Family Wellbeing Partnership in Clackmannanshire: evaluation

8. Key findings

This chapter presents key findings in relation to our core hypotheses for the Theory of Change in relation to (1) Individual, Family and Community Wellbeing and (2) Public Service Delivery Transformation (as described in the ToC framework in Chapter 2). Following this, a summary assessment of progress made in terms of family outcomes and systems outcomes is presented, including what has been achieved, what remains to do and what is not known.

8.1 Individual, Family and Community Wellbeing

H1 The person-centred, place-based approach to family wellbeing enables FWP staff to build trusting relationships with families, allowing families to access the support they have needed previously.

Evidence gathered from the impact evaluation shows that the person-centred approach has supported families to engage with and form trusting relationships with key staff members, e.g.:

• The CATS approach was successful in building confidence, trust and relationships with families through programmes such as Adult Learning cooking classes. This particular approach was successful due to several key factors, most importantly the qualities of staff and the type of activities on offer. Interview data highlighted that service users felt confident to try new activities, enjoyed spending time together as a family and learned new skills.
• Interview data from STRIVE showed the person-centred approach helped people to access services they were not accessing previously such as housing support and emergency financial assistance, although there is a lack of systematic monitoring data to show the extent that people accessed services that they may not have previously. This must also be considered in the context of evidence about an overall lack of sufficient capacity within the system, in particular in relation to face to face mental health services, to address increasing need.
• Within the CWP and Enhancing Employability, evidence showed that staff formed trusting relationships with many families by tailoring support to individual family circumstances.

However, some interview data from the STRIVE and the CWP workstreams found that staff had difficulties in engaging families from some groups, such as the elderly and individuals struggling with substance misuse. Strengthening staff capacity may provide more time and potential to enhance levels of engagement with difficult to reach groups.

H2 The integration of support services within the FWP results in improvements in the wellbeing of children and families, evidenced by increased school attendance, better educational outcomes, improved wellbeing indicators, and reduced dependency on acute services.

There is a range of evidence to support the hypothesis that the integration of support services has improved key indicators of wellbeing, e.g.:

• Interview data from CATS suggests that participation in the integrated, school-based activities provided through the workstream is likely to have had a positive impact on the attendance rates of some young people – which have been improving over recent years.
• Evidence from STRIVE shows that a multi-agency approach has produced some evidence of reduced dependency on acute services.
• Qualitative data from the CWP and Enhancing Employability workstreams has shown a general positive impact of attending activities, such as improved confidence in children and the ability for parents to have more time to themselves to access opportunities. Collaboration between the CWP and employability workers, facilitated by the integration of services within the FWP, has played an important role in bringing about impacts of this kind for some families.

Further positive impacts with regards to key wellbeing related-indicators may be expected to emerge over time, though longer timelines and further data collection is required before categorical conclusions can be made about the longer-term impacts of the FWP on wellbeing.

H3 The FWP approach allows individuals and families to more easily access services and engage with them over time, improving their confidence and willingness to engage with money support services, employment services, and to explore new educational, training and skills development opportunities.

Qualitative evidence gathered through the impact evaluation supports the hypothesis that the FWP approach has enabled individuals and families to more easily access services and engage with them, with interview data showing how participation in FWP activities has led some individuals to engage with services they were previously unaware of (including employment and money advice services) as a result of collaboration across the FWP workstreams. Other examples include:

• Individuals who took part in CATS activities reported increased confidence, skills and access to training and employment opportunities, which was echoed by those interviewed within the Enhancing Employability workstream.
• Evidence from the CWP showed that parents are better able to seek employment through collaboration with the Enhancing Employability workstream due to connections with employability key workers.

H4 Individuals have greater resources, knowledge and resilience to make decisions and shape their futures based on their evolving capabilities, values, life goals and aspirations, which leads to improved life outcomes, including employability, education, and financial stability.

