Research to Inform the Development of the North East Business Support Network on behalf of the North East Business Support Network Board.

Business support is undergoing an important transition from national to regional management structures. Research Solutions UK Limited has undertaken a range of work to support the development of the North East Business Support Network on behalf of the Network Board. This has included qualitative work investigating customers understanding and perceptions of language used by the Business Link Brand and factors influencing satisfaction with business support services. Large-scale baseline measures of awareness and perceptions of more than 3,000 North East businesses have also provided insight into the cultural factors influencing take up of provision and priorities for future service improvement.

Customer Satisfaction Survey on behalf of Business Link Tees Valley

A monthly telephone survey of Business Link clients to measure satisfaction with services received. The project delivers to the needs of internal and external stakeholders in the delivery of interpretive survey reports and SBS Management Information returns. The Company also undertakes annual awareness and perception surveys on behalf of Business Link Tees Valley, providing a robust insight into the awareness and perceptions of Tees Valley businesses and their development needs. The survey enables prediction of demand in key service areas and tracking of self-assessed performance of the Tees Valley business base.

Mystery Shopper Programme on behalf of Business Link Tees Valley.

Three consecutive waves of mystery shopper programmes have been delivered involving the highly skilled presentation of customer enquiries. Mystery shoppers must present a plausible business identity and be on call for the management of response to their enquiry by Business Link and its suppliers. Activities have included on-site speculative visits, attendance at training events, telephone enquiries and face-to-face meetings with business advisors. The depth and richness of data produced gives real insight into the experience and journey of a business support customer.

Crime Prevention And The Media: Developing Effective Marketing Of Crime Prevention And Community Safety. Conducted on behalf of Safe in Tees Valley

An innovative project, this large-scale study combined 1,000 household interviews, focus groups and stakeholder interviews in order to explore means of improving the communication of crime prevention messages. The project provided a means of segmenting and targeting communication to increase the impact of marketing campaigns.

Mobile ICT Learning Provision: Future Options And Established Best Practice. Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire

The LSCNY wished to establish the efficacy of mobile ICT provision both within and outside North Yorkshire to support future planning. The project involved desk based research and case studies with existing suppliers.

Evaluation Of The Provider Performance Review Process. Learning and Skills Council County Durham.

This project involved qualitative interviews with learning providers to assess the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the Provider Performance Review Process in raising quality standards .

Awareness, Perception And Satisfaction Survey. Learning and Skills Council County Durham.

A major study providing base line figures for marketing campaigns and guidance in relation to the development of communication strategies.  Involving telephone interviews with key stakeholders throughout County Durham.

Developing The Voluntary And Community Sector Workforce In County Durham. One Voice Network

This study explored the human resources and future skill needs of the voluntary and community sector in County Durham. Commissioned by the One Voice Network, the project aimed to establish current and future skill shortages, skill gaps and other recruitment difficulties in order to inform workforce development strategies for the sector.

Building the Capacity of the Voluntary Sector. Learning and Skills Council Tyne and Wear.

A detailed survey of voluntary and community organisations to identify current and anticipated skill gaps, skill shortages and recruitment difficulties including engagement in workforce development and activities as learning providers. Research was disseminated via a conference to identify suggested ways forward, leading to the production of a sector workforce development plan.

An Analysis Of Supply And Demand For Infrastructure Services And Support In County Durham, Northumberland And Tyne And Wear. Voluntary Organisations Network North East and One NorthEast

A robust analysis of past access, future demand and supply of infrastructure support to underpin the development of regional infrastructure support organisations.

Voluntary And Community Sector Employers In Northumberland: Current Contributions And Future Needs. Northumberland Information Network, Learning And Skills Council Northumberland And Northumberland Strategic Partnership

The study provided a comprehensive analysis of employer organisations in the sector, including appraisal of future skill needs, current skills shortages and other recruitment difficulties etc. In-depth survey work was complimented by a wider mapping exercise, giving an overview of the profile of the sector in the county based on interviews with over 1,000 organisations.

Production of a Regional VCS Skills Action Plan - Learning and Skills Council County Durham

Underpinning the workforce development aspects of the Change Up agenda and in response to Working Together (LSC 2004) this project involved consultation with VCS organisations, statutory agencies and appraisal of existing research evidence to identify the key priorities and preferred responses to Voluntary and Community Sector skills issues in the North East region. The plan provides a framework for future skills development within the region focusing on identified skills shortages and recruitment difficulties, providing a major strand in local and regional infrastructure development.

Exploring Business Support Issues With Childcare Providers. Darlington Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership

Following a quantitative survey of childcare providers, Darlington Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership commissioned a series of focus groups to further explore demand, usage and barriers to accessing business support within the sector. The study identified important cultural and physical barriers to be addressed by future strategies.

Childcare Audits: Darlington Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership

A range of work has been undertaken on behalf of the partnership over a number of years with the common aim of informing the development of local childcare and early years education. This work has included telephone surveys of parents, employers and childcare suppliers, and desk research to collate available management information.

Developing Recruitment Strategies in Early Years Education and Childcare Sectors. Conducted on behalf of TARKA Early Years Education and Childcare Network

Using qualitative techniques this work explored awareness and perceptions of careers in the childcare sector, identifying cultural and structural barriers to inform future recruitment campaigns and workforce development strategies.

An Evaluation of the Public Perception of Marton West, Middle, Newham, and Ormesby Becks on behalf on the Environment Agency

The Environment Agency had taken responsibility for the management of the watercourses from Middlesbrough Council and wanted to explore the potential and level of support for improvements to the environments along these 4 becks. A total of 1,005 doorstep interviews were conducted with residents who lived near to the becks. A range of issues were investigated including how they perceived the becks, how well they thought the becks were maintained, safety at the becks, their perceptions of flood risks, and whether they supported the aim of the Environment Agency to improve the environment along the 4 becks. The results of the study helped inform the Environment Agency’s plans for the 4 becks.