Rising global energy prices in Autumn 2022 created a serious public health concern: many households could not afford to heat their homes, increasing risks of cold-related illness and social isolation. Local authorities launched ‘Warm Spaces’ programmes to provide safe, heated environments for vulnerable residents.
ARC West Midlands worked with Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) to rapidly evaluate its Warm Spaces programme during the 2022–2023 winter. A mixed-method approach was employed for this evaluation involving a quantitative survey of warm-space users and providers and in-depth qualitative interviews with warm-space users, providers, and community leaders.
This evaluation enabled real-time improvements and informed the design of the 2023–2024 programme. The evaluation also strengthened SMBC’s research culture through training, knowledge transfer, and collaboration on dissemination activities, contributing to their successful Health Determinants Research Collaboration bid.
The evaluation tools developed by ARC WM were adopted by Manchester City Council for their own programme and have been incorporated into the UK Health Security Agency’s national Warm Spaces Evaluation Toolkit. This means the work has influenced local delivery and national policy, ensuring future programmes are evidence-based and more effective.
