Family Wellbeing Partnership in Clackmannanshire: evaluation

Annex B: The Family Wellbeing Partnership Theory of Change

Introduction

The Clackmannanshire Family Wellbeing Partnership (FWP) forms the centrepiece of a whole systems approach to reduce child poverty and enhance community wellbeing, particularly through four core areas of interconnected and interdependent activities which, over time, has led to a new overall approach to delivering FWP goals. The initial work streams were: Community Around The School (CATS), Safeguarding Through Rapid Intervention (STRIVE), the Child Wellbeing Partnership (CWP), and Enhancing Employability. The FWP theory of change reflects a transformative approach for community services, working across system boundaries, in which prevention, integration, and community engagement are central to achieving sustainable community connection.

The work of the FWP evolved through the work of Social Innovation Partnership (SIP) which started in 2016, with Clackmannanshire chosen as a partner site because of their clear willingness to engage in innovative, Values Based Leadership (VBL) approaches, which very much aligned to the capabilities model which was being developed by the SIP. Initial funding to the FWP was provided through the SIP and these principles helped shape the FWP’s initial focus, and with support from both local government leaders and Scottish Government Ministers, a conducive environment emerged for building trust and collaboration. This partnership was built on a strong foundation of shared understanding and a deliberate effort to align policy aimed at reducing poverty with action on the ground.

Context

The first step in the Theory of Change is to assess the current situation within which the FWP is being undertaken. There are a number of factors and external influences that could impact the inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes of Clackmannanshire FWP at all stages. Here, we consider the wider structural context, including the policy context, the socioeconomic context and the financial context, the importance of considering local need, and the fostering of collaborative relationships within Clackmannanshire.

Policy Context

The Family Wellbeing Partnership (FWP) is operating in a complex policy environment and there are a number of other policy commitments that seek to create whole system change at the local level. The Scottish Government has sought to tackle child poverty and improve family wellbeing by shifting a greater level of investment and resource towards preventative policy measures, as recommended by the Christie Commission in 2011, including the ambition to spend “at least 5% of all community-based health and social care spend in preventative whole family support measures” by 2030.^[83] Shifting investment towards prevention and early intervention is a core aim of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund (WFWF), through which the Scottish Government has committed to investing £500 million over the course of the current Parliament to support transformational systems change in family support services. With its focus on bringing about more collaborative, innovative and holistic approaches to providing support to families in local areas across Scotland, the aims of the WFW are closely aligned with the FWP ambition of improving and integrating the delivery of services in Clackmannanshire. Last year, the Scottish Government extended the timeframe of the WFWF programme beyond its previous end point of 2025-26 to help provide additional time for decisions on future funding to be based on robust evidence and responsive to the needs of local areas.^[84]

The FWP is also closely aligned with the Child Poverty Pathfinders now in place in Dundee and Glasgow, two other place-based, person-centred initiatives with the ultimate aim of reducing child poverty in their respective areas. The FWP and the Pathfinders share the aim of bringing together different local services in order to improve the support provided to families experiencing or at risk of poverty; the Early Implementation Process Evaluation of the Pathfinders highlighted several findings relevant to the FWP and the proposed evaluation, including the importance of working through data sharing challenges to ensure families can be reached and targeted consistently, the importance of a shared understanding of partnership ambitions and strategic direction, and the value of building in monitoring and evaluation processes to improve opportunities for ongoing learning.^[85]

At the heart of the FWP is the ambition to achieve systems change in the way services are designed and delivered in Clackmannanshire. This links into other policy interventions such as the Child Poverty Accelerator Fund, which encourages local innovation and service redesign to tackle child poverty, and builds on the Social Innovation Partnership’s Flourishing Lives model, in which services work to enhance people’s capabilities and increase their potential for wellbeing, based on the outcomes that matter to them as individuals.^[86] The Scottish Government has also produced a number of resources relating to systems change around child poverty in recent years, including a theory of change and logic model,^[87] an evaluation approach^[88] and a Child Poverty System Map.^[89] Each of these seek to develop an understanding of what systems change looks like with regards to child poverty, and sets out the Scottish Government’s key ambitions and intended outcomes in this respect.

