About the soul project
The SOUL Project grew out of a need identified by the Norfolk voluntary and community sector to evidence the progression of their clients in relation to informal learning. This is learning which does not lead to a recognised qualification and takes place in a wide variety of settings. For the purposes of the project, the term includes personal development initiatives and situations where an individual might not even appreciate at the time that they are learning. Sector groups active in this area could point anecdotally to considerable gains by clients in terms of ’soft’ outcomes, such as increased confidence and self esteem, but there was a need for an effective system to provide evidence of the learning taking place. Concern was expressed over the tendency for funding to be concentrated on ‘hard’ outcomes, such as formal or accredited learning opportunities and access to paid employment. More recently, funding organisations such as The Big Lottery Fund have increasingly recognised that ‘hard’ outcomes do not give a complete picture of a client or learner’s progress and therefore of a project’s success. There is, in consequence, a growing requirement that groups receiving funding should provide evidence of ’soft’ outcomes to complement ‘hard’ data.
A group of voluntary organisations in Norfolk, headed by Norwich and Norfolk Voluntary Services, therefore took the initiative of devising a research project with The Research Centre, City College Norwich, to achieve a number of objectives, one of which was the development of a system to monitor and measure progression in ’soft’ outcomes. The SOUL Project received funding from The Big Lottery Fund (formerly the Community Fund) and commenced in September 2003, continuing to the end of February 2006.
The SOUL Record
It has always been difficult for organisations to evaluate soft outcomes and to demonstrate how the organisation is enabling service users to progress. Now an easy-to-use evaluation system has been developed as a result of two years’ close collaboration between Norfolk’s voluntary sector and The Research Centre, City College Norwich. It is called The SOUL Record, (Soft Outcomes Universal Learning) and is proving a huge success.
The SOUL Record is learner centred and focuses on solutions rather than problems. The system concentrates on what an individual can do, rather than things they have been unable to achieve and it is intended as a positive experience for learners. Organisations select from a range of questionnaires, worksheets and observational sheets so they can use the resources best suited to an individual client’s needs. Soft outcomes for adults are divided into three main areas: ‘attitude’, ‘personal / interpersonal’ and ‘practical’ whereas for children and young people, soft outcomes may be measured against the five outcome areas of Every Child Matters. By measuring changes in these outcomes over time, organisations are able to show the distance that learners, or groups of learners, have travelled. A Spreadsheet Results Package (SRP) helps organisations collate their results and graphically display them, providing valuable information for funders, management, local government or the clients / workers themselves.
Organisations who trialled The SOUL Record reported that the framework not only provided a soft outcomes measurement, but that it also provides a valuable diagnostic tool and helps workers to ‘get to know’ new service users. The SOUL Record is a useful resource for both one-to-one work and group work. Talking a client through The SOUL Record is an important part of establishing a relationship with the client and building up trust with vulnerable groups of people. For the organisation, it also helps pinpoint where a client may require extra support or guidance.
The SOUL Record is RARPA (Recognising And Recording Progress And Achievement in non-accredited learning) compliant and has been extensively trialled throughout Norfolk before being released across the UK. One of the great strengths of The SOUL Record is that it has been created by users, for users.
To help users collate results from The SOUL Record, each pack is supplied with a Spreadsheet Results Package (SRP). Results are placed into the system and it calculates totals an averages, before automatically creating graphs for the SOUL Record user. These graphs may be fed back to the client to show progress made, or used as evidence for a funding application or as part of a report to management.
SOUL ‘User’ Training
Training on how to use the SOUL Record is available at the cost of £150 per person. Included in the price are:
* One days training from a recognised SOUL Trainer
* Training materials
* A copy of The SOUL Record folder
* User Guide
* CD containing electronic copies of The SOUL Record and User Guide plus the Spreadsheet Results Package (SRP)
* Certificate of Attendance to a SOUL User Training course
* Room Hire / Location
* Travel to a suitable location by the SOUL Trainer
* Refreshments / Buffet Lunch
* Ongoing telephone and e-mail support
A course can currently be run with a minimum of eight participants and a maximum of sixteen. Single applicants are welcome as training sessions will be run on demand in an appropriate location. If you would like to enquire further or book training, please complete the form http://www.theresearchcentre.co.uk/soul/trainingform.htm or download an application form in pdf format http://www.theresearchcentre.co.uk/soul/Documents/SOUL%20Training%20Request.pdf.
http://www.theresearchcentre.co.uk