There is evidence to suggest that individuals have greater resources, knowledge and resilience to make decisions and shape their futures as a result of their involvement in the FWP. There is also interview evidence that people who engage with the FWP have changed their life goals and aspirations as a result of participating. For example:

• Individuals who participated with Enhancing Employability reported accessing education which had changed their life goals.
• The provision of funded childcare placements through the CWP has helped increase the financial stability of families, while also increasing the ability of parents to seek and retain employment.
• CATS activities have helped individuals develop their skills and capabilities in areas such as cooking and literacy, which has in turn led to individuals gaining access to new educational and employment opportunities.
• A key aspect of the STRIVE workstream has been the provision of advice, support and emergency assistance in areas such as housing, income maximisation and mental health support, which can be expected to contribute to increased resilience and life outcomes.

Nonetheless, there is limited evidence regarding the extent to which this has led to improved life outcomes in the longer-term. Evidence regarding the long-term impacts of the FWP on local employment rates, skills and poverty rates, for example, is inconclusive at this point. It is important to acknowledge that these particular outcomes are difficult to evidence, as there are well documented challenges with using national statistics, such as lags in reporting key national indicators such as poverty rates, as well as a wide range of external factors affecting these rates making it difficult to establish attribution. Longer-term primary data collection from participants is also very challenging. Much of the quantitative evidence that has been gathered (for example on the impact of the CWP) looks at changes which have occurred in parents’ lives in the short-term (e.g. in the past 6 months), rather than the medium or longer-term.

H5 The development of CATS leads to more confident children, with an awareness of different sources of support and the opportunities available to them, and a strong sense of their individual strengths and skills to thrive in life.

There is qualitative evidence indicating that the development of CATS within one school has led to more confident young people, with an awareness of different sources of support and a strong sense of their individual strengths and skills. For example:

• Interview data shows that young people who participated in Value Based Leadership activities through Columba 1400 found these experiences to be transformative with regard to their confidence and their understanding of their strengths and interests.
• Children and young people who had participated in Columba 1400 and in other CATS activities such as breakfast clubs, meanwhile, further reported that doing so had contributed to them subsequently participating in a range of wider educational and volunteering opportunities.

It is important to note that the evaluation drew largely on qualitative sources of evidence, including interviews with children and young people and survey responses from FWP stakeholders. As a result, while the evidence gathered is suggestive of positive impacts, it is not possible to quantitatively assess the scale of these impacts across the full population of children and young people locally.

H6 The removal of barriers to vocational training and tailored employment opportunities, through childcare support, transportation and other services, leads to higher employment rates, greater financial stability for families, reduction in poverty, and the increased employability of individuals.

There is some quantitative and qualitative evidence that the FWP employability programmes increased employability through childcare support and tailored training opportunities. The coordination with the CWP for providing childcare support and the provision of work placements was particularly successful, as evidenced by case study and interview evidence.

However, there is no evidence currently that these programmes have led to a significant increase in employment rates, greater financial stability and a reduction in poverty. As noted before (H4), these outcomes are difficult to measure longer term and to establish attribution, without access to, for example, administrative data. Population level poverty and employment statistics suggest that child poverty in Clackmannanshire has either increased or fluctuated over the evaluation period, while there has been little change in unemployment rates. Moreover, survey evidence points to a lack of sufficient job opportunities locally. These structural weaknesses in the local economy are likely to have created significant barriers to successful employability support for individuals and families.

H7 Individuals and families actively participate in FWP activities, leading to higher levels of social cohesion, reduced feelings of isolation, and a stronger sense of belonging among residents.

There is evidence of active participation in FWP activities, with some qualitative evidence suggesting that this participation had positive impacts on participants with regards to feelings of isolation and social cohesion. Stakeholders generally indicated high levels of participation in activities they were linked to, with data for some programmes (such as the Summer of Wellbeing) indicating a wide reach across families in Clackmannanshire, with large numbers accessing these programmes. Interview feedback suggests that adult learning classes provided through the CATS workstream have helped reduce isolation and strengthen bonds amongst local families of different social backgrounds, while CWP participants have reported benefits including new friendships, improved relationships and increased opportunities for socialising. Amongst respondents to the FWP Stakeholder Survey, reduced social isolation for families was also a commonly-identified positive impact of the FWP.