Changes in local, Scottish, or UK government administrations result in shifts in policy that can either strengthen or weaken support for preventative and relational public services. For example, change to the Universal Credit system has already resulted in some families not now eligible for funded childcare places at Kidz World, a key part of the Child Wellbeing Partnership. This also means the profile of families accessing FWP is changeable over time. Political changes could affect the FWP's momentum, with new leadership potentially introducing policy reversals or shifting priorities. Continued political support is essential for the sustainability of FWP initiatives, ensuring that resources are aligned with long-term prevention goals rather. The broader legislative environment set out in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government (PfG) includes changes to, for instance, reform of the Scottish education landscape, a proposed National Care Service, changes in data-sharing regulations - all of which may also limit the ability of services to collaborate and share vital information, potentially reducing or enhancing the effectiveness of holistic and integrated service models.

Socioeconomic Context

The Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017 sets out statutory targets stating that, by 2030, less than 10% of children living in Scottish households should be living in relative poverty, less than 5% should be living in absolute poverty, less than 5% should be living in persistent poverty, and less than 5% should be living with combined low income and material deprivation.^[90] As of 2021/22, 28.3% of children in Clackmannanshire were living in poverty, compared to a Scottish average of 24.5%.^{[91] [2]} Since the Act was passed, the Scottish Government has published two Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plans setting out a range of actions aimed at reducing child poverty, including the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment and the delivery of Bridging Payments for school age children from low-income households.

The most recent of these Plans, Best Start, Brighter Futures, outlines the Scottish Government’s proposed approach to ensuring continued progress is made towards achieving these targets in the years 2022-26, including a commitment to “work with a selection of local authorities to transition to more enabling models of support through Family Wellbeing Partnerships.”^{[92] [3]} Through this kind of approach, the Scottish Government seeks to ensure that services operate in a person-centred and seamless way, to encourage and test innovative approaches and to learn from and share best practice with regards to bringing about wider system change to reduce child poverty.

In addition, the availability of employment opportunities and the overall health of the local economy play a crucial role in determining the success of employability programmes under the FWP. If there are limited job opportunities or a skills mismatch in Clackmannanshire, it may be challenging for participants to find sustainable employment even after completing vocational training. This could limit the overall success of the "Enhancing Employability" workstream and undermine efforts to boost financial stability for families in the region.

The COVID-19 pandemic, dramatically altered service needs and disrupted normal service delivery. During the crisis, the demand for mental health support, food services, and family interventions arguably increased. This stretched already limited resources and the legacy is arguably still contributing to making it more challenging for the FWP to achieve long-term outcomes. Nevertheless, the pandemic also highlighted the need for adaptable and resilient service delivery models.

Changes in population size, family structures, or migration patterns within Clackmannanshire could affect service demand. For example, an increase in the number of families with young children or an ageing population could place additional pressure on childcare services, social care, or housing support.

Financial Context

To date, the FWP is highly dependent on non-recurring additional funding from a variety of sources, as well as redirecting a proportion of non-ring-fenced council funding towards the FWP model. We expect to see ongoing pressures on Scottish public sector budgets, in the current Scottish Parliament which could limit the financial resources available to support FWP programmes. This could challenge the partnership’s ability to scale initiatives, maintain momentum, or provide comprehensive support to families. Shifts in Scottish and UK government priorities or overall economic instability could lead to funding reductions, potentially hindering progress towards the partnership’s long-term goals.

Local Need

The community’s social attitudes towards services, employment, and community participation can significantly influence engagement with FWP programmes. If certain sections of the community are hesitant to engage with public services due to, for example, adverse media coverage or the closure of particular services, it may limit the reach and impact of FWP initiatives.

