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Whole Family Wellbeing Evaluation Report ECSPB

Renfrewshire Council · 22 August 2024
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 22 August 2024 and its agenda

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To:  Education and Children’s Services Policy Board
On: 22 August 2024
___________________________________________________________________ 
Report by:  Director of Children’s Services
___________________________________________________________________ 
Heading:  Whole Family Wellbeing Evaluation Report 
___________________________________________________________________
1. Summary
1.1. Since 2022, Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership (RCSP) have
received funding from the Scottish Government, as part of the Whole Family
Wellbeing Fund (WFWF). This report outlines the progress made across the
local authority to date, including the launch of a family support service, the
introduction of a digital request for assistance system and increased
collaboration and capacity building with third sector partners.   The report
discusses early impact on outcomes for children, young people, and families. 
1.2. The Scottish Government aims to ensure that all children and young people
have access to the resources and opportunities they require to grow to their
full potential. The policy framework, ‘Getting it Right for Every Child’ (GIRFEC)
is adopted nationally and outlines a shared understanding for professionals
supporting children and young people. It emphasises that wellbeing captures
all aspects of a child’s life, including their physical and mental health, and their
connections with their family, the community, and wider society. 
1.3. Building on GIRFEC processes, it is understood that many families can
benefit from universal provision that improves accessibility, while specialist
provision can support those whose needs are more complex. As such, the
Scottish Government aimed to develop a whole family wellbeing approach
that joins up early intervention and preventative services that are offered by
different organisations across each local authority. It was predicted that
upscaling and shifting resources to these services should support, safeguard,
and promote wellbeing, thereby reducing the number of crisis interventions in
each local authority.
1.4. The Scottish Government’s whole family wellbeing approach was also shaped
by The Promise. In 2020, a review investigating the current practices,
legislation, culture, and ethos of the care system highlighted that greater
investment in family support was required. Consequently, The Promise
outlined key outcomes that would help ensure all children and young people
grow up safe and respected. Adopting a whole family wellbeing approach that

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prioritises early intervention and prevention should also provide more
opportunities for families to access support early on and ensure they can stay
together. 
1.5. The core components of whole family wellbeing support were outlined by the
Scottish Government. These are:
• Children and families at the centre, as a rights-based approach is adopted
and families can contribute to each aspect of service design.
• Availability and access are prioritised to ensure all families know how and
where to access this support. 
• Family support is delivered via a whole family approach that involves
collaboration, multi-agency, and multi-disciplinary work between services.
___________________________________________________________________
2. Recommendations
2.1. Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to
note the very positive progress the new family wellbeing service is making to
improve outcomes for families in Renfrewshire.
___________________________________________________________________
3. Background
3.1. Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership (RCSP) includes council, other
public sector partners, and third sector organisations who deliver support to
children, young people, and families across the authority. RCSP received a
proportion of the WFWF to build capacity for system-wide change and to scale
up the delivery of family support services. 
3.2. Currently, local data estimates that 18% of children in Renfrewshire live in
families impacted by poverty (Renfrewshire Council, 2023). These figures
have fluctuated in recent years following the Covid-19 pandemic. While
council wards experienced an average increase of 1.9% in the proportion of
children living in relative low-income families, this ranged from 0.1% to 7.5%.
Several wards are also significantly higher than the national average at 20%,
with the highest at 36.8%. This data highlights that the authority should benefit
from an approach that emphasises early intervention and prevention.
3.3. Prior to the WFWF, Renfrewshire Council Education Service had three key
local authority services delivering family support: Families First; Home Link
and Care Experienced Home Link. Families First teams operated in selected
Renfrewshire localities and worked with families with children up to aged 8. 
The Home Link service was a school-based service which supported children,
young people, and families where there were barriers to learning.  The Care
Experienced Home Link Team worked with those children, young people and
families who were experiencing crisis impacting on the education of the
child/young person. In January 2024, these services merged to form one
Family Wellbeing Service in Renfrewshire with three teams: the community
team (who were previously Families First); the schools’ team (previously
Home Link) and the Interrupted Learners team (previously Care Experienced

