Today, Right There has launched their report which articulates the impact that they have on society and the Scottish economy. This research, entitled “The Difference that Right There Makes” conducted by Sonnet Advisory & Impact CIC, reveals that the work and unique approach of the charity, generates over £300 million of savings every year for the public purse.
As Scotland’s national housing crisis deepens, the report takes a social return on investment (SROI) approach to impact evaluation, and sets out how much of the work of Right There saves the taxpayer through the likes of long-term health and social care, unemployment benefits, emergency accommodation and by helping to stop people’s problems from worsening.
The research has been carried out in the context of the current landscape of economic, political, social, and environmental factors that have and are continuing to shape social and public sectors, to show the social benefit to society achieved through this important work.
Right There: The Charity
Right There’s vision is for a world where everyone has an equal chance to create a safe and supportive place to call home. Everyone’s route to a safe, supportive home is different. Right There’s support reflects this: their services are person-centred and holistic; tailored to meet each individuals’ needs, strengths and aspirations. The organisation operates on the principle of meeting people where they are at in life, without judgment – walking alongside them and offering tailored support – to prevent homelessness and to help keep families together.
Despite its growth and adaptation over the last 200 years, the charity’s core purpose of ensuring equal opportunities for all remains steadfast, emphasising their unwavering commitment to communities and people. Rooted in communities across Scotland, Right There helps individuals and families facing tough times, as they navigate hardship or crisis situations. In doing so, they are addressing some of society’s most pressing social challenges today.
The difference that Right There makes
- The Right There approach fosters trusting, positive, and enabling relationships between support workers and individuals or families, acting as a catalyst for positive outcomes.
- No matter how much time has passed, Right There still provides the foundation for individuals and families to feel physically, psychologically, and emotionally safer.
- The strengths-based, person-centred, and collaborative approach helps individuals build tools, strategies, and skills to cope, develop, and grow.
- .The outcomes are long-lasting
- By achieving their goals, individuals break cycles of trauma and instability.
- The organisation empowers individuals to share their experiences to raise public awareness, destigmatise adverse life events, and offer effective responses.
- By understanding and addressing psychological needs and trauma, Right There helps tackle social challenges like homelessness, substance use, and violence.
Right There sets itself apart by adopting a unique approach to assisting individuals facing tough times:
- It doesn’t just run programmes, it opts to stand by people, helping them to make the change when they are ready
- Each interaction is shaped by an awareness of how trauma, mental health, and emotional well-being impact both individuals and communities
The socio-economic benefit
By meeting people’s needs in the way it does, Right There generates a social benefit to society of at least £308.6m, based on one year’s cohort of referrals to Right There, which is on average, 3,820 households (equates to approximately £81k impact value per household supported).
Savings that have been measured in the report include the cost of NHS treatment for issues such as substance use and poor mental health; the avoidance of future interactions with the criminal justice system; the benefits of individuals moving into longer-term, more sustainable accommodation and savings to the Scottish economy in supporting individuals towards employment.
Why this work is so critical to society
Janet Haugh, the CEO of Right There, said: “As a charity we are driven by the desire to help individuals, one person at a time. Our support is tailored to each person, and we pledge to be right there for as long as it takes. To see the impact of our support defined in such large financial terms is quite overwhelming.
“At a time when Scotland’s housing crisis is intensifying, budget cuts are increasing and the prediction that homelessness will increase by a third by 2026, compound just how critical our work is and the social benefits it delivers for society as a whole.”
Jim Clifford OBE, CEO of Sonnet, and a co-author of the report said: “This report is instrumental in evaluating and communicating the difference that Right There makes across Scotland. It combines the storylines of the experiences of people supported by the charity with economic valuations to illustrate the impact of the work and their unique approach”.
“The changes in our world, as articulated in the report, have intensified the needs of the communities. We are seeing an increased demand for intensive, holistic and integrated support, but that takes time and effort, and has to be delivered at a time that is right for the individual. Right There’s support is not only responsive to the multifaceted nature of these changing circumstances but it treats people with value, dignity and care throughout the process.
The outputs from this work will enable Right There to make more informed decisions, to monitor and measure its success with meaning, to engage at a deeper level with the people they support, as well as with partners and funders, and to publish a well-evidenced view of what it is achieving”.
