Rapid evidence based literature review on what is known about social service free phone helplines and associated digital services

Details

We need an experienced research provider who is capable of delivering high quality rapid evidence based literature review of the existing New Zealand and international academic and grey literature about social sector free phone helplines and associated digital services.

Ministers are interested in better understanding what role social sector free phone helplines can play in providing effective social service support, and if selected as a policy lever what design features make for effective services.
To address this overarching policy and operational question, the specific questions to be addressed in the review are:

What is the place and role of social sector free phone helplines in the context of newly emerging digital services?
What does the literature say about the effectiveness of social sector free phone helplines in providing support to those seeking information, advice, referral to services, and support to those in crisis respectively?
- Is there evidence that such services lead to better social outcomes for recipients of the services?
What are the situations where helplines are most effective in terms of providing information, advice and support to referral to acute services, support for those in crisis, and post intervention follow-up that respectively
represent a continuum of service delivery intervention?
What are the characteristics of well-designed and effective free phone helplines?
What changes are happening internationally in the way that free phone helpline services are being designed, delivered, and commissioned?
What sort of evidence is usually used to inform decisions on moving to a telephone helpline [or associated digital platform] from some other medium, such as face-to-face support services?

The literature review is not expected to provide in-depth discussion, rather it is intended to provide a high level summary about what is known. We expect the project will take approximately three months to complete from commencement of a contract.

For this project, the provider is not expected to comment on whether telephone helplines and associated digital services should be a policy lever for intervention. Rather, the focus is on what role the can play in providing effective social service support, and if selected as a policy lever what design features make for effective services.