The Impact of the ABSS Programme

Clare Littleford, ABSS Research and Evaluation Manager, provides some headline figures on our programme’s impact.

Engagement

To 31 August 2021, a total of 4,331 unique primary beneficiaries (children aged 0-4 or pregnant mothers) have engaged with the ABSS programme. For the year to 31 August 2021, 1,732 engaged, representing 36% of potential primary beneficiaries.

The trend year-on-year showed significant improvement in engagement levels with potential beneficiaries (13.6% of potential primary beneficiaries in 2017-18, 29.6% in 2018-19, 37.3% in 2019-20), until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Pandemic restrictions led to a dip in engagement in 2020-21 to 33.3% of potential primary beneficiaries, although this was still higher than the 2018-19 level. The most recent figures (12 months to 31 August 2021) show that engagement has recovered to 36%, with the trend continuing to rise.

Outcomes Data and Impact

The impact of the work carried out by ABSS over recent years can now be seen in a number of measures against ABSS outcomes. Overall, there is a narrowing of the gaps between ABSS wards and non-ABSS wards in Southend on a wide range of outcomes across all workstream areas.

The following section sets out some examples of this impact. Many of the measures are based on the EYFSP (Early Years Foundation Stage Profile), most recently collected in 2018-19 (data collection on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Where more recent data is available, this is noted below. Statistical significance is measured at a 95% confidence level.

Social and Emotional Workstream

Key projects:

• Family Nurse Partnership
• Family Support Workers for Social Communication Needs
• Perinatal Mental Health
• HENRY Preparation for Parenthood
• Volunteer Home Visiting
• Families Growing Together

Examples of improvements seen in ABSS outcomes include:

• More children in our ABSS wards are confident and self-aware (EYFSP): The gap between children in ABSS wards and non-ABSS wards in Southend is not statistically significant and is closing over time.
• More children reached expected development milestones in personal, social and emotional development (EYFSP): In 2015-16 and 2016-17, EYFSP figures showed a significant difference between ABSS wards and non-ABSS wards in the numbers of children who reached or exceeded expected levels of personal, social and emotional development. By 2017-18, this gap was no longer statistically significant, and figures for 2018-19 showed the gap closing further.
• Proportion of children on track in all domains (ASQ-3): Data collected for the ASQ-3 measures at age 2 ½ were collected in 2019-20 and 2020-21 and show similar closeness between figures for ABSS and non-ABSS wards.

Communication and Language Workstream

Key projects:

• Let’s Talk (suite of projects)
• Story Sacks

Examples of improvements seen in ABSS outcomes include:

• More children will have improved listening and attention skills, preparing them for school (EYFSP): In 2015-16 and 2016-17, EYFSP data showed a significant difference between the numbers of children in ABSS wards and non-ABSS wards who were achieving at least the expected level of development in listening and attention. In 2017-18 this gap narrowed to being no longer statistically significant. In the same year, children in ABSS wards also overtook the national average.
• More children in ABSS wards will have reached their expected levels of development at age 2, resulting in good progress through preschool/nursery (ASQ-3): Data show no significant difference between the numbers of children on track with communication development at age 2 to 2 ½ in ABSS wards and non-ABSS wards in Southend. All children in Southend are above the national average on this measure.

Diet and Nutrition Workstream

Key projects:

• 121 Breastfeeding Support
• Group Breastfeeding Support
• HENRY Healthy Families
• 3-4 Month Contact

Examples of improvements seen in ABSS outcomes include:

• More children will be healthier as more mothers will initiate and sustain breastfeeding (Maternity figures): The proportion of children totally or partially breastfed at 6-8 weeks in ABSS wards rose from 40.6% in 2015-16 to 51.1% in 2020-21. The gap between ABSS and non-ABSS wards narrowed to statistically non-significant in 2019-20, and in 2020-21 the levels in ABSS wards overtook those in non-ABSS wards. The latest national figures available (2018-19) show that the gap between ABSS ward levels and the national average has closed, with the trend suggesting that ABSS wards may now have overtaken the national average.
• More children will have reduced risk of illness such as diarrhoea and vomiting and respiratory infections (Hospital Admissions Statistics): There is no statistically significant difference between ABSS wards and non-ABSS wards for Emergency Lower Respiratory Tract infections admissions rates for under 1s. An overall downward trend can be seen across Southend, with both ABSS and non-ABSS wards being below the national average.

30 September 2021