Evaluation of NYCC POPP
North Yorkshire Partnership for Older People Pilot Schemes

The Partnership for Older People Project (POPP) is an initiative being led by the Department of Health, providing £60m bid funding to council-based partnerships over the years 2006 to 2008.  POPP’s strategic aim is to test and evaluate innovative approaches that enable a sustained focus on prevention.  Project partnerships are expected to demonstrate improved outcomes in:

  • providing more low-level care and support in the community, with a view to preventing or delaying the need for higher intensity and more costly care
  • reducing avoidable emergency admissions to hospital
  • supporting more older people to live at home or in supported housing (such as extra care housing rather than long-term residential care).

North Yorkshire is one of 19 successful POPP bidders from across the country.  They will receive funding for 2 years (£1.5m per annum from 1 May 2006) to implement and evaluate a variety of pilot schemes across the county. 

Acton Shapiro has been commissioned to undertake the evaluation of the North Yorkshire POPP pilot schemes.  The evaluation will involve:

  • quantitative data analysis to measure progress towards national POPP targets
  • examining the impact of local pilot schemes, including tracking a sample of service users and interviews with service managers and practitioners
  • exploring service users’ and carers’ experiences through qualitative interviews
  • economic appraisal, including overall financial monitoring of POPP targets, costing POPP pathways of care and examining ‘Value for Money’.

We will also be contributing to the national evaluation of POPP, which has been commissioned by the Department of Health and is being led by the University of Hertfordshire.

For more information about this project, please contact Liz Newbronner.