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Home Link). This ensures that when a family seeks support, there is a range
of support at the appropriate GIRFEC stage of intervention. It was also
envisaged that this would allow for greater collaboration between these
teams, enabling families to receive holistic support that is tailored to their
needs reducing duplication for families.
3.4. In addition to local authority services, third sector organisations (TSOs) are
also involved in the delivery of family support in Renfrewshire. In 2023, five
TSOs were awarded grant funding to deliver services in Renfrewshire under
the WFWF. An additional 10 TSOs were also recently granted funding in
March 2024. Annual funding will now be delivered to TSOs who wish to
partner with the local authority. 
3.5. To determine how and where a family should access support, Renfrewshire
Council developed a tier system that would identify the level of support
families require. This system consists of three tiers:
• Tier 1 – universal prevention and early intervention services. These are
delivered by the community team.
• Tier 2 – tailored, targeted support. These services are delivered by the
schools’ team. 
• Tier 3 – intensive support that either prevents or is a response to statutory
interventions. These are delivered by specialist services.
3.6. One of the national principles of holistic whole family support is that families
can reach in, as opposed to being referred to for support. Therefore, a new
request for assistance system has been introduced in Renfrewshire to ensure
equity of access. Families or other agencies can now request for assistance
online, and this is followed up by a member of the Family Wellbeing team who
will meet and discuss the support they require. This information is then
considered though our request for assistance process to identify whether the
family require support under tier 1, 2, or 3. 
3.7. In addition to the request for assistance process, a Fast Online Referral and
Tracking (FORT) system has been introduced to manage families currently
accessing support within Renfrewshire. This system aims to improve
accessibility for teams supporting families by holding all necessary information
on each family and improving collaboration across teams as families may
access support from a number of services. It also supports the evaluation of
the WFWF, by holding information regarding the number of families taking up
supports across services and data monitoring the impact of these.
3.8. In May 2024, the new Family Wellbeing service in Renfrewshire officially
launched with an event held in Johnstone Town Hall. All services and
organisations were available to promote and discuss the projects they are
delivering. With over 150 people registering to attend, the event was a
success and significantly increased the visibility of the new service across the
local authority. There are now plans to host a similar event targeted towards
families later in the year.
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4. Evaluating Whole Family Wellbeing in Renfrewshire
4.1. To measure the impact of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund (WFWF) across
Renfrewshire, an evaluation strategy was developed in January 2024. This
strategy is in line with the logic model developed by the Scottish Government,
which predicted the outcomes for each year of funding. By the end of the
parliamentary term (2026), it was predicted that the WFWF will:
• Improve family wellbeing;
• Reduce inequalities in family wellbeing;
• Reduce the number of families requiring crisis intervention;
• Reduce the number of children and young people living away from their
families; and
• Increase the number of families taking up wider supports.
4.2. To demonstrate these outcomes over time, Renfrewshire’s evaluation strategy
involves four key methods of data collection which will take place for each
evaluation report: the family wellbeing scale, critical indicators, engagement
with stakeholders, and evaluation reports from third sector organisations. 
4.2.1. The Family Wellbeing Scale (FWS) is a 16-item questionnaire that is
designed to measure and reflect levels of whole family wellbeing for individual
families (McGee, nd). By adopting a strengths-based approach, each item is
positively worded and encourages families to work together to identify their
best qualities and the areas they wish to develop further. The scale is also
broken down into six factors that represent key aspects of whole family
wellbeing: communication, family bonding, affection, respect, and openness.
This scale has been adopted by Renfrewshire as a key measure of family
wellbeing. It is also embedded in the new FORT system, enabling services to
track families’ wellbeing and identify the type of support they may require. 
Families requesting support will complete the scale during the early stages of
accessing support, and after accessing support. This will help produce a
baseline scale to understand the type of support they require, and evidence
impact. Practitioners delivering support to each family will complete this scale
with them, and upload this to the FORT system to analyse returns over time. It
is predicted that scores will increase gradually (indicating improved family
wellbeing) across each factor, with higher scores for families post-intervention. 
Originally developed in East Renfrewshire, the FWS has also been adopted
across other local authorities as part of the WFWF. This may provide an
opportunity for authorities to share the data they have gathered and analyse
the widespread impact of this funding across the country.
4.2.2. Critical Indicators - As well as measuring family wellbeing directly, it is
predicted that the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund will have a positive impact
across various areas including education, employment, requests for support,
and income levels. A set of critical indicators have been established that
reflect the needs of communities in Renfrewshire, to demonstrate
improvements in whole family wellbeing over time. Data from 2021/22 will act
as a baseline, and the findings will be compared and updated annually. These
indicators will be analysed for each reporting deadline, and to support data
gathered using the family wellbeing scale (FWS).

