Bridges Social Outcomes Fund II (2021)

Bridges Social Outcomes Fund provides working capital and additional capacity building resource to delivery partners providing vital services in areas such as children’s services and child protection, employment, health and social care, education, and housing

Public services can play an important role in improving the lives of vulnerable  and underserved people in the United Kingdom (UK).

The £35 million Bridges Social Outcomes Fund supports a number of projects commissioned by local and central Government departments via Social Outcomes Contracts (SOCs). These contracts are structured so that rather than paying for a pre-defined set of activities, Government instead pays for specific delivery milestones linked to positive change in homeless people's lives. 

Bridges Social Outcomes Fund provides working capital and additional capacity building resource to delivery partners providing vital services in areas such as children’s services and child protection, employment, health and social care, education, and housing. The Fund only makes a financial return if these projects successfully deliver valuable outcomes for communities and the government over and above historical levels. This shared focus on outcomes promotes a more collaborative approach to project design, more flexible and personalised delivery, and clearer accountability for improving lives. 

By supporting the growth of the social outcomes contract market in the UK, QBE’s investment will not only have a direct impact on the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the country; it can also help to transform public services by catalysing smarter, more effective and innovative service delivery models.
These contracts support delivery that has touched thousands of lives, including: helping families whose children are at risk of being taken into care to stay together; enabling people to better manage their long-term health conditions; supporting young people at risk of homelessness; and supporting disadvantaged children who are struggling at school. 

In the last 18 months, the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated many of those pressing social challenges. However, the security of the funding provided by the fund has ensured that its delivery partners have been able to continue providing services to vulnerable people; and the flexibility inherent to the SOC model has allowed these organisations to continually adapt their delivery models to the extremely challenging operating environment.

The GBP35 million fund’s Children, Young People and Family projects include Stronger Families Suffolk, Stronger Families Norfolk, Forward and West London Zone; while its Adult Services projects include Kirklees Better Outcomes Partnership, Pan-London Single Homelessness Prevention Services (SHPS), the Norfolk Carer Partnerships, Greater Manchester Better Outcomes Partnership and Northamptonshire Better Health Outcomes.

Collectively, projects supported by Bridges have contributed to improved education, housing, health and wellbeing and employment outcomes for people they support, including:

• over 220,000 days out of care achieved
• over 11,000 qualifications achieved
• over 5,500 accommodation outcomes
• over 6,000 individuals with long-term conditions improved their wellbeing

Bridges Social Outcomes Fund is expected to achieve further successes in these areas over its 12-year term (which includes a six-year investment period). These results will ultimately help to build stronger, more inclusive communities across the UK.