The successes of the FWP approach are closely tied to trust between the community, the third sector and public bodies, which can be fragile due to historical distrust from past failures or perceived discrimination. Building and maintaining this trust is essential for fostering the relational service models central to the FWP's preventative approach. Without it, progress can be slowed, and the impact of the partnership’s initiatives diminished. The FWP relies heavily on third sector organisations for the delivery of many programmes. These organisations' capacity to collaborate effectively is critical for ensuring the success of integrated service models. However, if key third sector partners face financial or operational challenges (such as recruitment and retention), their ability to support the FWP may be reduced, potentially weakening the overall impact of the partnership and its ability to provide holistic, community-led support.

Vision

Clackmannanshire is recognised as a Wellbeing Economy, and the overarching public value proposition of the FWP is to realign the values, cultures and behaviours of the people who design and deliver services so that poverty and inequality are tackled head on, making an immediate and lifelong impact. It supports the development of a resilient community ecosystem in Clackmannanshire by implementing a systemic shift towards preventative and relational public services, and ensuring that the agency and voice of Clackmannanshire residents always direct the operations and designs of these services.

Inputs

Working towards that vision, from its inception, the FWP focus on understanding both the ‘purpose’ and ‘boundaries’ of the complex system it operates within, recognising that a system aware of itself is capable of change. Before any Scottish Government funding was allocated, officials and local partners engaged in a year-long period of trust-building and discussions. This groundwork helped align goals and explore how high-level policies could be effectively translated into practical actions.

The FWP and wider partners, including the Scottish Government, understood from the start that within a complex system different people within the community will always have different, and equally legitimate, perspectives and assumptions of the needs of the community and how best to achieve meaningful change, such as the reduction of poverty. Knowing that, the FWP listened and then purposefully and deliberately set out to give voice to the community with a focus on enhancing wellbeing and capabilities within those communities, so that everyone would have the opportunity to flourish. This thorough policy and challenge framing allowed the leadership of FWP to then scaffold services, policies and budgets to reflect and respond to the actual (and ever-changing) needs of the community. The FWP began as a focused way to deliver important outcomes locally against a range of nationally significant policy priorities.

From the ‘summer of wellbeing’ 2020 (which included free activities available for children, young people and families to try during the school holidays), small scale tests of change and partnerships with third sector organisations paved the way. These small-scale tests of change helped to foster further trust between partners, including the Scottish Government, and created opportunities for more focused work around key emerging work strands - including childcare and employability and other areas of need. With that focus on childcare, along with tapping into small investment opportunities through The Lens, momentum began. (The Lens is an independent charity that works with organisations across the Public, Private and Third Sectors).

Another key input, from the start, has been continuous leadership and development opportunities around Values Based Leadership working with Columba 1400, creating spaces for listening and reflecting, and more set training offers (for young people, communities, front line staff, leaders and elected members) around areas including trauma-informed practice to enhance skills and engagement. This leadership model provided both the permission and the trust from all partners, including the Scottish Government, to ‘lean in’ to this way of working and to secure early political and operational legitimacy for the FWP. This element of the FWP has provided visible and strong leadership and has subsequently had the knock on effect of providing trust and permission messages to the workforce to enable them to do things differently, see what happens, learn, and adapt.

From 2020, a growing number of specific resources, assets and inputs were brought together to support this way of working including direct funding from the Scottish Government. Sustained community engagement work established what the community wanted and recognised the difficulties they faced, particularly around transport and child care provision. The focus for the work centred initially on Alloa South and East communities, but has extended in more recent times to include other areas. The Scottish Government saw Clackmannanshire’s commitment to collaboration, especially across system boundaries - such as between schools, social work, and health services - as crucial in breaking down silos and ensuring integrated, holistic support for families.