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4.2.3. Engagement with Stakeholders - To ensure families’ and services’ voices
are included, qualitative and quantitative data will be gathered through
engaging with team leaders and practitioners delivering support, as well as
those accessing this support. This data should align with the findings from the
family wellbeing scale (FWS) and critical indicators, demonstrating that the
outcomes outlined in the Scottish Government’s logic model are being met
across Renfrewshire. It will also demonstrate how these are being achieved in
practice, and what this means for families across the authority.
Renfrewshire’s evaluation strategy states that four periods of data collection
will take place to gather information from stakeholders. These are: 
Early consultations with team leaders and practitioners.
• Interviews and focus groups have already taken place with each of the
community teams in Renfrewshire. These sessions aimed to
understand the changes that have taken place in their service since
receiving funding, and what impact this has made to their role. 
Surveys with team leaders and practitioners.
• A survey has been developed that will be distributed to all practitioners
in local authority services and third sector organisations (TSOs). This is
to gather quantitative data across all services and explore whether
practitioners’ experiences align with the Scottish Government’s
outcomes. This survey will be distributed in July 2024.
Interviews with families accessing support.
• These sessions will assist with investigating the longer-term impact of
the WFWF. These sessions will take place as families come to the end
of any support they receive, to allow them to reflect on their
experiences. These sessions will take place in October 2024.
Consultation with team leaders and practitioners.
• A second round of consultations will take place with local authority
teams in March 2025. This is to explore practitioners’ experiences with
delivering support to families and what this has meant for communities
in Renfrewshire.
4.2.4. Reports from Third Sector Organisations - To understand the impact of the
Whole Family Wellbeing Fund for third sector organisations (TSOs), an
evaluation template has been produced. This document requires TSOs to
outline the details of their project, including the intended outcomes, their
progress towards reaching these, improvement priorities, any barriers or risks
limiting their progress, and any support requirements. These reports will be
sent to Renfrewshire quarterly and reported within each evaluation report. 
___________________________________________________________________
5. Key Findings
5.1. This section outlines the key findings for each method within Renfrewshire’s
evaluation strategy to date. Firstly, it details results from the Family Wellbeing
Service and the critical indicators. This is followed by the key themes
generated from data gathered during the early consultations with community
teams in Renfrewshire, and a summary of the data reported by third sector
organisations.

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5.2. Family Wellbeing Scale
The Family Wellbeing Scale was piloted in Renfrewshire between October
and December 2023 among community family wellbeing teams. The team
have continued to use this scale with families they support, and this has
enabled the Data Officer to gather returns over time. The findings below
represent the data gathered from this team only. There have been no returns
from the schools’ team and third sector organisations as they are working
towards incorporating this within their service. It is hoped that for future
reports, findings from across services can be reported. 
A total of 66 responses were returned. Almost all of those who completed the
scale were women, and the majority were aged between 25-39 years. Their
location also varied, with 24 living in Johnstone/Linwood, 14 living in Paisley,
and 22 living in Renfrew/Erskine. The demographics for the FWS are
summarised in table 1. 
Table 1
Demographics of Family Wellbeing Scale Returns 
Characteristic N %
Gender   
Man 8 12% 
Woman 58 88%
Age    
19-24 1 2%  
25-39 36 55%  
40-50 21 32% 
+50 8 12%
Locality    
Renfrew/Erskine 25 38%  
Johnstone/Linwood 24 36%  
Paisley 14 21%  
Other 3 5%
Number of Family Members   
2-3 35 53%   
4-5 24 36%   
6-7 6 9%   
8+ 1 2% 
Most returns were completed pre-intervention, while 16 forms were completed
post-intervention. When analysing the full sample of results, the average
overall score for families was 64 out of 80 and ranged from 41 to 80. Table 2
summarises the findings from the FWS data gathered by factor. 
Table 2
Descriptive Results for all Family Wellbeing Scale Returns 
Factor Mean Standard
Deviation
Family bonding (out of 15) 13 2.1
Togetherness (out of 15) 12 2.7
Respect (out of 10) 8 1.8
Openness (out of 10) 8 2