There was insufficient evidence relating specifically to whether people felt a stronger sense of belonging as a result of the FWP approach. In addition, while some of the interview feedback gathered indicated longer term positive impacts in these respects, a lack of quantitative evidence makes it difficult to confidently assess the long-term impacts of the FWP with regards to this hypothesis.

H8 As power and agency are transferred to children, families and the frontline staff who support them, and there is more active involvement of citizens in decision-making processes, there is a greater sense of community empowerment. This ensures that services are responsive to local community needs, leading to higher satisfaction and effective outcomes.

There is evidence that the FWP increased the involvement of local service users in decision-making processes, contributing to the improvement of existing local services and new programmes. For example:

• The Alloa Community Empowerment Group (part of the CATS approach) facilitated a community-led expansion of community learning initiatives such as cooking classes which participants reported an increase in their confidence and skills.
• The CWP is an example of successful co-design of wrap-around childcare together with parents, children and community stakeholders, through surveys, focus groups and a pilot.
• Interview evidence showed that the Columba 1400 Values Based Leadership (VBL) experiences increased the confidence of young people to participate in volunteering such as supporting community events after school.

The stakeholder survey also found that “more involvement in decision-making” was another commonly identified positive FWP impact on families.

At the same time, some staff acknowledged in interviews and the survey that only a small share of families in the community were meaningfully involved in decision-making processes and activities, due to several barriers such as social isolation and staff capacity. Groups identified by survey respondents as being less included in FWP activities included elderly people and those affected by substance use, and stakeholders also highlighted barriers to participation in decision-making processes experienced by those with complex physical needs.

8.2 Public Service Delivery Transformation

H9 There is a shift to a more preventative, integrated, and multidisciplinary model of public services, with more partners adopting this model, which results in a reduction in public service crisis interventions, improved efficiency in service delivery, and a more timely and coordinated level of support for families.

Evidence gathered from stakeholders broadly indicates that there has been a shift towards a more preventative, integrated and multidisciplinary model of working across the public services involved in the FWP. The STRIVE workstream, for example, has been successful in implementing a multi-agency approach to prevention and rapid intervention. There is also evidence of coordination and partnership across the four FWP workstreams, as well as the continued and expanded commissioning of CWP and CATS delivery partners with a clear focus on prevention and responding to the needs of families. However, some feedback gathered through the FWP Stakeholder survey showed a perception that not all council services have moved towards this model of working to the same extent, suggesting a need for continued embedding of the FWP approach across all relevant services. In addition, there is a lack of capacity in some wider services (particularly face to face mental health services) to support a fully preventative approach in all areas of service delivery relevant to the FWP. Further integration with the Health and Social Care Partnership could be beneficial in moving this forward.

H10 Through its preventative and person-centred approach, FWP staff and partners learn how to work more effectively with families and communities, to build trust, and to meet their needs.

Evidence gathered from across the four workstreams indicates that the person-centred approach of the FWP has facilitated engagement and the formation of trusting relationships between staff and families; while most stakeholders engaged with through the survey felt that the FWP has incorporated the voice and needs of local communities very well or extremely well. In addition, there is strong evidence that council and third sector services have made efforts to increase the involvement of local service users in decision-making processes, contributing to the improvement of existing local services and new programmes. However, staff and stakeholders identified barriers faced by some groups to being meaningfully involved in decision-making processes and activities, including transport barriers faced by those in rural areas and accessibility barriers faced by those with complex physical needs.

H11 The strong trust, permission and values-based messages from leaders at all levels for staff to do things differently in developing new joint working arrangements across services leads to improved cross-agency communication, more empowered staff, a greater focus on reflective practice, and the development of shared values and commitments to outcomes.

