Report highlights value of Social Workers in Schools

When we support tamariki to feel safe, connected, and confident at school, we help create real, positive change in their wellbeing and everyday lives – making a meaningful difference and delivering strong social value in financial terms.

That’s the key finding of a social return on investment (SROI) report released by social services provider Presbyterian Support Northern (PSN), whose services include Family Works, Lifeline and Shine.

Produced by PSN’s service evaluation team, the report found that for every $1 invested in its Social Workers in Schools (SWiS) service, $3.50 of social value was created.

This is on top of positive changes experienced by children, parents or caregivers, and school staff.

PSN General Manager Social Services Grenville Hendricks says the report helps to demonstrate the social value created through the SWiS service — not only through numbers and outcomes, but through the positive changes seen in the lives of tamariki and their whānau.

“We know that when children’s basic needs are met and their emotional wellbeing is nurtured, they are more likely to attend school regularly, engage in learning and reach their full potential,” he says.

“Whether it’s building trust with a family, addressing barriers to school attendance, or creating a safe space for a child to be heard, the SWiS service plays a vital role in strengthening foundations for lifelong wellbeing.

“What this report does is quantify exactly what this means in dollar terms through clearly showing a return on investment of more than three to one.

“This is an important finding and aligns with the Government’s drive for clearer social return on investment.”

Research for the report looked at 2981 children receiving individual support and those attending group-based sessions across 96 schools in the upper North Island during the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025. It also considered the social value created for other key stakeholders, such as parents and caregivers.

The report is based on the internationally recognised Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework and follows the eight principles of Social Value International.

In line with best practice, financial value was assigned to outcomes by selecting financial proxies from the NZ Treasury CBAx tool, relevant research and comparable programme valuations.

“Our findings align with other similar evaluations, including those outcome evaluations conducted by Oranga Tamariki and the Social Investment Agency, which consistently show positive outcomes for tamariki, whānau and schools,” says Grenville Hendricks.

“We believe our analysis can inform decision-making and has implications for future investment, highlighting the potential for broader system wide impact if SWiS services were scaled up across more educational settings.

“The SROI analysis demonstrates that our SWiS service is achieving not only service-level change but also offers a scalable model for improving tamariki wellbeing, whānau resilience and system coordination. Future government policy should build on these insights to extend the reach and impact of the SWiS service. The Social Workers in School Social Return On Investment report can be found here.