Chances. Year 2 Interim Evaluation Report

The Home Office Positive Futures programme, shifted the use of sport as a diversionary activity and used it to facilitate a 'relationship strategy' through engagement which aimed to 'provide cultural gateways, to alternative lifestyles/'

Chances seeks to build upon these principles and enable young people to benefit from opportunities and support, improve their life chances and avoid pathways into offending. Chances is an evidence-based approach, built upon a wealth of action research evidence developed over twenty years by Substance and their partners.

On one level Chances is a Social Impact Bond (SIB), a payment by results model, and is primarily concerned with if Chances works and can be evidenced to achieve payments. However, in order to further the business case, ensure replicability and secure future models of investment, accompanying evidence needs to describe not just if Chances works but if so how and why. A number of research questions are being considered by the Evaluation Team to explore this:

• What is Chances? – How have the providers interpreted this? What is actually happening on the ground?
• Who for? – Who are chances participants? How have the providers identified, attracted and retained participants?
• What elements of the model achieve the desired outcomes?
• Does sport itself have any unique ability to influence the non-sporting outcomes or is the engagement and relationship strategy paramount to this?