How Sam saved the bus

Sam receiving a certificate from Rae Tobin from ARC Wessex

An ARC Wessex research intern has been recognised for his research.

Sam Jakeway manages day services as a social worker and has been learning research skills as part of newly designed REAL Research and Evaluation course.

Sam has already put his new skills into action-delivering significant value for his organisation and the people it supports.

Drawing on skills gained through the course, Sam was able to examine a proposed cost-cutting measure that would have seen his service lose its minibus, which is an essential resource for supporting people with learning disabilities.

  His findings demonstrated that not only was the minibus vital for the wellbeing and inclusion of the people using the service and their families, but it also saved the organisation money. By presenting evidence that more effective use of the minibus could replace reliance on expensive taxis, Sam showed that the organisation could retain this minibus while saving £20,000 per year.

The evidence-based challenge was so compelling that his employer has now asked him to carry out the same analysis across five additional services.

Sam’s work is a powerful example of how the University of Winchester’s REAL course supports practitioners in developing research and evaluation capabilities, which can lead to better decision-making, financial efficiencies, and improved outcomes for people with learning disabilities.

Read more about the REAL course