Read on for CEI's latest work, insights, resources, opportunities, and more.
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How can Lived Experience collaboration have the greatest impact on mental health research?
Leading research funder Wellcome has commissioned CEI and our partners the Global Mental Health Peer Network and Lived Experience and academic experts to investigate how, why and under what conditions lived experience collaborations have impact in mental health research.
This three-year collaboration will develop a theory of impact, test this in the field, and then apply what is learnt to develop best-practice guidance.
The team's earliest output is the practical guide “Building Workshops for Lived Experience Collaborations” (linked below).
READ about the project
ACCESS the workshops guide
Implementing a common practice framework for better service delivery
For the first time in Victoria (Australia), a community service organisation has documented their evidence-informed, common ways of working – across child and family services, housing support, family violence, emergency relief, counselling services, and other social supports.
CEI has partnered with purpose-driven non-profit Meli, based in regional Victoria, to develop and implement the Meli Common Practice Approach framework. This articulates a “Meli way of working”, informed by research evidence and by what practitioners and clients agree works to achieve positive outcomes.
“The goal is to improve engagement with, readiness for, and uptake of services – to drive greater overall effectiveness of this vital community work,” says CEI Principal Advisor, Frances Head.
READ more
Shedding light on evidence use in philanthropy
A new, global study shows how leading philanthropic foundations are harnessing evidence to drive strategic decision-making and support efforts to drive systemic change.
Developed by CEI in collaboration with Tanoto Foundation, the recently launched report, The evidence behind better philanthropy, is based on in-depth interviews with 11 leading foundations and an extensive review of literature.
“We set out to better understand how philanthropic organisations are leveraging evidence to drive learning and improvement,” explains CEI Global Managing Director, Mary Abdo. “Philanthropic capital is a really precious resource for supporting innovation, but there is a lack of shared insight and practice on how foundations can ensure what they learn informs what they do. We hope this report can start to change that."
READ more
ACCESS the report
Improving capability building for the mental health workforce
A new “how-to” guide aims to drive high-quality implementation of capability building for mental health and wellbeing workers, to improve service experience for consumers, families, carers and supporters.
The implementation guide is the latest in a suite of activities CEI has undertaken with Victoria’s Department of Health (Australia), to accelerate and sustain implementation of the Our workforce, our future capability framework – outlining the common values, approaches, attitudes and ways of working considered essential for a safe and effective mental health system.
“Implementation is an active and continuing process,” explains CEI Director Dr Melinda Polimeni. “The guide sets out step-by-step actions, and is designed to help spread understanding and use of ‘best-bet’ strategies – especially for those new to implementation science.”
READ more
ACCESS the guide
New podcast: Why do we need implementation science?
CEI CEO Dr Robyn Mildon explains the vital role of implementation science in closing the "know-do" gap, in the latest Amplifying Research podcast – a handy primer on our science.
LISTEN to the podcast
CEI welcomes new UK Director
CEI is delighted to welcome Nida Broughton as a new Director in our UK office.
Nida has 20 years’ experience in public policy and research across the public sector, third sector and consultancy, with in-depth expertise in economic policy – including productivity, public spending, financial inclusion, labour markets and regulation.
READ more about Nida
Publications and resources from CEI
Highlighted below are recent reports and insights. Check out our website for more.
Scaling framework for education
CEI has developed a scaling framework for education interventions, on behalf of Education Endowment Foundation (UK), in partnership with BIT. Detailing what it takes to successfully scale education programs – from early years to secondary school settings – the framework and accompanying self-assessment tool map readiness indicators at each stage.
Commentary: Reducing policy failure means addressing policy implementation
A pithy commentary from CEI's Jane Lewis and Dr Robyn Mildon, on how to fix implementation failure – the gap between what we know works, and what we see delivered in practice. Published by the School for Government at King's College London.
Evaluation: Intervention to reduce school exclusion
CEI evaluated a UK initiative aiming to reduce the number of students suspended or excluded from secondary schools, finding positive impacts on exclusion rates and identifying key recommendations for more inclusive education practice and policy. Commissioned by John Lyon’s Charity, The London Community Foundation, Evening Standard.
Systematic review: Effective interventions and practices for parents experiencing complex and multiple needs
With a focus on the most disadvantaged parents of children aged 0 to 10, this review by CEI and research partners makes a unique contribution to the literature. The review informed the “Parenting through Adversity Practice Guide”, providing guidance to local authorities in England, and was commissioned by Foundations.
Evaluation: Fluency Focus reading intervention
Aiming to improve children’s skills in reading aloud, this pilot program showed evidence of promising outcomes, feasibility for implementation, and readiness for scale-up to an efficacy trial. Led by CEI, with Professor Helen Breadmore (University of Birmingham), for Education Endowment Foundation.
Article: "Scaling what works: If only it were that simple"
CEI experts authored this article for global magazine Governance Matters, unpacking the nuances of scaling up effective policy innovations. The authors explain what constitutes good scaling, cite common pitfalls on the path to scale, and ask: "How can governments nurture an ecosystem for scale-up?"
Evaluation: Future Directions for Social Housing in NSW
In Australia’s largest social housing evaluation to date, report findings include outcome, economic and implementation evaluations of the New South Wales Government's 10-year Future Directions strategy. CEI was part of a research consortium led by the Melbourne Institute, with Culturally Inclusive Research Centre Australia (CIRCA), RMIT University and Monash University.
Multi-site trial of youth mentoring
A ground-breaking randomised controlled trial of youth mentoring across 17 agencies in England and Wales. Results suggest mentoring delivered in locally relevant ways can improve outcomes for young people at risk of involvement in youth violence. Led by CEI, with YMCA George Williams College and Bryson Purdon Social Research, for Youth Endowment Fund.
Implementation Research Compendium
This world-first research case compendium highlights the role implementation science can play in delivering better outcomes for children. CEI worked with UNICEF and Norway’s Centre for Global Health Inequalities Research to bring together nine real-world case studies from Africa, the Caribbean, Asia and Europe.
Youth participatory research: A review of reviews and practice guidance
A set of evidence-based recommendations developed by CEI for Youth Futures Foundation, drawing on 18 systematic reviews and 15 practice guidance documents and toolkits. The focus is on promoting the voices of young people marginalised through systemic inequalities.
Find out more about our current work HERE
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