Agenda Document Pack - Education and Children's Services Policy Board - 13/03/2025
Renfrewshire Council · 13 March 2025
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 13 March 2025 and its agenda
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06/03/2025 Notice of Meeting and Agenda Education and Children's Services Policy Board Date Time Venue Thursday, 13 March 2025 13:00 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN Membership Councillor Emma Rodden (Convener): Councillor Jim Paterson (Depute Convener): Councillor Jennifer Adam: Councillor Fiona Airlie-Nicolson: Ms Mary Jane Bird: Provost Lorraine Cameron: Councillor Carolann Davidson: Councillor Audrey Doig: Councillor Edward Grady: Councillor Gillian Graham: Councillor Anne Hannigan: Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes: Councillor David McGonigle: Councillor Marie McGurk: Councillor Iain McMillan: Mr Jack Nellaney: Councillor Iain Nicolson: Mr Ravinder Singh: Councillor Ben Smith: Hybrid Meeting Please note that this meeting is scheduled to be held in the Council Chambers. However, it is a hybrid meeting and arrangements have been made for members to join the meeting remotely should they wish. Members of the Press and Public Members of the press and public wishing to attend the meeting should report to the customer service centre where they will be met and directed to the meeting. Further Information This is a meeting which is open to members of the public. A copy of the agenda and reports for this meeting will be available for inspection prior to the meeting at the Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley and online at http://renfrewshire.cmis.uk.com/renfrewshire/CouncilandBoards.aspx For further information, please email democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk MARK CONAGHAN Head of Corporate Governance Page 1 of 166
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06/03/2025 Webcasting of Meeting This meeting will be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site – at the start of the meeting the Convener will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed. To find the webcast please navigate to https://renfrewshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home Page 2 of 166
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06/03/2025 Items of business Apologies Apologies from members. Declarations of Interest and Transparency Statements Members are asked to declare an interest or make a transparency statement in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest or the transparency statement. 1 Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring as at 7 January 2025 Joint report by the Directors of Finance & Resources and Children’s Services. 5 - 15 2 Distribution of Funding to Support Services for Children and Families – Funding Allocation for 2025/26 Report by the Directors of Children's Services. 16 - 22 3 Report on Keeping The Promise in Renfrewshire Report by the Director of Children's Services. 23 - 83 4 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Renfrewshire Report by the Director of Children's Services. 84 - 113 5 Children’s Looked After Statistics - 28 February 2025 Report by the Director of Children's Services. 114 - 119 6 Scottish Equity Framework (SEF) Progress and Next Steps Report by the Director of Children's Services. 120 - 127 7 Learning Estate Programme Update Report by the Director of Children's Services. 128 - 131 8 Learning Estate Strategy Update Report by the Director of Children's Services. 132 - 147 9 Gaelic Medium Education Provision in Renfrewshire Report by the Director of Children's Services. 148 - 153 Page 3 of 166
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06/03/2025 10 Mobile Phone Guidance for Schools Report by the Director of Children's Services. 154 - 160 11 Education Scotland Inspection of Bargarran Primary School Report by the Director of Children's Services. 161 - 166 Page 4 of 166
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 Report by: Director of Finance and Resources and Director of Children’s Services Heading: Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring as at 7 January 2025 1. Summary of Financial Position 1.1. The projected Revenue outturn at 31 March 2025 for Children’s Services is an overspend of £1.059m (0.4%) against the revised budget for the year. 1.2. The projected Capital outturn at 31 March 2025 for Children’s Services is a break-even position. 1.3. This is summarised in the table below and further analysis is provided in the Appendices. Table 1: Revenue Division Revised Annual Budget £m Projected Outturn £m Budget Variance £m Budget Variance % Children’s Services 264.803 265.862 (1.059) (0.4%) Table 2: Capital Division Revised Annual Budget £m Projected Outturn £m Budget Variance £m Budget Variance % Children’s Services 30.286 30.286 0 0% 2. Recommendations Members are requested to: 2.1. Note the projected Revenue outturn position for Children’s Services detailed in Table 1 above; 2.2. Note the projected Capital outturn position for Children’s Services detailed in Table 2 above; and 2.3. Note the budget adjustments detailed in sections 6 and 7. Item 1 Page 5 of 166
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3. Children’s Services Revenue Budget Projection - overspend of £1.059m by 31 March 2025 3.1. The Revenue Budget Monitoring report at Appendix 1 identifies a projected annual overspend of £1.059m (0.4% of total budget). 3.2. It should be noted that the projected outturn position reported here is based on the latest information available, which is subject to change during the financial year. The impact of any change on this projection will be updated at each board cycle. Budget holders are obliged to seek mitigating action to minimise significant budget variances. 4. Objective Analysis - Significant Variances 4.1. Early Learning & Childcare - £0.787m underspend Employee costs are currently projected to underspend, mainly due to vacancies. This is under review with management. 4.2. Primary Schools - £0.038m overspend Premises costs, Transport costs and Supplies and Services are projected to overspend and are partly offset by a projected underspend in Employee costs, which arises mainly within teachers’ salaries. The movement since last period’s forecast is due mainly to the in-year realignment of underspent teachers’ salary budgets into Secondary and ASN Schools. This is reflected in paragraph 6.3. 4.3. Secondary Schools - £0.149m overspend Premises costs and Transport costs are currently projected to overspend and are partly offset by a projected underspend in Employee costs, mainly within teachers’ salaries. The overspend in Premises costs is mainly due to refuse collection costs; the Transport costs overspend is partly due to the SPT school transport contract being greater than available budget, and partly due to the costs of transporting pupils from Castlehead High School to the Lagoon Leisure Centre for PE earlier in the year whilst remedial works relating to RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) were being carried out. The movement since last period’s forecast is due to the in-year realignment of underspent teachers’ salary budgets from the Primary Schools division. This is reflected in paragraph 6.3. 4.4. ASN Schools - £0.047m overspend Premises costs are currently projected to overspend and are partly offset by an underspend in Employee costs. The overspend in Premises costs is due to requirement for janitorial costs and water charges being greater than available budget, and the underspend in Employee Costs arises mainly within teachers’ salaries. The movement since last period’s forecast is due to the in-year realignment of underspent teachers’ salary budgets from the Primary Schools division. This is reflected in paragraph 6.3. Page 6 of 166
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4.5. Additional Support for Learning - £0.526m overspend Employee costs and Transport costs are currently projected to overspend. The overspend in Employee costs mainly arises due to an increase in demand for Additional Support Needs Assistants (ASNAs) within mainstream schools. The Transport costs overspend is due to the cost of ASN transport contracts being higher than available budget, predominantly caused by price inflation and, to a lesser extent, by an increasing number of children requiring transport. 4.6. Facilities Management - £0.058m underspend Premises costs and Supplies and Services are projected to underspend and are partly offset by a small projected overspend in Employee costs. The Premises costs underspend may reduce during the year, as more of this budget is committed to small property repairs across the school estate. 4.7. Children & Families - £1.109m overspend Supplies and Services and Transfer payments are currently projected to overspend, partly offset by an underspend in Employee costs due to staffing turnover. The Supplies and Services projected overspend relates mainly to demand for both Care at Home for children with additional support needs, and payments to care leavers. The overspend in Transfer payments relates to Section 22 payments across localities. 5. Subjective Analysis - Significant Variances 5.1. Employees - £0.874m underspend Underspends are projected in both teaching and non-teaching staffing. Projected underspends in non-teaching staffing in Children & Families and Early Learning & Childcare, arising mainly from staff turnover, are partly offset by an overspend in Additional Support for Learning due to the demand for Additional Support Needs Assistants (ASNAs). 5.2. Premises Related - £0.295m overspend The overspend in Premises costs is mainly due to increased janitorial costs and refuse collection costs across the school estate. 5.3. Transport Related - £0.414m overspend The overspend in Transport costs is due to SPT contracts for both mainstream school transport and ASN transport being higher than available budget, predominantly caused by price inflation and, to a lesser extent, by an increasing number of children requiring transport. Page 7 of 166
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5.4. Supplies & Services - £0.593m overspend The overspend in Supplies & Services relates mainly to payments to care leavers and increased demand for Care at Home services for children with additional support needs. 5.5. Third Party Payments - £0.252m overspend The projected overspend in Third Party payments relates mainly to services related to Children with Disabilities, particularly within placement costs. 5.6. Transfer Payments - £0.761m overspend The projected overspend in Transfer payments relates mainly to Children & Families, in particular Direct Payments and Section 22 payments. 5.7. Income - £0.370m over-recovery A projected over-recovery of income is currently projected in Children & Families in relation to charges to other divisions of the service not reported to this Board. 6. Revenue Budget Adjustments 6.1. Under the Council’s financial regulations, Directors and their nominated officers, in consultation with the Director of Finance and Resources, have certain delegated authority to transfer sums between subjective budget headings within a service division to enable budget management throughout the financial year. This is known as ‘budget virement’. 6.2. Transfers between divisions of the same service / department in excess of £100,000, and transfers between services / departments must be authorised by the respective service Director and the Director of Finance and Resources for submission to the relevant policy board for approval. 6.3. The Director now seeks homologation from the Board for the following affected virements since the last report: Revenue Budget Adjustments Objective Heading Subjective Heading Amount (£m) Reason Children’s Services Premises Related (0.040) Corporate Landlord transfers to Environment, Housing and Infrastructure relating to small repair projects Children’s Services Primary division Employee Costs – teaching staff (1.983) Realignment of teaching staff budgets across three service divisions in line with need, as discussed at previous Policy Board Children’s Services Secondary division Employee Costs – teaching staff 1.480 Children’s Services ASN Schools Employee Costs – teaching staff 0.503 Page 8 of 166
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6.4. The following budget adjustments are in line with the earmarking of funds set aside in budget motion and the allocation of centrally-held budgets, and are therefore for noting only: Revenue Budget Adjustments Objective Heading Subjective Heading Amount (£m) Reason Children’s Services Employee Costs 5.826 Agreed pay awards for non-teaching employees from 1 April 2024 and for teaching staff from 1 August 2024 Children’s Services Premises Costs 0.597 Realignment of non- domestic rates budgets Children’s Services Employee Costs 0.939 Realignment of Scottish Government funding to support newly qualified teachers 7. Capital Budget Projection - break even position by 31 March 2025 7.1. The Capital Investment Programme 2024/25 to 2028/29 was approved by the Council on 29 February 2024. Education and Children’s Services revised Capital spend for 2024/25 is £30.286m. 7.2. The in-year Capital budget is forecast to break-even by 31 March 2025, however, this will be monitored as the projects progress. Further details of the programme can be found in the Capital Monitoring report at Appendix 3. 7.3. There have been no budget adjustments since the previous Policy Board. Page 9 of 166
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___________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial The projected budget outturn position for Children’s Services’ Revenue budget is an overspend of £1.059m. Income and expenditure will continue to be monitored closely for the rest of the financial year and steps will be taken to mitigate any overspend, including virement, applying flexibility within specific grant funding as permitted by the Scottish Government, and potential use of earmarked reserves. The projected outturn position for Children’s Services’ Capital budget is a break-even position. The Capital programme will continue to be monitored closely for the rest of the financial year. 2. HR and Organisational Development While staffing budgets form a significant proportion of the Council’s revenue budgets, there are no direct implications arising from the recommendations in this report. 3. Community/Council Planning Community Plan Our Renfrewshire is thriving The Council’s revenue and capital spend ensures that its facilities are fit for purpose and safe for the community, to maximise accessibility. Our Renfrewshire is well Our Renfrewshire is fair Our Renfrewshire is safe Council Plan Reshaping our place, our economy and our future The Council’s revenue and capital spend ensures that its facilities are fit for purpose and safe for the community, to maximise accessibility. Building strong, safe and resilient communities Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all Creating a sustainable Renfrewshire for all to enjoy Ongoing revenue and capital budget monitoring is a tool to enable good financial management so that the Council has resources now and in the future for continued service delivery. Working together to improve outcomes 4. Legal There are no direct implications arising from the recommendations in this report. Page 10 of 166
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5. Property/Assets The capital expenditure noted in this report will result in lifecycle maintenance improvements to existing properties and replacement of ICT assets and infrastructure. 6. Information Technology While ICT assets and revenue costs are included within these reported budgets, there are no direct implications arising from the recommendations in this report. 7. Equality and Human Rights While new areas of spend may impact on particular groups, any such impact would be assessed prior to the spend being incurred, therefore there are no direct implications arising from the recommendations in this report. 8. Health and Safety The capital expenditure noted in this report will result in lifecycle maintenance improvements to existing properties and replacement of ICT assets, which may in some cases rectify health and safety issues. 9. Procurement While Procurement is an important consideration prior to the Council incurring any revenue or capital spend, there are no direct implications arising from the recommendations in this report. 10. Risk The potential risk that the Council will overspend its approved budgets for the year will be managed at a Council-wide level by the Chief Executive and Directors. 11. Privacy Impact There are no direct implications arising from the recommendations in this report. 12. Children’s Rights There are no direct implications arising from the recommendations in this report. 13. Climate Risk The Council aims to reduce its carbon and other emissions to net zero by 2030, however there are no direct implications arising from the recommendations in this report. 14. CoSLA Policy Position n/a Page 11 of 166
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___________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers: • Revenue Budget and Council Tax 2024/25, Council 29 February 2024 • Capital Investment Programme 2023/24 to 2027/28, Council 29 February 2024 Authors: Richard Conway, Finance Business Partner Geoff Borland, Finance Manager Page 12 of 166
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Appendix 1 RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING STATEMENT 2024/25 1 April 2024 to 7 January 2025 POLICY BOARD : EDUCATION & CHILDREN'S SERVICES Subjective Summary Annual Budget at Period 8 Budget Adjustments Revised Annual Budget at Period 10 Projected Outturn Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable Previous Projected Outturn Variance Movement £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 % £000 £000 Employees 180,132 6,758 186,890 186,016 874 0.5% 1,197 (323) Premises Related 9,100 605 9,705 10,000 (295) (3.0%) (289) (6) Transport Related 6,499 0 6,499 6,913 (414) (6.4%) (291) (123) Supplies and Services 31,554 355 31,909 32,502 (593) (1.9%) (762) 169 Third Party Payments 18,918 0 18,918 19,170 (252) (1.3%) (606) 354 Transfer Payments 16,432 737 17,169 17,930 (761) (4.4%) (803) 42 Support Services 941 1 942 930 12 1.3% 11 1 GROSS EXPENDITURE 263,576 8,456 272,032 273,461 (1,429) (0.5%) (1,543) 114 Income (5,991) (1,238) (7,229) (7,599) 370 5.1% 642 (272) NET EXPENDITURE 257,585 7,218 264,803 265,862 (1,059) (0.4%) (901) (158) Page 13 of 166
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Appendix 2 RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL REVENUE BUDGET MONITORING STATEMENT 2024/25 1 April 2024 to 7 January 2025 POLICY BOARD : EDUCATION & CHILDREN'S SERVICES Objective Summary Annual Budget at Period 8 Budget Adjustments Revised Annual Budget at Period 10 Projected Outturn Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable Previous Projected Outturn Variance Movement £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 % £000 £000 Directorate 1,284 6 1,290 1,326 (36) (2.8%) (19) (17) Early learning and childcare 33,659 919 34,578 33,791 787 2.3% 551 236 Primary 65,476 2,921 68,397 68,435 (38) (0.1%) 1,833 (1,871) Secondary 90,442 1,860 92,302 92,451 (149) (0.2%) (734) 585 ASN Schools 7,302 180 7,482 7,529 (47) (0.6%) (490) 443 Additional support for learning (ASL) 17,964 812 18,776 19,302 (526) (2.8%) (623) 97 Psychological services 1,280 46 1,326 1,326 0 0.0% 0 0 Education development 2,457 (13) 2,444 2,444 0 0.0% 0 0 Attainment Challenge (800) (32) (832) (832) 0 0.0% 0 0 Facilities management 528 (5) 523 465 58 11.1% 82 (24) Children & Families 37,993 523 38,516 39,625 (1,109) (2.9%) (1,501) 392 NET EXPENDITURE 257,585 7,218 264,803 265,862 (1,059) (0.4%) (901) (158) Page 14 of 166
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Appendix 3 Prior Years Approved Budget Revised Projected Total Approved Projected Expenditure Budget Adjustments Budget Outturn Budget Outurn to 31/03/2024 2024-25 since previous 2024-25 2024-25 to 31-Mar-29 to 31-Mar-29 Project Title Board report £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 £000 EDUCATION & CHILDREN SERVICES Primary Schools Estate Programme(SEMP) 10,422 202 0 202 202 0 0% 10,623 10,623 0 0% Paisley Grammar New Campus 6,707 27,138 0 27,138 27,138 0 0% 85,600 85,600 0 0% Thorn PS New Build 79 150 0 150 150 0 0% 14,000 14,000 0 0% Dargavel Extension (Modular Units) 2,133 117 0 117 117 0 0% 2,250 2,250 0 0% DPS2 New Build 0 425 0 425 425 0 0% 45,000 45,000 0 0% Other Schools Investment Programmes 0 213 0 213 213 0 0% 213 213 0 0% Total Schools Estate(inc Early Years) Programme 1,553 302 0 302 302 0 0% 1,855 1,855 0 0% PMHS Extension 0 1,000 0 1,000 1,000 0 0% 37,000 37,000 0 0% ELCC Improvements 0 88 0 88 88 0 0% 88 88 0 0% Technology Replacement Strategy ICT 0 651 0 651 651 0 0% 1,851 1,851 0 0% TOTAL EDUCATION & CHILDREN'S SERVICES BOARD 20,894 30,286 0 30,286 30,286 0 0% 198,480 198,480 0 0% *Rolling programmes have a prior year year expenditure of £0 as the expenditure is not directly linked from one year to the next as a singular project. RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL 1st April to 7th January 2025 POLICY BOARD: EDUCATION & CHILDEN'S SERVICES Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable CAPITAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY - NON-HOUSING SERVICES Current Year 2024-25 Full Programme - All years Budget Variance (Adverse) or Favourable Page 15 of 166
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Page 1 of 7 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Distribution of Funding to Support Services for Children and Families – Funding Allocation for 2025/26 ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. Renfrewshire Council is committed to supporting the independent sector’s contribution to early years provision in Renfrewshire, through the allocation of funding to support a range of private and voluntary sector organisations which deliver services for families with young children. 1.2. This report provides information on the proposed allocation of funding during 2025/26 to out of school care groups in the private and voluntary sector and for early years voluntary sector organisations, playgroups and toddler groups. 1.3. Acceptance of the recommendations contained within the report will result in £79,375 disbursed to private and voluntary sector organisations. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board is asked to: i. approve the resource allocation to support the delivery of services for children and young people as outlined in appendix 1 to this report; and ii. agree the proposed allocation of grant funding for out of school care and pre five voluntary sector (subject to the completion of satisfactory checks and assessments as detailed in appendices 2 and 3 attached to this report). Item 2 Page 16 of 166
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Page 2 of 7 3. Background 3.1. Renfrewshire Council has been committed to developing and supporting services for families for many years. A number of private and voluntary sector organisations deliver a range of these services within Renfrewshire. 3.2. Working in partnership with providers from the private and voluntary sector, including out of school care and playgroups has enabled the Council to continue to support families with young children. ___________________________________________________________________ 4. Proposals for the Allocation of Funding 2025/26 4.1. Applications for funding to support the delivery of services to families and young children are submitted via the Council’s grant process for early years funding. 4.2. These grant award arrangements are compliant with the Council’s Conditions of Grant requirements and payments will only be made to those recommended organisations detailed within this report when all satisfactory checks and assessments have been completed. These checks include financial information (bank statements and annual accounts), and latest Care Inspectorate grades for those services required to register with the Care Inspectorate. 4.3. Appendix 1 of this report provides an overview of the proposed allocation of £79,375 for grants to the private and voluntary sector organisations supporting children and families, out of school care services and pre-5 voluntary sector playgroups for 2025/26. The proposed allocation of funding to the 2 individual voluntary sector organisations and pre-5 voluntary sector playgroups and toddler groups is agreed in accordance with previous grant allocation and available budget. The proposed grant for out of school care is based on a points system. 4.4. Appendix 2 attached to the report provides a breakdown of the proposed allocation of £18,675 to the out of school care services sector. 4.5. The criteria agreed for the disbursement of the resources for out of school care services continues to ensure an equal and fair allocation of the resources. Each point awarded translates into a sum of money, with the funding allocated to each organisation approved by the Policy Board. The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board at its meeting on the 15 March 2018 approved a point value of £100 per point. The proposed allocation of funding outlined in appendix 2 continues to be based on a point value of £100. 4.6. Appendix 3 of this report provides a breakdown of the proposed allocation of £1,500 to the pre-5 voluntary sector playgroups and toddler groups. 4.7. Further applications for grants which are under £1,500 will be approved by the Director of Children’s Services, using delegated authority on the basis of the Council’s scheme of Delegation Functions. Any award greater than £1,500 will be presented for approval at a future Education and Children’s Services Policy Board meeting. Page 17 of 166
