Public services

  • Housing
  • Environment
  • Budgets
  • Leisure

Skills, Training, Business

  • Business surveys
  • Skills
  • Access to employment and training

Social issues

  • Crime and ASB
  • Debt and financial exclusion
  • Refugees and asylum seekers

Evaluation

  • Project evaluation

Public Services

Newham Council Tenants' Satisfaction Survey We conducted a postal survey of tenants, based on the STATUS survey, looking at their satisfaction with housing services, their home and the area where they live. The survey provided data for Best Value Performance Indicators, to highlight priorities for service development and to assess year on year changes in satisfaction levels. We are currently conducting a separate postal survey of leaseholders and a face to face survey with tenants in sheltered accommodation.

Redbridge Council - Budget Consultation We ran a series of eight focus groups exploring residents' priorities for the next Council budget. Groups were organised with 'hard to reach' groups who were less likely to respond to the Council's consultation.

Islington Council - residents' views of Council Services and Priorities Working with Taylor Nelson Sofres, we conducted a series of six focus groups with residents to establish what residents thought of key council services and their priorities for improvements.

Waltham Forest Libraries Residents' Survey We conducted a survey of about 1200 residents of the Borough who were users, lapsed users or non-users of library services. The survey focused on the type of services people would like to see develop and their priorities for a modern library service. We also conducted four focus groups to explore these issues in more depth and to discuss in detail possible developments at two of the Borough's main libraries.

Little Ilford Community Facilities, LB Newham We undertook a survey of almost 400 residents in Little Ilford to determine the type of community activities they would like to see developed in the area.

Newham Environment Residents' satisfaction Survey We conducted a series of annual surveys of about 1000 residents of the Borough looking at their level of satisfaction with environmental services and to monitor year on year changes.

Islington Council A1 Environmental Improvements Working with CAG Consultants, we conducted a series of four focus groups looking at residents views on how the A1 corridor could be regenerated.

Newham Council Street Scene focus groups We conducted a series of four focus groups looking at residents' preferences for the street environment in terms of trees and soft landscaping as part of the Highway's Best Value review.

Skills, Training and Business

Asset Skills ESOL at Work Working with Valued Research, we conducted a survey of 150 businesses in six sectors which employ significant numbers of migrant workers. The survey looked at the impact of employing people whose English was not fully proficient, how companies managed this and the need for language training or support.

Investors in People Health and Well Being at Work Working with Valued Research, we conducted a survey of 1000 organisations to assess their understanding of health and well being at work and their views on whether the IIP Standard should be extended to include these issues. The study, conducted by telephone was with a representative sample of IIP clients and a matched sample of non-IIP organisations.

Leicestershire Business Survey Community Consultants has conducted the twice yearly Leicester and Leicestershire Business Survey sponsored by a partnership including the Leicester City and Leicestershire County Council, Leicestershire LSC and Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce for ten years. This involves interviewing a representative sample of about 750 companies, by phone, to assess the current state of the local economy and firms' level of confidence about the future. Topical issues are also covered in each survey.

Southampton City Council SRB Evaluation Working with CAG Consultants, we conducted a survey of 500 residents of Outer Shirley Regeneration area as part of the final evaluation of the SRB6 programme. The questionnaire asked for residents' opinions of the area, their priorities for improvements and training and employment needs.

Leicester University Health and Social Care Sector Training Needs Working with the School of Lifelong Learning, we conducted a telephone survey of about 200 organisations in the heath, social and child care sectors. The survey looked at qualifications held and currently being undertaken to determine the extent to which the new Care Standards are being met. The survey also looked at access to training, barriers organisations face when arranging training for staff and gaps in local provision.

Waltham Forest Council - Blackhorse Lane Employment Growth Survey We conducted a survey of all employers located in a number of small industrial estates which are in a priority area for LDA support. The survey established a profile of the employers and their employees and looks at skills needs now and projected skills needs for the future. The findings will be used to develop projects to help residents of an adjacent deprived ward to access employment in the area.

Getting London Working We conducted a survey of employers who have used the services of Getting London Working which is to place long term unemployed people into work. The survey looked at satisfaction with the service and how it might be improved.

Leicester City Council - Saffron Lane As part of the area's SRB5 programme, we conducted research to look at the skills and employment/training needs for the estate. This involved face to face interviews with 200 residents, four focus groups and 50 interviews with local businesses as well as desk research.

Social Issues

Manchester City Council - financial exclusion strategy Working with Salford University, we conducted a survey of 400 residents living in the most deprived areas of Manchester looking at the need for advice and financial support services for those on the lowest incomes. The survey looked at how well residents were managing their money, access to financial services and the extent to which residents were dependent on high interest sources of finance. We also conducted two focus groups looking at the sort of financial services residents would like to see.

Greenwich Community Strategy/Social Justice Strategy We conducted a series of eight focus groups with 'hard to reach' communities looking at key issues of concern to both the Community Strategy and Social Justice Strategy. Discussions were held with young men, Asian women, gay and lesbian people, unemployed people, disabled people, lone parents, people on low wages and refugees.

Haringey Crime Audit Community Consultants was commissioned by Haringey Council to conduct public consultation on its crime audit. This involved conducting focus groups with 'hard to reach' groups such as refugees, victims of domestic violence, young men, young women and ethnic minority groups. The findings were then used to modify the Council's strategy for dealing with crime.

Evaluation

Lincolnshire Multi-Use Centre Programme Evaluation In association with CAG Consultants, we are currently completing the final evaluation of the Multi-Use Centres Programme for Lincolnshire County Council. CAG and Community Consultants have been employed to conduct interim and final evaluations of the programme to develop Multi-Use Centres in parts of the County and have used a variety of evaluation methods including structured interviews, user surveys, desk research and case studies to explore development, accountability and sustainability issues.

South Holland District Council Migrant Workers Project We carried out a final evaluation of a Single programme funded project which looked the needs of migrant workers in South Lincolnshire. This involved interviews with key stakeholders and a review of documentation.

East of England Regional Assembly, Review of Regional Economic Strategy Goal 8 As part of the Regional Assembly's scrutiny of the RES Goal 8 (covering environmental and sustainability issues) we conducted a series of interviews with key players looking at the effectiveness and impact of actions under this theme.

Plashet Early Start We conducted an evaluation of the speech and language service offered by Plashet Early Start, a Sure Start programme in Newham. This involved a survey of 200 parents of under 5's, focus groups with parents of young children, including a mother tongue group with Bangladeshi mothers and interviews with professional staff.