A study by Social Value Lab has concluded that two Scottish Autism advice and support services generated just over £1million in social value. Representing a social return on investment of £5.31 for every £1 invested.

The two services which were studied for the analysis were the Flourish project being run in Fife, which supports families of neurodivergent children and young people up to age 26, and the Get Set 4 Autism programme which is a national programme providing support for families of children under 18 with a recent autism diagnosis.

The study concluded that the £50,000 investment in Flourish generated £387,895 in social value (Social Return On Investment Ratio of £7.49 for every £1), with the £167,000 investment in Get Set 4 Autism generating £763,391 in social value (Social Return On Investment Ratio of £4.26 for every £1).
Social return on investment looks at the wider social value created by a project, examining the benefits to the parents, children and the wider public sector.

Commenting on the report, Scottish Autism CEO, Dorry McLaughlin said:
"This report highlights the value of investing in appropriate support for autistic people and their families. If we invest in high-quality support services we will see significant benefits being realised by both the families themselves and also our public services as people are not left forced to turn to crisis support when they reach breaking point.

"The report took a conservative assessment of the social return from the projects and makes clear that the long-term benefits could be even greater. It is often difficult for policymakers to see the value in projects which prevent crisis escalation, because it is challenging to measure things which have not happened. This report demonstrates what that value is and makes the case for focused investment in support services for families on a more widespread basis."

View the Report Summary