Reports Database:
Routes To Work – Understanding the Social Value of employability and skills interventions in the third sector

“This evaluation report focuses on the employability interventions of Routes To Work (RTW), an employability organisation based in North Lanarkshire, providing services to a range of areas in the West of Scotland. The report builds on a forecast report that was undertaken in 2022 and assured by Social Value UK.

RTW provides clients with a range of individualised support and comprehensive employability services. These services enable clients to progress along their journey to employment. However, clients frequently experience wider benefits as a result of the services, including better mental wellbeing, improved confidence and feeling less isolated.

The objectives of this evaluation are to build upon the recommendations outlined in the forecast report and to understand and measure the wider social benefits RTW’s services have not only on their clients, but other internal and external stakeholders, including caseworkers, employers and partners and to consider the economic benefits to North Lanarkshire’s community and UK Government.

This work has been undertaken as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between RTW and a team of academics from the University of the West of Scotland School of Business & Creative Industries and School of Health & Life Sciences. One of the aims of the KTP was to create and embed a ‘Social Value Evaluation Framework’ within RTW, using the methodologies of Social Value.

The Social Return on Investment for Routes To Work’s services is estimated at £7.34 for every £1 invested in its services with a range of £2.22 – £12.69 based on sensitivity testing. Therefore, RTW provides clients and stakeholders substantial social and fiscal value in return for the money invested in its services.

This calculation is based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative data collected between May and August 2024. During this time, the evaluation engaged with clients, RTW staff, employers and partners via one-to-one interviews and two online surveys. This data collection continued work undertaken in the forecast and utilised secondary data held by RTW that was relevant to the evaluation.

In line with the Social Value Principles for SROI evaluation, this report also considers the key steps undertaken to create and update the Theory of Change for different stakeholders, and the limitations of the fieldwork undertaken. As this report forms part of RTW’s wider aspiration to embed Social Value in their day-to-day work, it also details recommendations for making improvements to future evaluations as the process evolves. RTW aims to use the insights from Social Value evaluation to identify employability interventions that create the most value and wellbeing for clients and maximise their impact in the communities they serve.”