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Communication (out of 15) 12 2.6
Affection (out of 15) 12 2.9
Overall (out of 80) 64 13.2 
For families who completed a pre- and a post-intervention score, the findings
can be analysed to compare the difference in their scores over time. Overall,
the scores increased by 12.4 on average, and small increases were found
across all six factors. These findings are summarised in table 3.  
Table 3
Average Scores for families with a pre- and/or post-intervention submission 
Factor Pre-intervention Post-intervention Difference
Family bonding 12.1 13.9 1.8
Togetherness 10.4 12.6 2.2
Respect 6.4 8.2 1.8
Openness 6.1 8 1.9
Communication 10.4 12.7 2.3
Affection 9.8 12.3 2.5
Overall 55.2 67.6 12.4 
With the launch of the new Family Wellbeing service, it is predicted that these
scores will increase over time as more families request support from these
services across Renfrewshire. 
5.3. Critical Indicators
Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership has identified 9 critical
indicators they wish to monitor and report as part of their evaluation strategy.
These indicators were selected based on their relevance to whole family
wellbeing, and the needs of families in Renfrewshire. These indicators are: 
• Pupils with less than 50% attendance, as a percentage of all pupils
• School leavers in positive destinations 9 months after the end of the
school year, as a percentage of all school leavers.
• Number of children living away from home.
• Number of crisis interventions.
• Number of families taking up supports.
• Number of children living in relative poverty.
• Percentage of children under 16 years living in working households.
• Percentage of children accessing free school meals/clothing grants.
• Number of children living in temporary accommodation.
5.3.1. Pupils with less than 50% attendance
Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is a focus within Renfrewshire,
with attendance being a national concern. This umbrella term captures a wide
range of emotional factors that can be linked to family wellbeing, including
family stress, relationships, or mental wellbeing. Good attendance at school
can also have a positive impact on attainment. Table 4. Summarises the
percentage of pupils in Renfrewshire with less than 50% attendance.

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Table 4
Percentage of pupils with less than 50% attendance in Renfrewshire 
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
1.93 2.14 2.14 
5.3.2. School leavers in positive destinations 9 months after the end of the
school year
National attainment data shows that young people from more deprived
backgrounds are less likely to be in a positive destination when leaving
school. Delivering whole family wellbeing support should help to remove the
barriers experienced by these young people, to access opportunities for
employment and further education. Current statistics on the percentage of
pupils in positive destinations can be found in table 5. 
Table 5
Percentage of school leavers in Renfrewshire in a positive destination 
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
Number of leavers 1907 1935 Not
available.
Percentage of leavers in a
positive destination
91.8 93.6 Not
available.1 
5.3.3. Number of looked after children 
The WFWF is closely linked with The Promise, through developing support
systems that enable families to access the right service for their needs early
on. This should ensure more families are met by the right service when
required and bridge any gaps between universal and statutory services. A
decrease in the number of children living away from their families would
suggest that more families have accessed support early that has
strengthened family relationships and prevented potential breakdowns.
Current statistics regarding the number of children living away from home are
summarised in table 6. This data captures children looked after at home,
under kinship, foster care, and internal/external residential homes. 
Table 6
Number of children looked after in Renfrewshire 
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
Total looked after population in
Renfrewshire
592 640 606 
5.3.4. Number of crisis interventions
The WFWF places an emphasis on early intervention, with the Scottish
Government aiming for at least 5% of all community-based health and social
care spend to be on preventative whole family support measures nationally by 
1 23/24 Leavers data will be published in June 2025. The follow up destinations snapshot takes place
in February 2025.

