The effectiveness of place-based programmes and campaigns in improving outcomes for children

The National Literacy Trust has been developing place-based solutions to low literacy for more than 20 years.

This literature review considers the effectiveness of place-based working in improving outcomes for children and families by analysing the impact of place-based programmes and locally driven behaviour change campaigns, both across the UK and internationally.

Key findings:

• Place-based initiatives aim to achieve change by bringing cross-sector organisations together to address the underlying causes of complex social problems in a more holistic and joined-up way
• Many initiatives try to tackle long-standing disparities in housing, employment, education and health by tailoring programmes to specific groups and combining the insights, knowledge and key strengths of multiple organisations to address diverse and interconnected challenges in local areas
• Place-based initiatives have been effective in:
  • Engaging disadvantaged people in programmes and services by creating new services and activities, raising awareness of existing services, tailoring activities to specific groups and ensuring services meet parents’ needs in a more joined-up way
  • Building supportive communities by ensuring parents have positive personal support networks, including peer support from people with lived experience of social issues
  • Building an infrastructure and creating the conditions for impact by developing leadership and organisational capacity, leveraging new resources, improving holistic partnership working, and building a community’s capacity to respond to challenges
• Although there is no one-size-fits-all model when it comes to implementing place-based initiatives, the research reviewed in this literature suggests there are a number of key features of place-based programmes and campaigns that have proved to be effective:

1. A common agenda between partners, including a shared vision for change, a joint understanding of the problem and an agreed approach to solving it with planned and collaborative contributions
2. Joint use of data and a shared measurement system to understand the issue and track progress
3. A range of mutually reinforcing activities that create a comprehensive approach, with clearly defined roles for each partner organisation
4. Continuous communication between stakeholders and clear, consistent external messaging
5. A backbone organisation that provides strong and visible leadership to coordinate the collective effort and that of local partners
6. A medium-term commitment (10 years) to the communities you are working in
7. Cross-sector partnerships that are mutually beneficial for each partners’ long-term strategy and short-term goals
8. Engage communities in every stage of the project