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Page 3 of 7 _________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial Cost relating to the proposals in this report will be met from existing funding resources. 2. 3. HR and Organisational Development None. Community Plan/Council Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving - Ensuring the best start in life for children and young people. Our Renfrewshire is well - Early intervention will lead to healthier outcomes for children and young people. Our Renfrewshire is safe - The provision of funding to local groups contributes to the development of local communities. Building strong, safe and resilient communities - The quality of community life is enhanced by supporting parents, children and young people. Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all - Effective governance arrangements ensure that the organisations receiving funding comply with legislative requirements. Creating a sustainable Renfrewshire for all to enjoy Working together to improve outcomes. - Support to families and flexible childcare placements will support parents into and sustain employment, training or enter education. Ensuring children have a high quality ELC experience. 4. Legal The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 empowers the Council to provide a range of grants. Payments will be in accordance with the Council’s Conditions of Grant. The Council’s Conditions of Grant will apply to for the funding to the approved voluntary sector organisations, out of school care and play group and toddler groups as detailed in appendices1, 2 and 3 of the report. 5. Property/Assets None. Page 18 of 166
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Page 4 of 7 6. 7. Information Technology None. Equality and Human Rights The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities 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. Registered services are required to comply with the Equality Act 2010. 8. Health and Safety None. 9. Procurement None. 10. 11. Risk All grant awards issued by the Council are subject to the Council’s Conditions of Grant as detailed in paragraph 4.2 of this report and to compliance with appropriate risk management procedures. Privacy Impact Personal information will only be held as required in order to deliver the service. This will be done in accordance with all data protection legislation. 12. Climate Risk None. 13. Children’s Rights Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities (Article 31 (leisure, play and culture)). 14. Cosla Policy Position None. List of Background Papers None. ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services JC/KMcD/LG/KO 28/01/25 Author: Julie Caldwell . Early Learning and Childcare Development Officer julie.caldwell@renfrewshire.gov.uk / Kathleen McDonagh Nolan, Education Manager kathleen.mcdonagh@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 19 of 166
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Page 5 of 7 Appendix 1 Distribution of Funding to Support Services for Children and Families 2025/26 Service Outcome Funding proposed 2025/26 Home-Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Less isolation for families improving mental health and confidence levels. Training and development opportunities provided to volunteers and parents/carers. (Grant funding is to support Renfrewshire families) £45,200 Care Inspectorate Provider Name: Moorpark Community Association Cherrie Children’s Day-care Name of Group on Application Form: Moorpark Community Association Cherrie children’s Day-care Care Inspectorate Service Name: Cherrie Children Daycare Young children aged 0 to 3 years being supported within a safe and stimulating environment and being able to access good quality learning experiences supported by knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff. £14,000 Out of School Care Services (appendix 2) Support to out of school care services in the independent sector to provide high quality play experiences for children and an affordable service for parents/carers. £18,675 Pre-5 Voluntary Sector Grants (appendix 3) Support to individual pre-5 voluntary sector providers. £1,500 Total £79,375 Page 20 of 166
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Page 6 of 7 Appendix 2 Care Inspectorate Provider Name Name of Group on Application Form Care Inspectorate Service Name SIMD 2024 Private 0 Points Voluntary 1 point Renfrewshire Council Targeted Data Zone Area 5 Points Subsidised Places 1 Point per 8 places Equipment 1 point per 8 existing places Expansion of childcare places 2 points per 8 places for existing providers Expansion of childcare places 5 points per 8 places for New Provider Holiday cover 1 point per 8 places Use Schools or Community halls Term Time Only -1 point Year Round -2 Points Points Accrued Award Recommended Gryffe Manor Nursery Ltd Gryffe Manor Out of School Cre Gryffe Manor Out of School Care 10 0 0 0.00 10 0 0 6.25 -2 14.25 £1,425.00 Hummingbird Out of School Care Limited Hummingbird out of school Hummingbird Out of School Care Limited 4 0 0 0.00 6.25 5 0 7.125 0 18.375 £1,837.50 Insafe Hands Childcare Limited In Safe Hands Childcare (ST.James OSC). St. James Out of School Care 2 0 5 0.00 7.5 0 0 0 -1 11.5 £1,150.00 Insafe Hands Childcare Limited In Safe Hands Childcare (Newmains and Holiday Club) Insafe Hands (Newmains) 4 0 0 0.00 5 0 0 5 -2 8 £800.00 Insafe Hands Childcare Limited In Safe Hands Childcare (Newmains and Holiday Club) In Safe Hands 2 0 5 0.00 3 0 0 3 0 11 £1,100.00 KLAS Care C.I.C. KLAS Care C.i.C KLAS Care C.I.C 4 0 0 1.50 6.25 0 0 5 -1 11.75 £1,175.00 KLAS Care C.I.C. KLAS Care C.i.C KLAS Care 3 0 0 1.88 5 0 0 5 -2 9.875 £987.50 Making Memories Childcare Ltd Making Memories Childcare Limited Making Memories Childcare Ltd (Out of School Care) 7 0 0 0.00 2.50 0 0 1.50 0 4 £400.00 Moorpark Community Association Cherrie Children's Day-care Moorpark Community Association Cherrie Children's Day-care Cherrie Children Daycare 1 1 5 0.00 5 0 0 5 -2 14 £1,400.00 Ralston After School Care Committee Ralston Primary out of school care Ralston After School Care 9 1 0 0.00 12.5 0 0 15 -2 26.5 £2,650.00 Roin Ltd ROIN LTD T/A JENNYSWELL OSC @LOCHFIELD Jennyswell OSC - Lochfield 4 0 0 0.00 4 0 0 0 -1 3 £300.00 Roin Ltd ROIN LTD T/A JENNYSWELL OSC @TODHOLM Jennyswell OSC - Todholm 4 0 0 0.00 6.25 0 0 6.25 -2 10.5 £1,050.00 School's Out Centres Limited School's Out Centres Limited 'School's Out' - Bargarran 5 0 0 3.38 6.25 0 0 6.25 -2 13.875 £1,387.50 School's Out Centres Limited School's Out Centres Limited 'School's Out' - Barsail 4 0 0 2.38 6.25 2.5 0 6.25 -2 15.375 £1,537.50 Strawberry Field Nursery Strawberry Field Nursery Strawberry Field Out of School Care 8 0 0 3.25 7.5 0 0 4 0 14.75 £1,475.00 £18,675.00 OUT-OF-SCHOOL CARE SUPPORT 2025/26 Provider Details Criteria Total Page 21 of 166
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Page 7 of 7 Appendix 3 Distribution of funding support services for children and families - pre-five voluntary sector grants 2025/26 Organisation Purpose of Grant Recommendation Award 2025/26 Langbank Playgroup To provide quality outdoor play and learning opportunities for children £500 Lochwinnoch Toddlers Group To provide children with a greater variety of stimulating play experiences. £500 Ralston Playgroup To provide children with quality play experiences. £500 Total £1,500 Page 22 of 166
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Page 1 of 4 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Report on Keeping The Promise in Renfrewshire ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. This report provides elected members with an update on Keeping The Promise to Renfrewshire’s Infants, Children, Young People and Families. 1.2. This report outlines the first 5 years of Renfrewshire’s work to Keep The Promise. The publication of this report coincides with the 5-year midpoint of the 10-year programme to Keep The Promise by 2030. 1.3. The report recognises the key role Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network plays in Renfrewshire’s commitment to delivering The Promise and there is a detailed and in-depth section within this report on the network. 1.4. The report has been produced in two formats: Report on Keeping The Promise to Renfrewshire’s Infants, Children, Young People and Families and Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise. The Pinky Promise report is aimed at younger readers. 1.5. Going forward this report will be updated on an annual basis and presented to the Board for consideration by elected members. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board is asked to: a) note the contents of both Report(s) on Keeping The Promise in Renfrewshire. ___________________________________________________________________ Item 3 Page 23 of 166
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Page 2 of 4 3. Background 3.1. The Promise is a priority for Renfrewshire’s Children’s Services Partnership. “As partners, we’re committed to working together to provide support to children and families at the earliest possible stage, as part of our commitment to The Promise.” Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Plan 2023-26. 3.2. Delivering The Promise in Renfrewshire is part of a wider vision on improving outcomes for infants, children and young people who are more likely to face poorer outcomes because of experience of inequalities, trauma and adversity. 3.3. The Promise: Between 2017 and 2020, Scotland’s Independent Care Review heard the experiences of over 5,500 people, who included: • Care Experienced infants, children, young people and adults • members of the paid and unpaid workforce of Scotland’s ‘care system.” 3.4. The Independent Care Review was a consultation into how Scotland’s “care system” needed to change. In 2020, the conclusions of Scotland’s Independent Care Review made a series of recommendations about how this had to change. The Promise is that Scotland will implement these recommendations in full by 2030 at the latest. 3.5. The full report contains information on activity connected to The Promise in Renfrewshire and includes detail on the following: • Renfrewshire Promise Champs • Renfrewshire Promise Keeper Network • Renfrewshire Language Policy • Supporting the Workforce • Data, the Care Experienced Data Dashboard Development and The Promise Progress Framework • Engagement with the Scottish Government, The Promise Scotland and COSLA • Whole Family Wellbeing Approach in Renfrewshire • Renfrewshire’s Promise Partnership Funded Projects • Renfrewshire’s Promise Programmes and Projects • Keeping The Promise in Children's Hearings • Community Learning and Development and The Promise ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial None. 2. HR and Organisational Development None. 3. Community/Council Planning Page 24 of 166
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Page 3 of 4 Building strong, safe and resilient communities - Providing families and children with support to remain together will ensure our communities are supportive places for children to grow up in. Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all - Providing families and children with the help they need at the earliest point possible will ensure our communities are inclusive for all. Working together to improve outcomes - Providing excellent quality care is central to ensuring that the most vulnerable children and families in Renfrewshire are provided with an opportunity to achieve their potential 4. Legal Corporate Parenting Duties: Renfrewshire Council along with many other public bodies and Organisations in Scotland are Corporate Parents under Part 9 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. 5. Property/Assets None. 6. Information Technology None. 7. Equality and Human Rights The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities 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 as the report is for noting only. 8. Health and Safety None. 9. Procurement None. 10. Risk None. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. Climate Risk None. Page 25 of 166
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Page 4 of 4 13. Children’s Rights The report promotes the following rights of the child under the UNCRC: Article 2 (no discrimination); Article 3 (best interests of child); Article 4 (making rights real); Article 9 (keeping families together); Article 21 (children who are adopted); Article 22 (refugee children) and Article 25 (review of a child’s placement). 14. COSLA Policy Position COSLA Leaders have stated their commitment to The Promise and its ambition to ensure that Scotland’s children grow up ‘loved, safe and respected.’ COSLA published ‘’Delivering The Promise in Local Government,’ a research project with the Improvement Service, in April 2023. COSLA and SOLACE established The Promise Local Government Programme Board in August 2022. The Board is chaired by SOLACE and comprises membership across a range of local government professional associations. The Board was established to monitor and drive the delivery and implementation of the actions required of local government to Keep The Promise. List of Background Papers The foregoing background papers will be retained within children’s services for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. The contact officer within the service is Maurice Gilligan, Promise Manager (Social Work Manager Operations Promise Lead), Children’s Services, maurice.gilligan@renfrewshire.gov.uk ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services Author: Maurice Gilligan, Promise Manager (Social Work Manager Operations Promise Lead), Children’s Services, maurice.gilligan@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 26 of 166
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Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeping The Promise in Renfrewshire Report on Keeping The Promise to Renfrewshire’s Infants, Children, Young People and Families. February 2025 Page 27 of 166
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Renfrewshire’s Promise Contents The Promise in Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Promise Champs Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network Promise Keeper Conference 2024 Renfrewshire Language Policy Supporting the Workforce Data, the Care Experienced Data Dashboard Development and The Promise Progress Framework The Scottish Government, The Promise Scotland and COSLA Whole Family Wellbeing Approach in Renfrewshire Renfrewshire’s Promise Partnership Funded Projects Renfrewshire’s Promise Programmes and Projects Keeping The Promise in Children’s Hearings Community Learning and Development and The Promise Promise Team Contact Information and Biographies Appendix 1 — Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group Appendix 2 What is The Promise? Glossary 1 3 5 12 13 14 17 19 20 23 26 30 31 32 33 34 36 Page 28 of 166
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Renfrewshire’s Promise The Promise in Renfrewshire This report highlights the first 5 years of Renfrewshire’s Approach to Keep The Promise and recognises the key part played by Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network. Page 29 of 166
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1Renfrewshire’s Promise The Promise in Renfrewshire The Promise is a priority for Renfrewshire’s Children’s Services Partnership. “As partners, we’re committed to working together to provide support to children and families at the earliest possible stage, as part of our commitment to The Promise.” Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Plan 2023–26. Governance and Oversight Renfrewshire Promise delivery is overseen by Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group and this group reports to Renfrewshire’s Children’s Services Partnership. Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group Aligned workstreams: Whole Family Wellbeing Approach Supporting the Workforce Renfrewshire Children’s Hearings Improvement Partnership (previously known as Keeping the Promise in Renfrewshire’s Children’s Hearings) Delivering The Promise in Renfrewshire is part of a wider partner vision on improving outcomes for infants, children and young people who are more likely to face poorer outcomes because of experience of inequalities, trauma and adversity. Currently, three workstreams provide updates and are aligned to the Strategic Oversight Group and they are: Whole Family Wellbeing Steering Group; Supporting the Workforce and Renfrewshire Children’s Hearings Improvement Partnership (previously known as Keeping the Promise in Renfrewshire’s Children’s Hearings). The groups are all chaired by senior managers from across the partnership. Renfrewshire Promise delivery mapping and planning tool is informing delivery of The Promise. This mapping tool was developed in conjunction with Promise Scotland Delivery Partners. The Promise Manager has been sharing this mapping and planning tool approach with Local Authorities from across Scotland. Page 30 of 166
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2Renfrewshire’s Promise The Promise in Renfrewshire (continued) Key Strategic Drivers The work and activity around The Promise is at a key stage in the 10-year programme. The Promise Plan 24–30 was published in June 2024, and this followed the publication of the Scottish Government’s Promise Implementation Plan in Spring 2024. The publication of The Promise Plan 24–30 has provided an opportunity to recognise and to draw on progress to date and set the next steps in the direction of travel to Keep The Promise. The plan sets out ambitions into a delivery focused route for action and carry the voice of all in order to make this a reality. The Scottish Government’s update to Keeping the Promise Implementation Plan provided a full review of progress on the actions and the commitments that Scottish Government and other agencies have taken and commented on the next stages of the work that is required. In Renfrewshire upon publication of both these plans there was initial mapping and planning around the implementation of the plans and what it means in relation to our planning, priorities and governance arrangements. A further review of governance arrangements has taken place to ensure the existing structures are fit for purpose. As a result of this review there has been streamlining of the number of workstreams currently reporting in the oversight group. We are working with parents, carers, children and young people about what Plan 24–30 means for them. The Promise approach in Renfrewshire is clearly aligned with significant other policy areas and part of a wider ambition that Renfrewshire’s children and young people are happy, healthy, safe and thriving. The Promise aligned policy areas include United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC), National Trauma Transformation Programme and wider equalities strategies and legislation. The Promise Manager has delivered presentations to Renfrewshire Community Planning Partnership Executive Group and Renfrewshire Forum For Empowering Communities, which are both part of Renfrewshire’s Community Planning structure. Community Planning Partnerships have a statutory responsibility to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities in their area, so successful delivery of The Promise supports the objectives of Renfrewshire Community Planning Partnership. Through these groups, The Promise Manager has raised awareness of the objectives of The Promise among Chief Officers of statutory agencies and significant third sector organisations in Renfrewshire. As a result, these organisations have considered how they can best support The Promise in their organisations. The Promise Manager has been liaising with Policy Managers and appropriate policy leads in services within the Council and the HSCP around how The Promise relates to and impacts those services. This has included work around the development of the service’s Service Improvement Plans, Strategic Plan, Mid-Year Monitoring reports and this also includes meeting with service’s corporate management teams. Loving and Nurturing We make every effort as professionals to adopt a loving, nurturing approach that encourages a culture where our service users are empowered to ask us about any aspect of our services. Central to our approach to The Promise and our wider policy development work is actively listening to our children, young people and families. Page 31 of 166
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3Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire Promise Champs In 2021, Renfrewshire Council Youth Services were appointed as the lead service for developing the Youth Voice for Care Experienced young people across Renfrewshire. As part of Youth Service’s strategic working towards youth empowerment and participation, this includes locality-based youth voice forums and reflects the interests/needs of the most marginalised young people in our communities. Using a UNCRC rights-based approach and in working towards the National Youth Work Outcomes, Youth Services have a proven track record of supporting young people, developing their skills and confidence to be able to use youth voice opportunities to speak out, campaign, and affect change and shape services that can better meet their needs. What Happened? The Promise Champions programme started with mixed attendance of the previous Champions Board members and newly recruited Youth Services Care Experienced members. The Promise Champs group since continues to change in membership with young people moving on to positive destinations and new members being recruited through youth consultation. At the Champs first sessions they met with the Promise Ambassador, Sam Macrae who supported the Champs to grow their understanding of The Promise, look at the policies that have changed positively within care and to explore where initial changes could be made. The Champs were supported by Youth Services, discussed youth-based issues and ways in which they as young people could make positive changes, that would benefit themselves and other Care Experienced young people living within Renfrewshire. The Promise Champs were invited along to leadership training sessions and participated in the Youth Voice Residentials to learn new skills, engage in team building activities and meet other like- minded young people to widen their networks. Youth Services has and continues to outreach to schools, social work area teams and to youth organisations that support Care Experienced young people to increase participation and signpost Care Experienced young people to groups and opportunities available to them. The Renfrewshire Young Scot portal is also regularly updated with new campaign pages to signpost young people and staff/carers to a point that had information on what the Promise is, and activities that might support Care Experienced young people. Page 32 of 166
