Radical Reformers Podcast: in conversation with Louisa Mitchell MBE
In a recent Radical Reformers podcast episode with Mutual Ventures, AllChild CEO Louisa Mitchell MBE highlights the innovative approach AllChild takes to work in partnership with families, schools, Local Authorities and communities to change the way they invest in, and support, children to flourish. Emphasis is placed on the effectiveness of the charity’s funding model and its impact on reducing service silos. Louisa also shares her unconventional journey from working in finance to leading a third sector organisation, and delves into her personal reflections about imposter syndrome.
One of the key themes of the conversation is a discussion of the AllChild funding model which uses Social Outcomes Partnerships and blended funding to address the systemic issues AllChild was founded to tackle. Louisa discusses how working through outcomes contracts and deep partnerships rooted in trusted relationships has allowed AllChild to work in the most effective way possible, ensuring real lasting change for children and communities.
In social outcomes contracts, gaining funding is contingent upon demonstrating evidence of the impact on children. For AllChild, this involves tracking the social, emotional, and academic progress of each child, as well as their engagement on the programme, to ensure that AllChild remains accountable and transparent through the funding model itself.
“Once we identify a child, we can only get paid for that child. So it really holds us to account and stops children falling through the cracks. The way we work is very deliberate in terms of engagement, and building a trusted relationship.”
In the podcast, Louisa highlights the need for a holistic approach when supporting children and young people facing multiple complex challenges, which breaks down traditional silos in services and funding. She explores how outcomes contracting can help dismantle these silos, allowing for a more integrated and effective approach to child welfare.
“When we did that, the early stage listening and co-design, what we heard from families and also all the other people in the Steering Group was that it was actually the fragmentation of funding that was passing on a chaotic experience for families who were unable to navigate services.
That was a problem we were trying to solve. Families told us funding drives the chaos, funding means we can fall between the cracks. The funding environment means that no one knows who's being funded. Our money follows the child and holds us to account.”
As a consequence of the AllChild funding model, the focus can be centred around the ‘whole’ child with a focus on each of their outcomes as individuals. This personalised tailored approach is critical to AllChild’s work which is ultimately seeking to prevent the escalation of children’s needs to crisis, and helping them flourish long term.
“You can't divide a child into education, health and social care, a child is a whole child. The outcomes contracts enable us to do whatever it takes for a child to progress socially, emotionally and academically. And that means opportunities and needs. It means activities as well as therapy and counselling and tuition. We have the space to do that in a whole ecosystem and that's a very different way of working but the outcome is to provide that flexibility.”
Another key takeaway from the episode centred around AllChild’s community-centric work where key local stakeholders including Local Authorities and schools, have a seat at the table as partial payers and co-design a shared place-based outcomes framework. Louisa explains this means that work is rooted in a local context where it is co-designed and ‘owned’ by local communities. The shared outcomes framework drives accountability from all involved meaning public services and community activities become aligned around each child.
This way of working is reflected in the trusted relationships formed between all people and organisations across the AllChild network. Whether through the relationship between a Link Worker and a young person or a local commissioner and AllChild, it is the way the funding model is set-up that allows the space for these relationships to flourish.
“It's about the power of the outcomes contracts because they give the space for the trusted relationship that often service specifications don't because they're very specific about what you've got to do, not how you do it.”
And finally, Louisa is asked what piece of advice she would give to someone working in or around public services who wants to make an impact?
Her advice, “ It's people first. Really try to understand the people that you aim to serve in public services, stay really close to that and value the human experience over the institutional response.
If you want to listen to the full podcast follow the link below or search for it on Spotify or Apple Music.
A special thank you to Andrew Laird and the Radical Reformers podcast.
