Family Wellbeing Partnership in Clackmannanshire: evaluation

6. Enhancing Employability

6.1 Enhancing Employability context and evolution

The Employability workstream of the FWP has aimed to enhance support to unemployed people and low income parents looking to enter the labour market or increase skills to secure higher paying jobs, with a focus on flexible working opportunities, training, and employability initiatives. The key activities of the employability workstream include:

• Delivering person centred employability programmes through Clackmannanshire Works, the council’s in-house employability team.
• Referrals for holistic support, such as childcare solutions, financial advice, and vocational training.
• Collaborating with third sector organisations to provide flexible, community-based support.
• Enhancing employer engagement to develop ring fenced opportunities and promote flexible working arrangements.
• Embedding Enhancing Employability within FWP to ensure a connected system.

As seen in Figure 4 below, this workstream is about connecting people involved in the FWP into existing pipelines to employment and training at different points. As such, Enhancing Employability should be seen as a connected approach to working, rather than a specific programme or initiative. Specifically, the focus has been on engaging with families participating in FWP activities and linking individuals to the support that best meets their needs. Its aim is to connect people to support that is right for them at that time, be that engagement support for those who are economically inactive through the Clackmannanshire Economic Regeneration Trust (CERT), or key worker support for overcoming barriers to employment or skills development through Clacks Works, right through to in-employment support.

This workstream has sought to address both immediate and long-term needs of families by facilitating integrated services in education, childcare, and employability, ensuring a seamless connection between resources for ongoing, relational support. In the short term, the workstream aimed to raise awareness of learning and employment opportunities. Over the medium term, it focused on addressing barriers such as financial instability, mental health, and access to childcare and transport. Ultimately, the long-term goal was to improve life outcomes by enhancing employability, vocational skills, and fostering financial stability for families through sustained access to training and employment opportunities.

Important linkages and brokerage between the community, FWP and employability services have been provided by the Child Poverty Coordinator, Employability Lead and Partnership Officer posts embedded within the FWP, which have played a strategic role in aligning employability and economic development efforts with the FWP’s broader objectives. These positions are critical in fostering collaboration and delivering targeted initiatives around training, confidence building and hands-on experience of work to address unemployment, poverty, and access to opportunities. The postholders worked closely with FWP’s leadership and local authority teams to align economic development goals, particularly around improving employability for marginalised groups, with the partnership’s holistic, community-centred approach. The posts ensured that employability initiatives being delivered within the FWP were integrated into broader economic strategies for Clackmannanshire, helping bridge gaps between local labour market needs and community readiness and playing a key role in supporting employability-focused programmes. The posts facilitated relationships with local employers to provide apprenticeship and work experience opportunities, and focused on supporting families experiencing long-term unemployment or economic inactivity by connecting them to services like the One Stop Support Shop sessions in collaboration with CATS, which provided financial guidance and helped stabilise their economic situations.

Mapping the Enhancing Employability System

Figure 4 below provides a visual overview of key partners, stakeholders and activities involved in the Enhancing Employability workstream. There are a number of partners who act as key links and coordinators, for example, the economic development post embedded within the FWP team. Partners, including CERT, Clacks Works and the DWP, provide individuals with a variety of forms of support depending on their personal employability journey. Other key partner bodies include the Local Employability Partnership and the Clackmannanshire Business Support Partnership.

The employability pathway can be understood in relation to the personal journey individuals undertake from the point of initial referral onwards, with a number of key partners coordinating to provide a variety of forms of support at different stages of this journey.

