Future Bright Plus Final Programme Evaluation

The Future Bright Plus (FBP) service has run since March 2021 (final referrals to the scheme were 31st Jan 2024) and has built on the legacy of the DWP Employment Support Innovation pilot (February 2018 to July 2021). Future Bright Plus aims to fill a gap in local provision and kick-start career progression for residents, with funding provided for three years from the West of England Combined Authority Investment Fund. The service supports mainly low income in-work residents in the West of England Combined Authority area to increase their confidence, motivation, wellbeing, skills and incomes. The project provides information, advice and signposting to all residents who contact the service. Those who are in work are eligible to receive one-to-one coaching, the level of service being determined by individual circumstance (www.futurebright.org.uk).The approach goes beyond training to identify and overcome a much wider range of barriers to career progression, tailoring support to the individual.

The evaluation of FBP aims to provide rigorous evidence that demonstrates the outcomes and impacts of the programme in two phases. Phase one requires a theory-based approach to assess additionality and contribution of the project in relation to project’s original Theory of Change. Phase two requires a Quasi-Experimental Design (QED) approach to construct a counterfactual using a suitable comparator group in a secondary dataset to further assess impact.

Key outcomes for Future Bright Plus:

• Increase in financial independence and income
• Increased work security or flexibility
• Increased awareness of support available
• Increase in skills and experience
• Improvement in participants’ attitude (motivation, confidence and job satisfaction)
• Increase in health & wellbeing
• Increased understanding on how in-work progression can be best supported in the future.

Broader outcomes:

• Children benefiting from improvements to motivation, skills, prosperity and increased health and wellbeing of parent/ carer
• Understanding this demographic
• Reduction in public spend associated with benefits.