The development of the FWP as a vehicle for innovative funding and commissioning has been a critical way for the FWP to develop more interconnections within the system. The FWP started with modest financial resources being brought together to support transformational budgeting and low-level investment, for example, through STRIVE and the Child Wellbeing Partnership (CWP). A challenge-fund type of initiative was established in partnership with The Lens. With set criteria around the aims of the FWP, a number of grants were given out which developed trust with the wider community. At both a political and corporate level, early success gave confidence to leaders within the Council, and also the evidence needed to invest more heavily in the FWP approach alongside specific Scottish Government funding to facilitate recruitment and ongoing support for initiatives like the Child Wellbeing Partnership. Since 2020, financial investment through the FWP has grown in tandem with the growth of the partnership itself. Up to 2024, it is estimated that £10 million has been invested through the FWP approach - a mix of Scottish Government funding for discrete policy areas, philanthropic funding and, in the main, the reallocation of existing Council core funding.

The targeted spend of resources, through the FWP, has relied on strong foundational collaborations with various stakeholders including schools, social work, police, the NHS the HSCP, third sector organisations and Clackmannanshire’s Third Sector Interface (CTSI). This, combined with a strong emphasis on partnership between public service providers, has enabled real and purposeful collaborative practice to be developed across system boundaries. Engagement between public sector organisations through the day-to-day running of FWP activities, including the police, social workers, teachers, and NHS staff, ensures integrated support and effective information sharing.

Close collaboration between the FWP and funders has been another important aspect of how the FWP has been financially governed and shaped. A strong degree of trust, openness and transparency, made possible through close collaboration, has enabled a more progressive, learning and improvement based approach to financial reporting to SG funders.

Core activities

Since 2020, core activities in the FWP have developed around four interconnected areas of work: Community Around The School (CATS) which focuses on ways to use the school as a community asset to provide experiential learning, family-focused events, and also attainment and employment support. Since 2020, this work has focussed on Alloa Academy and, more recently, has expanded into other secondary schools within Clackmannanshire;

The Child Wellbeing Partnership (CWP), activities of which include breakfast clubs, after-school childcare, holiday provision, food services, and transportation to support holistic child development and family wellbeing. Providing essential childcare support in community spaces has allowed other services to get involved and offer support to families in a variety of ways;

STRIVE, which is a multidisciplinary team approach to proactive, prevention focused interventions involving daily meetings, risk assessments, timely, targeted and coordinated support for families; and finally

The Enhancing Employability workstream, which improves employability support within Clackmannanshire for local families and aligns it more closely with the needs of local employers. Activities include the provision of vocational training and tailored support that is available for all eligible participants. Importantly, a member of staff from the Economic Development Team in Clackmannanshire Council has been located within the Family Wellbeing Partnership Team to maintain valuable links.

The FWP seeks to support all families with particular emphasis on families living in areas of high deprivation, such as Alloa South and East, as well as those facing multiple forms of disadvantage. The target groups for the interventions include:

• Lone-parent families
• Ethnic minority families
• Families with disabled individuals
• Families with three or more children
• Families with children under one year of age
• Families where the mother is under 25 years old
• Care-experienced families and young people

The FWP approach is distinct in that it operates through an integrated service model. An approach which can be likened to a ‘daisy chain’; when a family interacts with one part of the FWP, they are naturally connected to other services, without having to navigate the complexity of the system on their own. The services hook to each other like a ‘daisy chain’ around the family, ensuring their needs are met from multiple angles - whether it be through social support, child care, food security, transport, education, housing or financial support. By creating these links between services, the FWP ensures that families are supported holistically, with services working together to address not only immediate needs but also long-term wellbeing and stability.

Other important aspects of how the FWP operates differently include the belief that early, preventative interventions are more effective than crisis-driven responses. This shift to relational service delivery emphasises building trust and long-term relationships with families, allowing for ongoing support rather than short-term fixes. Staff and third sector partners are also encouraged to adopt innovative and collaborative methods in service delivery, with a strong focus on feedback loops and continuous learning. This system leadership model ensures that services adapt over time in response to evolving community needs.