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4Renfrewshire’s Promise what they would like to take part in. From this five activities were chosen to organise and facilitate during the summer, as part of the Promise Champ Summer Club. Promise Champs then researched and explored a variety of experiences and trips based within the west of Scotland suitable for young people aged 11–18. This included bowling, roller disco, film club to offer out to Care Experienced young people to take part in during the summer break. These trips offered places to 32 participants. Youth Leadership Training — Promise Champs were invited to take part in leadership training where they could contribute and support the co-design of the Youth Voice Summer roadshow. Summer Youth Voice Roadshow — Promise Champs volunteered to design the fayre games for the Summer Youth Voice roadshow. They helped host the games across nine community venues engaged with 290 participants. Youth Voice Residential — Promise Champs were invited to take part in the October Youth Voice residential at Lapwing Lodge where they took part in team building and creative youth voice activities. They helped to design banners for the Reclaim the Night March. Summary of the Promise Champs Achievements Promise Present Drive 2023 — Promise Champs planned and organised present drive. The present drive launched in November 18th ran until the 16th of December. Over this time the champs received 195 parcels and wrapped these into bundles to create 128 presents. All of which were delivered to Care Experienced young people across Renfrewshire, supported by Youth Services, social workers and partner organisations that work to support care experienced young people. Festive Lunch Event — The Promise Champs organised a festive lunch event that Care Experienced young people and their carers/workers could come along to chat, eat and get involved in the YO Producer’s youth event afterwards. This was held within Coats Paisley on Sunday the 18th of November. 30 people attended this lunch. Care Experienced young people received a present from the present drive and an invitation to join in on the youth event. Promise Champs Summer Club Activities — The Promise Champs consulted with other Care Experienced young people within the Art Boss programme and Promise Arts projects to find out Renfrewshire Promise Champs (continued) Promise Present Drive 2024 — Youth Services connected with Promise Keepers to nominate Care Experienced young people to receive a gift. 23 Promise Keepers nominated, 162 young people. Though the generosity of Promise Keepers and Renfrewshire community members the Promise Present drive received 185 parcels which successfully allowed for all nominated Care Experienced young people to receive a Christmas gift. Renfrewshire Promise Champs Next Steps: • To continue to stay connected with the Promise Keeper network to create positive working relationships across Renfrewshire to promote the work of the Promise Champs and grow the group’s membership. • To continue to consult with Care Experienced young people to find out what the issues are within care, their daily lives as young people and find out where are their needs are not being met and what they would like support with to thrive and achieve. Page 33 of 166
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5Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network is a community of local champions for The Promise who promote, advocate and improve outcomes for the Care Experienced community. There are currently 330 Promise Keepers, and this number is growing across Renfrewshire. They ensure The Promise remains at the forefront of service design and delivery. The Promise Keeper network is diverse in terms of seniority and services represented. For example, Social Work, Education, the wider council, the HSCP, Elected Representatives, Community Planning Partners and the third sector. Promise Keepers benefit from feeling that they are part of a wider community, committed to enacting positive change for the Care Experienced community, creating cultural and system change. Promise Keepers cascade their learning and development with their colleagues and service users to understand The Promise. Promise Keepers are highly visible, and empowered to act in areas where they can enact changes. A key component of the network is the exchange of ideas, learning and approaches across a range of mediums to ensure that we are learning from each other. The network is very cost effective and efficient within existing core budget with the minimum of running costs. The network informs the council and partners around future plans and strategic direction. Keeping the promise “We’re all proud to be Promise Keepers at Glenburn Early Learning and Childcare Centre. The training has really improved our awareness of the needs of care experienced families and enhanced our understanding of children’s rights. These insights now inform the activities and practical support we offer every day.” Annmarie Mullen, early learning childcare officer Learn more about The Promise and our Promise Keeper network Complete our training course on iLearn. For more info contact thepromise@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 34 of 166
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6Renfrewshire’s Promise Promise Keepers enact small, incremental changes to their service, such as sharing their knowledge and understanding with colleagues, ensuring The Promise is on the agenda at team meetings, and promoting the use of positive and non-stigmatising language use as outlined in our Renfrewshire Language Policy. Planning and Delivery The Promise Keeper Network was created to promote the responsibility that all of our services have to Keep The Promise and be sensitive to the needs of the Care Experienced community. A Care Experienced person will have experience of frontline Social Work services, and may also access our library service, housing or business support. It is essential that staff across the organisation are aware of their needs, and ensure they are able to support them as much as possible. The Promise Keeper Network challenges the belief that responsibility to Keep The Promise lies solely with frontline Children’s Services colleagues only. We have energised staff from across the council, partnership and wider local authority to recognise and reinforce the commitment that they have to Care Experienced people. Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network (continued) Our Care Experienced community have told us that they want genuine and authentic people to champion The Promise, and the dedication and commitment our Promise Keepers show further emphasises this. We actively encourage, and they themselves are keen to share, examples of good practice across the network, as well as current opportunities that they may have available for Care Experienced young people e.g., youth clubs, outdoor activities etc. This ensures there are opportunities for partnership working both within and across services. For example, a colleague from health may share an example of good practice which could be adjusted and implemented in education. “This approach encourages everyone to think how they can support Care Experienced children in their practice. Keep up the great work.” Promise Keepers wear dedicated badges to ensure that they are visible within their teams, to further promote messaging around The Promise and emphasise that their service is a supportive and safe space for Care Experienced people. The badge itself is a symbol and it is voluntary for The Promise Keeper to wear. The Promise Keeper Network developed the badges in response to an ask from Promise Keepers who wished to be identifiable. The actions and the conduct of the Promise Keeper is what is key. Page 35 of 166
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7Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network (continued) We have a staged application process for someone to become a Promise Keeper. Our Care Experienced Community told us that they want genuine, authentic commitment from those who are championing their needs. Anyone can apply to become a Promise Keeper, and regardless of seniority or position, each member of staff will go through this process. There are three stages to becoming a Promise Keeper: 1. The first stage is to fill out a short application form. There are two boxes, the first asks why you would like to become a Promise Keeper, and the second asks what opportunities you see for The Promise within your service. This application is then signed by the applicant’s line manager and submitted to the Promise Ambassador 2. The second stage is an informal interview. The Training and Development Manager and Promise Ambassador carry out informal interviews to gauge enthusiasm and commitment from the applicant. The conversation is very informal, and the applicant is asked about how they feel The Promise is going in their service. The interview lasts 15 minutes and is hosted online. 3. The third stage is Promise Keepers will undergo training to fulfil their role. Our training is multi- disciplinary to ensure sharing of experiences and ideas within the sessions. Partnership working and networking is at the heart of The Promise Keeper network, and we start this from the offset in the training. The training covers an overview of Care Experience, The Promise and the Promise Keeper role. Throughout the training, we encourage staff to bring their whole selves and personal identities, drawing parallels to the strength of feeling they may have for the infants, children and young people in their personal lives, to the strength of feeling we should possess for the Care Experienced community. We reinforce throughout the training that staff do not come along as empty vessels and will have unique knowledge and experience of The Promise which they will build on. They are experts in their own roles and services and will therefore be experts around how the services can improve their offer to the Care Experienced community. Page 36 of 166
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8Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network (continued) We promote a range of post-training support. The Promise Ambassador is accessible and available to provide support and guidance to Promise Keepers at any stage of their roles. This can involve sense checking work, which is being implemented, or co-presenting at team meetings with Promise Keepers who may be nervous or apprehensive around giving presentations to large audiences for the first time. We host quarterly catch-up sessions. These are one-hour long sessions, with an online session, and an in-person session available. This is to mirror the diverse needs of our network whereby for example, our education Promise Keepers may not be able to physically leave school to attend. These sessions allow us to provide central and national updates, as well as celebrate good practice and recent achievements. The networking element of this allows Promise Keepers to make wider connections in a supportive environment. At each of the catch-up sessions, we emphasise that we are always open to feedback and suggestions, or if Promise Keepers require any particular resources of support. An example of this is during one of our sessions, a Promise Keepers noted it would be beneficial to know who all the Promise Keepers are. We listened to this feedback and developed a Promise Keeper Directory and sought consent from all Promise Keepers to share their name, job title and email address within this list. This list is shared on the communal Teams channel and is circulated every six months via email to ensure all agencies are able to view this. This works both ways, as we often call on our Promise Keepers to get involved in ongoing work around The Promise delivery in Renfrewshire. Promise Keepers, and the young people they work with were central to the development of the Renfrewshire Language Policy to ensure that this directly listened to the views and experiences of Care Experienced young people and staff. Promise Keepers are not only experts in their professional roles, but they are also encouraged to bring their “whole selves” to the role, as emphasised in The Promise. Many of our Promise Keepers have direct or indirect lived experiences of care. “Promise Keepers play a crucial role into getting The Promise, and the values behind The Promise, implemented in practice. Promise Keepers can help “snowball” the implementation of The Promise in a way that works across different services and a variety of roles.” We are keen to continue to learn from our Promise Keeper network. Glenburn Pre-5 Centre have successfully trained all of their staff members as Promise Keepers. To build on this further, they were keen to open this opportunity to staff and carers within the nursery. We were able to create a bespoke interactive session covering Care Experience and The Promise which was very well received. Page 37 of 166
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9Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network (continued) Innovation and Leading Practice There are a number of ways that the network is innovative and continually a conduit for Promise Keepers to be actively involved in future development within the network and most importantly in their own services delivering and Keeping The Promise. It is a very different approach from what has gone before in relation to Champions, Ambassadors etc. The recruitment of Promise Keepers is via a prescribed recruitment process with the requirement of an application and following this an interview. This is innovative as this would not be considered standard practice to make staff and/or partners follow a number of steps for a voluntary role such as this. This is driven by an underlining commitment made to our Care Experienced community. The approach on how we promote the network across the sector is innovative by being planful, methodical and true to our values. While it is explicit that each service have a minimum of one Promise Keeper it lies within the individual council/partner service around the number and how they wish to grow the network, we do not set a target. Once a Promise Keeper is in place, the Promise Keeper encourage staff in their teams and who they work closely with to join the network. The momentum around the Promise Keeper work has never dwindled, which has been a core part of the project design. We host regular sessions for our Promise Keepers ranging from external inputs such as Promise Scotland, to inputs from local services. We routinely see a turnout of around 25% per session. Promise Keepers are actively engaged in the continued development of the project. A recent example is being approached by Barnardo’s to host two sessions for our Promise Keepers about children’s rights, given the success of our other inputs. The Promise Keeper network has strong governance, leadership and operational delivery processes. There are three key roles in the organisational and operational delivery of the network, The Promise Ambassador, Training & Development Manager and The Promise Manager. All three are fully committed Promise Keepers who are key to the ongoing success and sustainability of the project. This ensures there is a clear strategy for the Promise Keeper Network growth, ongoing planning and sustainability of the network. There is considerable senior leadership buy in and support for this project and this includes the Chief Executive Officers of Renfrewshire Council, Renfrewshire’s HSCP and OneRen. There is strong support from the Council’s Management Team and Senior Leadership at Childrens Services. This can be evidenced by some services including a specific action in their Service Improvement Plans around growing the number of Promise Keepers in their service and the role of Promise Keepers has been built into ongoing related Promise Projects. This means that there is clear planning for services to increase their engagement within the Promise Keeper Network. We have high ambitions of representation from every team in the local authority. It is quite significant and beneficial to the future of the network that a high number of senior staff across the local authority are Promise Keepers. The Promise Keeper Network is continually evolving and there is an ongoing review and evaluation of the activity taking place and this has also led to innovation being shared across the network as well as having an effect on increasing the number of Promise Keepers. Page 38 of 166
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10Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network (continued) There is a scrutiny aspect to the activity of the network. The Promise Ambassador reports to Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group where this group can challenge and query various aspects of the activity and direction of the Promise Keeper Network. During 2024/25 there was an engagement plan to grow the network within Renfrewshire’s Third Sector partners and this work is being carried out in partnership with Engage Renfrewshire and this connection will lead to increased ongoing membership. We work closely with our appropriate communications colleagues across the council, Renfrewshire HSCP, COSLA, Promise Scotland to continually promote and raise awareness of the Promise Keeper Network. In addition, we have also supported other local authority areas to get their own network of the ground. Results & Impacts The design and launch of the Promise Keeper network sought to increase visibility and awareness of The Promise across the local authority. We envision everywhere from Social Work frontline services to our libraries and museums understanding what The Promise means to them. They do not necessarily need to know every in-depth aspect about the changes happening, and it is essential they understand what their role is within this, and that this is being cascaded to their colleagues and service users. This is beneficial when contributing to reports and updates across the service and partnership as we have an excellent level of involvement in this work. We are always looking to celebrate the progress of our Promise Keepers, no matter how small the impact is, and we recognise the importance of this. We have a newsletter and regular catch-up sessions where Promise Keepers can share this work and encourage others to replicate in other services. We have seen innovative and impactful projects being launched in response to the work of Promise Keepers with direct benefit to the Care Experienced community. The Promise Ambassador is accessible to all Promise Keepers and receives regular queries and updates from Promise Keepers to sense check work, ask questions and enquire about support available. In our educational establishments specifically, we can recognise the impact of a Promise Keeper by looking at School Improvement Plans. Schools with Promise Keepers have increased mention of The Promise and Care Experience built into their School Improvement Plans, with clear mention around how the role will inform work within the school. We also see this within Service Improvement Plans, such as that of our Health and Social Care Partnership. “The roll out of The Promise Keeper training is going very well in my view.” We can also recognise the success of the network when we have new services approaching with interest in finding out about the network and joining, which means positive anecdotal feedback has been shared with them by a colleague. We are able to recognise success as we see the uptake of Promise Keepers increase in diversity across services who had previously not had representation. We can then build positive working relationships with the Promise Keeper in that service and gain a good understanding of the progress being made, providing support and guidance as required. Page 39 of 166
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11Renfrewshire’s Promise Within the management, operation and delivery of the Promise Keeper Network there is a strong culture of improvement and learning. We recognise that to ensure the network is making a real difference to our Care Experience community that we have an ongoing commitment and process to measuring impact and success. We are also very mindful of the existing environment our Promise Keepers will have within their own services as we work collectively to support our service users during the cost-of-living pressures while recognising challenges around funding and recruitment. One of the core principles of the Promise Keeper Network is that it is a learning network, as a Promise Keeper and as a network, we are constantly learning from each other. As noted earlier we have carried out a number of formal evaluations and developing case studies, additionally we have encouraged our Promise Keepers within their own services to do the same. All the training sessions including materials are evaluated, and feedback is regularly requested from Promise Keepers who have undertook the training and the feedback is acted upon, and resources amended accordingly. The Promise Team have worked with Improvement Scotland and COSLA around the development of a story of change case study in Renfrewshire and The Promise Keeper Network is seen an enabler in delivering The Promise across Renfrewshire. We make considerable use of Promise related data and intelligence, for example Children’s Services data, and this can be broken down by Care Experienced Pupils and this allows us to track and monitor progress in relation to Promise Keepers working in Education. Senior Leaders in the Council’s Management Team, the Director of Education, Heads of Education and Senior Social Work Leaders are kept aware of the number of Promise Keepers, areas for growth, key trends, and are supportive of the future planned direction of the network. The impact and success of The Promise Keeper Network is reported to the Childrens Service Partnership Group and the Promise Strategic Oversight Group. At all stages our partners, colleagues and communities are part of measuring success as outlined. As we mentioned earlier, we correlate data, insights and feedback from our Care Experienced community. Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network is informed by our Care Experienced community, they are at the very heart of what we do. Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network Next Steps: • Continue to raise awareness and grow the network. • Celebrate success and share case studies. • Support our current Promise Keepers. Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network (continued) Page 40 of 166
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12Renfrewshire’s Promise Promise Keeper Conference 2024 On the 5th of December 2024, we hosted our second annual Promise Keeper event. This event brings together Promise Keepers in one room for a half-day event, to hear about examples of work and good practice across Renfrewshire around The Promise. We had an attendance of around 100 people. The event was split into two sections. The first half of the day brought together three keynote speakers, including Fiona Williams from Educational Psychology, Joanne Byrne from NHSGGC and Adrian McKechnie and Richard McPike from Blue Triangle. Building on the evaluation from last year’s conference, attendees noted that they wanted more emphasis on networking and more chances to meet and speak to different people. We designed a Professional Speed Dating Exercise which allowed for groups of staff to spend ten minutes at a time with an organisation to hear about their work around The Promise and supporting the Care Experienced Community. These services included: Engage Youth Services Whole Family Wellbeing OneRen Health for All Skills Development Scotland and Invest Barnardo’s Glenburn ELCC Home Start | | | | | The evaluation reflected very positively on the Professional Speed Dating exercises, with attendees reflecting that this was a fantastic way to meet lots of people in a short space of time and hear about the inspirational work taking place across the organisations. Attendees also reflected that it was a different approach to other conferences, so it felt new and engaging. “I really enjoyed this, and it was an excellent use of time to make sure we heard as much as we could. Worked well.” “It was very useful to be able to hear direct from the services. Having each table timed allowed for a smooth and quick transition and information session from each.” “I thought this was a fantastic way of getting people a lot of information in a short time frame. I think more activities like this should be done. It keeps people interest.” “Great exercise and would hope that it is a feature at the next conference. Really beneficial and engaging.” “The input was excellent. It allowed for very good and thought-provoking discussion at the tabletop discussion time. Very beneficial in relation to thinking about our own practice.” “Fantastic event. It was really well-organised and engaging. I really enjoyed the presentations — good mix of speakers and discussion. Venue was great. Food was great. Good opportunities for inter-agency networking.” “Good and balanced mix of both discussing and hearing from the guest speakers.” Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Conference Next Steps: • Reflect on evaluation and learning. • Plan for Conference 2025. Page 41 of 166