1. Personal Journey stages

1. DWP referrals

2. CERT – support for non-engaged, economically inactive individuals

3. Clacks Works – key-worker support for people facing multiple barriers to employment

4. Employer engagement / DWP Work Coaches

5. Employment / Apprenticeships / Further and Higher Education

2. Coordinating partners

• Wellbeing Alliance
• Columba1400
• Child Poverty Coordinator
• An Economic Development post (linked to the FWP team)

Linking into the other FWP workstreams:

• STRIVE
• CATS
• CWP

3. Community Support Services

Practical and financial wrap-around services include:

• Community House: help accessing social security, Best Start Grants, disability payments
• Childcare and Childminding Pathways Group: flexible childcare for parents entering the labour market
• Clackmannanshire Works: money advice, IT access, vocational training, work experience, employability skills, job matching, barrier-removal fund
• Family financial advice: targeted guidance for families

4. Key Partnership Bodies

Two strategic forums help to oversee and align employability activity:

• Local Employability Partnership (Clackmannanshire Council). Economic Development, CLD, Education, Housing and Community Justice, DWP, SDS, Forth Valley College, NHS Forth Valley, CTSI, Developing Young Workforce, Ceteris-Business Gateway, University of Stirling, Clacks Provider Network
• Clacks Business Support Partnership (Clackmannanshire Council). Economic Development, CTSI, Forth Valley College, Ceteris-Business Gateway, Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, Clacks First, Alloa First, Discover Clacks, VisitScotland, Social Enterprise, Developing the Young Workforce Forth Valley

The evaluation of Enhancing Employability was based on the data collected as follows.

Table 9: Enhancing Employability Key data sources

Qualitative interviews with families - 6

FWP staff and stakeholder interviews - 19 in total

Survey responses from wider partners - 15 in total

Case study evidence - 8 case studies, collected by Enhancing Employability key workers as part of their regular reporting. Case studies conducted with employability participants.

Local employment rates and child poverty rates - Data on wider trends relevant to Enhancing Employability activities (e.g., local employment rates and child poverty rates) is drawn upon for comparative purposes and to illustrate Clackmannanshire-wide trends since the onset of Enhancing Employability. There are a number of limitations to using this data as an evidence source regarding the impact of Enhancing Employability, which are discussed in the chapter.

Qualitative data collected for this workstream was strong with a range of participants reached and interviewed. The case studies undertaken by support workers offered substantial insight into the experiences of those accessing services. However, data was collected at one time point with no long-term outcomes captured through follow ups. Quantitative data was limited and as such, no major conclusions with respect to long-term substantive material changes for families can be drawn.

6.2 Enhancing Employability Process Evaluation

Below, we present our findings on the general impacts of Enhancing Employability on public service delivery and system change in Clackmannanshire according to key outcomes identified in the Theory of Change. We discuss these themes in the context of the strengths and challenges of Enhancing Employability.

Strengths of the Enhancing Employability approach

One Stop Support Shop Approach

The One Stop Support Shop approach – developed in collaboration with CATS - brings together key partners - including NHS services and third sector organisations - into accessible community spaces, such as schools and communities. This coordinated model was designed to make it easier for residents of Clackmannanshire to access support with benefit claims, financial guidance, and related advice. According to practitioner interviews, this has helped many families stabilise their immediate circumstances and begin taking steps toward longer-term goals, including employability. At the One Stop Support Shop sessions staff play an important role in enhancing employability by addressing the financial and practical barriers that often prevent people from engaging in work or training. By improving household stability and confidence through accessible support, the model contributes to creating the conditions in which employability becomes a more realistic and achievable pathway.

According to interview feedback and case studies, the One Stop Shop approach has enabled people to enhance their skills, confidence, and economic prospects, demonstrating the power of relational and tailored support through key workers, in transforming lives. This is evidenced through multiple case studies detailing how participation in paid and unpaid work placements and associated training created pathways into employment such as those with Early Learning Centres and education establishments. This leads onto further accredited training once in work helping to secure sustainable employment. For example, from the 2023/4 cohort, five of the six participants who completed the full childcare pathway went on to secure paid, sustainable employment locally.