The application of systems-based approaches within the FWP

As part of that system leadership role taken up by the FWP, a number of behaviours have been essential for realising the FWP Theory of Change in Clackmannanshire. They ensure that the approach remains holistic, inclusive, and adaptive, continuously aligning with the community’s needs and fostering resilient and supportive environments. This set of behaviours, woven through the ToC is a critical component.

• Knowing the ‘purpose’ of your collective journey - the vision to create a community where everyone has the opportunity to flourish and the radical shift towards a preventative and relational model of public services. There is moral purpose, leadership and shared commitment to shift operational capacity to achieve purpose.
• Ability to work across both personal/interpersonal and sector boundaries - all four activity areas exemplify working across personal, interpersonal, and sector boundaries through the integration of resources.
• Participation – engage in collaborative relationships and processes, which amplify the voices of those who have been marginalised: STRIVE emphasises collaborative engagement among staff from various sectors working together to provide early support and intervention. The voice strategy ensures people and communities are at the heart of decision-making, promoting collaborative relationships.
• Knowledge brokering - All four areas focus on learning from community feedback and continuously improving services based on shared knowledge and experiences.
• Relationship building - Community Around The School: Builds stronger relationships between schools and the community, fostering a sense of belonging and mutual support.
• Trust building - The emphasis on building trust within groups and communities is evident through approaches that foster community engagement and support, such as the CATS and Child Wellbeing Partnership (CWP).
• Humanity in services - The Child Wellbeing Partnership is restoring humanity in services by focusing on holistic child development and family support, addressing the broader wellbeing needs beyond traditional service delivery.
• Psychological adeptness - All four areas of FWP work shows the workforce’s ability to work with different paradigms, practices and mental models supported by Value Based Leadership interventions and training.
• Effective communication - Good communication is integral to the successes of the FWP approach which relies on regular feedback, community input, and transparent information-sharing.
• Appreciative mindset - all four areas focus on capitalising on community strengths and capabilities to improve outcomes, fostering a constructive and positive approach to service delivery.
• Reflective practice - CATS encourages reflection and adaptation based on ongoing feedback and community engagement, ensuring that activities remain aligned with evolving needs.
• Curiosity and Inquiry - STRIVE uses feedback from regular questionnaires and interviews to continuously explore and improve their intervention strategies.
• Ceding power - Enhancing Employability used their resources to fund a post within FWP recognising the system benefit as well as ultimately the benefit to Employability Services.

Further ingredients for how the FWP developed

Early on there were:

• conditions for genuinely listening to local people and responding to what they see as the barriers for them - inclusion as prevention
• many innovative ‘authorising environments’ to enable more relational time and space to be with families and for families to be with each other
• creating and converting opportunities for individuals to understand the benefits of engaging with its activities, encouraging them to get involved, contribute, and make meaningful progress.

Which allowed:

• values based experiential leadership programmes for people working locally
• strong trust and permission messages from leaders for staff to do things differently, learn and adapt
• driven, strategic leadership to make the policy, financial and political case for investment in the FWP
• an innovative funding mix - through the FWP - to achieve alignment to national and local policy ambitions

Leading to :

• cross-team working bridging system boundaries
• welcoming new partners to work this way
• effective information sharing between agencies
• practical integrated service models
• an ethos of collaborative practice
• a spirit of co-evolution of services

And realising:

• system maturity, including parts of the system prepared to cede power (and resource) for the sake of securing wider system outcomes through the FWP

Outputs

In terms of outputs at the individual, family, and community level, the FWP measures its impact through a variety of key indicators. One crucial metric is the number of families actively accepting support through the FWP’s integrated service offerings. This output tracks not just initial engagements but also the sustained relationships formed with families, providing insight into the length of engagement and the depth of support provided. The FWP also monitors participation in community events, noting the number of families attending these activities, as they serve as links to further support services and community connection.

