Impact evaluation

In parallel with establishing Grosvenor Hart Homes, we have developed a rigorous evaluation and cost-benefit framework to guide the evolution of our approach, promote accountability, and prove our conviction that there is a better way of supporting vulnerable children, young people, and their families. In helping to transform individual life chances and bring savings to the public purse we hope to demonstrate the benefits of transitioning away from a constant ‘crisis management mode’ where spending on sticking-plaster solutions only affords temporary relief, to investing in preventative solutions for the long-term. 

To support this work, we commissioned Social Impact Consultancy Sonnet Advisory & Impact CIC to undertake a detailed evaluation of Grosvenor Hart Homes’s operating model applied to a pilot affordable housing and tailored support services scheme we are developing in Chester. Sonnet is a community interest company that helps organisations to articulate the impact of what they are doing, providing advice on impact and measurement frameworks, and conducting analyses of social and system impact. This interim socio-economic evaluation was stress-tested by an independent panel of leading experts in the fields of affordable housing and support services.

The assessment reviewed 23 Priority Group tenancies — including 10 young people and seven families in detailed analysis, alongside a wider cohort of 13 families with 40 children. The evaluation considered impact, socio-economic value and delivery learning. It asked whether our model is helping residents make progress, what value that progress may create for public systems, and what needs to be protected if the approach is adapted or scaled. 

The findings are interim, not final. But they provide credible early evidence that stable homes, trusted support and community connection can help change likely life trajectories by creating stability earlier, reducing escalation and supporting progress towards independence, work and longer-term wellbeing. 

As we develop and scale our programme to deliver over 750 homes and help circa 2,000 children and young people achieve better outcomes over the next 10 years, we hope that by publishing regular and detailed cost/benefits of our approach, others will be encouraged to replicate its successes and magnify its impact. 

Please use the links below to find out more.