Family Wellbeing Partnership in Clackmannanshire: evaluation

9. Best Practice Learnings

A key question arising from this evaluation is whether the FWP approach in Clackmannanshire could be applied in other contexts and places. What are the key elements of the FWP that have enabled it to make a difference in Clackmannanshire, and can these elements be replicated elsewhere? What evidence is there to suggest that policy translation may be successful? And why might policy-makers wish to learn from the FWP and translate the model elsewhere?

This chapter summarises key evaluation findings within a policy context, providing policymakers with insights for best practice and broader policy learning.

9.1 Policy learning and transfer

Policy learning refers to the voluntary adoption and adaptation of ideas from elsewhere. Scotland has had a strong history of policy learning since devolution, emulating evidence-based policy approaches from other parts of the UK and the world where they have proven to be successful.^[80]

Policy transfer, which involves emulating or sharing policy ideas from one place to another^[81], can be an effective way to address complex problems with tested methods. In particular, we understand that, for policy makers, the question of scalability is important for policy development. If an approach to tackling an issue is seen to work in one place, it is reasonable to ask if and how such an approach can be scaled to other places. However, when considering the learning or transfer of policy ideas from one place to the next, research suggests that there are certain things to avoid. These include seeking to export or transplant a model wholesale without giving thoughtful consideration to the process of learning, not taking account of the suitability or comparability of local conditions, not giving due consideration to the implications - intended and unintended - of the new approach and impacts on local systems, not fully analysing the evidence for the approach, and generally looking for short-cut solutions.^[82]

In the following sections, we offer some guidance on how to avoid these mistakes when learning from the FWP in Clackmannanshire. In particular, we focus on policy learning and thoughtful translation of ideas to other places and contexts. We understand that every community and local authority in Scotland is unique, with their own structures, processes, norms and interdependencies, which lead to different system dynamics. The question then is less about how to ‘scale up’, ‘roll out’ or transfer an approach from one area to another. Instead, it is about having a deep understanding of the conditions required to create sustainable and meaningful change. Sometimes this is called ‘scaling deep’, ‘relational scaling’, ‘value based scaling’ or ‘transformative change’.

In the next section, we identify best practice learnings that could help enable the translation of the FWP approach to create meaningful change in other places.

9.2 Learning from the FWP in Clackmannanshire

Below we identify eight factors that the evaluation suggests have been foundational for the successes of the FWP approach in meeting outcomes to support family wellbeing and transform public service delivery. These factors may be helpful to take into account when considering an FWP approach in other places.

9.2.1 Leadership and Governance

• The successes of the FWP approach and shifts in its leadership culture have been possible with strong backing from partners, particularly the Scottish Government. Their strategic guidance and willingness to be ‘hands on’ and try out new approaches to tackling poverty have underpinned the innovative approach of the FWP. Civil servants have worked in close collaboration with the FWP, giving project teams the time and space to learn, experiment and grow without the immediate pressure of justifying their approach through traditional reporting.
• Local elected Members have played a key role in the FWP, by supporting the efforts and ambition of the FWP in ways that were not necessarily defined by party politics. Council officials highlighted the high levels of trust that have developed through the governance of the FWP. While they acknowledged that this trust could shift with future election cycles, interview feedback suggests that Members are not simply focused on headline figures, but have been actively engaged in making sure the FWP works for families and communities.
• Enabled by, and building on, the ongoing collaboration and trust between the Scottish Government and Clackmannanshire Council through the FWP, the council agreed in late 2024 to adopt a ‘One Plan, One Report’ approach. This consolidated multiple policy ambitions related to poverty reduction into a single, cohesive plan with a shared set of outcomes, supported by pooled resources through the FWP.
• The role of the Hunter Foundation, through the Social Innovation Partnership, in supporting the development of a wellbeing and capabilities approach, and providing access to networks of people and organisations, has also been important in the successes of the FWP.
• Local community leadership, through public service teams and third sector engagement, has also been pivotal to building relationships of trust with local communities. The FWP’s governance structure, with its focus on inclusivity and shared governance, has likewise encouraged integration across different services and sectors in Clackmannanshire.

