg, R., 23 Feb 2022, Enhancing Environmental Education Through Nature-Based Solutions. Vasconcelos, C. & Sousa Coutinho Calheiros, C. (eds.). Porto: Springer, Vol. 4. 14 p. (Integrated Science). 
• Gen2 Interim report
• Giroletti, T. & Maher, M., 31 Mar 2022, University of Northampton Institute of Social Innovation and Impact. 22 p. 
• Jon Egging Trust – Interim Report II
• Karlidag-Dennis, E., Paterson-Young, C. & Hazenberg, R., Jan 2022, 22 p.