We’re proud to see the growing impact of High Trees’ and the Lambeth Peer Action Collective’s (LPAC) community research, with our most recent reports going on to influence wider conversations around policy and practice.
Published last year, our ‘Strength in Words’ research has been recognised for highlighting the urgent need to improve access to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision. Its findings are now contributing to wider discussions on how services can better reflect the realities of people’s lives.
Our research was recently cited by Dr Jill Court’s in an article on ‘Investing in ESOL to Support Integration: Why Provision Must Better Meet Learner Needs’. In the article, Dr Court draws on findings from the ‘Strength in Words’ report, highlighting the need for more flexible and accessible ESOL provision that better accommodates learners’ working patterns and family responsibilities.
Recognition like this is a major milestone for our research and the communities who helped shape it. By bringing their experiences to the forefront, the findings are helping to influence how policymakers, practitioners and organisations think about English language learning, accessibility and integration.
This is not the only project making an impact. Published last October, LPAC’s ‘Built on Trust’ research explores how access to safe spaces and trusted adults can serve as vital protective factors, reducing young people’s exposure to violence in Lambeth. Findings from the ‘Built on Trust’ research have now been used to inform Youth Endowment Fund’s recent guidance on ‘Youth Work and Violence Prevention.’
Drawing on the experiences and insights of young people in Lambeth, ‘Built on Trust’ highlights the importance of trusted relationships, community-led approaches and establishing safe spaces where young people feel heard and supported. These principles are reflected in the Youth Endowment Fund’s guidance, reinforcing the growing recognition that trusted adults and spaces are critical for effective violence prevention.
Seeing both ‘Strength in Words’ and ‘Built on Trust‘ contribute to think pieces and sector guidance demonstrates the power of community-led research, and its crucial role in helping to shape more responsive policy and practice that better reflects the needs of local communities.