Posts in Systems
Evaluating 10 years of Early Years Systems Change: Insights from Lambeth Early Action Partnership
Evaluating 10 years of Early Years Systems Change: Insights from Lambeth Early Action Partnership

For 10 years, Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP) has funded and supported more than 20 local services to meet the needs of families through pregnancy and the early years of childhood with the aim of giving thousands of children aged 0-3 a better start in life. Now, a decade on, Dartington Service Design Lab is proud to present this new report, sharing the findings from a comprehensive evaluation of the programme. This report explores how place-based systems change can improve outcomes for children and families.

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Systems, PublicationsRachel Lilychildren., Children's Services, families, Systems, Systems Thinking, systems change, Rachel Lily, evaluation, co-design, DawnHart, earlyyears, funders, impact, inequality, Lambeth., research, Sean Manzi, Finlay, Megan Keenan
Using eco-mapping to understand systems of social support for families
Using eco-mapping to understand systems of social support for families

Led by the Dartington Service Design Lab’s Lambeth-based community research team, eco-mapping was used to explore how (and if) systems of social support (like LEAP) influenced families within the nuance of their local social, economic, and cultural contexts.  We wanted to share the learning to help others looking to transform their services and community offers to better help families and children.

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News, SystemsBLOGsystems change, research, children, earlyyears, Young people, Evaluation, Megan Keenan, ecomap
Practicing power sharing in Community Research
Practicing power sharing in Community Research

As part of our commitment to sustainable and participatory approaches to evidence, we wanted to promote the learning from the work co-designed by our three Community Researchers living and working in Lambeth, working with us to evaluate the Lambeth Early Action Partnership (LEAP) systems change project. Using this method helps unpick complex, place-based systemic problems and can support tailoring services to better serve communities. We are sharing these insights to support others in the research and evaluation community who are thinking about or already undertaking community-led research, particularly in the early years sector.

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News, SystemsBLOGsystems change, research, children, earlyyears, Young people, Evaluation, Megan Keenan, ecomap
State of the System Report: Understanding cancer care for children, young people and their families
State of the System Report: Understanding cancer care for children, young people and their families

In 2023, four of the UK’s leading children’s and young people’s cancer charities joined forces with Dartington Service Design Lab to create a shared, evidence-based understanding of what is needed to build a better future for children and young people with cancer. We surveyed more than 1,500 young people with lived experiences to support the findings and help address gaps in the system.

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Systems, PublicationsRachel Lilycancer, Teenage Cancer Trust, Young Lives Vs Cancer, Young people, emotional wellbeing, psychosocial, Integrated Approach, families
Getting research ready for the messy world of systems change
Getting research ready for the messy world of systems change

As we began the year, we set out our strategic priorities, with a core focus on the early years, mental health and safety for children, young people and families. Our work is increasingly concerned with systems change; working with partners to challenge and disrupt the conditions, structures and power that uphold inequalities in outcomes and experiences for children and young people.

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News, SystemsBLOGsystems change, Systems, Strategy, research, children, earlyyears, Young people, Youth work, Youth violence, Health, wellbeing, Partnerships, Mentalhealh, Charlotte, Sean, Julie, Evaluation, Community Research
Looking ahead to our priorities for 2024
Looking ahead to our priorities for 2024

In 2024, you’ll hear less about the ‘how’ and a lot more about the ‘why’. As a team, we’ll be steadfast and focused on tackling inequalities in the outcomes and experiences of children and young people and doing so via equitable approaches to advancing systemic change. 

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News, SystemsBLOGSystems Thinking, systems change, Systems, Tim, Strategy, research, children, earlyyears, Young people, Youth work, Youth violence
Systems Thinking: training, coaching and learning journeys
Systems Thinking: training, coaching and learning journeys

We are now delighted to bring these tools and ways of thinking to a wider audience via a new suite of training and learning opportunities. This includes an engaging, online introductory system thinking  course; a bespoke, in-person training for teams or partnerships; and an applied, cohort-based learning journey programme where folks can bring a systemic challenge to be worked through in practice (in cohorts or teams, with training inputs, peer-to-peer learning, coaching, and learning resources).

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News, Systems, TrainingBLOGSystems Thinking, systems change, Systems, training, Tim
Building systems change initiatives into practice
Building systems change initiatives into practice

This blog is the first in our series on systems thinking. In this blog we explore one of the systems dynamics tools we use called goal-gap structures to help us understand people’s different motivations for change. We will be launching a systems training programme this autumn where you can learn more about these approaches!

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News, Reflection, SystemsBLOGSystems Thinking, systems change, Barnardos, GoalGap, InteractionLoops, Systems, young people, Leanne, Leanne Freeman, training