What CSAIF funded: StreetDoctors were awarded £159,110 to scale its operations and create the infrastructure for further growth beyond the fund. They were funded to grow from 9 teams in 6 cities with 220 volunteers, to 16 teams delivering in 12 cities with 315 volunteers. Through this they increased the number of young people reached by 300 per cent. StreetDoctors were awarded £25,000 for their impact evaluation. View the full impact evaluation.

About the evaluation

Level on Standards: Level 2 - they have captured data that shows positive change, but cannot confirm they caused this.

Evaluator: RedQuadrant

Aim: The evaluation aimed to measure the impact of the programme (primarily on the young people it supports, but also on the medical volunteers who deliver the sessions), and to do so in a way that builds up the programme’s internal evaluation capacity and processes.

Key findings:

1. Post-session qualitative data suggests that the sessions have a positive impact on many of the young people who attend
2. Despite the difficulties of longer term follow up with young people there were five recorded cases of young people assisting in a medical emergency following a StreetDoctors session.
3. Almost 100 per cent of the 16 teaching centres surveyed agreed or strongly agreed with all survey statements, which covered impact of the sessions on the programme’s key outcomes (e.g. ‘made young people more aware of the medical consequences of violence’).

Methodology: The range of methods, included: post-session surveys by the participants, volunteers and teaching centres; session observations; follow-up debriefs and case studies; a literature review.

Why is this a Level 2 Evaluation?

This evaluation did not include formal pre-post data showing a change in outcomes. However, the report makes the valid case that pre-post data is simply not the most appropriate method for this intervention and population; and overall the alternative approach taken is well-justified, and has generated a wealth of qualitative and quantitative data that gives a strong indication of positive impact.

About the evidence journey

Progress: Through this evaluation Street Doctors have moved from Level 1 to Level 2 on the Standards of Evidence. Though they previously had some good anecdotal evidence of impact, this evaluation has generated a wealth of data that gives a much more comprehensive and representative account of the programme’s impact, and has put in place the tools and processes needed to continue to collect such data sustainably.

Lessons learned:

• StreetDoctors volunteers medical knowledge, age (many are young people themselves), and volunteer status means they are uniquely placed to engage young people at risk in a powerful conversation about the medical consequences of violence, challenging attitudes and promoting a greater sense of responsibility.
• Volunteers play an integral part in gathering data from participating young people therefore It has been important to work closely with volunteers to support data collection tasks.

Next steps: StreetDoctors will continue to embed sound data monitoring and collection across all StreetDoctors teams in order to further evidence our impact. They are also exploring the potential of piloting a controlled trial in collaboration with an academic partner to demonstrate the ‘cognitive shift’ that can happen in a StreetDoctors session.