Single-subject and realist evaluation of a group work programme with young offenders

Mansoor Kazi
Centre for Evaluation Studies, University of Huddersfield
Harold Wilson Building, Queensgate
Huddersfield West Yorkshire HD1 3DH
England
+44 1484 472076
m.a.f.kazi@hud.ac.uk
 
Martin Manby
Nationwide Children's Research Centre
 
Ann Ward
Centre for Evaluation Studies
 
Brendan Clarke
Leeds Youth Offending Team
 
Maggie Smith
Leeds Youth Offending Team
Purpose
The paper reports on a study involving the use of single-subject designs alongside other methods in a realist evaluation of group work programmes with young offenders in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The purpose was to enable practitioners to develop effective, evidence-based interventions with this client group.
 
Method
The method included the integration of single-subject designs into the group work practitioners’ practice, to systematically track outcomes using standardised measures. Procedures were also developed and integrated to enable the systematic tracking of the mechanisms that produced the outcomes, as well as the contexts and the content of practice, combining both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, within a realist evaluation paradigm (Pawson & Tilley 1997).
 
Results
Single-subject designs and realist evaluation procedures have been integrated into the group work practice as part of a partnership between academics, practitioners and service users. This paper will present an analysis of the findings from the first year of the study, with examples of intensive research in single cases as well as the aggregated results across the cases using SPSS and qualitative analysis using editing approaches.
 
Implications for Practice
The study develops the use of single-subject designs in group work This study illustrates how a ‘black box’ type of evaluation that focuses on outcomes alone, can be transformed into a ‘clear box’ evaluation that also provides an explanatory account of the other dimensions of practice.  Realist evaluation provides an analysis of what works, for whom and in what contexts, representing a significant advance in evidence-based practice approaches.
 
References