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13Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire Language Policy The Renfrewshire Language Policy was launched in April 2022 and was created through consultation with Care Experienced young people and staff from the Promise Keeper network around words they felt were negative or stigmatising. The Language Policy is a set of guidelines for how we speak about, describe Care Experience, and Care Experienced children and young people. This language will continue to evolve, and services and organisations are encouraged to review their language. The policy is helping us to move away from overly professionalised words and phrases to adopt person-centred language, which challenges existing stigma. Staff across all services at Renfrewshire Council as well as council partners, have been asked to consider the impact of our language when engaging with children, young people and their families and modify it where possible. For many of us, acronyms such as LAC/LAAC had been embedded in our everyday language and practices for several years. However, for a child or young person, they may hear this and think they are “lacking” in something. We recognise that “Looked After” is a statutory, legal term, and are encouraging staff to use the term in full “Looked After Child” or “Looked After and Accommodated Child.” We must continue challenging the language used to tackle the stigma associated with Care Experience. It is also important to rethink how we describe the behaviour of our Care Experienced children and young people, moving away from terminology such as “challenging” and towards “distressed behaviour.” This ensures we take a trauma-informed approach and recognise that all behaviour is communication. Staff across all the council are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the policy and work to find ways to embed this in their roles. Renfrewshire Council staff are being supported in the roll out of the policy by the Promise Ambassador. Renfrewshire Language Policy Next Steps: • In 2025/26 we will review the language policy in consultation with the Care Experienced community and produce an updated policy. Considerable work and effort has taken place to share the Language Policy across Renfrewshire’s Children’s Services Partnership. The Promise Ambassador has offered staff who would like to learn more about the Language Policy or arrange a session to discuss it with their team to contact the Promise Ambassador. We have also been working with our communications team at Renfrewshire Council to raise awareness of the policy across the Council and beyond. We are also using the opportunity to raise the importance of language with our partners across Renfrewshire. Page 42 of 166
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14Renfrewshire’s Promise Supporting the Workforce We have a working group in place for Supporting the Workforce which is co-chaired by Felix Haggerty (Training and Development Manager) and Sam Macrae (Promise Ambassador). This group is attended by a range of staff from across the partnership and third sector. The group have actioned the below key items around the theme of Supporting the Workforce and improving employment opportunities for the Care Experienced community. The Promise Human Library Across our Promise Keeper Network, we have a wealth and diversity of professional career experience, and we are keen to ensure that our Care Experienced community can benefit from this. We are in the process of creating a “Promise Human Library” where we “match” young people with Promise Keepers who work in a career field that they might be interested in. The Promise Keeper would be able to decide in terms of capacity how they can support the young person, this may be a phone call, an email exchange or an office visit. This project aims to address the lack of social capital that many Care Experienced young people face when accessing informal information and experiences about job opportunities, while complimenting the existing support on offer from our employability services. At the end of 2024, we started to ask for Promise Keepers to sign up to the Human Library and are working to continue to recruit. Once we have a sufficient number of Promise Keepers signed up, we will offer this to the Care Experienced community to access, who will be able to sign up. The Promise Human Library Next Steps: • Continue to recruit staff to the Human Library, with the aim to launch this project for Care Experienced young people to access in 2025. Page 43 of 166
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15Renfrewshire’s Promise Supporting the Workforce (continued) Development of a Care Experienced Staff Network In 2025, we will be launching a Care Experienced network for staff, similar to existing networks for LGBT+ staff or staff with caring responsibilities. We envision that staff would meet quarterly and we are keen to ensure the sessions remain stigma and judgement-free, as well as a safe space for staff to meet other people with experiences similar to theirs. One of the network aims is to share the living experience of Care Experienced staff to inform improvements around how we can better support Care Experienced colleagues in the Council. Most importantly, the network will provide a space for individuals seeking peer support and a safe space to create and experience a sense of community and belonging. Within this, there is also scope for informal mentoring to occur between senior and junior staff, as well as providing Care Experienced staff with learning and development opportunities which they can use in their roles. This network will be for people with both direct and indirect Care Experience to ensure a breadth of experiences. We will continue to be mindful of the balance between these two groups and ensure that both are given appropriate space to share their views. Those with indirect experience will act as allies within the group, given their proximity to the issues that affect Care Experienced people. Staff will at no point be asked questions about the nature of their Care Experience, but rather will be asked if they identify with being Care Experienced (direct or indirect) to ensure we are capturing the correct audience and protecting those within the group. We carried out extensive research into how Care Experienced staff networks can work in other organisations. During this stage we met with NHS Lothian, the UK Civil Service, Police Scotland and Sports Scotland and have been able to take this learning into designing the Renfrewshire network. We are aiming to pilot the network over the coming months and will work closely with the Marketing and Communications, Human Resources (HR) and Organisational Development colleagues during this process. During the first meeting, we will be working on a group agreement to ensure that all members agree and understand what the group will entail. This will cover the privacy element to ensure that all members agree to confidentiality around what is discussed and who attends. We will also discuss if there is anything the group would like to take forward as a starting point or any information they would benefit from, e.g. trade unions, adviceworks, etc. Development of a Care Experienced Staff Network Next Steps: • Continue to work closely with colleagues in Marketing and Communications and HR. We aim to launch this network for staff in 2025 for a pilot over a six-month period before evaluating. Page 44 of 166
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16Renfrewshire’s Promise Guaranteed Interviews for Care Experienced People who meet Minimum Job Requirements We have been working closely with HR colleagues to ensure that Care Experienced people are able to receive support when applying for council roles. We are working on introducing guaranteed interviews for Care Experienced people who meet the minimum requirements for job roles in the council. This project aims to level the playing field and address some of the barriers that many Care Experienced people may experience when gaining experience and qualifications. This will be clearly displayed on all application forms for roles, with an explanation of Care Experience. Care Experienced people would be able to self-identify on this form if they choose to, however there is no requirement to do so. We are also working closely with HR around this project to ensure that hiring managers are able to provide a good package of feedback if the person is unsuccessful to ensure they are able to bring that feedback to their next interview. Guaranteed Interviews for Care Experienced People who meet Minimum Job Requirements Next Steps: • Continue to liaise with HR and CMT colleagues to launch this work. • We will be working closely with hiring managers around the time of the launch to ensure they are educated about this and understand the significance. iLearn Module for all Staff An iLearn module has been developed to ensure that all staff can access basic information about The Promise and can be signposted to further information and how they can get involved locally. The module covers the journey from the Independent Care Review to The Promise, highlighting key issues and why this work was needed. It also covers examples of local practice such as the Promise Keeper Network and Renfrewshire Language Policy. The module is accessible to all staff on the e-learning platform and can be requested by external organisations who can receive a bespoke link. iLearn Module for all Staff Next Steps: • Continue to promote the ilearn module across the council and partners. Supporting the Workforce (continued) Page 45 of 166
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17Renfrewshire’s Promise Data, the Care Experienced Data Dashboard Development and The Promise Progress Framework Promise Team Data: Care Experienced Data Dashboard Development Renfrewshire Council’s Childrens Services Data and Evaluation Officer along with the Promise Manager have been working on the development of the Care Experienced Data Dashboard. This dashboard brings together data in the one place, as a convenient tool which draws together lots of the data that is hosted on the School Education Data platform. The aim is for Care Experienced Data in one place that would evolve over time and include data on attendance, exclusions, attainment, key figures, wellbeing etc. The dashboard will allow for the analysis and comparison of Care Experienced data including trends over time. Also, can provide the Childrens Services Partnership and the Promise Strategic Oversight group with data to information decision making. The dashboard will assist providing evidence impact in the future through analytics around how many times the dashboard is accessed in the future. The Promise Progress Framework 2025 will be a very significant year in terms of how Scotland better understand the progress being made to Keep The Promise by adopting of The Promise Progress Framework. The Promise requires transformational change across organisations, and it is fully recognised that to fully understand the work and pace of change an agreed way of tracking progress is necessary. Understanding progress across the breadth and depth of The Promise requires very different types of data, collected, and analysed at different levels. A joint Local Government, Scottish Government, The Promise Scotland framework will be used to demonstrate how Scotland is Keeping The Promise and Renfrewshire’s approach will be informed by the Framework. 329 95 40 37 5 The number of Promise Keepers in Renfrewshire (20–Dec–2024). Attendees at the Annual Promise Keeper Conference (Dec–2024). Number of Promise Team Engagements with internal partners around Renfrewshire’s approach to The Promise. Number of Promise Team Engagements with external partners around Renfrewshire’s approach to The Promise. The Promise Ambassador and Promise Managers are involved in a number of Promise specific projects. Page 46 of 166
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18Renfrewshire’s Promise Data, the Care Experienced Data Dashboard Development and The Promise Progress Framework (continued) Background on Framework In May 2024, the COSLA Children and Young People Board agreed to support the development of the framework, recognising that this will be iterative and evolve over time. The purpose of the framework was agreed — to understand if we are Keeping The Promise, and what the enablers and barriers in doing so are. Since May, activity has taken place to consider the data and indicators currently available. This includes data that Local Government collects, but importantly data that other public sector organisations hold, as we know that Local Government alone cannot keep The Promise. The progress framework has been shared in draft a number of times with the Local Government Promise Programme Board, Scottish Government’s internal Promise Board, and The Promise Collective, and informed by their knowledge, insights and experiences. It is acknowledged that there are gaps in the data currently collected across all partners. However, the agreement was that the first published iteration would include the indicators that are currently available. Wider indicators that are not specifically about Care Experienced children and young people have been included, as some provide important contextual information, and some can potentially be used as proxy measures or are known risk factors for a child becoming looked after. These are important, as the wider context all children are growing up in cannot be forgotten — we cannot focus on one part of a system without considering others. Work is ongoing with Public Health Scotland to consider what health indicators could be developed. There will be ongoing conversations with the Care Inspectorate and other public sector organisations about how their data could be developed or included in future iterations of the framework. Data, the Care Experienced Data Dashboard Development and The Promise Progress Framework Next Steps: • In 2025 this framework will be taken to Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group with the intention that The Promise Progress Framework be adopted by the end of 2025, with annual updates to follow. Page 47 of 166
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19Renfrewshire’s Promise Engagement with the Scottish Government, The Promise Scotland and COSLA Over the last number of years The Promise Team has developed strong, constructive and positive relations with the Scottish Government, The Promise Scotland and COSLA. The Chief Social Work Officer, Renfrewshire’s Promise Manager and Promise Ambassador are very well connected to The Promise national delivery mechanisms at the Scottish Government, The Promise Scotland and COSLA. We have hosted visits from COSLA and Promise Scotland to highlight our progress on implementation of The Promise. We are an active participant in COSLA’s Promise Lead Group where we share our learning and activities with partners across Scotland’s Local Authorities. The Promise Team have had ongoing engagement with the Scottish Government’s Keeping the Promise Team, and we have shared some of our progress and activity with them including highlighting our Renfrewshire Promise Keeper Network and our Renfrewshire Language Policy as well as been involved in Scottish Government’s Consultation activity. In particular the Promise Team have supported the “Developing a universal definition of ‘care experience” consultation currently underway by the Scottish Government . This consultation is part of a wider package of consultation and engagement that had taken place in 2024 on areas of work being progressed to Keep the Promise. This includes a number of public consultations and Childrens Services colleagues have supported this: • ‘Moving on’ from care into adulthood — opened 11 July 2024) This consultation is about ensuring that young people leaving care and moving into adulthood have the right scaffolding of support available to ensure they thrive. • Children’s Hearings Redesign — (opened 20 July 2024) This consultation is part of a series of steps to ensure that Scotland’s children’s hearings system can be redesigned to build on its strengths so that it can deliver the best possible experience to the children and families in need of its support. It focusses on areas which may require changes to the law. • Consideration of the future of fostering and a new strategic approach — launched Autumn 2024. Engagement with the Scottish Government, The Promise Scotland and COSLA Next Steps: • Continue to have positive working relationship with The Promise Scotland, the Scottish Government and COSLA. • We will monitor the results of the ongoing consultations and legislation, such as a Promise Bill, closely and support where required. Page 48 of 166
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20Renfrewshire’s Promise Whole Family Wellbeing Approach in Renfrewshire 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. Building on GIRFEC processes and shaped by The Promise the national Whole Family Wellbeing approach is built on the understanding that most families can benefit from universal provision that improves accessibility, while specialist provision can support those families 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. 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. 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 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. Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership (RCSP) have received funding from the Scottish Government, as part of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund (WFWF). There has been significant progress across the local authority to date, including the launch of a family wellbeing service, the introduction of a digital request for assistance system and increased collaboration and capacity building with third sector partners. Page 49 of 166
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21Renfrewshire’s Promise Whole Family Wellbeing Approach in Renfrewshire (continued) 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. Evaluation work is currently underway to ascertain further funding to TSOs within the final year of the national funding approach. 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. 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. 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. 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. Page 50 of 166
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22Renfrewshire’s Promise Whole Family Wellbeing Approach in Renfrewshire (continued) During 2024 the achievements of the Whole Family Wellbeing approach in Renfrewshire included the following: • A family wellbeing service development day in January 2024 to launch the new service with staff. • A launch to professionals in May 2024 which brought together the family wellbeing service, the third sector and a wide group of multi- agency professionals. • A development day in July 2024 for the Whole Family Wellbeing multi-agency steering group. • Four well attended family engagement events in November 2024 to engage with families about the support they require. • The launch of a Request for Assistance approach for professionals and families to ask for support from the community family wellbeing teams and the third sector. • The implementation of a new software system FORT, to track referrals across the community family wellbeing teams and the funded third sector organisations. • The launch of a multi-agency steering group involving parents, to support families of children with additional support needs. • Partnership with 15 funded third sector organisations in Renfrewshire who are working with us to support families in a range of innovative ways including: the provision of weekend and holiday support for families of children with additional support needs; music support for children with additional support needs; nurture support for primary school age children; early years support for parents; support for Care Experienced parents; family art activities; parenting support groups; water therapy for children with additional support needs; support for parents of neuro-diverse children to have their voice heard and their views represented. • Provision of a wide range of family supports and interventions including: Nonviolent resistance support (NVR); Empowering Parents Empowering Communities (EPEC); Let’s introduce anxiety management ( Liam); Seasons for Growth training. • The development of a framework for family wellbeing support that aligns with the GIRFEC staged intervention framework. This clearly shows which family wellbeing team supports which level of family need. For further information regarding the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund in Renfrewshire please contact: Susan Bell, Education Manager (Whole Family Wellbeing) and/or Toni Byrne, Project Manager, Whole Family Wellbeing/Connected Communities. Whole Family Wellbeing Approach in Renfrewshire Next Steps: • The Promise Manager will continue to attend Steering Group meetings and have a close working relationships with the Whole Family Wellbeing Team. • There is representation from this team on the Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group. Page 51 of 166
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23Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Partnership Funded Projects Renfrewshire currently has two Keep The Promise Funded Projects and one project from the Promise Partnership Youth Led Grant Programme, both funds come under the provision of the Scottish Government’s Promise Partnership Fund. In 2022 the Scottish Government appointed Corra to administer the Promise Partnership Fund from December 2022 until March 2025. Both Renfrewshire’s Keep The Promise Funded Projects focus on the key theme of Supportive School Structure (Right to Education) and prioritise creating school structures that provide support, opportunities and a sense of belonging. Keep The Promise Funded Project 1 This project is taking place at Johnstone High School and aims to reduce exclusion of children and young people with Care Experience by ensuring they have a key person who is their advocate. The advocate will support attendance and participation in education and has been co-produced and designed by the Care Experienced community in Johnstone High School. A part of this project is Contextual Safeguarding activity in Johnstone High delivered by Barnardo’s. Contextual safeguarding is an approach to understanding and responding to young people’s experiences of significant harm beyond their home environment. Working collaboratively with the school management team, Barnardo’s will work to identify the concerns within the school and the immediate community. Together, they will test and capture evidence of how schools are creating safety for young people and areas where safety strategies can be increased. A key aspect of this project is around sharing the learning and ensuring this informs future planning and development in relation all Renfrewshire Promise strategic delivery. An agreed process has been put in place to ensure this through the Promise Oversight Group and Promise workstream delivery mechanisms. The project itself is overseen by The Promise Manager and learning including insights from this work informs the wider Childrens Service’s Partnership response to the implementation of the Promise across Renfrewshire. The Promise Strategic Oversight Group receive regular updates as to progress of the project and this update is given by Head of Education (Inclusion) to the Oversight Group and this facilitates the sharing of learning. The work on this project is also captured on Renfrewshire’s Promise Mapping Tool — this ensures oversight and linkages with the national Promise work. Activity captured on this mapping tool is shared across the Childrens Services Partnership, Renfrewshire Promise Partners and through the Promise Keeper Network. As the work of the project continues, we have plans to disseminate learning through our Promise Keeper Network, with our Education Managers and with our School Senior Leadership Networks. We are also working with Promise Scotland Communications colleagues around the Stories of Change Project, and we have an agreed plan in place with that will see learning and progress from this project being shared across Scotland. A full end of year 1 report was produced 21 December 2023 and for further information around this report please contact The Promise Manager. Keep The Promise Funded Project 1 Next Steps: • The project will complete end of school year 2025 (June 2025) and a full report on progress and learning will be produced. Page 52 of 166