Feedback from case studies suggests that daily contact with key workers does not only lead to further training and paid employment but also noticeable improvements in participant self confidence and future-planning skills. One interviewee, for example, described how their employability key worker had reached out and engaged with them in person at a Practical Cookery course they were attending, helping them book onto courses for a number of relevant qualifications and eventually to secure employment suited to their interests and childcare needs.^[65]

Collaboration with employers, other FWP workstreams and third sector organisations

By aligning services with the needs of local employers and focusing on systemic changes, like lack of childcare and poor transport, the initiative strives for a future where individuals can access seamless, ongoing support. As one interviewee explained:

“The goal is not just to get people into jobs, but to create systems that support them to thrive in the long term.”

The Wellbeing Alliance Scotland, with FWP funding, brought together the Local Employability Partnership and Business Support Partnership to look at user engagement, employer engagement and service design. An action plan was created and executed including, for example, how to ensure a smoother route for clients, create flexible working to increase the recruitment pool, interview skills, and job application support. The work also informed the terms of the business gateway contract along with guiding and informing the content for induction practices, fair work practices, support through events, and support from partner organisations for employers to tap into, such as the Working Lives Project.

Responses to the FWP Stakeholder Survey provide evidence of some success in this respect, with one respondent based in a public sector organisation in Clackmannanshire describing their involvement with the workstream as resulting in their organisation “offering flexible work placements to parents to upskill and support them to be ready for work.”

Through the Child Poverty Coordinator post and a number of wider structures put in place, such as the various FWP governance teams, there has been close collaboration between employment services, the Child Wellbeing Partnership (CWP) and all FWP workstreams. This collaboration involves staff across Clackmannanshire Council, the DWP, the CWP, the FWP, Ceteris Business Gateway, CERT and the FWP funded Columba 1400 Employability Cohort sharing values and goals. Regular discussions are still held exploring the needs of parents on their current client list and routes to meeting these. The Parental Employability team are also participating in the Childminding and Childcare Pathways group work. They are sharing their understanding of the employment market and the needs of parents seeking employment, as well as funding to support parents into training and employment. This collaboration led to six parents being offered a six-month paid placement within Clackmannanshire ELC settings. These placements include a basic introduction to childcare qualifications and access to a mentor with a view to then accessing a place on further training or employment.

As mentioned, key personnel in the Enhancing Employability workstream have been the Child Poverty Coordinator post and the Economic Development Employability Lead post, supporting collaboration and providing links into the FWP, with both sitting within the FWP Operational Team. These posts helped to signpost flexible childcare opportunities for parents entering the labour market, linking strongly with staff in the CWP.

Upskilling Early Learning Centre staff with Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQ) allowed learning assistants the opportunity to apply for better paid positions, which in turn created learning assistant posts for participants coming through the childcare pathway. There was a childminding recruitment campaign delivered with the CWP and Childminding Association to identify and provide flexible working opportunities for parents and increase childcare provision. One interviewee pointed out that,

“tailoring jobs to match participants' circumstances, such as offering flexible working hours or part-time roles, helps individuals balance employment with personal responsibilities like childcare or health challenges”.

She went on to describe how this flexible approach removes barriers and opens up opportunities for people who might otherwise struggle to enter or sustain employment:

“It’s about finding ways to make jobs fit people’s lives, not the other way around.”

As set out in the case studies supplied as part of this evaluation, this concept extends to working with employers, where the focus is on encouraging practices like ring-fencing roles for participants and offering flexible arrangements that accommodate diverse needs. One respondent to the FWP Stakeholder Survey highlighted the NHS Demonstrator programme (established using wider No One Left Behind Funding) as an example of a local public sector employer which had been influenced by involvement in the FWP, offering flexible work placements to parents to upskill and support their readiness for work. In addition, collaboration with Flexibility Works (SIP partner), introduced through the FWP helps both participants and employers identify ways to create adaptable working environments.

Challenges faced by Enhancing Employability

Despite these strengths and achievements, Enhancing Employability also faced a number of challenges in achieving the outcomes set out in the Theory of Change.

