In 2018, we commissioned the first ever UK-wide, systematic, independent research to understand the challenges faced by professionals supporting Service children and to find out what they needed to enhance their work. That research told us professionals needed to be better connected: with each other, with evidence and with support. Those three priorities have guided everything we have done throughout the 2019-22 period on a journey from evidence, through connection, to impact. From the start and at its core, the SCiP Alliance is a partnership. Meaningful and impactful collaboration is both a fundamental goal of the Alliance as well as the way we achieve it. Partnership was the first of five strategic themes for the 2019-22 period – alongside and enabling our goals in practice, research, policy and sustainability – and is wonderfully expressed through the huge expansion of the UK-wide Hub Network growing from nothing to 891 professionals in 12 Hubs hosted by 21 partners working to do together for Service children what they cannot do alone. And their work has been enhanced through 178 network events and a resource bank accessed by 23,750 users.
On the strong foundation of this partnership, we have seen significant improvements in practice, research and policy of which we can all be proud. Research identifies the Thriving Lives Toolkit as a “step change development” having “significant potential for transformative impact”. We are delighted that we delivered Thriving Lives Toolkit training to over 600 delegates and that 84% of users rate the Toolkit highly. The rigorous evidence-base underpinning the Toolkit typifies an approach that research shows allies value greatly, demonstrated in the 1,800 documents downloaded from our research repository. And this approach is also key to the policy improvements we have championed like Service children’s recognition in UCAS applications and expert, evidence-based policy advice, whether to a Government enquiry, select committee or public consultation.
These few highlights represent myriad actions, innovations and improvements made possible through the diverse allies that make up the SCiP Alliance. And these shared achievements lay a strong foundation for the core Community and Impact ambitions in our 2022-26 strategy. After all, impact is why the community exists, and the community makes that impact possible.
Philip Dent, SCiP Alliance Director