There is significant evidence that the implementation of Values Based Leadership (VBL) has improved cross-agency collaboration and innovation in the FWP. The stakeholder survey, for example, found that Clackmannanshire Council leaders were broadly seen as modelling Values Based Leadership (VBL). In interviews, staff reported that they felt they had trust and permission to work differently and creatively, helping build a culture of trust in which staff were able to focus more on building meaningful relationships with families. However, some research participants in the survey felt that Values Based Leadership had not been implemented equally across all service areas and levels. The deployment of Legacy Values Based Leadership facilitators (across Directorates) should redress this perception.

H12 Ambitious and preventative policy approaches to reducing child poverty and improving collective wellbeing, implemented through efficient and integrated public services, leads to improved data sharing, deeper collaborations across services, greater policy coherence and financial alignment across funding streams.

Data from stakeholder interviews and the survey suggests that the approach taken by the FWP has improved collaboration across services in Clackmannanshire, with nearly all survey respondents highlighting that their collaboration efforts had improved. Additionally, the governance structures in place within the FWP (including the Strategic Oversight Board, the Strategic Planning Team, the Operational Team and the FWP Collaborative) have allowed for greater policy coherence. This is also evidenced by the development of the One Fund, One Plan, One Report - an integrated framework consolidating various strategic initiatives and policy ambitions into one cohesive plan, embedding accountability across service areas. Furthermore, as part of the Council’s ambitious Be the Future programme (designed to transform how the Council operates), the creation of a Community Interest Company to support the ‘Clackmannanshire Transformation Space’ to ensure that community voice is at the heart of prevention and early intervention proposals designed to achieve better outcomes for Clackmannanshire was approved at Council on 20 March 25.

While data-sharing was identified as a challenge by some stakeholders, the implementation of a data sharing agreement to underpin collaboration between partners involved in the STRIVE workstream provides a positive example of progress and improvement in this area. In addition, plans are currently underway to tackle data sharing challenges through the implementation of shared analysts across the system.

H13 The development of a fully integrated, preventative FWP approach with robust levels of leadership and commitment by all service delivery partners creates a sustainable and flexible delivery model that can evolve and adapt to community needs into the future.

While there is evidence that the FWP’s integrated, preventative approach enables a flexible model of delivery, there are also indications that the governance structure during the period of this evaluation could at times find it challenging to navigate and align the differing priorities and performance measures of multiple council-wide strategic frameworks. This, of course, led to the One Plan, One Report being adopted by the council in 2025, aligning different strategies into one plan and one reporting mechanism. While the FWP originated within Clackmannanshire Council’s People Directorate, it must contribute to a range of plans and forums - including business plans, annual priorities, and cross-partner groups - which can create complexity.

The time lag for national statistics on indicators such as health, homelessness and domestic abuse is also a challenge, painting a picture that may be a year out of date, making adaptability to community needs challenging to maintain.

H14 Person-centred, inclusive, and equitable public service approaches to reducing poverty and inequality in Clackmannanshire are adopted by a greater number of partners, becoming the norm and creating sustainable systems change.

Interview and survey data gathered from FWP stakeholders suggests that person-centred, inclusive and equitable public service approaches to reducing poverty and inequality in Clackmannanshire have indeed been adopted by a growing number of partners over the four year period, helping to drive systems change. Stakeholders described a wide variety of ways in which their involvement with the FWP had influenced how their organisation designs or delivers services, while most of those engaged with felt that the FWP had been successful in integrating a person-centred approach to service delivery across its partners. However, as discussed in relation to H9, some stakeholders expressed a feeling that not all relevant services have embedded the preventative and person-centred FWP approach, suggesting that this approach may not yet have fully become the norm across all public and third sector services in Clackmannanshire. Resource constraints and administrative hurdles were cited as some of the factors having limited the wider expansion of person-centred approaches.

8.3. Summary Assessment of Progress

Progress Assessment: Family Outcomes

There is evidence that progress has been achieved towards a range of family-related outcomes associated with the FWP.

