Research and reports
We take our responsibilities, objectives and ambitions very seriously, so that we can provide the best service possible to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and their families.
Read about the breadth of Spurgeons' work and the positive impact we make daily to thousands of young lives. You can request a digital copy of our reports or research on this page.
Spurgeons Impact Report 2020
In the following pages you can read about the breadth of Spurgeons’ work and the positive impact we make daily to thousands of young lives.
In the year up to the end of March 2020, Spurgeons ran 50 projects and services which were delivered in 22 Local Authority areas across England.
This brought us into contact with 29,835 children and young people and 33,232 adult family members. Of these, we worked intensively with 3,095 children and young people to directly help them overcome the challenges they faced and reduced their vulnerability and disadvantage.
This report draws on the evidence we have collected during 2019 across the breadth of our work. We use this information to keep learning and striving to be effective in transforming vulnerable lives.
Offering A Helping Hand Resources and guidance for families and others supporting people serving IPP
Offering a Helping Hand is a joint publication by Spurgeons and Southampton Law School and draws on collaborative work and families of those serving IPP sentences carried out by Associate Professor at the Law School, Dr Harry Annison. It is also informed by insights provided by Spurgeons' Invisible Walls team at HMP Winchester. The booklet:
- Reflects on the feelings that families of people serving IPP may be experiencing
- Provides links and information about a number of relevant issues and processes
- Identifies more general sources of information that might be particularly helpful
- And identifies other ways in which families can get involved, and gain support
Implemented in 2005, over 8,000 IPP sentences were imposed in total and though this sentence was abolished in 2012 there are currently 3,328 prisoners serving an IPP (including unreleased and recalled) in England and Wales as of June 2020 (MOJ).
This new booklet reflects a growing recognition that further support is needed by many of those sentenced to IPP, and also their families.
The Parent Report 2018
Government cuts are having a negative impact on the lives of children and families across the UK, both practically and emotionally.
Families are feeling the pressure, with fewer options available for help, support or reassurance. This, in turn, creates a greater need for the services provided by charities like Spurgeons.
Our survey, conducted by YouGov, explores the nature of these cuts and their impact on parents and children.
We want to uncover the hopes and fears of parents. This enables us to shape and develop our services, so we can play a key part in the wider conversation to improve families’ wellbeing.
The Parent Report 2017
The basics of parenting have remained absolute through the ages: to ensure our children are safe and healthy and to give them the tools that will help them flourish.
Our survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Spurgeons, aims to discover parents’ hopes, fears and aspirations for their children in 2017. And to understand how supported they feel to prepare their children for life in an increasingly pressurised world.
It has given us a finger on the pulse of the issues and concerns perceived by the wider parent population, whilst allowing us to draw comparisons with our internal analysis through service user feedback; safeguarding reporting and our service actions plans. Through this, we are able to give weight and support to the observations of service users and our practitioners. We know from our own service user feedback, that parent confidence, along with challenges to access the right support, are real and current issues.