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2030. A reduction in the number of crisis interventions would indicate that
families are accessing support early on. This data will represent the number of
families requiring immediate attention, unexpected events, and referrals to
social work within Renfrewshire. This data has not yet been captured and will
therefore be an indicator they will continue to work towards now that the
Family Wellbeing Service has launched. 
5.3.5. Number of families taking up supports
An increase in families taking up wider supports is one of the Scottish
Government’s long-term goals for the WFWF. It is hoped that by collaborating
with third sector organisations, services can develop a shared understanding
of the needs of CYPF across the authority and any barriers they might face.
More families receiving this support would also indicate that communities
across Renfrewshire are aware of the support available to them and feel
comfortable accessing this when required. The number of families taking up
supports currently in Renfrewshire is summarised in table 7. 
Table 7 
Number of families taking up supports 
Service
Year
2024
Local authority       
Community teams  86 
School teams  1209     
Interrupted learners  41
Third Sector 119
Total 1414 
5.3.6. Number of children living in relative poverty
As well as supporting family relationships, increasing opportunities for parents
to access employment is another outcome outlined by the Scottish
Government. Supporting low-income families is a priority for Renfrewshire, as
a significant proportion of children across the authority live in deprived areas.
To be classed as low income within national data, families must have claimed
Child Benefit and at least one other household benefit (e.g., Universal Credit).
Relative low-income accounts for families with low incomes before housing
costs within the reference year. It is predicted that a focus on early
intervention will allow parents and carers in Renfrewshire to take up
opportunities for work, training, or study, and consequently improve their
financial situation and family wellbeing. The number of children living in
relative poverty from 2022-24 is summarised in table 8. 
Table 8
Number of children living in relative poverty 
2021/22 2022/23 2023/24
7,186 7,321 Not Available.

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5.3.7. Percentage of children under 16 years living in workless households
The WFWF aims to support parents’ ability to enter the labour market. A
decrease in the number of children living in workless households should
indicate that barriers to work that are related to family stress or breakdown
have been addressed through whole family support. The percentage of
children living in workless households in 2022 is summarised in table 9. Data
for 2023 and 2024 is currently not available, and so will be reported in
subsequent reports once published. 
Table 9
Percentage of children under 16 in Renfrewshire living in workless
households, 2022* 
Number %
All households 26,700 100.0
Workless households 1,600 5.9 
*Note. Data from 2023-24 is not currently available. 
5.3.8. Percentage of children accessing free school meals and clothing grants
Entitlements to free school meals (for children in primary 5 and above) and
clothing grants are determined by family income, with those receiving financial
benefits having access. A decrease in the number of children receiving these
should indicate that more families have improved their financial situation,
either through entering the labour market or finding new employment
opportunities. The percentage of children accessing these is summarised in
table 10 below. 
Table 10
Percentage of children in Renfrewshire eligible for free school meals and
clothing grants 
2022 2023 2024
Entitled to free school
meals
20.54% 25.83% Not available.
Entitled to clothing grant 24.6% 20.26% Not available. 
5.3.9. Number of children living in temporary accommodation 
Safety and security are important factors that come under family wellbeing. A
reduction in the number of children living in temporary accommodation would
suggest more families have been supported to ensure they have financial
stability, housing security, and are living safely together. Homeless and
Housing Support in Renfrewshire reported to Renfrewshire Children’s
Services that in 2024, there are 24 children staying in temporary
accommodation. This will continue to be reported annually. 
5.4. Engagement with Stakeholders 
In May 2024, Renfrewshire’s Data Officer for whole family wellbeing
conducted early consultations with the authority’s three community teams.
Overall, 16 practitioners participated in either a 1:1 interview or focus group

