Update on Dundee Drop In Research

The DDI projects continue to serve many of the most marginalised in our city through the provision of food, conversation and information.  The new drop in at St. Mary’s RC Church in Lochee is now very well established on Saturday afternoons.

 Questionnaires were both designed and completed by volunteers from DDI projects along with some who use the DDI services and five students from Dundee University.  The questionnaires were completed by volunteers in talking with people who use DDI services and took around half an hour to complete, sometime in the rain. The willingness of people to complete them was a very strong indication that people wanted things to change.  106 questionnaires have been collated now and issues arising from the information include: not having enough clothing, fuel poverty, benefit sanctions, addictions, poor mental health and loneliness. 

 

The research has now been collated into an excel spreadsheet designed by Dr. Fernando Fernandes of Dundee University. Fernando’s contribution to this research is considerable and the Alcohol and Drugs Partnership who are providing a small amount of money have agreed that this can be used to carry out 1:1 interviews and focus groups. This will be led by Fernando and offers a real opportunity to gather more in depth information from people who have already completed a questionnaire and who face a variety of struggles in day to day life.

A group of volunteers from the DDI projects have been going through the data from the questionnaires and will be recommending some key actions to come out of the research. This follows on from a full meeting of DDI projects in June.   This process will take time and Fernando will again be providing considerable input in ensuring that all the data is reported upon.

 

During the course of the research and afterwards the input from the new Connect team of the city council was invaluable. They really have reached people that no other services were reaching. A very obvious learning point from the exercise has been using the questionnaire to identify issues that people face and being able to refer people immediately to advice from the Connect team. There is a real need it would seem to improve how issues might be identified and referrals made to a range of key services.

 

Any person in the DDI projects who wants to help with the analysis of the research and report writing please contact Gordon on gordon@faithincommunitydundee.org or phone 825351.