The number of visits families have with health services, statutory services and third sector services are also important outputs. These figures help assess how well the FWP is facilitating access to a broad range of services, ensuring that families’ needs are being met across various points. The number and type of referrals made are important outputs and finally, the use of services, such as family support services, childcare, are essential outputs that indicate how well the FWP is helping to build a supportive community infrastructure around families.

At the service and system level of the FWP, a key output to note is the growing number of partners engaged in the FWP, spanning across public, private, and third sector organisations. Similarly, the number of sessions and events run across the FWP’s various work streams demonstrates the breadth of engagement opportunities provided to both families and service providers.

New partnership collaboration agreements are another output, clearly showing commitments between different organisations to work together within the FWP framework. The development of data-sharing agreements is also a critical measure as are the introduction of new policies, guidance, and training to ensure the FWP remains responsive to community needs.

We also have identified system-level outputs which include:

• New partnership agreements across organisations delivering services
• New data sharing agreements for organisations delivering services
• New policies, guidance and training for organisations delivering services
• New commissioning and funding agreements across organisations delivering services

These system-level outputs will help enable service improvements and transformation.

Assumptions

There are a number of assumptions which reflect the conditions and factors needed to support the implementation and development of the FWP. First, the FWP knows its system. It is a small geographical area and many people know each other well, including their roles, and there is good understanding about what different services offer. This assumption ensures that relationships, which are the context for collaboration, remain focused on holistic solutions that cut across traditional service boundaries.

The successes of the FWP are also dependent on clear policy framing at both the national and local levels. The assumption here is that policies to tackle child poverty are understood and provide a framework to ensure that the FWP’s operations align with strategic goals set out in government policies aimed at reducing child poverty and improving wellbeing. This clarity in policy ensures that services, budgets, and collaborative efforts are better aligned toward shared outcomes. It also assumes that policies will remain supportive of preventative and relational approaches, providing a stable framework within which the FWP can operate and grow.

The sustainability of the FWP hinges on the assumption that an innovative funding mix will continue to align with both national and local policy ambitions. This mix includes funding from the Scottish Government, philanthropic sources, and the reallocation of Council resources. The assumption here is that this blend of financial support will not only remain available but will also be adaptable enough to respond to the changing needs of the FWP as it scales and evolves. This assumption is crucial for ensuring that the FWP can continue to invest in services that support preventative and holistic approaches to family and community wellbeing.

There is a strong collaborative ethos built into the work of the FWP. For instance, Community Around The School (CATS) is helping to transform schools into community hubs that extend their role beyond education to become centres of social and familial support, integrating family support services directly within educational settings and engaging local organisations to foster supportive community networks. Similarly, STRIVE coordinates efforts across multiple service areas to provide proactive support, focusing on early detection and intervention in potential familial and individual crises. The Child Wellbeing Partnership (CWP) embeds a holistic support system for children and families that scales across age groups, integrating educational, health, and social services, and ensuring services are co-designed with community input. The Enhancing Employability approach links employment services directly to educational and social services, providing a continuum of support that facilitates transitions into employment, and tailors employment opportunities to meet both community needs and local job market demands.

Another assumption and key ingredient has been a number of system leadership practices that have been modelled throughout this work. The work of the FWP has been very deliberate in its creation of a range of welcoming ‘authorising environments’ where practitioners can spend more time with families, and also provide spaces for families to connect with each other, building, bridging and bonding relationships, and have opportunities for feedback.

The FWP recognised that those with sharpest focus on how to address needs are those most affected by the issues. The community itself wants to do things to support itself. Collectively, community members have many skills and experiences to share with each other, to support other individuals and families, to reduce loneliness and support their mental health. The FWP activities are all designed to create opportunities for people to share and develop together, then converting those opportunities for people to reclaim skills, agency and meaning in spaces that offer acceptance and belonging. The FWP then is an approach of support, community, place, citizenship and self. The FWP releases the skills, capabilities and experiences that underpin this. The power in this is undeniable and truly changes and enhances the lives of local families who engage with the services of the FWP.