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with other members within their locality. These sessions aimed to understand
the changes that have occurred within each team, and what this has meant
for practitioners delivering support to families. A thematic analysis was
conducted on the data gathered to produce three key themes, which are
outlined below. 
5.5. Third Sector Evaluation Reports
Third sector organisations (TSOs) participating in the Whole Family Wellbeing
Fund (WFWF) in Renfrewshire completed their first evaluation reports in June
2024. As discussed in chapter 1.2, five TSOs received grant funding as part of
the WFWF and have started developing and delivering programmes within
their communities. These organisations are: 
Home Start
• Home start are network of trained volunteers who offer support to
families with young children experiencing adversity. As part of the
WFWF, they are delivering intensive family support to families with
children aged 0-5 years. An Intensive Support Worker is now working
with families to help them work towards positive outcomes, and peer
support groups have been formed to allow families to connect with
others in their community. 
KLAS Care
• KLAS Care offer flexible and affordable childcare for school aged
children. The funding secured through the WFWF is now being used to
deliver inclusive play and learning opportunities for families. 
Active Communities
• Active Communities are a health and wellbeing charity in Renfrewshire
who offer a variety of opportunities for children and adults. They are
collaborating with KLAS Care through the WFWF to deliver Empowering
Parents Empowering Communities (EPEC) in Renfrewshire. This is an
evidence-based parenting programme that builds strategies and
methods for families with neurodiversity, mental health, and co-parent
conflict. 
STAR Project
• STAR Project deliver creative group projects and individual support to
families across Renfrewshire. As part of the WFWF, they are delivering
panel sessions with neurodivergent families to discuss their experiences
engaging with social work, whole family creative therapeutic session, and
sessions that aim to revise HSCP training on autism. 
Impact Arts
• Impact Arts deliver art therapy projects across Scotland to vulnerable
children and young people. The WFWF has enabled them to deliver their
Art Wise programme in Renfrewshire, which aims to support the whole
family by helping parents understand their children’s behaviour, build
opportunities to connect and communicate their feeling and needs with
one another through art. 
This chapter provides a summary of the data received from each TSOs’
evaluation report.

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5.5.1. Project outcomes across Renfrewshire
The Third Sector Organisations (TSOs) participating in Renfrewshire’s WFW
service identified a variety of outcomes they hope to achieve through the
funding they have secured. This includes: 
• Offering parental support to families that enables parents to understand
the needs of their children and develop tools to communicate and support
them.
• Providing play and learning opportunities for families that strengthen their
relationships with one another and with other families accessing support.
These also include innovative therapeutic approaches that are suitable for
a wide range of age groups.
• Reducing isolation and improving self-esteem among families through
creating peer support networks within the community.
• Signposting families for practical advice and support and reducing stigma
around seeking this.
Many of the projects delivered across each of these organisations include a
particular focus on supporting neurodivergent families. This was a key
criterion outlined by the project managers when opening grant applications,
due to an identified need for increased support for these families across
Renfrewshire. 
5.5.2. Progress towards project outcomes 
When reporting their progress, TSOs were aware of a significant need for
services that support whole family wellbeing across Renfrewshire. Many of
the families requesting assistance and currently accessing support were
found to have experience of a wide range of areas including neurodiversity,
disability, and mental health diagnoses. 
A few TSOs have started gathering baseline data to monitor the impact of
their projects. Others have not yet done so however, and they reported that
building trust with the families they are working with first is crucial. Therefore,
some families have participated in pilot programmes that enabled TSOs to
understand their needs and develop relationships. For example, Home Start
delivered a short group support programme for families in June, prior to their
summer projects that are due to launch in July. It is believed that this has
supported engagement within these services, as families have continued to
attend. 
5.5.3. Evidence towards project outcomes
A few TSOs have provided opportunities for co-production with the families
they support. This has given families a voice regarding how these
programmes are delivered and will ensure they suit the needs of their
communities. For example, some parents who have been accessing support
from KLAS Care have now enrolled themselves in a Parent Group Leader
(PGL) training course, which will enable them to assist with the delivery of
EPEC courses within the service. 
Feedback from practitioners and the families they support suggests that some
families had initial concerns about attending these programmes, but have

