Evaluation of the Creating Opportunities Forum (COF) programme

• In Event: Crime Prevention Panel 2

Abstract

The Creating Opportunities Forum was a programme aimed at supporting vulnerable young people at risk of serious violence, which ran from October 2021 to March 2023, funded by a joint HM Treasury bid by the Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions. It operated in 12 local authority areas, with the aim of supporting individuals to bridge the gap to employment, improve wellbeing, and reduce engagement in violence and crime.

The mixed methods evaluation included an impact evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the programme against its key aims, and a process evaluation to inform the rollout of the programme during delivery, to identify what worked well and any barriers to effectiveness, and to provide recommendations for how to improve similar programmes in future.

Author

• Jessamy Bloom, Home Office