30 Exploring the difference made by Support at home FIGuRE 6 THE DIFFERENCE MADE BY SuPPORT AT HOME: AVERAGE SERVICE uSER SCORES (FROM 1 TO 5) REPORTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE SERVICE 5 4 * indicates a 3 statistically significant change between the pre and 2 post scores at 95% confidence 23 level. 1 pre cith 0 post cith Daily Manage Coping Someone Leisure Wellbeing* Safe at Satisfaction activities* finances skills* to talk to activities* home with life and help with daily activities (71%). East 4.3 What difference do we make? Yorkshire’s service19, on the other hand, identified the most prominent need for 81% of their service Overall, the greatest impacts of Support at home users as the ability to carry out daily activities. are seen in seven key areas. The first four areas of impact are service user outcomes (observed as Significant proportions of the population seen statistically significant from the interviews with 20 by our service have complex health care needs service users pre- and post-intervention). Other alongside social and emotional needs. These needs positive changes were also observed and reported are not always picked up by other people or around the wider benefits of the service beyond organisations, formal or informal, of any kind. the service user outcomes alone. These form the final three areas of impact. Many service users worry about the present and their capacity to cope in their day-to-day lives. 4.3.1 Service user outcomes They have limited social support and life is often felt to be a struggle. They also have worries about Figure 6 shows the degree of change (before and the future, and do not always see an easy way after Red Cross support) in the self-reported forward. capabilities of our service users on the different 21 dimensions measured. * For those who define their capacity as ‘poor’ in any of the key areas explored in this study, there As indicated in figure 6, Support at home is little doubt as to the need for extra support. contributes to the following service user outcomes: This support needs to aim at alleviating some of their struggles and making life that bit more comfortable, indeed bearable, at a time of crisis. 20 There was no control group for this study due to ethical and logistical constraints. Hence, while attribution is always a challenge in studies of this kind we are confident, in analysing the qualitative data alongside the quantitative outcomes, that Support at home makes a strong contribution to the differences observed. 21 Further analysis into those who reported “poor capacity” shows statistically significant improvements in their capacity after the service in 19 Many service users in this service need support to change their anti- all the dimensions measured except managing finance. This reinforces embolism stockings following being discharged from hospital after an the importance of correctly targeting those most in need – for whom the operation. impact of the service is greatest.