The Pave Project Report - Queen's University Belfast

The PAVE Project Report 207
services seem to be more effective than others. More specifically, communitybased
services such as befriending, self-help groups, and some complementary
therapies, seem to be the most effective aspects of service provision. These are
the kind of services not provided elsewhere in the service hierarchy, that spans
across social support provided by family, to community/voluntary sector
services, and finally, statutory service provision, such as clinical psychology,
psychiatry, nursing, or social work. As such, findings reported here show the
need and the efficacy of community-based voluntary sector services, while at
the same time identifying some important gaps in service provision.
3. Dissemination and collaboration were an important part of the project. We
found that locally as well as internationally this project received intense
interest. The importance of sharing knowledge gained at a local level, with the
community from which data emanated, as well as with the international
community cannot be underestimated. Future discussions and collaborations in
the area of evidence-based practice should be encouraged as part and parcel of
the sector’s policy and practice.
Finally, research reported here concentrated on the exploration of effectiveness of
voluntary sector services with specific regard to general psychological health, levels
of depression, and PTSD symptom severity. Obviously, there are other potential
benefits that emanate from voluntary sector support services, such as social inclusion,
social capital, and/or social cohesion, and these may have economic, health, and/or