Lack of available local jobs

A key challenge of employability activities in Clackmannanshire has been a lack of jobs in the local area. As one staff manager said,

“There are no jobs in the area, so unless someone can create jobs our focus needs to be to prepare people with the right skills and things like transport links, reliable childcare to help them become economically active in the wider area.”

In the FWP Stakeholder Survey, respondents also highlighted the limited job availability in Clackmannanshire and the lack of availability of affordable public transport as key challenges which had been raised in community consultations.

Summary of activities driving change

Based on interview feedback with staff, the support activities that have driven the most significant changes for participants include access to childcare, financial and mentoring support for training, and mentoring for local council job applications. Access to temporary childcare, especially in the context of high childcare costs, was crucial in enabling parents to transition into employment.

Additionally, the financial support provided by key workers for training costs, coupled with one-on-one mentoring, was instrumental in helping participants gain new skills and secure employment opportunities. The tailored support for applying to local council jobs, as demonstrated in several case studies, also proved critical, highlighting the importance of accessible, stable employment within the public sector. This suggests that investing in local public sector opportunities not only provides sustainable employment options but also contributes to broader economic stability for families.

6.3 Enhancing Employability Impact Evaluation

We present our findings below on the general impacts on Enhancing Employability participants according to several key themes, before discussing the activities that drove these changes.

6.3.1 Impacts of Enhancing Employability on FWP Participants

Awareness of training and employment opportunities

Key workers employed by Clacks Works play a key role in all employability support within Clackmannanshire, including the Enhancing Employability workstream, by providing support and mentoring of various kinds to individuals seeking employment. There is interview and case study evidence of how key worker support has led to positive changes in participants' capabilities, particularly in terms of gaining awareness of training and employment opportunities, as well as improving employability outcomes. Many participants received tailored support from key workers to access relevant courses, gain certifications, and access work experience, which directly facilitated access to paid employment. The FWP approach means that opportunities for collaboration and additional programmes that key workers can link their clients into are more frequently available.

Two participants who were interviewed for the evaluation highlighted that without their key workers, their knowledge and understanding of what they could access would have been significantly reduced, with others suggesting that their key workers helped them to take part in wider employability activities, such as attending THRIVE to Keep Well^[66] programmes and community activities.

“I would stay in the house cleaning all day, every day, when the kids are at school, so it was like [key worker was] like let’s do something, so she said about Thrive. So, I started Thrive in August and it is brilliant.”

“[key worker] also helped me get a bus pass because I don't like drive at the moment. So, she helped me get a bus pass. So now I've been into Stirling now…”

Positive impacts are further evidenced in a number of case studies collected by the employability team. For example, Molly*^[67] benefited from support to attend IT and vocational courses, leading to a successful placement with Clackmannanshire Council. Similarly, Sarah* received assistance to identify and fund a course, enabling her to start her own business. In other cases, support provided was more multifaceted, helping participants not only with job applications but also with obtaining a driving license, and enabling access to childcare. Participants also gained access to volunteering opportunities, which often led to further paid employment. There are examples where training participants became volunteer assistants and facilitators, eventually securing paid work placements. For example, Lucie* transitioned from an employability programme to a six-month paid placement, which later led to a permanent job at the local council.

Overall, the employability support offered through the FWP enabled participants to access vital training, gain hands-on experience, and improve key capabilities such as ability to travel, qualifications, and local professional networks, leading to potentially more sustainable employment outcomes.

Improving mental health & wellbeing

Qualitative evidence gathered from interviews and case studies indicates that the FWP’s support has led to improvements in participants' mental health and wellbeing, primarily through enhancing confidence, self-worth, and mood. Direct assistance in accessing training opportunities, securing job placements, and improving employability skills helped foster a sense of optimism and gratitude. Increased interaction with other people in workplaces and the community through employability programmes furthermore improved confidence. By exposing participants to new opportunities that aligned with their interests and needs, key workers contributed to more positive emotional outcomes, improved self-esteem and reduced substance abuse.

