Service User Survey

Service User Survey

The management team at the Charity were seeking to better understand the needs, expectations, and experiences of those using the Houses (i.e., service users) to optimise the service offering and refine marketing and fundraising activities for greater impact and effectiveness. Mackman Research integrated two simultaneous channels of engagement and feedback—telephone interviews and an online self-completion survey—to ensure that high quality and meaningful data were gathered to meet the research objectives.

The Client: Brand Facts

• Ronald McDonald House Charities UK is an independent charity founded in the UK in 1989, providing free accommodation and support for families with hospitalised children across the UK.  
• Since being founded, the Charity has supported over 60,000 families from all walks of life, living in the UK or coming from abroad for specialist care. 
• The Charity currently operates14 Houses located in or close to partnered NHS hospitals with more developments planned for the future. 

Research Aims & Objectives

The Charity wanted to understand the needs, expectations, and experiences of those using the Houses. The research aimed to identify how Ronald McDonald House Charities UK services impact the lives of families with children in hospital, to gather evidence-based insights that would refine services, and to understand variations in current service delivery across the Houses to ensure greater consistency going forward.

The Research Challenge

Contacting service users to participate in our research (by phone and email) always held the risk of upsetting potential participants, as it would ask them to recall a distressing time in their lives where their child or loved one was hospitalised. Ronald McDonald House Charities UK was reassured by the processes Mackman Research have in place to mitigate this risk, and the experience that our in-house telephone researchers have in asking difficult questions using a compassionate approach. Consequently, we overachieved our telephone interview target and received over 400 self-completed surveys online.  

The Research Design & Methodology

In partnership with the Charity, Mackman Research identified key service areas for investigation. These included general use of the House, working at the House, catering, amenities and activities, wellbeing, staff, follow-up support, and overall experience. A semi-structured telephone interview was developed, incorporating both open and closed questions. A fully structured online self-completion survey was also designed and distributed by Mackman Research. For the online survey, a self-selecting sample was anticipated, determined by the profile and volume of outbound invitations and the recipients’ interest in completing the survey.

Research Outcomes

Rigorous analysis of the dataset revealed both qualitative and quantitative trends. The final report included key findings, an executive summary, emergent themes, and verbatim responses. Notably, our research into food bank usage by service users aligned with national statistics, highlighting regions most affected and prompting timely action by the Charity. Other pain points were also identified, allowing us to provide tailored recommendations for each service area. These insights supported Ronald McDonald House Charities UK in making strategic, well-informed decisions to improve their service offering.