Community Catalyst: From ‘the data exists’ to usable evidence

In this session, guest speakers Louise Ashwell and Dr Jade Farrell will discuss their experience as Cordis Bright’s applied evaluators.

Full Title: From ‘the data exists’ to usable evidence: practical lessons on local administrative data in evaluation

Description: Administrative data can offer powerful opportunities to strengthen evaluation, from understanding outcomes over time and across services to reducing reliance on primary data. But the existence of data does not necessarily mean it is appropriate, accessible or usable within a real-world evaluation. Drawing on Cordis Bright’s experience as applied evaluators, this webinar explores what it takes to move from “the data exists” to usable evidence. Drawing on an example of using police administrative data, we will consider whether available data meaningfully measures the outcomes we care about; and what is realistically feasible within evaluation timescales and systems.

About our speakers:
Louise Ashwell is a Senior Consultant at Cordis Bright, specialising in mixed-methods evaluation and research across children and families, public health and domestic abuse. Since joining Cordis Bright in 2022, Louise has delivered research and evaluation for central and local government, What Works Centres, foundations and charities, with experience spanning evaluation design, Theory of Change development, feasibility studies and implementation and process evaluation. Her work has included a feasibility study and RCT scoping of the Emotion Coaching parenting programme for domestic abuse survivors for the Youth Endowment Fund and an implementation and process evaluation for Foundations of Changemakers, which tested an approach to strengthening local authorities’ use of evidence to implement evidence-based parenting interventions. Across her work, Louise has a particular interest in how routinely collected data can complement primary research to understand service pathways, outcomes and inequalities, as well as the practical conditions needed to make this possible within commissioned evaluations. Previously, she worked in the NHS as a Research Manager at the Havens, London’s sexual assault referral centres, in academia on sexual violence research and as a safeguarding trainer and frontline domestic abuse advocate.

Dr Jade Farrell is a Senior Consultant at Cordis Bright, and an Honorary Visiting Researcher at the University of Bradford. She holds a PhD in Physical Activity and Public Health from Leeds Beckett University and specialises in mixed-methods research and evaluation, spanning qualitative approaches - interviews, focus groups, thematic analysis - and quantitative methods including randomised controlled trials, longitudinal cohort studies and large-scale survey data. At Cordis Bright, Jade's work sits at the intersection of criminal justice, public health and children's services. Her work has included two randomised controlled trials funded by the Youth Endowment Fund: a pilot and efficacy trial of a six-month mentoring programme for children at risk of offending, and a school-based efficacy cluster RCT of Steps, a six-week programme aiming to shift boys' perceptions of gender norms and stereotypes and reduce gender-based violence over time. Her qualitative research has explored referral and support pathways for children in contact with the police, the use of evidence-based practice in policing, and ongoing work on custody resettlement and the mental health and neurodevelopmental needs of children known to Youth Justice Services. Jade has also led on a place-based physical activity programme delivered by Get Berkshire Active, which included building relationships with community partners and residents, training community researchers, and facilitating multi-stakeholder workshops.

About the Community Catalyst:
Co-funded by ADR England and Foundations – What Works Centre for Children and Families, the ADR England Community Catalyst: Children at Risk of Poor Outcomes supports a growing community of researchers and analysts, with a focus on children and young people in children’s social care across the UK.

The Community Catalyst supports the use of administrative data, particularly ADR England Flagship datasets, to strengthen the evidence base. A key priority is supporting and enabling the use of administrative data for evaluation, helping to understand the impact of services and improve outcomes for children and young people. 
This work is guided by a Research Agenda, developed through a comprehensive evidence review and national stakeholder consultation. 

We will email you a Zoom link within 3 working days. Any problems with registration, please email [email protected].