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Stage 5: Sustain the model and benefits for this cohort
From pilot success to embedded practice
Once a prevention model demonstrates measurable impact, the focus shifts to two critical challenges: embedding the approach into everyday operations and preparing for expansion to additional groups of people. This transition phase determines whether prevention remains a temporary initiative or becomes a fundamental way of working.
Local authorities with successful prevention programmes emphasise that sustainability requires deliberate attention to systems, culture, governance and coproduction. Without this focus, even the most promising pilots struggle to maintain momentum beyond their initial funding period.
On this page you can find out:
- the steps involved in this stage
- case studies from local authorities already doing this in practice
- implications for evidencing prevention
- potential barriers you might face and how to overcome these
This stage involves two interconnected steps:
Step 1: Embedding the model into business-as-usual operations
To ensure sustainability, prevention approaches must transition from pilot status to become integral components of organisational workflows. This involves four key elements:
Moving from temporary to permanent staffing models integrates prevention into core responsibilities rather than treating it as an add-on function. This transition affects practitioners' roles and expectations, requiring clarity about how prevention activities align with existing responsibilities.
Early co-design of evolved roles with affected teams helps address uncertainties and builds ownership of the new approach. While securing sustainable funding for permanent posts can be challenging, this investment directly influences long-term programme stability.
Prevention initiatives often begin with minimal or temporary digital solutions before requiring integration into organisational infrastructure. This shift from pilot tools (like spreadsheets) to production systems must be managed carefully, with attention to training needs and compatibility with existing systems.
Providing hands-on support through digital champions within teams can ease this transition, helping colleagues adapt to new working methods while maintaining continuity of service.
Lessons from the pilot phase must be translated into consistent operating procedures, training resources, and guidance materials. This standardisation helps ensure quality as the model expands beyond the original implementation team.
Accessible guides and peer learning opportunities enable experienced staff to share insights with newer colleagues, maintaining fidelity to the model while incorporating ongoing improvements.
Establishing formal mechanisms for regularly reviewing and refining the model based on emerging insights is essential for long-term relevance. Practitioners hold valuable operational knowledge that should inform ongoing development. In addition, coproduction with citizens and communities alongside voluntary sector and community groups is also a core component of continually improving commissioning priorities and focus.
Building reflection points into regular team meetings and creating user-friendly feedback channels ensures these insights are captured alongside daily responsibilities, rather than becoming an additional burden.
Step 2: Preparing to scale the model
Scaling prevention efforts requires careful refinement of the initial approach to ensure it remains effective across additional cohorts. Local authorities use implementation learnings to anticipate challenges and design robust scaling strategies.
This scaling preparation often requires additional funding and significant lead time. Forward-thinking authorities plan these needs well in advance of reaching scaling readiness to avoid momentum loss.
Key scaling considerations:
Anticipating increased demand on staff and systems as the model expands is critical for smooth scaling. Authorities typically need to recruit additional personnel or invest in more robust IT infrastructure and licences to handle larger datasets and service volumes.
Strengthening collaboration with external partners, particularly voluntary sector organisations and health services, creates the capacity needed for expansion. Scaling often requires new partnership arrangements or extensions to existing agreements, which will in turn help enable the range of options available to people to be increased.
The model may need adjustment based on the unique needs of new cohorts. For example, approaches that work for older adults at risk of falls may require modification when applied to younger adults experiencing mental health challenges or housing insecurity.
As prevention models grow, maintaining intervention quality becomes increasingly important. Establishing clear outcome measures, quality assurance processes, and implementation standards helps prevent dilution of impact during expansion.
Summary of key points
- Embed prevention into everyday practice: Transition from pilot to routine operations by formalising staffing structures, sustaining digital tools, and embedding standard processes.
- Enable continuous improvement: Establish mechanisms for regular review and adaptation to ensure the prevention model remains effective and responsive as contexts change.
- Plan for scalability: Use learnings from the initial cohort to refine the model and prepare for expansion, ensuring sustainability and consistency.
- Secure long-term investment: Develop compelling evidence cases based on initial impact to support business cases for continued or expanded funding.
- Maintain focus on outcomes: Ensure that as systems and processes become institutionalised, the primary focus remains on improving outcomes for individuals.
