Evaluation allows organisations like the Anne Robson Trust to assess the effectiveness of their services and identify where, and how, to improve. It helps us demonstrate to people, communities and funders that we offer the best possible support. Evaluation of support in end-of-life care involves assessing the impact of services provided. It covers various aspects of our work, such as the effectiveness of emotional support, the accessibility and use of resources, and the overall experience of individuals, families and staff.

Evaluation in this context is challenging due to its subjective nature and the complex dynamics involved. Emotional support relies on multifaceted interactions, making it challenging to quantify and measure.

Assessments of quality are influenced by things like expectations, cultural norms, and individual perceptions. Moreover, the impact is often deeply intertwined with emotions and intangible elements, which may be difficult to capture through traditional evaluation methods. People have different needs and preferences, making it challenging to establish criteria for assessing quality. Overall, the complexity, sensitivity, subjectivity, and contextual nature of the support we provide make its evaluation a challenging task.

At the moment we evaluate by counting what we can and gathering valuable feedback where possible. In 2022 there were 10 hospital partners with 5 active teams of volunteers who made 4,756 hospital visits and supported 1,926 patients on those visits. Patients have told us:

“I was so touched by how gently the Butterfly Volunteer spoke to my partner. [The Butterfly] was calm and caring and had time for them; offering to take over reading. I was very tired and appreciated some time out, knowing they were being looked after.”