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24Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Partnership Funded Projects (continued) Keep The Promise Funded Project 2 This project is taking place at St Andrew’s Academy and is focused on transitions for Care Experienced pupils. Transitions are a natural part of school life and for some Care Experienced young people transitions can be particularly difficult. The project is exploring how through the creation of a Promise Team in our largest secondary how we overcome the issues that “last minute” transitions can cause. This project will use The Promise Team to research what works well from the current transition programme and look creatively at how this can be amplified to provide intensive support for any child (in particular Care Experienced Child) who are allocated a space at secondary towards the end of their P7 year. We are capturing learning in conjunction with our Renfrewshire Promise Mapping Tool and monitoring the progress of the project to the projects oversight groups. We are also actively engaging with the Promise Scotland (producing PowerPoint presentations and updates) as well as keeping to our contractual obligations with Corra. We have made a point of sharing progress and learning with the Community Planning Partnership Executive Group, to the Childrens Services Partnership and to the Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group. This ensures learning is shared widely, not just internally to Childrens Services colleagues but to wider external children’s services partners. Learning from the project has also informed Renfrewshire’s Education Improvement Framework and key messages sent out to School Senior Management Teams. The Head of Education (Inclusion) regularly meets with the Promise Manager, the schools CMT and is involved in the forward planning around how this work is informing development of future polices and the direction of the activity of the inclusion portfolio. In 2025 a key phase of the project will be underway, and this is around learning from the research and findings including policy development and resources for sharing across Renfrewshire Schools. Development of School Improvements Guidance and associated activity has been planned and fully supported by the Head of Education (Inclusion). A full end of year 1 report was produced 20 June 2024 and for further information around this please contact The Promise Manager. Keep The Promise Funded Project 2 Next Steps: • The project will complete end of school year 2025 (June 2025) and a full report on progress and learning will be produced. Page 53 of 166
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25Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Partnership Funded Projects (continued) Youth Services Promise Partnership Youth Led Grant Programme In September 2024 Renfrewshire’s Youth Services were awarded funding through the Promise Partnership Youth Led Grant Programme to deliver a youth led programme by facilitating and supporting children and young people with Care Experience to put their ideas into action and make change happen. This Youth Led Grant Programme is designed to give children and young people with Care Experience the opportunity to say what matters to them and for them to decide what change needs to happen in their communities to make them feel loved, safe and respected. The programme aligns with The Promise Scotland’s Plan 24–30, by focusing on voice, and enhancing the well-being and opportunities for children and young people with Care Experience. The purpose of this programme is to facilitate and support children and young people with Care Experience in their community to put their ideas into action and make change happen. Youth Services has established best practices for involving young people in planning, co-designing, and delivering projects that align with their needs and aspirations. Their approach includes several successful initiatives, during which young people play critical roles in planning and organisation, encouraging them to reflect on their personal challenges and the broader experiences of their peers, fostering a comprehensive and inclusive approach. Youth Services Promise Partnership Youth Led Grant Programme Next Steps: • A full plan of work has been devised, and Youth Services will be providing feedback on progress to Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group. Page 54 of 166
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26Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Programmes and Projects Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee — Sub-group ‘Voice’: Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee (RCPC) has actively responded to The Promise and one such example is around ‘voice’. To ensure that the work of RCPC is informed by the perspectives of children and young people, a temporary subgroup was established to agree a strategy in relation to this. The recent report of the joint inspection of services for children at risk of harm highlighted that: “The partnership knew themselves well and identified the ongoing work and the improvements needed. They had strong foundations in gathering children’s voices, but aimed to enhance this process, especially for children with additional support needs and younger children. The previously mentioned RCPC subgroup Voice was identified as a way to address this. Professionals recognised they had listened to young people but were sometimes unsure about the actions taken in response. Leaders recognised the need to better capture service users’ voices, including adults, acknowledging strong individual partner efforts but lacking collective coherence. This indicated the partnership had a priority lens on participation.” The group has met on three occasions with a subgroup established, led by Youth Services and focusing on young people’s participation. The Promise Ambassador sits on this group. A strategy and action plan are being developed which will form part of the RCPC plan and will be provided to RCPC for approval in March 2025. Sub-group ‘Voice’ Next Steps: • The Promise Ambassador will continue to represent The Promise on this group. It is proposed that strategy and plan will focus on the following priorities: • the voice of children, young people and families involved in child protection processes; • voice of young people; • seldom heard voices focusing on children with disabilities; and • the voice of infants. Page 55 of 166
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27Renfrewshire’s Promise “Children and young people‘s experiences of services were transforming as a result of relationship-based approaches. This was underpinned by the partnership’s work to embed the Promise.” Renfrewshire’s Promise Programmes and Projects (continued) Children at Risk of Harm Inspection Report In the recent published report inspectors recognised that Prevention Strategies and Initiatives Partners had embedded a community-based, relational approach to protection, grounded in a refreshed Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) strategy and their response to The Promise. In addition, RCPC objectives were aligned with national policies, including the UNCRC and the drive to Keeping the Promise. Children at Risk of Harm Inspection Report Next Steps: • The Promise Manager and The Promise Manage will link in with RCPC colleagues to support the areas for improvement identified in report. The Stronger Start Project Stronger Start is a person-centred wrap-around service which provides embedded Money Advice and Advocacy to pregnant women and their families who engage with maternity services across Renfrewshire and the wider Clyde area. Stronger Start is a comprehensive support service that provides money, welfare, debt and financial capability services, as well as providing vital advocacy support. In turn, this may prevent homelessness, and will tackle debt issues, as well as addressing other health and poverty-related issues. Stronger Start embodies both The Promise and trauma informed approaches. Stronger Start was developed through a Steering Group established and chaired by Renfrewshire HSCP Health Improvement Team and consisting of key partners, including Council services (including The Promise Manager), Royal Alexandra Hospital Maternity, Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau (RCAB), Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire HSCPs. The Steering Group has worked closely with RCAB, to support them in being awarded funding from the Improving Lives National Lottery Community Fund. Initial funding was secured in September 2023 to deliver a one-year stronger start pilot, with an additional two years of funding being secured from the lottery in November 2024 so that service is funded until January 2027. The Steering Group has responsibility for the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the service, as well as exploring potential future funding opportunities. Work is ongoing with the Improvement Service on the evaluation to demonstrate key outcomes and cost savings/ cost avoidance as a direct result of Stronger Start. The Stronger Start Project Next Steps: • The Promise Manager will continue to attend the Steering Group. • The project lead will be provided an opportunity to present an overview and update to Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group. The inspectors noted under quality indicator 2.1: Impact on children and young people one major strength that the RCPC had made significant positive impacts on children and young people’s experiences noting: Page 56 of 166
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28Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Programmes and Projects (continued) Communities That Care Whole School Approach The Communities that Care programme, is delivered in partnership by Who Cares? Scotland, was initially developed and piloted in Renfrewshire and is currently being funded and extended throughout Renfrewshire. The goal of the programme is to create more caring and inclusive school environments for Care Experienced pupils. The Who Cares? Scotland Communities that Care whole-school approach creates the conditions for Care Experienced children and young people to be nurtured and supported in their schools and communities across Scotland, through local training and awareness-raising activities. Background: Care Experienced people can experience stigma and discrimination within their communities due to lack of public knowledge and understanding of Care Experience, perpetuated by media stereotypes and depictions of Care Experienced people as damaged. Schools provide an ideal setting to improve attitudes, understanding and perceptions of Care Experienced people amongst the next generation, and to support a ripple effect from that learning within the wider school community. School pupils will grow up to become adult community members, they are the future employers, future workforce and future corporate parents. Creating school environments which are more supportive and inclusive provides the scaffolding required to ensure that Care Experienced learners have the opportunity to realise their educational aspirations and reach their fullest potential. The Approach: The Communities that Care whole- school approach ensures that Care Experienced children and young people are nurtured and supported in their schools by educating entire school communities (pupils, staff, parents/carers) about what Care Experience is and creating an ethos of empathy and understanding towards their Care Experienced pupils. The programme provides opportunities for Care Experienced pupils to be together, learn about their rights and care identity and to use their voice to influence change within their school. PSE Curriculum Resource Packs: At the heart of this whole-school approach are the “Learning About Care Experience” PSE Curriculum Resource Packs which contain lessons for children and young people to learn about Care Experience in a developmentally appropriate way from Early Years through to S6. Communities That Care Whole School Approach Next Steps: • The Promise Manager, along with the Head of Education will continue to meet regularly and support the partnership project where required. The Development Worker for Communities that Care has a position on Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group and is welcome to provide relevant updates where required. Page 57 of 166
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29Renfrewshire’s Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Programmes and Projects (continued) Circuit Digital Maker Space Project Circuit Scotland (originally called the TekCare initiative) is a project that is creating pop-up maker spaces in Renfrewshire and Dundee, designed to meet the needs of young people who have care experience. Every project decision is made by a group of Project Consultants; young people who have lived Care Experience, who are paid to provide the Project Lead with advice and guidance. The first pop-up maker space was launched in Dundee with a local youth work partner, NEoN Digital Arts. Over 12 weeks they took a group of young people through the basics of turning on a laptop and how to point and shoot a camera, right through to using Canva to design packaging and creating stickers with vinyl cutting machines. This launch is very exciting because the Project Consultants were able to test their ideas and plans: from the programme length and the contents of the workshops to the wall decals and Ikea chairs. Every step of this maker space was deliberated and designed by young people who know exactly what it is like to navigate living in care. As part of the launch, Circuit worked with Youthlink Scotland to broadcast the project with local and national press. Work has now taken place to identify a space in Renfrewshire for a Digital Maker Space. The Project Lead worked with one of the Project Consultants from Renfrewshire to physically map the ideal locations for a maker space, considering public transport, existing services and the communities where young people with care experience live. The Project Lead has worked with prominent community organisations in Renfrew, Paisley and Johnstone to find a partner with the right experience and premises to deliver a Circuit programme. This collaborative project was funded by The Life Changes Trust over 3 years. The project is about providing digital skills training opportunities for care experienced individuals (those in care now and care leavers). One element to this is the upskilling, support and building confidence of people in the Care Experienced person’s life i.e., foster carers, social care staff, and residential staff so they feel confident in supporting the Care Experienced people on their digital skills journey. The original consortium bid was made up of partners YMCA Scotland, Barnardo’s Scotland, Mhor Collective, Scottish Tech Circuit Digital Maker Space Project Next Steps: • The Promise Manager and a representative from Youth Services will continue to represent Renfrewshire Council on this Steering Group. The programme Lead will be invited to provide an update to Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group. Army, Youth Link Scotland and Renfrewshire Council. The work of this project feeds into the council work around The Promise and the council Digital Strategy (Digital Citizen/Inclusion). The Promise Manager and a representative from Youth Services represents Renfrewshire Council on the Programme Board. Page 58 of 166
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30Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeping The Promise in Children’s Hearings In August 2020 it was agreed that the Renfrewshire Better hearings Group be re-named to “Keeping the Promise in Renfrewshire’s Children’s Hearings”. It should become the forum for implementation of The Promise reforms to Children’s Hearings within Renfrewshire whilst also continuing to identify and implement local improvements to Renfrewshire Children’s Hearings. It should sit within the governance arrangements for The Promise work in Renfrewshire. This group has led on a number of activities in relation to Better Hearings informed by The Promise, such as: • Guidelines on preparing children and young people for attending a Children’s Hearing. • The Renfrewshire Charter —Our commitments to children and young people attending Children’s Hearings. The work of the group has also been informed by SCRA’s Keeping The Promise Route Plan. This plan sets out what SCRA are doing to Keep The Promise. Over the years the group has discussed many items including Child Friendly Scheduling with one of the principal areas of focus over the last 12/24 months has been making how making arrangements for hearings better for children. A project is ongoing in Renfrewshire aimed at reducing the number of deferred hearings and providing a more personal service to every child and young person attending Hearings by giving them flexibility about the date, time and location type of Hearing. The current Renfrewshire project is to be further developed to take cognisance of the Taking Control of My Hearing project that aims to promote and encourage meaningful participation of children and young people in their Hearings by ensuring that they are better prepared. This project was co-designed with young experts from Our Hearings, Our Voice. The project has two parts to it: 1. Pre-Hearing visits to the Hearing centre have been redesigned to improve the experience for children and young people. 2. A Taking Control of My Hearing Scrapbook, designed by young people in response to what young people have told us they need, will be sent out to children and young people to support them to prepare for their Hearing and empower them to take control of their Hearing. Lots more improvement work will be getting underway in 2024 and in 2025 and at the heart of activity will be listening to children and young people about their experience and how it can be better. In the Hearings For Children report In December 2023 the Scottish Government told everyone what they thought about what the Hearings for Children report recommended. They said they were pleased with the improvement work already happening in SCRA and with other organisations involved in the Children’s Hearings System. Recently the group has been focusing on the Scottish Government’s response to the Hearings for Children Report and looking to develop a new Renfrewshire Action Plan built around some of the Hearings For Children recommendations. The Chair, Nicola Harkness (Locality Reporter Manager, SCRA) regularly presents an update, as well as giving opportunity for comment, at the Renfrewshire’s Strategic Promise Oversight Group meetings. Keeping The Promise in Children’s Hearings Next Steps: • The Promise Manager will continue to attend all relevant meetings about the changes in the Children’s Hearing System in Renfrewshire. • The Chair of this group attends and will continue to give relevant updates to Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group as required. Page 59 of 166
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31Renfrewshire’s Promise Community Learning and Development and The Promise In Community Learning and Development, we ensure that we make every effort as Community Learning and Development professionals or wider delivery partners to adopt a loving, nurturing approach that encourages a culture where our service users are empowered to ask us about any aspect of our services. Central to our approach to The Promise and our wider policy development work is actively listening to our children, young people and families. In our Community Learning and Development activities we are ambitious for our Care Experienced children and The Promise is a key priority for us to ensure children who are Care Experienced have all they need to thrive, while recognising that they may experience unique challenges. Case Study: Promise Arts and Culture Programme The Promise Arts and Culture Programme aimed to build social and cultural capital amongst Renfrewshire’s Care Experienced young people and Young Carers, improving outcomes for these disadvantaged and marginalised groups in the short and longer-term. Since its beginning in March 2022, The Promise Arts and Culture programme has brought Care Experience young people from across Renfrewshire to work with artists from different disciplines such as Film Making, Animation, Graffiti and Street Art, Design, Photography and Fashion and Textiles in order to create dynamic creative environments where young people could explore their creative voices. The success in engaging Care Experienced young people and Young Carers across Renfrewshire in diverse creative projects has already resulted in these young people moving onto the Youth Services project Art Boss. Here these young people will continue to have creative and artistic experiences that respond directly to their needs. Community Learning and Development and The Promise Next Steps: • The Promise Manager will continue to support the CLD team around ongoing policy developments and work related to The Promise. Page 60 of 166
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32Renfrewshire’s Promise Promise Team Contact Information and Biographies Promise Ambassador Sam Macrae, Promise Ambassador, samantha.macrae@renfrewshire.gov.uk My name is Sam Macrae, and I am The Promise Ambassador for Renfrewshire Council. I have been in post since July 2021 and was involved in the Independent Care Review during its discovery stage. My role focuses on supporting individual teams and services to consider how they can #KeepThePromise and consider the needs of Care Experienced children, young people and their families. I co-chair the Supporting the Workforce group for The Promise to ensure the council is providing employment opportunities and support to people with Care Experience. My role also supports staff to consider how they can embed the voice of Care Experienced people in their service provision and design. Outside of my role in the council, I am the Vice Chair of ProjectChange, which is a charity focused on supporting the creation of an inclusive and supportive care community. In addition to this I am also a trustee of the Unite Foundation who provide free accommodation and scholarships to Care Experienced and Estranged young people at partner universities. Promise Manager/Promise Lead Officer Maurice Gilligan, Promise Manager, maurice.gilligan@renfrewshire.gov.uk My name is Maurice Gilligan. I am Renfrewshire’s Promise Manager, and I am a member of Renfrewshire Council’s Children’s Services Senior Leadership Team and a key officer in Renfrewshire’s Children Services Partnership. I work closely with Scottish Government, COSLA, and Promise Scotland as well as other agencies around all aspects of The Promise. I have been in this permanent role since October 2022. I manage the Children’s Services Partnership response to the implementation of The Promise in Renfrewshire. I have the lead role in strategic planning activity relating to The Promise across Children’s Services and with key stakeholders, including the Health and Social Care Partnership and GGC Health Board, the Police and voluntary sector partners. I am Renfrewshire’s Lead in the national Promise work. I am driving forward an ambitious programme of change in relation to The Promise and I participate in the improvement agenda for Children’s Services in Renfrewshire. I previously worked in senior leadership roles with Skills Development Scotland, Scotland’s National Skills Agency, and I have experience of working alongside both public and private bodies to deliver on better outcomes for Scotland’s people and communities. I am also a non-executive Director at Scotwest Credit Union. Maurice and Sam © OneRen, the trading name of Renfrewshire Leisure Limited. Page 61 of 166
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33Renfrewshire’s Promise Appendix 1 — Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group Since 2021, Renfrewshire’s Promise Strategic Oversight Group has been chaired by John Trainer. The Oversight group has representation from across Renfrewshire Community Planning Partnership and from Renfrewshire’s Children’s Services Partnership. This group meets 3/4 times a year. Current membership of Promise Oversight Group (correct as of January 2025): Angela Cramb — Development Officer: Creating Communities that Care, Who Cares? Scotland Carolanne Robertson — Community Development Manager, Renfrewshire Council (RC) Emma Henry — Head of Education, RC Felix Haggerty — Professional Training and Development Manager, Renfrewshire Children’s Services & Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership (RHSCP) Fiona Robertson — Promise Delivery Partner, Promise Scotland Fiona Williams — Depute Principal Educational Psychologist, RC Jamie Gardyne — Community Justice Lead Officer, RC Jane Hamilton — Funding and Organisation Development Officer, Engage Renfrewshire Jean Brierley — Education Officer (Inclusion), RC Joanne Byrne — Children’s Services Manager, RHSCP Joanne Felvus — Children’s Service Manager (Threads), Barnardo’s John Trainer — Head of Childcare and Criminal Justice/Chief Social Work Officer, RC Kevin Smith — Children’s Services Manager, RC Lauren Johnston — Service Improvement Manager, Children’s Services, RC Laurie Goldie — Project Manager: Creating Communities that Care, Who Cares? Scotland Louise Feely — Head of Housing, RC Maurice Gilligan — Promise Manager, Renfrewshire Council Michelle McCargo — Children’s Services Manager, Social Work Nicola Harkness — Locality Reporter Manager, SCRA Pauline Robbie — Interim Head of Service, RHSCP Ruth Wallace — Child Protection Advisor, RC Sam Macrae — Promise Ambassador, RC Susan Bell — Education Manager (Whole Family Wellbeing), RC Suzie Scott — Area Manager, Skills Development Scotland Tom Irvine — Homeless & Housing Support Services Manager, RC Page 62 of 166