In particular:

• There is evidence of increased trust and engagement between families and services as a result of the FWP approach. Families reported that the trusting relationships they had built with FWP staff had helped them access new forms of support, including around employability and childcare.
• Participation in FWP activities (in particular through CATS and the CWP) has led to improved confidence, skills and participation amongst families, including willingness to engage socially and with services.
• The FWP has contributed to ensuring families’ immediate needs are met in the short-term, including through STRIVE interventions in relation to housing, income maximisation and crisis prevention.
• Qualitative data gathered through the evaluation indicates that FWP activities have made a positive impact on children’s wellbeing and educational outcomes, including on confidence and attendance levels.
• The FWP has enabled the provision of support to ease financial strain, for example through free/subsided childcare places via the CWP, with positive impacts including the reduction of financial stress experienced by families.
• Collaboration between the CWP and Employability workstreams, particularly in relation to the provision of childcare, has helped some parents progress towards sustained employment.

At the same time, there also remain areas where the impact of the FWP appears more limited, or where the available evidence is less conclusive:

• The FWP’s long-term material impacts for families are unclear in relation to outcomes such as poverty, employment and financial stability. Monitoring data on the longer-term outcomes of FWP services for participants is generally limited, and it is not possible to draw confident conclusions as to the FWP’s longer-term impact on the basis of the available data on Clackmannanshire-wide indicators.
• There is a lack of high-quality quantitative data in relation to some outcomes linked to family wellbeing, making it difficult to conclusively demonstrate the scale of the FWP’s positive impact in these areas.
• FWP staff reported more limited engagement with certain groups such as the elderly and those affected by substance use, due to barriers including social isolation and lack of staff capacity. People in rural areas and those with complex physical needs were also highlighted as facing barriers to involvement in decision-making processes, while the STRIVE workstream has experienced some difficulties in engaging with those reluctant to receive support.

Progress Assessment: System Outcomes

With regards to system-level outcomes, there are likewise some significant areas of achievement in relation to the progress of the FWP to date. In particular:

• There is evidence of increased collaboration across partner services, with the FWP contributing to improved communication and joint-working as well as the adoption of multidisciplinary ways of working.
• There has been a shift towards more preventative models of service delivery in Clackmannanshire as a result of the FWP, emphasising early intervention and aiming to reduce reliance on crisis interventions.
• Progress has been made in embedding Values Based Leadership (VBL) across Clackmannanshire Council and partners l, helping staff feel empowered to work in a person-centred and flexible manner.
• The FWP has made significant strides in involving communities in decision-making processes, as exemplified by the co-design approach adopted by the CWP.

However, as with family outcomes, there are also areas linked to system outcomes regarding which progress to date has been more limited, or regarding which important challenges remain:

• Stakeholder feedback indicates that the FWP approach has not yet been fully embedded across all wider council services, suggesting there is a need for further work to comprehensively implement preventative and person-centred models across all services relevant to family wellbeing in Clackmannanshire.
• Robust systems for data sharing are still under development, with a lack of integrated data systems across sectors and some practitioners relying on time-intensive and manual data-sharing processes.
• While there is evidence of a sustainable and flexible delivery model developing, the need to align with multiple strategic and operational frameworks adds additional complexity to the governance of the FWP.
• The FWP has faced challenges in bringing about greater involvement in decision-making amongst some demographic groups, including transport barriers faced by those in rural areas and accessibility barriers faced by those with complex physical needs.
• Some local services relevant to the work of the FWP, particularly traditional face to face mental health services delivered by the NHS, were reported as experiencing capacity challenges which hinder their ability to fully embed a preventative approach.

Overall, then, the FWP has made important progress towards achieving immediate and short-term outcomes for families, alongside notable advancements in collaborative, preventative, and person-centred approaches at the systemic level. However, gaps and challenges remain in areas including data collection and sharing, engagement with some groups, and establishing clear evidence of long-term sustainability and impact.