Developing Novel Methods to Capture Health and Well-Being Outcomes of Community-Based Support: Testing Moodscope with Vulnerable Families

This project, co-designed and co-led by a public partner, explored the use of Moodscope—a mood-tracking tool—as a way to measure the impact of community-based activities on health and wellbeing. Based on the validated PANAS scale, Moodscope uses simple, accessible cards to help individuals identify and score their mood states. Its user-friendly format offers a more engaging and less clinical alternative to traditional measures, particularly for vulnerable individuals or those with previous negative experiences of formal services.

The pilot study focused on therapeutic art sessions delivered by the charity Children Heard And Seen (CHAS), which supports children with a parent in prison and their families. Four adult carers used Moodscope to record their mood before and after each session, allowing the research team to assess changes in emotional wellbeing and the tool’s potential to capture meaningful data.

This method was intended to help third sector organisations evidence their impact, something they can struggle to do. The findings are now being shared through multiple channels, including a short film, to highlight Moodscope’s potential as an innovative, low-barrier method for evaluating the benefits of community-based support services.