Working with other organisations to deliver more help to more people
Good Shepherd Project in Wolverhampton is part of the SJOG family.
It delivers crisis support interventions, supports recovery and creates pathways out of poverty for people who are experiencing homelessness. Together with SJOG, the Good Shepherd has developed new elements to the services it provides.
Homes for Ukraine
SJOG's Homes for Ukraine project was powered by partnerships. Through funding from The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (formerly DLUHC), and working together with Caritas Social Action Network, we built bridges into Catholic communities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Over 300 displaced Ukrainians were supported, with 140 placed supported into homes. The project delivered matching, training and emergency support, and piloted move-on pathways into private housing.
Exploring access to health support and treatment for people subject to modern- day slavery and trafficking
With funding from the UK Health Security Agency via a University College London Hospital commission, SJOG's research team explored how people who experience modern-day slavery access health support in England. Working alongside people with lived experience and frontline workers, we uncovered systemic barriers: mistrust, mobility, language and digital exclusion. The research calls for continuity of care, trauma-informed outreach, peer support, and inclusive policy reform. It’s a blueprint for change. The work is a step towards a health system that doesn’t just treat, but one that can act with hospitality, compassion and respect.
The Goodness Metric
In partnership with Nottingham Trent University and funded by UKRI Innovate UK, we’re building something bold: The Goodness Metric. This 30-month project is reimagining how charities measure social impact. We’re developing a flexible, process-driven toolset aligned to ESG and global impact measures, tailored for the voluntary sector. It’s not just about metrics, it’s about meaning. Our ambition is to drive system change, helping charities report with clarity, funders invest with confidence, and communities thrive.
Connected Care: Embedding the VCSE in Sustainable Health and Care Systems
Connected Care is a project partnered with the VCSE Observatory at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), aiming to reduce delayed discharge in hospitals by embedding VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) organisations into the discharge process. We bring our expertise in service design, using tools like blueprinting and stakeholder mapping, to identify local barriers. Additionally, studying successful VCSE initiatives across the UK, we pinpoint effective strategies that could be adapted for Nottingham. This approach ensures local solutions are informed by best practices, leading to meaningful, context-driven improvements for patients and the wider health and care system.
