News & Views

This summer, the SCiP Alliance launched a new capability within our Impact Centre. The Centre is designed to support teachers, charities, policymakers, researchers, and funders in taking evidence-led action. In essence, the Impact Centre helps people collect, analyse, and use data more effectively. If you are monitoring your impact or evaluating work with Service children, the SCiP Alliance Impact Centre is here to support you.

The Impact Centre is co-founded with the King’s Centre for Military Health Research and funded through an award from the Forces in Mind Trust.

The Director of the Impact Centre, Dr Liam Satchell, has joined the SCiP Alliance core team. We recently spoke with him about the Impact Centre and his journey in developing this exciting new initiative.

Can you tell us about your professional journey and what led you to this role?
“I have been interested in psychology and how data reflect the stories of individuals for quite some time. This led me to study forensic psychology, earning a PhD and learning how to use data science to understand people experiencing complex situations. Since then, I have worked in universities and data consultancy, always focusing on making data practical – working with schools, police, sports, and more.

For a few years, I have collaborated with SCiP to bring knowledge from psychology and human data to support Service children. The Impact Centre was created to encourage the sector to connect evaluation practices with rigorous research, helping us get the most out of the data we have.”

What does the day-to-day work of the Impact Centre involve?
“In a typical week, we visit partners to support evaluation frameworks, conduct data analysis, and create impact frameworks. We also support SCiP’s core business and explore ways to use our own data to inform the community. Over time, we will expand data collection and generation projects with schools, charities, policymakers, funders, and others, always taking a practice-needs-first approach.”

How are you engaging with partner organisations and stakeholders?
“I’ve spent my first summer visiting organisations, talking to schools and charities, and attending events. This is just the start, and I look forward to meeting more people across the sector. I am always happy for people to reach out – even just to find out more about the Impact Centre!”

Are there opportunities for joint projects or cross-centre collaboration?
“Many organisations working with Service children want to measure their impact but are unsure where to start. We are keen to support schools and charities to champion their work and ensure evidence is developed from sector needs.

We are also well connected with research centres in the sector. The Impact Centre is co-founded by the King’s Centre for Military Health Research, with Prof Nicola Fear as Co-Chair, and we are collaborating with the Centre for Evidence for the Armed Forces Community on several initiatives. We look forward to sharing more soon!”

What is your vision for the Impact Centre over the next year?
“Our aim in the first year is to raise awareness and start working with organisations. We’ve already helped develop evaluation tools, feedback analysis frameworks, and run workshops to turn ideas into impactful action. Over the next year, we plan to do even more and will be running a major community engagement activity to hear as many voices from the sector as possible.”

Have questions for Liam?
We encourage anyone interested in evaluation, impact measurement, or supporting Service children to reach out to Liam directly. He is keen to discuss key topics, share guidance, and explore potential collaborations with organisations across the sector.

📧 Contact Liam Satchell: Liam.Satchell@winchester.ac.uk