Implications for Policy Learning and Translation

The successes and sustainability of the FWP have required strong leadership from all levels of governance - national, local and community-led - and policy alignment across levels. It is clear that the commitment to stronger relational approaches between central and local government officials has been essential for embedding the FWP approach within mainstream service delivery. The FWP model has demonstrated that the involvement of a range of partners - in the community, in the council and at a national level - and the encouragement of experimentation and risk-taking, has been key to enabling transformative approaches. The ability to create strong partnerships across levels of government and across communities, and aligning policy frameworks towards a shared purpose, provides a foundation for integrating services, budgets, and outcomes.

9.2.2 Long-term funding support

• The ongoing funding from the Scottish Government, along with the financial support from the Hunter Foundation, has been critical to the successes of the FWP.
• Integrated and flexible funding models have been essential for developing staff capacity, resources, training and partnerships, and embedding the FWP in Clackmannanshire. This involved being able to pool finances from a range of council services to support FWP aims, along with grant money from the Scottish Government and from philanthropic sources. The Hunter Foundation’s support has been particularly important in being able to commission and fund work directly when and where required, without the constraints of public sector procurement - such as with the match funding of five community projects through the FWP’s collaboration with WM2U, commissioning finance and legal advice from the private sector, and financially supporting Columba 1400 programmes.
• Combining funding from diverse sources under a unified plan reduces reporting burdens and streamlines efforts.
• Short-term funding cycles or fragmented grants create uncertainty and limit the ability to plan for long-term, systemic transformation including necessary long-term investments in local staffing levels. Long-term commitments are crucial for sustainable transformation. While two-year funding for the FWP from 2024 has provided some relief, sustainability remains a concern.

Implications for Policy Learning and Translation

Ensuring the long-term sustainability of a FWP approach requires stable, long-term funding. It is clear that commitment to stronger relational approaches between central and local government officials, supported by integrated and flexible funding models, is essential for embedding this type of approach. Combining funding from diverse sources under a unified plan reduces reporting burdens and streamlines efforts, but long-term investment commitments are crucial for sustainable transformation, with transformative systems change of the kind sought by the FWP requiring considerable time to promote, implement and embed.

Encouraging investment from public, private, and third sector sources into FWP-type models can enhance resilience, ensuring that funding is not only sustained but also responsive to evolving community needs. Eventually, meanwhile, a greater emphasis on preventative models such as the FWP may see net cost savings arising from reduced dependencies on crisis-related interventions and other long-term outcomes, helping these models become more self-sustaining once preventative approaches are fully embedded. The lesson here, however, is that flexible, and also additional funding is likely to be required to support FWP type work. Funding arrangements to support this way of working could involve new public finance vehicles to leverage, manage and distribute funds for services from government and private sources.

9.2.3 Local context and place-based approaches

• All local authority areas are unique and that is particularly true of Clackmannanshire. It is the smallest mainland local authority area in Scotland and that necessarily means stakeholders are more likely to know each other and better understand the system they are working in. Certainly, those involved in the FWP had a deep understanding of the local context, structures and needs, the community assets and the conditions required to create sustainable and meaningful change.
• Importantly, families and communities are more likely to engage with activities and programmes when these are rooted in their local context and designed to reduce common barriers to participation. By making every effort to be accessible - such as being nearby, offering flexible schedules, or addressing practical challenges like financial costs and childcare needs - programmes can significantly improve participation rates.
• Encouragement from practitioners also plays a vital role. When practitioners build trusting relationships and actively motivate families to attend, they help overcome initial hesitation or resistance. This relational support creates a sense of safety and belonging, making families feel that their involvement is both valued and supported. Co-designing services with families further helps build trust and encourage participation, helping families feel valued and heard with regards to the delivery of services that matter in their lives.

Implications for Policy Learning and Translation:

The Clackmannanshire FWP approach was designed to meet the needs of local communities and to capitalise on local structures, relationships and values. This locally tailored approach resonated with the individuals and families using FWP services. The FWP’s place-based approach ensured that services were not only accessible but also meaningful to the families who access them. In thinking about applying these kinds of approaches elsewhere, the FWP’s experience shows the importance of designing services which are relevant and responsive to the needs of local communities, recognising that these are likely to differ in important respects across different settings (for example, with regards to the availability of different transport options).