One interviewee described how much of a difference accessing support from the employability provision had had on their mental wellbeing:

“Because I was under so much stress, obviously when you fall behind the bills and you know there is help out there but sometimes specific services have specific help that they can offer…so, it's a huge relief and it helped my mental health a lot, you know? Even when I told them that, you know, I’m stressed, I suffer from depression and anxiety and things like that, they offer me, there is this support, there is this. You can access this online. You know, they always had an answer about something.”

Furthermore, Molly* reported a significant boost in confidence after gaining new skills and securing a work placement. Sue* also reported improved mental health through a combination of practical support, such as financial support for childcare access and new clothing, which helped her feel more confident in her job. Her key worker observed that she became noticeably more upbeat and received positive feedback from her employer too which boosted her confidence, and she even treated her key worker to coffee and cake as a thank you for the support.

Respondents to the stakeholder survey who were primarily involved with the Employability workstream also highlighted reduced social isolation as an impact they had observed amongst families/individuals involved in the FWP. One described a further impact of the FWP as being that there is now “a much greater reach into providing support and engagements with more families”, and felt that “this will be the first essential step to improving the wellbeing of all.”^[68]

Long-term employability, skills and financial stability

The FWP estimates that 1,000+ individuals have been supported through employability-related activities since 2020, with approximately 300 families annually benefiting, directly or indirectly, from employability improvements, such as gaining qualifications, accessing work placements, or securing employment.

There is some case study evidence that participation in employability programmes has led to increases in employment. For example, Lucie*, already introduced above, got a local council job while Molly* secured a placement with the council. There is also some case study evidence of support with benefit applications, and the provision of food and energy vouchers, which improved financial stability. However, there is currently an absence of evidence about long-term employment and financial stability outcomes.

More broadly, the FWP’s impacts on long-term employability and financial stability are inconclusive at this evaluation stage. Some individual case studies were shared which demonstrate some medium-term outcomes, as described above, but no quantitative data on employment outcomes of participants was made available for this evaluation. Individual level outcomes are furthermore shaped by broader factors. Aggregate labour market data does not evidence any significant improvements in employment outcomes at the local council level since 2020, and the latest local child poverty statistics do not indicate a fall in the child poverty rate in Clackmannanshire over the duration of this evaluation^[69]. While the unemployment rate in Clackmannanshire has gone down slightly from 4.7% to 4.1% in the years 2022 to 2023, this is not attributable to an increase in employment but increased labour market exit.^[70] These are important trends, which are shaped by broader national policy and economic developments, and provide a challenging context for FWP-supported employability activities. Possible drivers of increased labour market exit include long-term sickness, which has been the main driver of economic inactivity across Scotland since the COVID-19 pandemic^[71]. Job density locally has furthermore remained very low, meaning that there have been on average 0.5 jobs for each person aged 16-64 in Clackmannanshire^[72].

6.3.2 Outcomes achieved through collaboration with other FWP workstreams

Access to childcare

Access to childcare emerged as a critical factor in supporting parents' transitions into employment, and successful collaboration with the Child Wellbeing Partnership (CWP) proved crucial in facilitating this. The CWP and Clacks Works key worker team have an established collaboration practice, which includes referring families to each other, reviewing labour market needs and employment needs of parents, and providing targeted support for families. High childcare costs are a well-documented barrier to employment for many parents, and temporary paid childcare provided by the CWP allowed some to overcome this challenge during key employment transitions. Moreover, this additional childcare support helped mitigate some of the negative impacts of national policies like the two-child benefit cap, which disproportionately affects low-income families with multiple children.

Case study evidence provides further insights into these impacts of successful collaboration. For example, Sue* received one month's paid childcare for her two-year-old, which allowed her to focus on starting a new job. She also received clothing support to boost her confidence in her new role. Moreover, Sue's other children were supported through the CWP, which helped her manage childcare costs and lessen the financial strain caused by the two-child benefit cap. This comprehensive support helped her to transition smoothly into employment. In the case of Dan*, the provision of wraparound childcare and support for school enrolment enabled him to take on a new job.

