Making Wellbeing Sticky. Ingrid Abreu Scherer CWiPP Wellbeing Event University of Sheffield - 12 Sep 2016

Transcription

1 Making Wellbeing Sticky Ingrid Abreu Scherer CWiPP Wellbeing Event University of Sheffield - 12 Sep 2016

2 The What Works Centre for Wellbeing Our vision is of a future where the wellbeing of people and communities improves year on year and wellbeing inequalities are reduced. We believe that improving wellbeing should be the ultimate objective of policy and community action. Our mission is to develop and share robust, accessible and useful evidence that governments, businesses, communities and people can use to improve wellbeing across the UK. Our approach is independent, evidence based, collaborative, practical, open and iterative.

3 Collaboration and Consultation Economic and Social Research Council Arts and Humanities Research Council Public Health England Department for Health Department for Business Innovation and Skills Department for Communities and Local Government Department for Work and Pensions Food Standards Agency DCMS, Arts Council, Historic England, HLF Cabinet Office Local Government Association Big Lottery Fund Office for National Statistics Alliance for Useful Evidence Sciencewise Wellcome Trust and more 2015 Public dialogues and consultation 4,000 people individuals & organisations Four evidence programmes Work, learning and wellbeing Culture, sport and wellbeing Community wellbeing Wellbeing over the lifecourse & wellbeing methods

4 The What Works Network

5 What Works What Works is based on the principle that good decision-making should be informed by the best available evidence. If evidence is not available, decision-makers should use high quality methods to find out what works. Context matters What works for particular individuals or groups, in specific circumstances And so does cost First the QUALY, next the WELBY? What Works Centres should develop a common currency and a robust system for ranking interventions

6 What, why and how wellbeing? (Pretend Bobby Kennedy and Plato are here) Wellbeing is what really matters to people The ONS 4 personal well-being questions: how satisfied are you with your life nowadays? to what extent do you feel the things you do in your life are worthwhile? how happy did you feel yesterday? how anxious did you feel yesterday?

7 How are we doing as a nation? reported personal well-being has improved across each of the measures over the 5 year period between the years ending March 2012 and 2016 there has been no improvement in ratings of happiness, anxiety and feeling that things in life are worthwhile between 2015 and 2016 those living in London reported lower average ratings of life satisfaction, anxiety and feeling things in life are worthwhile compared with UK overall people in Northern Ireland continue to give higher average ratings of personal well-being for all measures except anxiety, when compared with the other UK countries although women reported higher life satisfaction and worthwhile levels when compared with men, they also reported higher levels of anxiety Is this newsworthy?

8 If we cared about wellbeing as much as GDP While boffins remain baffled by wellbeing data, pressure mounts on politicians to act.

9 Wellbeing inequalities and Brexit High wellbeing inequality was a strong predictor of an area voting to leave Areas such as Blaenau Gwent that had high levels of inequality overwhelming voted to leave, whereas those with low levels of inequality (like Cheshire East and Falkirk) voted to remain On average, in the 20 most unequal places in Britain, 57% of voters opted to leave. In the 20 most equal places, only 43% voted to leave Places with lower average wellbeing did not have a different pattern of voting, but they did have lower turnout

10 Political appetite for wellbeing I want to see us build a country that is at ease with itself, a country that is confident and a country that is able and willing to build a better quality of life for all its citizens. John Major, 1990 You can t legislate for fulfilment or satisfaction, but I do believe that government has the power to help improve wellbeing, and I m not alone in that belief. David Cameron, 2010 [People] want to take back control of the things that matter in their lives. Theresa May, 2016

11 Political appetite for evidence-use Often what politicians do is seek evidence to back up the view they already hold, and so it is one of the reasons we have an independent statistics office, to try and stop us from doing this. What I believe [the ONS Wellbeing measures] will do is help to provide evidence to create a debate that may encourage us to change our minds about some things we have been rather stubborn about. David Cameron, 2010 Evidence-informed decision making not Evidence-based decision making

12 Who are we trying to reach? Central government Private sector Local government Individuals Research councils Trusts and foundations

13 The Science of Using Science CHAMPION Building awareness and positive attitudes towards evidence use MARKETING for good, making evidence the norm, prizes and professional recognition & focusing on what people care about DEFINE INCREASE VISIBILITY INTERACT Building mutual understanding and agreement on policy-relevant questions and the kind of evidence needed to answer them Providing communication of, and access to, evidence Facilitating interactions between decisionmakers and researchers Using journal clubs BUILDING CONSENSUS through Delphi panels Tailoring and targeting & hotlines and helpdesks. Frame your evidence, TELL STORIES TO COMMUNICATE RESEARCH, use social media & create a recognisable and respected brand SOCIAL INFLUENCE (evidence champions, opinion leaders, messengers, role models and change agents ) LEARN Supporting decision-makers to develop skills in accessing and making sense of evidence Understanding how adults learn, MENTORING and supervision; online learning ADAPT Influencing decision-making structures and processes Structures & processes, support organisational change & MAKING EVIDENCE AN INSTITUTION A systematic review of systematic reviews

14 In other words Find the carrot Tell the story of the research champion and lead

15 What do policy-makers want from us? Robust valuation of wellbeing Comparisons over time and between people Pragmatic recommendations Good examples of policy in practice How the What Works Centre for Wellbeing can help: Make the case for research and evidence use Synthesise, translate and disseminate findings Convene audiences in fruitful dialogue Showcase pioneers in evidence and practice

16 Thanks! Ingrid Abreu Scherer