Our Impact in Numbers
Earlier this year, we published our annual report, which gave us a chance to reflect on the progress we’ve made in tackling eating disorders over the past 20 years.
Since 2004, First Steps ED has been at the forefront of improving the lives of people of all ages, genders and backgrounds impacted by eating disorders, with evidence guiding our approach.
Our annual report highlighted some significant milestones for 2023/2024 – we’re receiving more referrals than ever before, including a rise in referrals from men. We’ve been able to meet this demand partly because we’ve extended our services to three new locations in the UK, reaching out to diverse communities and offering vital resources and support to those in need.
During the years 23/24, we saw:
10% increase in referrals.
6% increase in male referrals
(17.7% of service users were male, 80.2% were female, and 1.8% identified as other).
It’s crucial that we understand who we are helping – our data analysis on referrals help us make sure we’re providing the most relevant services and shapes the pioneering work we are doing to shape new or emerging types of support. One example of this is the pathway for treating Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) – we were the first to offer this support and are now helping other services roll out similar programmes.
During the years 23/24:
We supported 852 adults and 1,203 children and young people through our pathways of care
Nearly 45% of all service users, 956 individuals, benefitted from our ARFID pathway.
Our work reaches beyond supporting individuals, and we do lots to support and educate our local communities. We also help ensure the professionals supporting people with eating disorders have access to the latest high-quality training and information.
During the years 23/24:
- We delivered 20 school body image workshops in Derby/Derbyshire.
- We provided 232 home and community Integrated Community Services sessions.
- We delivered 933 private therapy sessions.
- We ran 57 training events that reached 189 professionals, including teachers, therapists, and carers.
- 120 professionals downloaded our self-guided CPD e-courses.
To find out more about our work and impact, read the full annual report here.
