The Renfrewshire Children's Services Partnership (RCSP) is to receive over £500,000 from the Big Lottery Fund for a new project, to be delivered in partnership with the Improvement Service (IS).
The 'Achieving Step Change in Children's Outcomes' project aims to bring about a fundamental re-thinking of children's services from an outcomes perspective. It sets out to deliver genuine ‘step-change', both in developing the partnership approach and in the quality and sustainability of the positive outcomes achieved.
A total of £509,000 of Big Lottery grant has been awarded over a three year period and this will be matched by contributions from the partners, resulting in £1m being dedicated to transforming the lives of young people in the area.
Colin Mair, Chief Executive of the Improvement Service, said: "The Improvement Service was initially invited to work with the RCSP earlier in the year to help them explore how they could realise the full potential of the outcomes approach and re-think the way that Children's Services operate. At that time, the IS was already engaged in discussions with the Big Lottery Fund regarding additional resources for supporting the development of outcomes-focused working within partnerships. We are delighted that these discussions have come to fruition and we are confident that the additional resource will make a major difference to young people and their families."
He continued: "With the signing-off of the second round of SOAs in the summer, the time for talking and writing documents is done. The emphasis now is very much on implementation and delivering an outcomes-focused approach that results in genuine impact within communities. Our work in joining up with the RCSP is exactly the kind of partnership approach and practical assistance that genuinely adds value by helping the local partnership achieve more."
David Martin, Chief Executive of Renfrewshire Council, said: "This additional funding is great news for Renfrewshire. We have a major challenge in improving the outcomes secured by all of our young people, whether it be in terms of educational attainment, in entering the labour market or in reducing offending rates. This project will allow the partnership to gain a deep understanding of the challenges we face, assess the effectiveness of various approaches and, ultimately, help us focus more of our resources on preventative work and early intervention, rather than just having to deal with problems once they have arisen."
One element of the IS role within the project will be to help capture learning and experiences in order that it can be disseminated to interested stakeholders across Scotland. Colin Mair explained: "The knowledge management aspect is an important element of the project, as there is widespread interest throughout the country in practical approaches that can lead to enhanced quality, quantity and sustainability of outcomes. We will ensure that key learning points emerging are passed on to anyone with an interest in the work."
For further information on this project contact Andrew McGuire at the Improvement Service.