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34Renfrewshire’s Promise Appendix 2 What is The Promise? The Promise in brief: Scotland’s ambition is that every child and young person should grow up safe, loved and respected. The conclusions of Scotland’s Independent Care Review set out the changes that need to take place to achieve this for Care Experienced children and young people. Scotland’s promise is that these conclusions will be implemented in full — by 2030 at the latest. What is The Promise? Between 2017 and 2020, Scotland’s Independent Care Review heard the experiences of over 5,500 people, who included: • Care Experienced infants, children, young people and adults. • Members of the paid and unpaid workforce of Scotland’s “care system.” Their vision was set out in the Independent Care Review’s conclusions. In 2020, the Scottish Parliament agreed to keep these conclusions in full. And, when it did, it made a promise. The process of the Independent Care Review — The Independent Care Review commenced in 2017 and concluded in 2020. In that time, it listened to what thousands of children, adults and families told them about their experiences of the “care system.” It also heard from thousands of others: parents, carers and members of the paid and unpaid workforce. And it heard from over 500 organisations, including: schools and universities, think tanks, The Curious Collaborative of Funders, corporate parents, and national bodies. The scope was intentionally wide, so that it could be a true reflection of what was experienced for children and families as well as for those working in and around the system. The aim was to speak to everyone who would come into contact with children and their families throughout their care journeys and beyond. Finally, over 150 volunteers used 943 research sources to produce 56 outputs in areas including: education, health, data, inspection, regulation, and justice. Background to The Promise — Parenting does not stop at 18. Scotland must continue to consider how to create Scotland’s ambition that all children will grow up loved, safe and respected so that they meet their full potential. But in Scotland, Care Experienced people are not always as loved, safe and respected as they should be. In 2020, the conclusions of Scotland’s Independent Care Review made a series of recommendations about how this had to change. The Promise is that Scotland will implement these recommendations in full by 2030 at the latest. What was the Independent Care Review? The Independent Care Review was a consultation into how Scotland’s “care system” needed to change. It came from a place of activism and voice, following the work of a movement of Care Experienced people across Scotland — who were determined to improve the life chances of people with experience of care. In 2016, this movement secured a cross-party commitment to an Independent Care Review ahead of elections to the Scottish Parliament. Following these, the then First Minister pledged her support announcing an independent root and branch review of care. Page 63 of 166
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35Renfrewshire’s Promise Appendix 2 What is The Promise? (continued) The Promise is formed from the Independent Care Review’s conclusions. The Care Review published its conclusions in February 2020. These conclusions were made up of seven reports: • The Promise, which outlines the vision for a Scotland where Care Experienced children and young people can all grow up loved, safe and respected, • The Pinky Promise, which explains this vision in a child friendly way, follow the money, which tracked where investment went in the “care system,” • The money, which reflected how any investment in how we care for Scotland’s children and families could be better spent to impact their lives, • The plan, which laid out that for Scotland to keep The Promise, there needed to be a radical redesign of care, • The rules, which highlighted the legislation, policies, and organisations which govern the care system, and • Thank you, which aimed to acknowledge and thank the thousands of people who made the Independent Care Review happen. The Promise has five foundations which change is centred around. These are: • Voice: Children and young people must be listened to and involved in decision making about their care. • Family: Where children are safe with their families and feel love, they should stay with them. They should be given support to overcome any difficulties. • Care: When it is not possible for children and young people to remain with their family, children must stay with their brothers and sisters wherever it is safe to do so. They must also belong to a loving home, where they are able to stay for as long as needed. • People: The workforce must be supported to develop trusting, compassionate relationships with those they support. They must also be aware of the importance of listening during decision making. • Scaffolding: Children, families and the workforce must be supported by a system that is there when it is needed: the scaffolding of help, support and accountability. Whose role is it to keep The Promise? Scotland committed to The Promise, so people and organisations throughout the public sector are working to keep it. Among them are: Scottish Government, COSLA, Local Authorities, The NHS, Social workers, and Teachers. This is far from an exhaustive list. As well as this, other people and organisations may also do work to keep The Promise including those in the third sector. Who nationally helps make sure The Promise is kept? • The Promise Scotland: The organisation established by Scottish Ministers to drive and support the change required for Scotland to keep The Promise. • The Oversight Board: The Oversight Board monitors the pace and performance of the change required for Scotland to keep The Promise. • The Promise Collective: A group that has been brought together to support the development of assessment of change. • Independent Strategic Advisor: Fiona Duncan is Independent Strategic Advisor for The Promise, appointed by the Scottish Government. • Corra Foundation: Corra Foundation has the responsibility in disseminating and monitoring The Promise Partnership Fund. (Appendix 2 produced by Promise Scotland and used with their permission.) Page 64 of 166
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36Renfrewshire’s Promise Care Experience The Care Experienced community is made up of anyone who is or has been in care or is from a looked-after background at any stage in their life. That is anyone who is or has been in foster care, adopted, kinship care (looked after by a relative), resident in a children’s home or have been looked after at home under a Supervision Order for any length of time. It also includes anyone who is or has been on the edges of care (in contact with social work and the wider care sector) at any point. Corporate Management Team (CMT) The Heads of Service across the Council meet regularly to discuss important issues. Together, they make up the Corporate Management Team. The CMT includes the senior officers of the Council, OneRen and Renfrewshire HSCP. Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) is the national association of Scottish councils and acts as an employers’ association for its 32 member authorities. COSLA works on councils’ behalf to focus on the challenges and opportunities they face, and to engage positively with governments and others on policy, funding and legislation. Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) This is Scotland’s national approach to promoting, supporting, and safeguarding the wellbeing of all children and young people. It provides a consistent framework, shared language and common understanding of wellbeing. GIRFEC puts the child or young person at the heart and helps children and young people get the right support from the right people at the right time. Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) Health and Social Care Partnerships, (HSCPs) are organisations formed to integrate services provided by Health Boards and Councils in Scotland. The NHS and local authority jointly run each partnership. Renfrewshire HSCP delivers adult social care services and all community health services for adults and children in the Renfrewshire area. Lived/living Experience Lived experience is the knowledge and understanding you get when you have personally lived through something. Our Hearings, Our Voice (OHOV) Our Hearings, Our Voice (OHOV) is an independent board for children and young people from across Scotland between the ages of 8–18, who have experience of the Children’s Hearings System. Ren10 REN10 is a network of people who work or volunteer in the Renfrewshire area. There is a variety of early help services for your mental health and wellbeing. The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) is a national body focused on children and young people most at risk. SCRA’s main responsibilities are: • To facilitate the work of Children’s Reporters • To deploy and manage staff to carry out that work • To provide suitable accommodation for Children’s Hearings The Independent Care Review Between 2017 and 2020, Scotland’s Independent Care Review heard the experiences of over 5,500 people, who included: • Care Experienced infants, children, young people and adults • Members of the paid and unpaid workforce of Scotland’s ‘care system’. Their vision was set out in the Independent Care Review’s conclusions. In 2020, the Scottish Parliament agreed to keep these conclusions in full. And, when it did, it made a promise. See also Appendix 2. The Promise Scotland’s ambition is that every child and young person should grow up safe, loved, and respected. The conclusions of Scotland’s Independent Care Review set out the changes that need to take place to achieve this for Care Experienced children and young people. Scotland’s promise is that these conclusions will be implemented in full—by 2030 at the latest. See also Appendix 2. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the base standard for children’s rights and sets out the fundamental rights of all children. The UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world and sets out the specific rights that all children have to help fulfil their potential, including rights relating to health and education, leisure and play, fair and equal treatment, protection from exploitation and the right to be heard. Glossary Page 65 of 166
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1Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise The Promise in Renfrewshire “As partners, we’re committed to working together to provide support to children and families at the earliest possible stage, as part of our commitment to The Promise.” Renfrewshire Children’s Services Partnership Plan 2023–26. Renfrewshire Council is fully committed to The Promise and supporting the Care Experienced community in Renfrewshire. As part of this commitment, the Corporate Management Team in the Council created a job called the “Promise Manager,” who is responsible for making sure that all Council services and partners are working to #KeepThePromise. There are lots of people involved in checking that the Promise is being delivered. An important group that does this is called the “Promise Strategic Oversight Group,” which meets four times a year. Lots of different staff members attend this group, including those in social work, education, health, and housing, among others. During these meetings, they will hear about recent work on The Promise in Renfrewshire and can ask questions about this. The Promise in Renfrewshire There is also a lot of work happening to make sure we are measuring how well we are doing with The Promise. We use a mapping and planning tool based on Plan 24–30 of The Promise with clear ways of measuring each statement, too. We regularly share our progress with other organisations and Scottish Councils to make sure we are learning from each other. We work hard to make sure that we use a loving, nurturing approach where people who use our services feel able to ask questions. Listening to our children, young people and families is important to us for our policies and our approach to The Promise. There are also other areas of policy that are related to The Promise that you may have heard of: • The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) • Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) Page 68 of 166
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2Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Renfrewshire Promise Champs In 2021, Youth Services was made the lead service for Youth Voice for Care Experienced young people in Renfrewshire. Youth Services has a range of local youth voice groups that are our least heard from groups in Renfrewshire. Youth Services use a UNCRC rights-based approach to support young people and develop their skills and confidence to be able to speak out and make changes in services. A key part of this work has been the Promise Champions, which is a group of Care Experienced young people who come together to make sure that their voices are being heard and that they are able to access opportunities. The Promise Champions started with a mix of previous members and new members, which has changed over the past few years. In their first sessions, they met with the Promise Ambassador, who helped the young people understand The Promise and explored positive changes in local policies. The Champs were then supported to think about other positive changes that could be made to benefit them and the wider Care Experience community. The group attended leadership training sessions and residential trips to learn new skills, enjoy team-building activities, and meet new people. Youth Services continues to work with local services to encourage more Care Experienced young people to get involved. The Renfrewshire Young Scot portal is regularly updated to share new campaigns with young people and staff. Page 69 of 166
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3Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Festive Lunch The Promise Champs designed posters, invites and labels for the Present Drive and Festive Lunch. They created a wish list and worked with Art Boss members to organise the food, decorations, and activities for the event. The Champs invited Care Experienced young people and their carers and workers to a Festive Lunch. This was an opportunity to chat, have lunch, and get involved in the YO Producer’s youth event afterwards. Thirty people attended this event. Summer Club Activities The Promise Champs consulted with other Care Experienced young people within other Youth Services groups to find out what they would like to take part in. They picked out the top five activities and organised them as part of the Promise Champs Summer Club. This involved trips to bowling, roller disco and film clubs. These trips offered spaces to 32 people. Key Achievements: Present Drive Each year, Youth Services supports the Promise Champions by hosting their Promise Champions Present Drive. Renfrewshire Promise Champs (continued) Youth Leadership Training The Promise Champs were invited to take part in leadership training where they could support the design of the Youth Voice Summer roadshow. The Promise Champs designed the games for the roadshow and hosted the games across nine community venues, engaging with 290 participants. Youth Voice Residential The Promise Champs took part in the October Youth Voice residential at Lapwing Lodge where they took part in team building and creative youth voice activities. Next Steps • The Promise Champs will continue to work together with other services across Renfrewshire to share their work and encourage new Care Experienced young people to join. • The Promise Champs will continue to speak with Care Experienced young people to find out what is important to them and what they would like to see changed. “As Care Experienced young people, we know that some of us won’t receive many presents at Christmas. We want to change this to help make these young people’s Christmas feel a little more special.” The young people create a wish list of gifts that they know other young people would love to receive. The list is shared across council networks, and staff can support the young people by purchasing gifts. The gifts are then wrapped and delivered to Care Experienced young people across Renfrewshire. Page 70 of 166
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4Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network is a community of local champions for The Promise who work to improve their services for the Care Experienced Community. There are currently 330 Promise Keepers in Renfrewshire, and this number will continue to grow. We want Promise Keepers to be proud of their roles and for them to be spotted easily. Promise Keepers wear a small badge, which is the Promise heart with a Paisley pattern. We want this badge to mean that this is a place which is safe and supportive for everyone, including those with Care Experience. Keeping the promise “We’re all proud to be Promise Keepers at Glenburn Early Learning and Childcare Centre. The training has really improved our awareness of the needs of care experienced families and enhanced our understanding of children’s rights. These insights now inform the activities and practical support we offer every day.” Annmarie Mullen, early learning childcare officer Learn more about The Promise and our Promise Keeper network Complete our training course on iLearn. For more info contact thepromise@renfrewshire.gov.uk “The rollout of the Promise Keeper training is going very well, in my view.” Promise Keepers make sure that their services are thinking about the needs of the Care Experience community and work to educate their colleagues about Care Experience and The Promise. There are many different services involved in the Promise Keeper Network, including social workers, teachers, health workers, and people who work for charities. We work hard to make sure that Promise Keepers get lots of chances to meet each other and to share ideas about how they have made their services better and more inclusive for people with Care Experience. “Promise Keepers play a crucial role in getting the Promise, and the values behind the Promise, implemented in practice. Promise Keepers can help “snowball” the implementation of the Promise in a way that works across different services and a variety of roles.” We want Promise Keepers in as many different services as possible, as Care Experienced people will access a range of different services, and it is important that they understand the type of support they might need. Care Experienced young people will have contact with social work staff but might also have contact with librarians, gym staff, and banking staff. Promise Keepers are not expected to completely change their services on their own. They are encouraged to carry out small changes and work together with others to achieve more. An example of this is that many of our Promise Keepers have changed the language used in their service to be more inclusive and less negative. Page 71 of 166
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5Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise For someone to become a Promise Keeper, they must do three things. This process is the same for all staff. 1. First, staff must fill out an application form telling us a little bit about why they want to be a Promise Keeper and what they want to see a change in their service. 2. Secondly, staff are invited to an interview. This is a light-hearted interview, but it makes sure that the person is going through this process for the right reasons and has passion and enthusiasm. This interview lasts for 15 minutes and is hosted on Microsoft Teams. 3. Thirdly, Promise Keepers will come along to training, where they will be told more about Care Experience, The Promise, and the work in Renfrewshire. During the training, staff get a chance to meet new people and share different experiences. Promise Keepers are encouraged to bring their whole selves to the role, with many having lived experience of the care system, too. Our Care Experienced community have told us that they want real and honest people to champion The Promise. We work hard to make sure that our Promise Keepers really care about The Promise and are doing it for the right reasons. Anyone who works in Renfrewshire can become a Promise Keeper. Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper Network (continued) Renfrewshire’s Promise Keeper network is informed by the Care Experienced community; they are at the very heart of what we do. Next Steps • We will continue to tell people about The Promise Keeper network and grow it. • We will continue to celebrate good practice and share good examples of work. • We will continue to make sure that Promise Keepers feel supported. “This approach encourages everyone to think about how they can support Care Experienced children in their practice. Keep up the great work.” Page 72 of 166
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6Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Promise Keeper Conference 2024 The feedback from the event was very positive, with staff sharing that they felt it was a very worthwhile and useful event. On the 5th of December 2024, we held our second annual Promise Keeper event. We brought together around 100 Promise Keepers to hear about examples of good work across Renfrewshire. We started the morning with some speakers from Educational Psychology, NHSGCC and Blue Triangle who shared some of their fantastic work around The Promise. We were keen to make sure that those who came to the conference had lots of opportunities to speak to each other. We designed an exercise called “Professional Speed Dating”, where staff got the chance to talk to different services about The Promise. These were: Engage Youth Services Whole Family Wellbeing OneRen Health for All Skills Development Scotland and Invest Barnardo’s Glenburn ELCC Home Start | | | | | “The input was excellent. It allowed for a very good and thought provoking discussion at the tabletop discussion time. Very beneficial in relation to thinking about our practice.” Next Steps • We will reflect on the feedback from the conference to make sure we can improve in future. • We will work to plan the 2025 conference. “Fantastic event. It was really well organised and engaging. I really enjoyed the presentations. Enjoyed Janie’s input at the beginning. Michelle’s inputs throughout were excellent — a good mix of speakers and discussion. The venue was great. The food was great. Good opportunities for inter-agency networking.” “Good and balanced mix of both discussing and hearing from the guest speakers.” Page 73 of 166
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7Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Renfrewshire Language Policy In early 2022, we worked closely with Care Experienced young people and staff across Renfrewshire to identify words and phrases that were negative and stigmatising and to identify new words that could be used instead. We launched the Renfrewshire Language Policy, which is a clear guide for professionals on how to speak about Care Experience. The policy is helping us to move away from complicated words and phrases that children, young people, and families might not understand. We are working on using more human language in our services. The policy is a list of words and phrases with their new replacement language. We understand that language will continue to change, and we encourage services and organisations to think about their own language use. This will help us make our services better and more inclusive for everyone. An example in the policy is the word “LAC/LAAC.” For many years, words such as LAC/LAAC were part of our everyday language. However, children or young people may hear this and believe that they are “lacking” in something. This is an example that has been changed from the Renfrewshire Language Policy, as we now encourage staff to say “Looked After” or “Looked After and Accommodated” instead. You can view the policy online on the Ren10 website under the Care Experienced tab. Next Steps • In 2025 we will review the language policy to make sure it is up to date and produce a new policy. Page 74 of 166
