Keys to the Future is a joint learning partnership between Barnardo’s and Dartington that seeks to embed the Rapid-cycle design and testing approach to the design, implementation, and refinement of homelessness provision and sustainability planning in North Lanarkshire for families

We are working in partnership with leading youth work charity UK Youth to support the youth work sector to develop their capacity, knowledge, and sustainability of their services in addressing young people’s mental health needs. Together we’re using learning and insight to guide the strategic development of the Thriving Minds Fund over a three and a half year period.

We are working as an evaluator and Learning Partner for the Youth Endowment Fund, supporting their work with those at risk of youth violence.

The projects we are currently working on are: Becoming a Man, Pause For Thought, COVID-19 Learning Partnership, Big Brothers Little Sisters and Neighbourhood Fund.

Over the last few years, both the Dartington Service Design Lab and the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University have been working on approaches to help accelerate the impact of early years services. In 2019, we collaborated with the Harvard Center, to run three days of training on the IDEAS Impact Framework: a new approach to service development and evaluation, created by the Center.

The Youth Endowment Fund’s ‘Neighbourhood Fund’ is a partnership with select local communities where young people are more vulnerable to experiencing crime and violence across England and Wales. In each locality, the Neighbourhood Fund partners with community members and organisations to understand the problems that their communities are facing, and co-design solutions that are responsive to local needs. The aim of this work is to better understand how empowering people to design solutions for their local neighbourhood needs can build resilience amongst young people who are vulnerable to experiencing crime and violence.