Social Return on Investment (SROI)

Community Meals Service

Joelle BradlyResearch and Insight Team

• The public sector has less money to spend

• More emphasis on people and communities

• More emphasis on prevention - reducing demand for high cost services

• Need to get maximum value from what we spend

Why is SROI important?

SROI is based on seven principles:

• Involve stakeholders

• Understand what changes

• Value the things that matter

• Only include what is material

• Do not over-claim

• Be transparent

• Verify the result

SROI is made up of 6 stages:

• Establishing scope and identifying key stakeholders

• Mapping outcomes

• Evidencing outcomes and giving them a value

• Establishing impact

• Calculating the SROI

• Reporting, using and embedding

SROI on Community Meals

Service

• 365 days a year

• Hot Meal

• Offer breakfast and tea

Involving Stakeholders

• Service users - Meals at home (7)

- Lunch club (10)

• Volunteers (8)

• Service user’s family (2)

• Meal delivery driver (1)

= 28 interviews

What difference does the service make?

• I get to choose what I want and it always varies. They are very friendly, they ask if I’m alright. The men take the tops off the puddings. I know they would help if something was wrong (Meals at home, age 90)

• The girls are very good, it breaks the day up. I’d go potty if I didn’t see anyone. I fractured my pelvis 12 months ago so I can’t go out. The girls at the weekend are very nice, they talk to me about their babies. They are very chatty (Meals at home, age 86)

• It’s nicer than going to a restaurant. It’s something different. You see all these different groups, and the pictures on the wall that the children have done-It’s always changing. It’s nice to feel part of it (Lunch club attendee, age 71)

• Friendship, being with others and mixing with people. We’ve all got families but they have busy lives, they have their own lives. They know where we are and when (Lunch club attendee, age 79)

• It’s nice to feel like you’re making a difference and helping to provide a service that is enjoyed by others (Volunteer) 

• They have rang me when mum’s fallen. Any problems they ring me or my brother - they have all our numbers. They have rang me a couple of times when she’s been ill and I’ve gone round. I’ve got no worries (Daughter)

• I’ve gone to Fosse park and done some shopping today - I wouldn’t be able to do that if it wasn’t for the service - it would be a big worry (Daughter)

• Without it I don’t know what I’d do. I’m full of arthritis and my brother works. It’s not 2 minutes down the round, it’s a 20 minute journey in the car . It’s not like it’s just round the corner. It’s hard when the weather gets bad. I need to have peace of mind that she’s safe. Without the service our life would be quite miserable (Daughter)

Theory of Change

Mapping Outcomes

Meals on wheel Users

Receive support to eat nutritional meal

Able to live independently

Social contact

Feel more in control of choices

FamilyMore freedom

Peace of Mind

Volunteers Satisfaction in helping others

Lunch club users

Feel part of community

Meeting with friends

Support to live independently

Drivers Satisfaction in helping others

LCC Reduction in intensive support costs

NHS Reduced demand for treatment for malnutrition

Evidencing outcomes and giving them a value

Meals on wheel Users

Numbers who receive support to eat meal

Numbers who receive support in the home non-meal related

Numbers who see a regular friendly face

Numbers who state specific foods requirements / who are supported to make choice

FamilyFamily members who have more freedom

Family members who have increased peace of mind

Volunteers Volunteers who report that they feel they are making a difference

Lunch club users

Service users who feel they are part of their community

Service users who have increase their social circle

Reduction in service users relying on others

Drivers No of drivers reporting increased job satisfaction

LCCReduction in number of older people needing to go into

residential care / needing social care at home

NHS Reduction in malnutrition cases

•Deadweight•Displacement•Attribution•Drop off

For each £1 invested in community meals services

approximately ? is returned in social value

Impact