Reaction

Undertaking all these activities has begun to change the system dynamics and an environment has emerged that fosters wellbeing and enhances individual capabilities. It offers renewed opportunities for people to flourish. There is a significant and ongoing shift towards preventative and relational public services, which prioritises early intervention and holistic support. The strong voice and agency of Clackmannanshire residents has ensured that the community is integral to decision-making processes. This has empowered individuals and strengthened the community as a whole, driving sustainable and impactful change. They ensure that the approach remains holistic, inclusive, and adaptive, continuously aligning with the community’s needs and fostering resilient and supportive environments.

Outcomes

There are two levels of intended outcomes. First, we consider outcomes at the individual, family and community levels, seeking to understand the desired impacts on people’s wellbeing. Second, we consider service/system change outcomes, at the local and national levels.

Moreover, we separate intended outcomes into three different phases, understanding that change happens at different speeds. We therefore consider outcomes at the individual/family and system-level in the short-term (up to 6 months), medium-term (6 months to 36 months) and long-term (4+ years).

Short-Term Outcomes (up to 6 months)

In the short term, the FWP aims to deliver significant improvements in how individuals, families, and communities access support and services. One of the immediate outcomes is making it easier for individuals to access the right support, ensuring that services are more visible and approachable. This includes raising awareness of available benefits and other forms of support, enabling individuals and families to better navigate the system. Alongside this, there is a focus on improving financial literacy, with families developing the ability to budget effectively and manage their finances in ways that reduce debt and alleviate stress around, for example, food, energy, and housing.

Through the FWP activities, as well as this new knowledge, immediate reaction can be relief, increased confidence, self esteem, self care as well as wider mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. Also, as family needs are met more immediately, families are also encouraged to participate in community activities, and that immediately helps foster a greater sense of belonging and inclusion.

At the service and system level, there is an increase in the number of partners engaged in delivering integrated services. The FWP provides vision, trust and permission for services to act differently and that creates energy, better communication and collaboration and, this also, quickly creates stronger commitments to common outcomes, ensuring that everyone is aligned with the FWP’s vision. Furthermore, the shift toward person-centred service delivery strengthens the relationship between community members and service providers. As individuals experience services that are responsive to their unique needs, trust grows between the community and those providing support.

At the service level, the FWP made significant initial progress in establishing effective cross-sector collaboration, with schools, social services, health providers, and third sector organisations working more cohesively. The introduction of STRIVE enabled timely interventions, reduced the reliance on crisis services by addressing issues from some families before they escalated. This collaborative, relational approach built trust between service providers and the community, ensuring that residents felt more supported. At the system level, public services began integrating more effectively, with sharing data and the further adoption of system leadership behaviours promoting a stronger culture of innovation and collaboration across services. The commonality across outcomes such as increased community engagement, enhanced wellbeing, skills development, and improved access to support services underscores the systems approach being taken.

Medium-Term Outcomes (6-36 months)

After six months, the FWP seeks to generate deeper, more sustainable changes at the individual, family, community, service, and system levels. For individuals and families, there is expected to be improved confidence and a renewed sense of hope for the future. By continuing to engage with a variety of services, individuals gain the confidence to explore new opportunities, both socially and professionally, which in turn leads to a greater willingness to engage in new social interactions and build stronger community networks.

For children and young people, improvements in school attendance and educational outcomes become more noticeable as families are supported in creating stable environments for learning and development. The effort to stay engaged with services over time signals a shift in mindset, where individuals and families are not just receiving one-off support but are actively participating in their own journey toward better outcomes. This results in more sustainable improvements in underlying issues such as financial stability, mental health, and addressing barriers to employability through services like childcare and transport. Over time, individuals develop greater agency and resilience, empowering them to make decisions that align with their life goals.