9.2.4 Collaborative leadership and multidisciplinary service delivery

• The FWP has pioneered a collaborative leadership approach to supporting family wellbeing and tackling poverty, by bringing together leaders at the national, local, community-level, philanthropic and third sector levels. Importantly, this approach has encouraged the removal of barriers and silos between different services, and has encouraged people and organisations working across different areas - education, employability, social services, emergency services, healthcare - to develop multidisciplinary models that focus on holistic and person-centred support for individuals and families.
• Notably, elected members have played a key role in the FWP, by sharing their value system and fostering a culture of support. This alignment across political and operational leadership has provided a solid foundation for bold decision-making and systemic change.
• Of particular importance in fostering collaborative leadership has been the Columba 1400 Values Based Leadership programme. Stakeholders felt that this programme played a pivotal role in creating space to generate trust and collaboration among partners at the early stages in the FWP’s development, providing a shared framework for bold and innovative action.
• The shared learning journey of the FWP, with multiple partners working towards a common vision in a spirit of open inquiry and adaptation, has helped embed values of trust, resilience, and relational working, ensuring alignment across diverse partners. These values have underpinned both the design and delivery of FWP initiatives. The FWP culture of trust encourages workers to see managed risks as learning, share best practices, and embrace adaptive solutions to complex challenges.
• By purposefully creating an ethos of multi-disciplinary collaboration, the FWP has enabled everyone to align their efforts around shared goals. The FWP’s model has created structures like integrated planning sessions, and collaborative decision-making forums such as the FWP Collaborative and FWP Strategic Team meetings. These mechanisms can facilitate the sharing of information, resources, and expertise across sectors.
• Open communication within and between organisations was also critical for aligning goals and fostering a culture of cooperation.
• A challenge has been inconsistent data collection and a lack of data integration into wider system transformation activities which have hindered the ability to measure long-term impacts. Based on feedback from staff interviews, another challenge is around staff workloads and capacity issues. Staff often juggle multiple roles, which can undermine the ability to deliver consistent support and leads to a risk of staff burnout.

Implications for Policy Learning and Translation

The FWP’s experience demonstrates that removing silos is not simply about structural change but about shifting leadership cultures to embrace shared accountability and collective impact. Collaborative leadership, driven by shared values and commitments among partners, empowers transformative actions and fosters collective accountability. The success of the FWP approach detailed throughout this report highlight the importance of investing in ways of working that promote collaboration, including the development of shared frameworks for monitoring and evaluation, pooled funding models, and opportunities for joint training. Investment in frontline staff to increase capacity and reduce workloads and burnout risks is crucial for improving service delivery long-term.

Traditionally, policy makers might have viewed services as transactional systems, structured around policies, referral routes, and targets. However, as the FWP has shown, services are shaped and defined by the people who deliver them. Human systems thrive on relationships, trust, and adaptability, which cannot be fully captured by rigid processes alone. Staff need the freedom to express their values, empathy, and creativity in their roles. Instead of feeling constrained by bureaucracy, they should have the confidence and trust to build meaningful relationships with the people they support. The FWP demonstrates how essential it is for staff to work in this relational way . The Values Based Leadership programme run by Columba 1400 played a key role in creating these conditions for the FWP, empowering many within the Clackmannanshire system to embrace this approach. This kind of programme should be made available to as many people as possible undertaking this type of work

Further, the work of the FWP is an example of the impact of embedding trauma-transformed practice at a whole-systems level - embodying the principles of choice, safety, empowerment, trust and collaboration. This can be seen both in the design of individual services (e.g. Creative Therapeutic Interventions for Children Service), but also in the overall drive and desire to collaboratively work more meaningfully alongside our communities.

9.2.5 Family engagement

• Authenticity in engaging meaningfully (rather than tokenistically) with families and communities is a key part of a whole family systems approach. The FWP shows that this helps to gradually shift power dynamics, enabling communities to give voice to their needs and to co-develop solutions that matter most to them.
• One of the challenges to the FWP approach is that families who are in poverty often face complex systemic challenges, such as mental health challenges, lack of childcare, low educational attainment, energy and food poverty, and housing instability. In Scotland, these challenges coexist with a lack of investment to address them, creating a compounding effect - with this evaluation highlighting particular capacity constraints with regards to traditional mental health supports.
• Additionally, trust in council support is often low, especially when past interventions have failed to deliver meaningful long-term improvements. Post-COVID, higher rates of school absenteeism among children has further complicated outreach and engagement efforts. These are being addressed through the Virtual Headteacher post and the Clackmannanshire Active Learning Academy (CALA).