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since felt more comfortable and enjoy participating. For example, one
participant accessing support from Impact Arts stated: “The sessions feel
comfortable and like a home. They are a distraction from everyday life.” 
A few TSOs have distributed impact assessment forms to measure the impact
of these programmes to date. For example, STAR Project reported that
among the families who had participated in their panel sessions, almost all
perceived that they had more confidence, their wellbeing had improved, and
they felt less isolated. KLAS Care are also completing evaluation forms as
part of EPEC, which will be included in a national report due in June 2024. 
TSOs have started to form connections with other services and engagement
partners. STAR Project have reported the links they have formed with social
work through their panel sessions. By facilitating discussions with families on
their experiences with social work, this information will now be used to inform
how social work agencies support neurodivergent households. Home Start
also discussed the connections they have formed with Renfrewshire’s
community team in Gallowhill, Renfrew, as they plan to collaborate. 
5.5.4. Improvement priorities for this session
All TSOs are continuing to support families that are currently attending their
projects, and those now requesting for assistance. This will involve developing
their relationships with families to understand their needs, and ensuring they
can continue to engage. 
TSOs reported that the official launch of the whole family wellbeing service in
May has helped raise awareness of their projects and enabled them to form
links with other community organisations and engagement partners. They aim
to continue to develop these to increase their visibility. This includes ensuring
that a diverse range of families are supported and that their voices are
included. For example, STAR Project reported their plans to work with
Pachedu – another TSO in Renfrewshire who aim to support ethnic minority
families and promote diversity and equality. 
5.5.5. Barriers and support requirements
TSOs reported few barriers and support requirements to deliver their projects.
One area that was raised was further support and training for the FORT
system, to ensure all practitioners have the skills and confidence to use this
efficiently. 
A few TSOs also discussed the need to increase visibility among primary
schools. This includes promoting the key purpose of these programmes to
teachers, and ensuring all schools are aware of how to sign post parents to
them. 
___________________________________________________________________
6. Conclusion
6.1. This evaluation report outlines Renfrewshire’s journey towards developing a
new family wellbeing service. The findings thus far suggest that overall, the
authority is continuing to make very good progress towards the long-term
outcomes identified in the Scottish Government’s logic model. As relationships
within and across services and teams continue to grow, an increasingly
joined-up approach will enable all those involved to deliver tailored and timely

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support to families early on. This report also indicates key areas that
Renfrewshire shall continue working towards. These are:
• Building relationships between community, school and interrupted learners
teams in the local authority, to ensure they adopt a consistent approach
across Renfrewshire.
• Offering further support to practitioners on the use of the Family Wellbeing
Scale and the FORT system. This will ensure all those involved have the
confidence to use these tools and ensure Renfrewshire can continue to
track and monitor the impact of these programmes efficiently.
• Continuing to increase visibility of the service across organisations and
partners to maximise engagement. 
___________________________________________________________________ 
Implications of this report 
1.  Financial 
No financial implications 
2.  HR and Organisational Development 
No implications for HR and Organisational Development 
3. Community/Council Planning 
Our Renfrewshire is thriving -  Ensuring the best support for all
children and young people
Our Renfrewshire is well -  Early intervention will lead to
healthier outcomes for children and
young people, families and
communities. 
Our Renfrewshire is safe -  Local services/establishments will
support children, young people and
members of the community.     
Building strong, safe and
resilient communities 
-  The quality of community life is
enhanced by supporting children
and young people. 
Tackling inequality, ensuring
opportunities for all 
-  Effective governance arrangements
ensure that the organisations can
deliver effective and equitable
support for children and young
people 
Creating a sustainable
Renfrewshire for all to enjoy 
-  Effective support arrangements will
contribute to a quality education for
children and young people 
4.  Legal 
No Legal implications 
5.  Property/Assets
No implications for property/assets

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6.  Information Technology 
No implications for Information Technology 
7.  Equality and Human Rights 
No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of
individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the
recommendations contained in the report. If required, the actual impact of
the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and
monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the
Council’s website. 
8. Health and Safety 
No implications 
9. Procurement 
No implications for procurement 
10. Risk 
No risks 
11. Privacy Impact
Personal information will only be held as required to deliver the service. 
This will be done in accordance with data protection legislation. 
12. 
13. 
COSLA Policy Position
None 
Climate Risk
None 
14. Children’s Rights
This also aligns with the rights of children, including, articles, 5, 27, 28, 29
there has been a particular focus on engaging with children and young
people throughout this project. 
List of Background Papers 
Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC)
The Promise Scotland
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Support for Learning: All our Children and all their Potential 
___________________________________________________________________
Children’s Services
EH
26 July 2024 
Author: Emma Henry, Head of Education, emma.henry@renfrewshire.gov.uk
0141 487 0884