At the service and system level, the FWP continues to drive a transformation in how services are delivered and experienced. With policy and leadership support for innovative and values-based approaches, staff begin to feel a greater sense of agency and empowerment. This shared sense of purpose further embeds shared values and goals across different sectors. Collaborative approaches to service delivery become more deeply rooted as systems leadership and joint working models are normalised.

Longer term outcomes (4+ years)

After 4 years, the FWP will have a lasting and transformative impact on individuals, families, and communities in Clackmannanshire. At the individual and family level, the focus on sustained personal agency and empowerment will allow people to take control of their lives and futures, shaping their trajectories based on evolving values, capabilities, and life goals. Children growing up in stable, supportive environments will benefit from intergenerational wellbeing, leading to improved educational success, and less poverty. Individuals and families will feel a stronger sense of belonging, actively participating in the life of their communities.

At the service and system levels, the FWP's approach will become embedded and sustainable across all partner services. This model of mutual trust and shared values will support new and adaptive service delivery models that evolve in response to local needs and emerging national policy direction. The FWP’s success will be marked by cross-sector collaboration becoming the norm, with more public services adopting the proactive, preventative, and relational approaches championed by the FWP. Over time, these approaches will lead to more efficient, effective, and responsive services that are continuously improved through feedback from active local communities.

Clackmannanshire will emerge as a national model for a Wellbeing Economy, where public services are co-designed with the community to reduce poverty and create generational wellbeing. The FWP will leave a legacy of reducing poverty and inequality ensuring a thriving and sustainable community for future generations. The systemic change brought about by the FWP will pave the way for similar place-based collaborations to be adopted by other local authorities across Scotland, further embedding this model into national policy frameworks. As funding shifts from non-recurring, catalytic investments to more sustainable, long-term financial planning, the FWP’s influence will be integral to continued progress in poverty reduction and social cohesion across Scotland.

To accelerate the pace of change and ensure better policy coherence and financial alignment, Clackmannanshire Council has created a “One Plan, One Report”. This plan will outline the development of the FWP as a comprehensive system-based approach addressing over 10 key national policy areas and local priorities. The FWP will continue to serve as an innovative financial vehicle to secure necessary investments in prevention and poverty reduction outcomes. This approach exemplifies ever developing system change where local strategies and funding are aligned not only with local priorities but also with national policy directions, ensuring overall policy coherence. For example, thanks to the FWP approach and inclusion of employability in the process there are opportunities to link UK Shared Prosperity Funds with the FWP and collaborate on projects from April 2025.

The ambition of the FWP to ‘get our bairns back’- to reconnect with children and families who need support - will be realised, ensuring that those most in need are continuously engaged with the services that sustain their development throughout their childhood and beyond. This legacy will serve to drive long-term social and economic transformation across communities.

Meeting the vision

A critical aspect of the FWP’s long-term vision is to reduce child poverty and foster an inclusive and equitable community. The principles of inclusion are woven into all activity areas ensuring that every initiative contributes in real ways. For instance, the community engagement strategies in CATS and the holistic support in the Child Wellbeing Partnership (CWP) are designed to address and reduce disparities, promoting social cohesion. This inclusive culture is essential for the success of the Enhancing Employability initiative, as it ensures that participants, regardless of their background, have access to employment opportunities and support. The systemic emphasis on inclusion across all areas creates more harmonious and supportive communities, where diversity is celebrated, and everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

The interconnectedness of the FWP’s initiatives ensures that the long-term impact extends beyond immediate outcomes, creating a generational legacy. By addressing root causes and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, the partnership lays the groundwork for future generations. Children growing up in this supportive environment are more likely to achieve educational success, secure stable employment, and contribute positively to their community. This generational impact is reinforced by success in one area, which supports and enhances outcomes in others. The systemic approach ensures that the benefits of the FWP are not just immediate but will continue to evolve and improve the community over time, creating a lasting legacy of resilience and wellbeing.