Scottish Government-Hunter Foundation Innovation Fund breakdown: FOI Release

Information requested

You asked for:

1. How much of the £7.5m Innovation Fund, in partnership with The Hunter Foundation, has been allocated?

2. Who/what organisations have received funding, including how much that funding was worth and when it was allocated?

3. For what purpose did the applicant wish to apply for funding and/or what new approach to reducing child poverty did they present?

Response

The answer to your questions are as follows:

1. £2,612,0681 of the Scottish Government-Hunter Foundation Innovation Fund has been allocated as of the date of this response.

2. Funding has been committed as follows:

Organisation	2018/19		2019/20
Clyde Gateway	£9,900		£62,636
Covey Befriending	£11,267		£39,288
Flexible Childcare Services Scotland	£87,000		£303,045
L.I.F.T	£58,777		£131,540
MCR Pathways	£97,000		£150,000
Midlothian Sure Start	£103,493		£198,767
MsMissMrs	£47,000		£191,117
North Lanarkshire Council	£34,000		£112,800
Radiant & Brighter	£44,764		N/A
Stepwell	£99,900		£251,525
Street Soccer Scotland	£49,523		N/A
WorkingRite	£32,517		N/A
Monitoring	£7,327		£10,000
Evaluation/Learning programme	NA		£90,927

3. The Innovation Fund sought applications from organisations taking new and innovate approaches that will have an impact on reducing poverty by 2030 and which support families stay out of poverty; and from organisations using existing proven approaches that could be expanded to have an impact on reducing child poverty.

Following an application process seven organisations secured funding from the fund in 2018/19. We also agreed with the Hunter Foundation to invest during 2018/19 in five organisations that were already part of our Social Innovation Partnership to allow them to expand the work they do to tackle child poverty.

Below I have summarised the nature of the work each organisation is undertaking:

Clyde Gateway
The project aims to address the absence of registered childminders within the Clyde Gateway area. Working alongside existing groups, nurseries and schools to identify why this may be the case and through ongoing consultation with local residents and businesses, the project will examine the reasons why childminding, as a specific form of childcare, may not be available, not considered as viable service or as a potential career.

Covey Befriending
This project draws on earlier work to support families through trained volunteer family mentors and access to expert advice. Covey and partners, working through schools, look to reach and support young people and families who may not been involved with or known to statutory services but nevertheless experiencing poverty.

Flexible Childcare Services Scotland (FCSS)
FCSS offers a flexible model of childcare that is different from traditional service models because it allows parents to purchase only the hours of childcare that they need. The model is designed to meet the needs of parents and family life and be responsive to changing work patterns and family dynamics.

L.I.F.T (Low Income Families Together)
Many lone parents and low income families do not engage with local services. Isolation, the benefit cap and in-work poverty contribute to a deterioration in health and wellbeing, with issues often left unaddressed. L.I.F.T offers a support and advocacy service designed to meet individual need and to help clients overcome the barriers that prevent them from moving forward and reaching their personal goals and aspirations.

MCR Pathways
MCR Pathways is a school-based programme supporting those in or on the edges of the care system as they realise their potential through education. The aim of the programme is to inspire and support young people into better post-school destinations, be that employment or further education. The programme provides S1 and S2 pupils with weekly sessions to introduce the programme, build trust and provide support and builds on this from S3 onwards with a mentor relationship to help bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. Mentors are drawn from across the community and provide a listening ear, adult support and continuity as a role model and reference point.

Midlothian Sure Start
Midlothian Sure Start (MSS) will address the main drivers of child poverty identified in Every Child Every Chance by working across the region to ensure families experiencing poverty are supported out of poverty. MSS will support families to develop their skills and experience and capitalise on the national expansion of Early Learning and Childcare to support families, including men, who may wish to pursue a career in the childcare sector.

MsMissMrs
MsMissMrs is creating a movement of empowerment, empowering women to help other women and girls. Women and girls are empowered to seek the help they need and to use that confidence in other areas of their lives. Femfoods will support women to learn how to cook nutritional meals for the week ahead for their families.This will increase economic empowerment for women on low incomes by teaching them the power of buying together, learning to cook and preparing and freezing meals.

North Lanarkshire Council
Local Authorities have identified that thousands of children are eligible for free school meals but not registered. Despite the impact of deprivation on school attendance, behaviour and attainment, there is not clear and shared knowledge on the causes or the size of the problem. Using data science and service design, the project will create a deep understanding of the experiences of families, and identify barriers. The project will design and deliver interventions to maximise uptake among children who need free school meals, while recognising the freedom of carers to choose how their children eat. The aim is to make the offer desirable and accessible.

Radiant & Brighter
This project looks to unlock the potential within the migrant/immigrant population in Scotland. Radiant and Brighter offers suite of services which bring people together, providing practical support, education and a gateway to other relevant services. These services orientate people within their new communities and ultimately integrate them through networks, employment, education, and enterprise. Radiant and Brighter engage with the business community to ensure they can offer a path for participants through orientation, integration and then on to employment.

Stepwell
Stepwell is committed to improving the health, wellbeing and employment opportunities of families experiencing poverty and disadvantage. Stepwell provide whole-life solutions and provides opportunities for people to progress to positive destinations through its coffeehouses, cook school an training academy, which provides a create space for people to access vocational qualifications.

Street Soccer Scotland
Street Soccer Scotland uses the power of football to create positive change in the lives of socially disadvantaged adults and young people. A ‘Football for All’ policy means no-one is turned away from Street Soccer programmes. Players often present with complex needs including homelessness, or mental health or addictions issues. Street Soccer builds trusting and respectful relationships with players and offers a range of services either directly or through partner organisations.

WorkingRite
WorkingRite provide a mentored work placement for those young people who need to learn in a practical way, supporting people for as long as they need. In this way WorkingRite raises the aspirations of disadvantaged young people who are not in education, employment or training. Many of the young people have multiple barriers including poor education attainment and unstable home lives.They often feel excluded emotionally, socially or geographically and WorkingRite will work to build their confidence and skills to the point where they can take control and transform their own lives.

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