Truly Understanding What Works & Why!

Welcome to Streets of Growth’s Centre for Applied Research & Evaluation aka (C.A.R.E.). Built on the foundations of three decades of outstanding frontline intervention work, the purpose of C.A.R.E. is to produce undeniable ‘evidence-led data’ for what works and why, and to continually define and redefine our understanding, approach and impacts.

C.A.R.E. represents our passion and unrelenting commitment to continually generate evidence-led data that inform and improve learning, transform training and practice, advance impact, and inform research, policy, funding and systems change. In a world of noise and uncertainty - Now more than ever – our evidence matters!

C.A.R.E. focuses on and incorporates the following:

Applied Research
For internal learning and public engagement, alongside developing tools to track and quantify our interventions, and qualitative methods to ensure the voices of young people inform our work.
Evidence-led Impact Evaluation
Gathering evidence that traditional metrics miss. For example, cultural barriers, contextual challenges, and our intensive street-level efforts to build trust with young people disengaged with systems.
Culture of Learning & Engagement
Placing strong emphasis on employee development, innovation, and behavioural integrity. We consistently reflect on organisational effectiveness to ensure practice is research and evidence-led.
Collaborative & Consultative
Open to generating intentional partnerships with community organisations, academic institutions, researchers, and wider experts globally to safeguard children and young people exposed to harm outside the home.
Two men looking at a document at a desk in an office. One man with a mustache and dark hair, the other bald, appears older. There are papers, a laptop, and a window in the background.

  • Moving forward, Streets of Growth’s aim is to influence the wider field of youth-focused interventions by publishing research based on our unique approach to addressing harms outside the home. In the next 18-24 months, C.A.R.E. aims to increase public engagement by publishing in open-access journals, presenting research at conferences, and forming academic partnerships. We aim to position C.A.R.E. as a learning hub for evidence-led practice, combining practitioner and research insights to drive impact in the youth intervention space and to improve safeguarding practices in context.

  • Our evidence-led data system is built on real lives and in real time, where we incorporate research approaches and evidence and integrate practitioner expertise, experience, and context. This allows us more flexibility and tailoring of interventions to individual need and starting points. Not only can this lead to more effective outcomes in complex situations and the specific context of the situation, but it also allows for a broader and better-informed interpretation of what constitutes "evidence." For us, our evidence collating is not simply a ‘tick box’ exercise. It's about being transparent, responsible and accountable when nurturing change from the ground up and truly equipping and empowering the young communities we serve.

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  • Streets of Growth was built on the foundations of brave and bold experiential frontline practice and ‘best approach’ global research. For us, it’s not just about learning new methods to simply try and solve problems that are ‘out there’. It’s about how we ourselves learn how to learn more effectively by ‘looking inwards’ at ourselves to identify how we may be unintentionally contributing to and blocking the very creativity with our own bias. And, designing in and executing the corrective actions if we are. Put simply – Continually paying full attention to our own behaviours and the way we think and operate, then adapting accordingly. Easier said than done and why we have created a Culture of Learning & Engagement element into our applied research and evidence-led evaluation to make individual and team learning far more tangible and explicit.

  • For all enquiries related to C.A.R.E. please contact Streets of Growth on 020 7515 7356

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Bridging Communities

Darren Way with new London Met Police recruits.

Training Police Through Lived Experience and Proven Practice

Streets of Growth Consultants training new Police Constables and trainee Detectives in our model of approach and ‘lived experience’ neighbourhood insights as part of the Met Police Familiarisation Training.

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“Streets of Growth’s Familiarisation talk is probably one of the most impactful talks I've ever listened to.”

– Trainee Officer, Met Police

“Familiarisation Week occurs at Week 12 of a new Police Officer’s career. In the weeks prior, they will have attended Training School (Hendon). The purpose of Familiarisation Week is to orient and ground them in the area where they are going to the Police. Streets of Growth continues to sit proudly amongst these sessions, providing pioneering insight into the most complex of issues. The sessions provide the new Police Officers with an opportunity to learn about policing in a wider context considering trauma, social/economic impact and diversion, whilst prioritising empathy and, where appropriate, enforcement. New Police Officers are surveyed on completion of the week, and my staff always rank in the highest percentile in terms of satisfaction, where our community sessions are routinely commended. For that, we give Streets of Growth our thanks.”

– Sgt Dan Wright, Met Police