Implications for policy learning and translation

The FWP has shown that engaging communities authentically in co-creating solutions, rather than as a token gesture, can start to shift power dynamics and enable sustainable, meaningful change. To build trust and have long-term impact, this approach should be supported over the long term. Furthermore, families should be continuously engaged over time, their stories heard, and their role in developing solutions be encouraged, as the challenges they face continue to evolve. The learning from this process should in turn be fed back into wider systems change, so that communities are involved in shaping not just the design of new and additional services but also meaningful change in investment and service provision across the system to enable their needs to be better met.

9.2.6 Co-design and empowering families to own activities

• The FWP approach shows that encouraging families to take ownership of their activities - whether through participatory budgeting, co-designing services, or defining their own goals - empowers them to see themselves as active agents of change rather than passive recipients of support. This not only ensures that activities are relevant, but also boosts confidence and fosters long-term resilience and trust in public services.
• Empowering families is facilitated by providing social and leadership experiences for individuals, including children and young people. Leadership skills development for residents has a ripple effect in communities: not only do families become more involved in community decision-making, but children and young people who are able to access leadership development, social skill-building, and extracurricular activities in schools are more likely to enjoy attending school, creating a sense of belonging and enriching environment for pupils. These broader opportunities not only make school more enjoyable but also equip children with essential life skills that contribute to their overall development and future success.
• Keyworkers play a pivotal role in this process by helping families identify and explore opportunities they may not have considered previously. Practitioners enable families to envision new possibilities, access hidden resources, and build the confidence needed to pursue these opportunities.

Implications for policy learning and translation

The FWP model created a cycle of trust and support by empowering workers to engage families through a values-driven, relational approach. By prioritising deep listening and meaningful interactions, workers build strong connections that enable them to link families to a network of services tailored to their needs. This “daisy chain” effect creates a cascading support system, ensuring families access care they may not know was available while addressing complex, overlapping challenges. The FWP also shows that creating supportive environments in and around school, including opportunities for social and leadership skills development, can help pupils and their families to feel valued, motivated, and excited about their educational journey. The model demonstrates how interconnected service delivery strengthens resilience and stability.

10.2.7 Communication and shared vision

• Clear and effective communication has been integral to the development and successes of the FWP approach - which has generated regular feedback loops, community input, different communication channels and transparent information-sharing across partners, services and communities.
• In particular, storytelling has been used effectively to build a shared vision amongst practitioners and service users, and to instil a sense of hope in communities.
• Effective communication and information sharing has also enabled rapid coordination across different agencies, such as housing, social work, and mental health services.

Implications for policy learning and translation

Effective communication is another key element in the successes of the FWP approach, with storytelling being used as a tool to share progress, inspire hope, and sustain momentum across partners, practitioners and service user communities. Highlighting tangible successes helps maintain engagement and drive collective efforts toward shared goals, rather than feeling overwhelmed by challenges. A robust communication strategy that shares stories in real-time not only engages stakeholders but also sustains energy and optimism across the system. A clear long-term vision, paired with executional flexibility, ensures the ability to address challenges dynamically.

9.2.8 Data collection and management

• Effective systems of data collection and management are vital not only to assess what outcomes have been achieved by the FWP, but also to support adaptive learning and continuous improvement. While some ways of working in the FWP have sought to embed and improve their processes around data, this has not always been systematic.
• Notably, there is a tension between practitioners in the Third Sector and within the council and managers within the FWP system with regard to data collection and management. Some third sector practitioners outside of the FWP often perceive data collection as an added burden rather than a tool for improvement whilst those working in the FWP often see it as pioneering and a highly responsive way of working that continuously adapts to community needs. This tension can sometimes overshadow the importance of systematic and ongoing data collection.
• As a general point, when third sector practitioners are continually asked to collect and report data without a clear understanding of how that data will be used, it can feel like, from the perspective of frontline workers, a "failure of trust."
• The lack of systematic data collection has created challenges for this evaluation.