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8Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Supporting the Workforce There is a group of staff who attend a group called “Supporting the Workforce”, which aims to make sure that all staff are supported to keep The Promise and that we are improving employment opportunities and support for the Care Experienced Community. The group is led by Felix Haggerty (Training and Development Manager) and Sam Macrae (Promise Ambassador). The Promise Human Library Across our Promise Keeper Network, staff have lots of different job experiences and knowledge. We want the Care Experienced community to be able to benefit from this. We are working to create a “Promise Human Library” where young people can be “matched” with someone who works in an area that they are interested in. The Promise Keeper would be able to decide how they could best support the young person. This might be an email exchange, a phone call, or an office visit. Many Care Experienced young people do not have the same contacts and connections in areas of work that they are interested in. We hope that this project can support this. iLearn Module for all Staff An online learning course has been made for all staff to access and make sure that they have a basic understanding of The Promise. The course has lots of information about how they can get involved in The Promise in Renfrewshire. Next Steps • We have started to recruit Promise Keepers to the library. Once this process is finished, we will be sharing information about how young people can access this. Next Steps • We will continue to promote the iLearn course across the council and partners. Page 75 of 166
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9Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Supporting the Workforce (continued) Development of a Care Experienced Staff Network In 2025, we will be launching a Care Experienced network for staff, like existing networks for LGBT+ staff or staff with caring responsibilities. This network will be a safe space for Care Experienced staff to meet other staff from similar backgrounds and life experiences. The network would also be able to share learning with the Council about how they could support their Care Experienced staff better. This network will be for people who have been in Care themselves and those who have been close to someone who has been in Care, such as a Foster Carer or someone whose parent was Care Experienced. Staff will never have to tell us anything about their Care Experience in detail. We have met with lots of organisations that have Care Experienced Staff Networks to learn from what has worked well for them and what they would change. Guaranteed Interviews for Care Experienced People who meet Minimum Job Requirements We have been working to make sure that Care Experienced people are able to get support when they apply for jobs at the council. We want to make a change that will mean that if a Care Experienced person applies for a job at the council, they will get an interview if they meet the basic requirements for the job. There will be a section on the application form where people can identify as Care Experienced if they want to. We are also working closely with the HR team in the council to make sure that if the person does not get the job, they get a good level of feedback so that they can work on this and improve for their next interview. Next Steps • We are aiming to launch the network over the coming months and will work with the members to decide what they want from the group. Page 76 of 166
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10Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Whole Family Wellbeing Fund In response to GIRFEC (Getting it Right for Every Child), funding was given to the Renfrewshire Children’s Service Partnership as part of the Whole Family Wellbeing Fund. This involves the launch of a family support service, an online request-for- help system and increased support for the third sector. This approach aims to ensure that families can receive support at the earliest possible stage to prevent crisis support from being needed. The Promise also shapes this work, as early help can mean that families are supported early and are able to stay together where it is safe and possible. An important part of Whole Family Support is that families can reach out to services directly for support rather than needing to be formally referred. The new “request for assistance” system has been introduced, where families can request help online. They will then be contacted by a member of the Family Wellbeing Team, who will meet with them and discuss their needs. Many third-sector organisations in Renfrewshire have received funding to support this work, too. They do this in a range of ways, such as providing holiday and weekend support for families, support for children with additional support needs, or support for Care Experienced parents. There are important parts of Whole Family Wellbeing support which are: • Children and families should be at the centre, and their rights must be respected • Families must be involved in designing the services • Services must be easy to access and find • Family support must involve working with different services Page 77 of 166
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11Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Keeping The Promise in Community Learning and Development Case Study: Promise Arts and Culture Programme The Promise Arts and Culture Programme aims to increase involvement in the arts with Care Experienced young people and Young Carers. This has involved working with artists across different types of art, such as Film Making, Animation, Graffiti and Fashion and Textiles, to encourage young people to explore their creative voices. Many of the young people who were involved in these projects are now attending Art Boss within Youth Services. Keeping The Promise in Children’s Hearings There have been lots of changes taking place over the past year within Children’s Hearings. The Child-Friendly Scheduling project allows every child or young person attending a hearing to choose the date, time, and location of the hearing. Children and young people had told SCRA that this had made their experience better. The Taking Control of My Hearing project supports children and young people in understanding the process and makes sure that they are prepared for their Hearing. There have been changes to the way that children and young people can visit the Hearing centre before their meeting. There have also been changes to the information that is sent to children and young people before their meeting. The Scottish Government, The Promise Scotland and COSLA Across our work on the Promise in Renfrewshire, it is important that we are connected to the work that is happening elsewhere in Scotland. This makes sure that we are on the right track with The Promise and allows us to learn from other people, as well as share some of the work that has been taking place in Renfrewshire. We meet regularly with the Keeping the Promise Team within the Scottish Government and have been able to share our work on the Renfrewshire Language Policy and Renfrewshire Promise Keeper Network with them. Recently, we supported the consultation on “Developing a Universal Definition of Care Experience,” which is being carried out by the Scottish Government. This is one of several consultations carried out by the Scottish Government at the moment, along with “Moving on from Care into Adulthood,” “Children’s Hearing Redesign,” and “Consideration of the Future of Fostering and a New Strategic Approach”. Page 78 of 166
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12Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Promise Projects Keep The Promise Funded Project 1 This project aims to reduce school exclusions within the Care Experienced community within Johnstone High School. The Principal Teacher of The Promise works to support the attendance and participation of Care Experienced young people in the school. The pupils of Johnstone High School played an important role in designing the job description for this role. This project also includes Contextual Safeguarding work within Johnstone High School, which will be delivered by Barnardo’s. Contextual Safeguarding means that we must understand the risks that children and young people are exposed to in a range of different places, such as at home, at school, online or in their local communities. This project is working to understand what schools can do to protect their children and young people from harm and increase safety in school. Keep The Promise Funded Project 2 Transitions are a normal part of school life; however, for some of our Care Experienced young people, transitions can be particularly difficult. This project creates a Promise Team in St Andrew’s Academy to overcome the challenges caused by “last minute” transitions. The aim is to provide intensive support for any child who will be moving from primary to St Andrew’s Academy. Both projects above are managed by Corra and funded by the Scottish Government’s Promise Partnership Fund. Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee — Sub-group “Voice” The Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee is committed to The Promise. A key example of this is ongoing work around “voice” and ensuring that we are listening to our Care Experienced community. A group of staff meet regularly to discuss this and have met three times. The group is led by Youth Services and focuses on how we can involve young people in our services. The Promise Ambassador attends this group. A strategy plan is being created and will focus on the following areas: • The voice of children, young people and families involved in the child protection process • The voice of young people • Seldom heard voices, focusing on children with disabilities • The voice of infants Page 79 of 166
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13Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Promise Projects (continued) Who Cares? Scotland — Communities that Care Project In partnership with Who Cares? Scotland, there is a programme for primary and secondary schools to educate all children and young people about Care Experience. This project aims to make schools more understanding and inclusive of Care Experience. Within this project, there is also a course which is delivered to all staff in schools to ensure that they have a good understanding of Care Experience. Tek Care — Digital Maker Space Project Tek Care provides digital skills and training opportunities for young people with Care Experience. The project aims to increase the skills and confidence of the key people in a Care Experienced person’s life, such as foster carers or residential staff, so that they can support them with their digital skill journey. This project involves five partners: YMCA Scotland, Barnardo’s, Mhor Collective, Scottish Tech Army, and Youth Link Scotland. Page 80 of 166
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14Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Maurice and Sam Promise Team Biographies Promise Ambassador Sam Macrae, Promise Ambassador, samantha.macrae@renfrewshire.gov.uk My name is Sam Macrae, and I am the Promise Ambassador for Renfrewshire Council. I have been working at the Council since July 2021 and was involved in the Independent Care Review. My role focuses on supporting staff and services to think about how they can #KeepThePromise and the needs of the Care Experienced community. I also co-chair the Supporting the Workforce group for The Promise to make sure that the Council is providing employment opportunities and support to Care Experienced people. I also help staff to think about how they can listen to Care Experienced people in their services. Promise Manager/ Promise Lead Officer Maurice Gilligan, Promise Manager, maurice.gilligan@renfrewshire.gov.uk My name is Maurice Gilligan. I am Renfrewshire’s Promise Manager, and I am a member of Renfrew-shire Council’s Children’s Services Senior Leadership Team and a key officer in Renfrewshire’s Children Services Partnership. I work closely with the Scottish Government, COSLA, Promise Scotland, and other agencies around all aspects of The Promise. I have been in this permanent role since October 2022. I manage the Children’s Services Partnership’s response to the implementation of The Promise in Renfrewshire. I have the lead role in strategic planning activity relating to The Promise across Children’s Services and with key stakeholders, including the Health and Social Care Partnership and GGC Health Board, the Police and voluntary sector partners. © OneRen, the trading name of Renfrewshire Leisure Limited. Page 81 of 166
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15Renfrewshire’s Pinky Promise Glossary Care Experience The Care Experienced community is made up of anyone who is or has been in care or is from a looked-after background at any stage in their life. That is anyone who is or has been in foster care, adopted, kinship care (looked after by a relative), resident in a children’s home or have been looked after at home under a Supervision Order for any length of time. It also includes anyone who is or has been on the edges of care (in contact with social work and the wider care sector) at any point. Corporate Management Team (CMT) The Heads of Service across the Council meet regularly to discuss important issues. Together, they make up the Corporate Management Team. The CMT includes the senior officers of the Council, OneRen and Renfrewshire HSCP. COSLA The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) is the national association of Scottish councils and acts as an employers’ association for its 32 member authorities. COSLA works on councils’ behalf to focus on the challenges and opportunities they face, and to engage positively with governments and others on policy, funding and legislation. GIRFEC This is Scotland’s national approach to promoting, supporting, and safeguarding the wellbeing of all children and young people. It provides a consistent framework, shared language and common understanding of wellbeing. GIRFEC puts the child or young person at the heart and helps children and young people get the right support from the right people at the right time. Health and Social Care Partnership Health and Social Care Partnerships, (HSCPs) are organisations formed to integrate services provided by Health Boards and Councils in Scotland. The NHS and local authority jointly run each partnership. Renfrewshire HSCP delivers adult social care services and all community health services for adults and children in the Renfrewshire area. Lived Experience Lived experience is the knowledge and understanding you get when you have personally lived through something. Our Hearings, Our Voice Our Hearings, Our Voice (OHOV) is an independent board for children and young people from across Scotland between the ages of 8–18, who have experience of the Children’s Hearings System. Ren10 REN10 is a network of people who work or volunteer in the Renfrewshire area. There is a variety of early help services for your mental health and wellbeing. SCRA The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) is a national body focused on children and young people most at risk. SCRA’s main responsibilities are: • To facilitate the work of Children’s Reporters • To deploy and manage staff to carry out that work • To provide suitable accommodation for Children’s Hearings The Independent Care Review Between 2017 and 2020, Scotland’s Independent Care Review heard the experiences of over 5,500 people, who included: • Care Experienced infants, children, young people and adults • Members of the paid and unpaid workforce of Scotland’s “care system.” Their vision was set out in the Independent Care Review’s conclusions. In 2020, the Scottish Parliament agreed to keep these conclusions in full. And, when it did, it made a promise. See also Appendix 2. The Promise Scotland’s ambition is that every child and young person should grow up safe, loved, and respected. The conclusions of Scotland’s Independent Care Review set out the changes that need to take place to achieve this for Care Experienced children and young people. Scotland’s promise is that these conclusions will be implemented in full — by 2030 at the latest. See also Appendix 2. UNCRC The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the base standard for children’s rights and sets out the fundamental rights of all children. The UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world and sets out the specific rights that all children have to help fulfil their potential, including rights relating to health and education, leisure and play, fair and equal treatment, protection from exploitation and the right to be heard. Page 82 of 166
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Page 1 of 8 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Renfrewshire ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (the Imagination Library) is a book gifting programme devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children. The programme is available in the USA, Canada, Australia and launched in the UK in 2007. Each month the Dollywood Foundation, in conjunction with local partners, posts a high quality, age-appropriate book to children from birth to age 5. The books are specially wrapped and addressed to the child and are delivered at no cost to families. 1.2. Through Scottish Government funding, the Imagination Library provides a free book each month to care-experienced, looked after and adopted children in Scotland from birth to age 5. In Renfrewshire, 112 children currently benefit from this programme and a further 675 children have previously received books from the Imagination Library via this funding. Over 26,000 books have been distributed to children in Renfrewshire via this programme to date. 1.3. In March 2021, Renfrewshire Council became the first and only local authority in Scotland to provide a universal programme of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to all children aged 2-5. Funding was allocated to this programme for an initial period of 3 years and extended for a further year in March 2024. 1.4. To date, over 8,200 children across Renfrewshire have received books from the Imagination Library with over 3,300 children currently receiving an age- specific book each month. This represents 64% of the eligible population. Books are carefully selected by a panel of experts and incorporate traditional stories and rhymes, books by a range of different authors, non-fiction texts and books that promote inclusion and diversity. 1.5. As a local affiliate of the Imagination Library, Renfrewshire Council pays approximately £26 per year for each child registered. The Dollywood Foundation meets the remaining cost of approximately £117 per child, per year. Based on our current registration figures, the programme is currently delivered at a cost of approximately £85,800 to Renfrewshire Council annually Item 4 Page 84 of 166
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Page 2 of 8 with the remaining £386,100 (approx.) funded by the Dollywood Foundation. To ensure sustainability of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Renfrewshire, Council allocated £100,000 of recurring funding at the budget meeting on 27 February 2025. 1.6. The National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey (2022) revealed that one in five children have no books of their own at home, highlighting the need for book gifting programmes like the Imagination Library. 1.7. Reading for pleasure has a number of significant benefits, not only on children’s academic attainment but also in relation to their health and wellbeing. A 2015 study by the University of Liverpool found that: - non-readers are 28% more likely than readers to report feelings of depression; - those who don't own a book of their own are twice as likely to have low mental wellbeing; - children who are the most engaged with literacy are three times more likely to have higher levels of mental wellbeing; - active readers have, on average, demonstrably better mental health than non- readers. 1.8. The National Literacy Trust’s report on ‘Children and Young People’s Reading’ in 2023 found: - positive reading attitudes were associated with higher average reading achievement; - children’s reading enjoyment is at crisis point with just 2 in 5 8-18 year olds enjoying reading - the lowest level of reading enjoyment recorded since 2005; - 56.6% of children do not read for pleasure; - over 70% of children said having books recommended to them and being given books would encourage them to read. 1.9. In 2022, Dr Caroline Zwierzchowska-Dod published ‘Books, Babies and Bonding’ - a U.K-based study to determine the impact of the Imagination Library on parents’ practices/beliefs around shared reading and the impact of shared reading on children in receipt of Imagination Library books. Key findings were: - children who receive the Imagination Library for 12 months or more outperform their peers at 5 years old both in terms of their level of development and early learning goals; - parents reported a variety of positive behaviours including enjoying reading more, reading more frequently, improved parental self-efficacy and exposure to new authors; - 99.5% of parents said their child enjoyed reading with them and felt they had many more books than they would otherwise have bought - this was true across the socio-demographic spectrum. 1.10. 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The Dollywood Foundation has ambitious plans to work with local partners and organisations to continue to grow the Imagination Library across the world. The Imagination Library in Renfrewshire continues to be referenced as an Page 85 of 166
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Page 3 of 8 example of good practice as evidenced by the Dollywood Foundation’s ‘Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: UK Impact Report 2024’. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are requested to note: [a] the progress to date in relation to the implementation of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Renfrewshire; and [b] the allocation of recurring funding of £100,000 by the Council to ensure the sustainability of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Renfrewshire. __________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1. In August 2023, our universal programme of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Renfrewshire reached the milestone of gifting 100,000 books. The Dollywood Foundation, in partnership with Provost Cameron, hosted a civic reception at Paisley Town Hall to recognise this achievement. To date, more than 162,000 Imagination Library books have been gifted to children and families across Renfrewshire. 3.2. The Imagination Library in Renfrewshire is open to all children aged 2-5 who live in Renfrewshire or attend a Renfrewshire-based early years setting. Children on a deferred school year benefit from additional time within the programme to further support their developing literacy skills. 3.3. Early years establishments who achieve 100% registration of children to the Imagination Library are recognised and awarded a certificate of achievement annually. 3.4. Our approach ensures the programme is inclusive and meets the needs of all learners as children can receive books that are age appropriate and/or suitable to their individual stage of development. Parents/carers are supported to register children in a number of ways including online, via paper registration forms, with support from their child’s nursery, via local libraries or with support from Health Visitors. We are proud to offer the Imagination Library to refugees and to families via the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Team to support early English and literacy development. 3.5. We have formed a range of partnerships to support the wider implementation and development of the Imagination Library. These partnerships include: - local authority, partnership and private nurseries - Barnardo’s - Social Work - Housing Associations - Health Visitors - Home-Start Renfrewshire - One-Ren Libraries - Home-Link Service Page 86 of 166
