Impact evaluation: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Money MOT scheme

Client: The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team) 

Project type: Independent evaluation 

Location: London

This project was carried out by the Quality of Life Foundation, led by a team whose expertise continues today through Quality of Life Futures.

What was the project?

QOLF Consulting (the consultancy arm of the Quality of Life Foundation) was commissioned by The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) to carry out an independent evaluation of their Lancaster West Money MOT scheme. The scheme, delivered in partnership with Nova New Opportunities, aims to reduce financial instability, lower the risk of homelessness, and enhance the overall stability of residents by addressing debt and rent arrears.

RBKC wanted to understand the impact that participating in the Money MOT scheme had on the wider resident experience, with the goal of creating a replicable framework that could be adopted by other council services and social housing providers. 

We were brought in to provide an objective evaluation of the scheme’s effectiveness and replicability. Our work specifically focused on the Control theme from our Quality of Life Framework, exploring how financial stability and affordability contribute to a resident’s overall quality of life.

A photo taken over the shoulder of someone sitting at a desk. There is a laptop on the desk with a man's face on it. There is also an open book on the desk.

What did we do?

To provide a comprehensive evaluation, we used a mixed-method approach. We worked closely with key stakeholders, including the Lancaster West Neighbourhood Team, the Lancaster West Residents Association, and Nova New Opportunities.

Our process included:

  • Desk research: We conducted an initial review of existing data from the Money MOT scheme (quantitative and qualitative) and the socio-economic context of the Lancaster West area. We also performed a SWOT analysis of similar financial resilience models to understand the broader landscape.
  • Stakeholder workshop: We ran a digital workshop with the key partners to gather their perspectives on the scheme’s approach, impact, and challenges.
  • Resident surveys and interviews: We co-designed and disseminated a digital survey to gather feedback from a wide group of residents, including those who had and had not yet engaged with the scheme. Following this, we conducted ten in-depth interviews with selected participants to collect detailed qualitative data. Our engagement process was carefully managed, with thorough ethics and safeguarding assessments in place, given the vulnerability of some residents.
  • Final report and summary leaflet: We produced a final report for RBKC, which included an analysis of our findings and recommendations for making the scheme replicable for other housing providers. We also created a community-facing leaflet to summarise the findings and share them with Lancaster West residents.
Two people are in a discussion n front of a laptop

What was the impact?

The project provided a valuable, independent assessment of the Money MOT scheme, which will help RBKC to develop a replicable framework for other local authorities and social housing providers. The evaluation highlighted key feedback from residents and provided an evidence base for the effectiveness of a holistic, joined-up approach to financial resilience.

Key outcomes included:

  • Resident and community impact: We engaged with over 20 residents who had used the scheme, providing them with a platform to share their experiences and insights. The summary leaflet ensures that the findings and future impact of the project are communicated back to the community.
  • Client and stakeholder impact: The final report provides RBKC with a comprehensive analysis and recommendations for scaling the Money MOT scheme. The findings will inform their future work and help other housing providers to address issues of affordability, financial instability, and rent arrears.

What did they say?

“QOLF Consulting went beyond evaluation to provide clear, actionable recommendations… Recommendations were framed around the scheme’s five core principles, making them both practical and strategic.

“Overall, QOLF’s research has had a tangible impact on our direction. It gave us robust evidence of the scheme’s value, reinforced the importance of a holistic approach to financial inclusion, and provided legitimacy for scaling the work further.

“We would highly recommend working with QOLF. Their thorough, evidence-based approach, clear communication, and actionable recommendations have been invaluable.”