Implications for policy learning and translation

While statutory data collection is an important part of any council’s overall planning and performance function, it is not sufficient alone to support adaptive learning and continuous improvement of innovative policy approaches like the FWP. A key lesson from the FWP work is that purposeful data and evaluation efforts should be embedded with the natural planning and performance monitoring cycles from project inception, using a range of appropriate indicators and mixed methods which are easy for staff to use.

Creating specific council staff roles for data collection and monitoring and working with Learning Partners could also support data collection efforts, develop standardised methodologies, and implement effective tracking systems; as well as helping to capture ongoing learning and reflection about how cultural change is embedded. This can help ensure consistency, facilitate real-time monitoring, and drive continuous improvement while demonstrating an initiative’s impact. Effective evaluation methods also play a pivotal role in securing ongoing support. Traditional funding models often emphasise quantifiable, short-term outcomes, which may not fully capture the depth of impact achieved through relational service models. Furthermore, the long-term nature of transformational systems change means that outcomes resulting from change of this kind (for people or systems) are often unlikely to be demonstrated in the short-term. Appropriate, alternative evaluation approaches are required, incorporating qualitative insights and systemic change indicators that reflect the broader societal benefits. Demonstrating long-term value through impact storytelling, lived experience testimonies, and data reflecting community needs and priorities should be valued more by decision makers.

10.3 Questions to consider for effective FWP policy translation

We have identified a number of lessons from the FWP for policymakers to consider when thinking about policy translation. Below this is accompanied by a set of provocations for policymakers to consider for effective FWP policy translation.

Drawing on the evaluation findings, and the broader policy transfer literature, we have formulated a set of questions for policymakers to consider when designing and implementing similar place-based initiatives to support family wellbeing and tackle poverty in other places. In particular, we have built upon Professor Paul Cairney’s ‘questions to encourage successful evidence based policy transfer’ to encourage reflection when considering FWP policy learning and translation.

1. What problems was the FWP trying to solve and what outcomes has it resulted in? What are the underlying reasons for the successes in Clackmannanshire detailed throughout this report? Are the problems the FWP was tackling evident elsewhere, and are the FWP outcomes desirable in other places?

2. Was the FWP approach introduced in an area that is sufficiently comparable to the one(s) being considered, in terms of the nature and scale of the problem, demographics, political structures, funding arrangements and local-national relationships? Does the FWP approach align with the norms, values and cultures of other places? If there are key differences, what are the implications for applying a FWP approach?

3. Has the FWP been evaluated independently, conducted over a sufficient timescale in relation to expected outcomes, and has the approach been consistently shown to work?

4. How can local stakeholders be engaged to consider lessons from the FWP, identify problems, explore solutions and explore the potential for policy translation? What potential barriers might be present, such as lack of resources, underdeveloped relationships, or structural constraints? How can learning and adaptation be embedded in this process?

5. Is there a shared understanding of the boundary and purpose of the system we are going to work in, and how we want it to change? What strategies will help to build trust among stakeholders and with communities?

6. What mechanisms, such as shared governance, pooled-funding, networks and communication handling skills, are needed to foster collaboration and shared accountability? What funding mix and investments are required for sustainability?

7. How can Values Based Leadership (VBL) be developed, adopted and embedded within the work? How can communities be encouraged to co-design and take ownership of activities? What other training and capacity-building initiatives will enable effective implementation?

8. What are the agreed indicators for success and over what timescales, how will those be measured and evidenced?

9. What will the relationship between emerging evidence and governance look like? How willing would stakeholders be to change their approach should the data indicate it isn’t working?

10. How can adaptability be embedded into service design and delivery? What adaptation issues might emerge should other places seek to translate FWP approaches from Clackmannanshire, for instance with regard to resources, constraints, institutions and context? What systemic ripple effects - positive and negative - and unintended consequences might arise from adopting this approach?

These questions are designed to help policymakers think about how they are defining policy problems, using evidence, considering issues of comparability, and reflecting on local conditions and their potential to change along the lines observed in Clackmannanshire.