However, not all cases resulted in a direct increase of employment. Lea*, for example, faced more complex childcare needs due to her child’s additional support needs, which involved regular hospital appointments and prevented her from accessing employment opportunities. However, she was able to benefit from a referral to a local peer support group, (which emerged from FWP work), providing valuable emotional support for both her and her children, with the CWP also providing wraparound care for her primary aged children and supporting her to access an evening course at a college.

In an interview, a participant explained how the combination of childcare support helped her access employment and ease financial stress:

“I went to DWP and they suggested if I want to work with Clacks Works, because I was looking for a job (...). So eventually, before Clacks Works contacted me I had found work and I was just paying everything, borrowing money, all things you know, in order to pay because they were all in private [nursery], right. And then the Clacks Works [key worker] phoned me. And they say oh, DWP told us that you are looking for a job and I said “Look, I don't want to take someone else’s space, I already found a job” but they were like “we see you have concerns with childcare, does that still apply?” and I'm like “yes”. So I met with my case worker and they talked me through all the options and things like that and things that were meant to come and it was like I just wanted to cry.”^[73]

Overall, the CWP’s ability to provide additional childcare, as well as ongoing support for childcare costs, played a pivotal role in helping parents access training, and secure and sustain employment. This childcare provision has allowed parents to access support such as the ‘Thrive to Keep Well’ programme to allow parents to increase their confidence and wellbeing and set goals towards employment.^[74] For example, one of the participants who had attended the programme said:

“I went to Thrive, that was the first thing…I went to Thrive and it was just....it literally changed my life…I found I was interested in arts and crafts and stuff and it really, really helped me therapeutically, you know, and then meeting that group and trusting people…I feel more confident”.

This demonstrates a strength of the FWP’s holistic approach to family support. At the same time, the evidence reveals the ongoing challenges faced by parents affected by the two-child benefit cap and those with more complex childcare needs, where even with additional support, barriers remained significant.

6.4 Summary

Overall, there is qualitative evidence of short- and medium-term positive impacts of FWP employability programmes on the awareness of training and employment opportunities, access to training and work placements, and improved mental health and wellbeing of participants. Strengths of the service delivery model of Enhancing Employability include the collaboration with CATS to introduce the One Stop Support Shop approach, the development of new programmes for local communities, and the close collaborations with employers, third sector organisations and other FWP workstreams, especially CWP. Case study evidence illustrated personal growth and employability improvements for some participants. These outcomes are particularly strong in addressing parents’ short-term skill gaps and employability barriers.

Participants in interviews reported enhanced mental health and wellbeing due to increased self-esteem, reduced isolation, and better support networks as a result of participation in the workstream. Creating confidence and self-esteem clearly generated social interactions, optimism and a sense of accomplishment. However, the broader extent of impact on mental health outcomes across the workstream remains unknown due to a lack of monitoring and measurement of this. In addition, there have not, to date, been clear impacts of FWP employability programmes on aggregate employment rates, skills and poverty levels in Clackmannanshire, with improved data collection and monitoring of long-term outcomes for participants needed to demonstrate this, as well as policy innovation locally and nationally. There is qualitative evidence of success in facilitating access to local council employment, but labour market data suggests that despite their participation in employability programmes, many local families face significant barriers to long-term well-paid employment due to persistently low labour demand in the local economy, which the FWP hopes to address in part by exploring ways of improving the availability of affordable transport solutions in Clackmannanshire. As a first step the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland (WEAll) was commissioned to develop a Wellbeing Economy Framework for Transport. A steering group was set up which includes NHS Forth Valley, Transport Officers, Third Sector, Child Poverty Coordinator and FWP. It is expected that a report on this work will be submitted to Council in October 25.