April 2021
This project investigates how the local experience of a service may differ from nationally reported figures. We focused on the B4 School Check – a free health and development check available to four-year olds – using a geographic lens and describing the children and their families missing out on the B4SC at the local area level. This report provides an overview of the project and highlights the key high-level findings.
April 2020
This short report presents key insights about those at risk of social isolation and loneliness from a literature review and descriptive analysis of the 2018 New Zealand General Social Survey. Specifically, insights are drawn about the effects this risk has on wellbeing and the likely impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown. This report is for government and non-government decision makers, researchers and evaluators, and others with an interest in the topic. The aim of is to add to the growing evidence base on the impacts of COVID-19.
The key insights are:
Note: This is a working paper.
April 2020
This scoping paper was a preliminary desk-based exercise completed in 2019. It was prepared as the basis for consultation and possible development of a short wellbeing survey for small organisations. We are publishing it in 2020 because some found it useful to help data collection relating to Covid-19.
Note: This is a working paper.
March 2020
The purpose of the Place-Based Initiatives (PBI) model is to improve outcomes for at-risk children and their whānau by shifting collective decision-making and discretion to the local level. In 2016, Cabinet selected three PBI sites: Manaaki Tairāwhiti, South Auckland Social Wellbeing Board, and Kāinga Ora in Te Tai Tokerau. Kāinga Ora was disestablished in 2019. This report qualitatively evaluates the implementation and emerging outcomes of the PBIs.
February 2020
A social wellbeing approach is about ‘real people’ – tamariki, rangatahi, whānau and communities – contributing to and benefitting from the work we do every day as researchers, data scientists, policy advisors or policy makers. It takes knowledge produced from science and data and makes it useful by melding it with the lived experiences of real people to create new insights for better social sector decision making and practice.
October 2019
We explore the impact of social housing on people’s wellbeing and find that generally people’s housing conditions and overall sense of life satisfaction improve as they move into social housing. This analysis builds upon our earlier exploratory work [PDF, 1.3 MB] by adding an extra year of survey data and by improving the rate at which administrative records are successfully linked to survey responses. Wellbeing outcomes for people before and after placement in social housing are then assessed.
August 2019
This paper examines how wellbeing outcomes change when people transition from benefit into paid employment. Using SIA’s methodology to connect wellbeing measures with social service usage, this study combines data from the New Zealand General Social Surveys with government administrative records.
Note: This is a working paper.August 2019
To provide information on the living standards of individuals receiving income-tested main benefits compared with the working-age population not receiving an income-tested benefit, this paper uses data from the New Zealand General Social Surveys linked to government administrative records. A range of measures of hardship and wellbeing for individuals receiving a main benefit are considered.
Note: This is a working paperNovember 2018
Findings of the ‘Your voice, your data, your say’ engagement on social wellbeing and the protection and use of data.
November 2018
The steps we took to analyse and sum up what we heard from 'Your voice, your data, your say' engagement on investing for social wellbeing and the protection and use of data.
November 2018
We’re developing a new approach to analyse the impact of social services on the wellbeing of New Zealanders. This can help funders, providers and others understand whether these services are making a genuine and lasting difference to people’s lives, and inform better decisions about where to focus effort to improve people’s wellbeing.
November 2018
Our new working paper 'Measuring the wellbeing impacts of public policy: social housing' examines the impact of placement in social housing on peoples’ wellbeing. The paper tests a novel method of combining administrative and survey data to connect wellbeing measures with social service usage and includes preliminary results.
October 2018
Included in this update is a summary of what we heard from service users and dedicated Māori and Pacific hui participants between 4th August and 7th September.
August 2018
Included in this update is a summary of what we heard from non-government organisations (NGOs)/service providers, regional government agency staff and a number of government agencies at a national level between 31st May and 3rd August.
June 2017
We've completed our first social investment test case: social housing. We crunched the numbers on social housing to help understand what benefits there are for those living in a social house.
