How we know the work matters
We look beyond activity counts to what changes for people, professional practice, institutions and the rules that shape outcomes.
We do not treat activity as impact by itself. For our clinics, impact starts with the person: whether they understand their options, can challenge an unfair decision and are better placed to reach a fair outcome.
The figures above show the scale of the work and how far it reaches. They capture only part of its impact.
Beyond individual cases, value also lies in the patterns that emerge across them. We document those patterns to inform professional practice, scrutiny and reform.
Learning and guidance matter when they change practice. For the Academy, impact starts when professionals understand complex duties, make better-informed decisions and work with greater consistency.
The figures above capture the measurable part of that work. They show reach and engagement, but not practice change on their own.
The fuller test comes afterwards: whether professionals apply what they’ve learned and what changes for the people they support.
Research matters when it changes what others can see and do. For the Institute, impact starts when clear, comparable accounts built from casework, records, reports and datasets help others understand how a system works, identify where it fails and decide where change is needed.
The figures above show the scale and reach of the research, but cannot on their own show whether it changed understanding or action.
The fuller test comes afterwards: whether others use the work to ask better questions, test claims against evidence and decide what should change.
Policy work matters when it changes what is recognised, debated and decided. For Policy, impact starts when an overlooked problem gains attention, decision-makers engage with the evidence and workable proposals enter serious consideration.
The figures above show the reach and uptake of the work. They do not, on their own, show whether that work shifted debate or influenced decisions.
The fuller test comes afterwards: whether recommendations are taken up, commitments are made and kept, and the system becomes fairer in practice.
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