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Page 4 of 8 3.6. Each year, S5 and S6 pupils from high schools across Renfrewshire are given the opportunity to gain work and volunteering experience by becoming ‘senior readers’. Visiting early years settings on a weekly basis, they read Imagination Library books with children ensuring each child hears the book they receive at least once, and support play-based learning activities linked to these. Over the past 3 years, more than 100 young people from 9 secondary schools have volunteered as positive reading role models for their younger peers. 3.7. Early years classes and centres have embraced the Imagination Library with enthusiasm and have used the Imagination Library books as a context for learning, to encourage family engagement and support pedagogy within playrooms. They regularly organise ‘stay and play’ sessions, family reading sessions, reading cafes, hoe-downs, outdoor reading opportunities and many other innovative activities using Imagination Library books as the context for learning. 3.8. We have established a network of over 100 Imagination Library programme Ambassadors from early years settings and partner agencies across Renfrewshire. Recent evaluation undertaken with them showed: - 91% of Ambassadors indicated that Imagination Library books are used as a vehicle to support wider learning, where appropriate; - 100% of establishments who responded ensure that Imagination Library books are read to the children each month; - 100% of Ambassadors find Imagination Library a useful tool to support family learning and engagement; ‘Dolly Parton's imagination library has not only provided literacy rich opportunities to so many children and families universally but the positive impact it has had on the children within our establishment has inspired our practitioners to weave this through all areas of the curriculum.’ (Ambassador feedback) - 95% of Ambassadors agreed that Imagination Library has raised the profile of reading for pleasure in their establishments and has supported the creation of a reading culture; - 86% of Ambassadors agreed that Imagination Library has increased the amount of reading and storytelling opportunities within their setting; ‘In our setting we have seen a vast improvement in children's love for books and stories. Children are able to stay engaged more in literacy-based experiences and seem to have a better interest in books provided.’ (Ambassador feedback) - 95% of Ambassadors feel that Imagination Library has increased their own and other staff member’s knowledge of different children’s texts; - 100% of Ambassadors agreed that Imagination Library supports children's learning/development in early years settings and helps prepare children for starting school; ‘Since embedding Imagination Library, parents/carers engagement levels in family learning have increased. Where Imagination Library books are used to support children's learning, development and Page 87 of 166
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Page 5 of 8 engagement, linking a strong connection between home and nursery, families confidently share their experiences, demonstrating quality time spent between parents/carers and children.’ (Ambassador feedback) 3.9. The Imagination Library in Renfrewshire is active on Facebook, Bluesky and Instagram to engage parents/carers with the programme, to raise awareness, to promote the benefits of early reading and to highlight good practice from early years settings. 3.10. As we continue to seek funding opportunities to extend our programme of Imagination to children from birth, we are running a range of pilot programmes to measure impact in children from 0-2 including: - provision of Imagination Library to children aged 0-5 in West Johnstone and Douglas Street ELCCs; - extending Imagination Library to children aged 0-5 in partnership with Home-Start in Renfrewshire and Barnardo’s and families they support; - a pilot with 10 individual families with babies born in 2024. 3.11. We continually monitor the impact of Imagination Library in Renfrewshire to ensure we maximise the benefits of this programme for our children and families. Our recent parent/carer survey (October 2024) found the following: - 96% of parents/carers agreed that receiving books from Imagination Library motivates them to read more with their child; - 100% of parents/carers said their children enjoy receiving a book personally addressed to them each month; - 99% of children are reading a greater variety of books thanks to Imagination Library; - 83% of parents/carers feel their children are more excited about reading as a result of receiving books from Imagination Library; - 99% of parents/carers are satisfied with the quality of books they receive; - 92% of parents/carers feel that receiving books from Imagination Library is helping to prepare their child for school; ‘This is a fabulous initiative and we are very grateful to be part of it. It provides all children with a level playing field regardless of their circumstances in life. Thank you for making this possible.’ ‘Being dyslexic I hated reading, but I feel that the excitement my child has for her books has given me the confidence to push myself. Now we love reading together and I’m starting to enjoy reading as well as our time together.’ ‘We love receiving our book every month. It’s so exciting to see which book it will be. I love that all the books help to teach my daughter something - kindness, compassion, friendships etc. The book choices are fantastic and great that they aren’t all really popular authors so we don’t already have the books gifted. An amazing initiative!’ ‘As a parent and teacher I think this is a fantastic resource and I am so pleased that it is available for Renfrewshire children. It not only encourages a love of reading in young children but it also helps to develop vocabulary and deepen imaginations as the children explore the different stories. I hope all parents/carers sign up as soon as their child turns 2 as it is just fantastic!’ (Parent/carer feedback) Page 88 of 166
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Page 6 of 8 3.12. The Imagination Library in Renfrewshire has been identified as an example of good practice which has been highlighted on a local, national and international scale: - our programme leaders have been nominated for a Council ‘Living our Values’ award; - Renfrewshire’s Imagination Library has regularly been featured in the Dollywood Foundation’s annual reports and impact surveys; - the programme leaders were the winners of the Scottish Book Trust’s ‘Learning Professional Award’ in 2023; - we were invited to share the work of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Renfrewshire at ‘The Gathering’ event in the SECC in 2022 and at the Houses of Parliament in 2023. 3.13. Children’s Services will contiue to work with all of the early learning and child care services to ensure the widest reach. The ambition is that 100% of all eligible children are signed up as members and recive their books. 3.14. At the Council budget meeting on 27 February 2025, recurring funding of £100,000 was allocated to ensure the sustainability of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Renfrewshire. __________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial Council allocated £100,000 in the bugdet on a recurring basis to ensure the sustainability of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Renfrewshire. 2. HR and Organisational Development None. 3. Community/Council Planning Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all - The Imagination Library ensures that all children aged 2-5 across Renfrewshire have equal access to books and the benefits associated with these. Working together to improve outcomes - The Imagination Library has been shown to improve family relationships, health and wellbeing and attainment at school. 4. Legal We will continue to review the implementation of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Renfrewshire in accordance with data handling and processing guidelines, ensuring compliance with GDPR. 5. Property/Assets None. Page 89 of 166
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Page 7 of 8 6. Information Technology None. 7. Equality and Human Rights The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities 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. 8. Health and Safety None. 9. Procurement None. 10. Risk None. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. Climate Risk None. 13. Children’s Rights The provision of the free books to children under the age of 5 years via the Dolly Parton Imagination Library meets and promotes the following article of the UNCRC: Article 2 (no discrimination); Article 3 (best interests of the child); Article 28 (access to education) and Article 31 (rest, play, culture, arts). 14. Cosla Policy Position None. List of Background Papers (a) Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: UK Impact Report 2024 (The Dollywood Foundation) (b) Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Renfrewshire: 2024 Parent/Carer Survey Results (Renfrewshire Council) The foregoing background papers will be retained within Children’s Services for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. The contact officer(s) within the service are: Gail Abraham, Social Work Practice & Process Development Co-Ordinator, 07717 348 452, gail.abraham@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 90 of 166
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Page 8 of 8 Julie Paterson, Literacy & Languages Development Officer, 07534 158 232 julie.paterson@renfrewshire.gov.uk ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services GA/JP Author(s): Gail Abraham - Social Work Practice & Process Development Co-Ordinator gail.abraham@renfrewshire.gov.uk 07717 348 452 Julie Paterson - Literacy & Languages Development Officer julie.paterson@renfrewshire.gov.uk 07534 158 232 Page 91 of 166
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United Kingdom Inspire a Love of Reading The Story So Far ImaginationLibrary.com Page 92 of 166
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Contents Letter From Dolly..................................................................... How You Can Help.................................................................. Why Imagination Library......................................................... Local Programme Partners: Renfrewshire............................ Local Programme Partners: Southwark................................. Local Programme Partners: North Lincolnshire................... Our Impact................................................................................ Books and Book Selection...................................................... How We Are Funded and How the Programme Works...... Contact Us................................................................................ 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 12 14 16 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading gifting free books to enrolled children every month from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Republic of Ireland. Since launching in 1995, the Imagination Library has become the most impactful, early childhood book-gifting program in the world, having mailed over 220 million high-quality, age-appropriate books. Currently, over 3 million books are mailed each month! 2 UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Page 93 of 166
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“Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission. In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to millions of children. “Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organizations who have embraced my dream and made it their own. They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed. “Hi everybody. This is Dolly. “Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams. “It’s been quite a journey but we have so much more left to do. I would love for your community to join our family so please take the time to explore our website. Let’s share this dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books. “The first step is always the hardest, but you’ll never know unless you try…” Letter from Dolly 3UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Page 94 of 166
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Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a simple way to invest in our future. We gift a high-quality, age-appropriate book every month to children from birth until age five. Just imagine if every child was made to feel extra special by receiving a book addressed just to them from Dolly Parton! The excitement of opening that “gift” every month with their special person and exploring new adventures and wonders of the world. This is what we like to call “Dolly’s magic” and where children’s dreams are born. Because children will do what they love, reading their favorite books again and again, we help them build a foundation of language and literacy that sets them on a path to make their own unique mark in the world. Gifting a book is simple, but the dreaming it sparks is beyond Imagination.[1] [1] Zwierzchowska-Dod, C. (2022) ‘Books Babies and Bonding: the impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library on parental engagement in book-sharing with children 0-5 years old’ Swansea University Do you share our vision? What Our Local Programme Partners Do Join us as a Local Programme Partner or Supporter! Help us inspire a lifelong love of reading and learning in our youngest children The Dollywood Foundation UK is committed to investing in communities across the UK. Our vision is for all children under five to have access to the Imagination Library. We need like-minded organisations and people to help us give the gift of books and reading to children across the country. The Dollywood Foundation UK will help you set up and run an Imagination Library in your local area. Your investment is simply to help spread the word and support families to sign up, as well as committing to fundraising locally. Contact the Dollywood Foundation UK for more detailed information or visit our website to submit an enquiry. PROMOTE PROGRAMME & REGISTER ELIGIBLE CHILDREN PROCESS THE MONTHLY BOOK INVOICE PROVIDE SUPPORT TO FAMILIES AS NEEDED How You Can Help 4 UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Page 95 of 166
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Sharing books from birth not only supports the development of language and literacy but creates the perfect environment to nurture bonds between babies and their caregivers. Picture a young child snuggling in, sharing eye contact, enjoying the lilt of their parent’s voice as they connect with diverse characters and stories, exploring emotions and developing empathy. These experiences are vital for children as they start to make sense of the world around them, giving them a solid foundation to explore, play and learn throughout their life. How can the Imagination Library help communities become the best place to grow up? Building Secure Attachment A Place-Based Approach Raising Attainment for All Supporting the Home Learning Environment In 2022, Dr Caroline Zwierzchowska-Dod published ‘Books, Babies and Bonding’ - a U.K-based study of the Imagination Library. The research demonstrates the impact we can have on children through the simple gift of a book. Participation in the Imagination Library strengthens parent-child attachment through frequent reading, with parents identifying bonding as the main benefit of participating in the programme. Through our place-based universal offer, research shows that the Imagination Library strengthens communities by creating “shared cultural capital”, where all children and families experience the same exposure to literature. Receiving Imagination Library books for 12 months or more correlates with improved academic outcomes at age 5, across the socio-economic spectrum. The curated book selection introduced new authors into the home and is highly valued by parents. Parents who receive Imagination Library books are 30% more likely to read daily with their child, helping build foundational literacy skills. ‘I absolutely love being part of the Imagination Library. I have always been a reader but my husband hasn‘t and I feel that the books we receive keeps my husband’s interest as my son loves it so much’ – Parent feedback ‘My children’s nursery also give out an activity pack each month to match the book with they have loved doing and totally enhances the experience with the book.’ – Parent feedback Why is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Important? 5UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Page 96 of 166
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Over 3000 children are currently registered More than 7000 children have benefited to date More than 100,000 books gifted in Renfrewshire LOCAL PROGRAM M E PARTNER CASE STUDY The Story So Far... The Renfrewshire Context In 2021, Renfrewshire became the first local authority to offer a universal Imagination Library in Scotland. Their inclusive programme is open to all children living or attending nursery in Renfrewshire, meeting the needs of all learners with age appropriate books suitable to their stage of development. Before the Imagination Library launched in Renfrewshire, the team asked families about their reading habits, they found: “We’re seeing some real challenges with speech, language and communication, but the Imagination Library supports all children, including those with additional support needs. Because of how the books are chosen, we can include all children in our activities and allow them to learn in their own way and with their own creativity. It’s so inclusive and that’s really important to us.” – Early Years Professional, Renfrewshire 75% of parents visit their library once a month or less Of those, 20% never visit a library Over 50% of families buy books every 2 – 3 months or less frequently 6 UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 RENFREWSHIRE Page 97 of 166
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LOCAL PROGRAM M E PARTNER CASE STUDY 2022 2023 0 20 40 60 80 100 Inspiring Early Years Professionals in Renfrewshire Renfrewshire Council have established a network of over 100 Imagination Library programme ambassadors from early years settings across Renfrewshire. The group of qualified teachers and early years professionals support each other to bring the magic of the Imagination Library to Early Learning and Childhood Centres across the local authority. 100% of ambassadors agreed that Imagination Library supports children’s learning/development in early years settings and helps prepare children for starting school. 100% of ambassadors indicated that Imagination Library books are used as a vehicle to support wider learning 95% of ambassadors agree that Imagination Library has raised the profile of reading for pleasure in their establishments and has supported the creation of a reading culture 95% of ambassadors find Imagination Library a useful tool to support family learning and engagement Early Years Progression Tool Milestones Comparison 2022-2023 FROM: Auchenlodment Early Learning and Childhood Centre in Johnstone I can listen, respond and recall information appropriately in different contexts I can recall and talk about characters and events in stories “The range of books and how carefully they are chosen really helps us focus on parts of the curriculum, like knowledge and understanding of rhyming and syllables. Using Renfrewshire’s Early Years Progression Tool, we have seen real improvements in outcomes for children.” “Dolly Parton’s imagination library has not only provided literacy rich opportunities to so many children and families universally but the positive impact it has had on the children within our establishment has inspired our practitioners to weave this through all areas of the curriculum.” “The Imagination Library supports our practice and helps our staff understand what makes a great quality book. We know these books have been quality checked and it gives practitioners confidence to look further into that author or type of book. It’s really improved the quality of books we provide within our early years settings.” “We’ve seen our parental engagement sky rocket! We create home activities that link to each book and develop skills across literacy, numeracy and wellbeing. 87% of families take part in these activities.” 63% 78%63% 93% 7UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Page 98 of 166
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LOCAL PROGRAM M E PARTNER CASE STUDY The council has followed the cohort of children through the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), Year 1 phonics screening (Y1), and SATS tests at Key Stage 1 (KS1) and 2 (KS2). Significantly enhanced emergent literacy skills are seen through EYFS as shown here: The longitudinal Impact is evident throughout the primary years as this table for KS2 demonstrates: % of Children achieving the expected standard or above North Lincolnshire Council The local authority wide programme for all children through age 5 in North Lincolnshire has been operating since 2013, with more than 1 million books mailed to 26,696 children. RWM Reading Writing Maths All Children 58.1% 71.7% 71.9% 69.6% Imagination Library Cohort 60.6% 73.5% 74.3% 70.8% Unregistered Cohort 52.7% 67.8% 66.6% 66.9% Diff - IL cohort vs unregistered 7.9% 5.7% 7.7% 3.9% EYFS Year 1 and KS1 Significantly enhances emergent literacy skills Producing lasting impact on learning at school In 2022, 67.1% of children registered with the Imagination Library achieved a good level of development at the end of the EYFS, compared to 52.6% of children who were not registered, difference 14.5ppts 60% of boys registered with the Imagination Library achieved a GLD compared to 49% for boys not receiving the books When socio-demographic factors were taken into account, Imagination Library participation was related to a relative increase in the likelihood of achieving a GLD pass by 40% and achieving the Early Learning Goal of reading by 54% In Year 1, 74% of children who had received Imagination Library books met the expected standard in the phonics screening test, compared to 57% of children who were not registered, difference 17ppts KS1 Reading: 67% met Expected Standard (registered with IL) and 545 for those not registered, difference 13ppts KS1 Writing: 57% met Expected Standard (registered with IL) and 49% for those not registered, difference 8ppts KS1 Maths: 67% met Expected Standard (registered with IL) and 58% for those not registered, difference 9ppts Source: North Lincolnshire Council Source: North Lincolnshire Council UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-018 Page 99 of 166
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I think it’s amazing. My children look forward to a new book that we can read together as a family each month. It’s so lovely that the book is chosen based on their age & it’s always books which I don’t know about, so they would never have the opportunity to read these fantastic books without imagination library I love it. Every single book is amazing and my son really likes them. As a parent I love the curation to fit topics that matter (brushing teeth, the body, words etc) and they all add something different for my son (nursery rhymes, flap books etc) I think it's great. My 4 year old son looks forward to receiving a book in the post every month. He has become more enthusiastic about books. We still have every book he has ever received since age 1. He has his own little book corner, which thanks to the scheme, is still growing. Its a great way to encourage kids to read and enjoy with the family. Absolutely wonderful and I can't praise it enough! We were introduced to some of our favourite books through the Dolly Parton library and my daughter's knowledge and learning has increased greatly with the wonderful choice of books. Such a joy to get a new book through the post and they are still met with great excitement! Thanks so much for supporting this amazing resource! It is a great scheme. It allows my children to have their own books, ones they can cherish and mistreat! LOCAL PROGRAM M E PARTNER CASE STUDY To date, 20,183 families have received nearly 600,000 books and as the parent feedback shows, the programme is valued and much loved: The London Borough of Southwark Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has operated in the London Borough of Southwark since 2016 and around 9,000 children are registered. UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 9 Page 100 of 166
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92% 97% 88% 93% 98% 99% This UK-based study included a national survey of 4,770 parents of 0-5 year olds, school attainment data from North Lincolnshire Council 2016-2019 and 702 in-depth surveys of families in receipt of Imagination Library books. We share the books with older and younger siblings in our family The books have helped develop my child’s speech and language We read more often I enjoy reading with my child more My child looks forward to the books arriving My child is enthusiastic to share books with me When the age of the child, number of children in the family, parental education, ethnicity and gender were taken into account: 88% of Imagination Library families surveyed said they read more often because of the Imagination Library Imagination Library participants were around 30% more likely to read daily. Books, Babies and Bonding: The impact of parental engagement in shared reading (book-sharing) with children 0-5 years old Dr Caroline Zwierzchowska-Dod, Swansea University, 2022 10 UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 OUR IMPACT Page 101 of 166
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Key findings of the research project include: What benefits do parents value when book-sharing? BondingTime Bond Habits Skills Calming Positive Speaking Comfort Listening Language Cuddles Vocabulary Relaxing Routines Knowledge Imagination Frequent reading was common in the respondent group, but higher in families receiving Imagination Library books. Parents identified a ‘nudge’ factor through the monthly book arrival. Bonding was the key benefit of book-sharing that parents identified for themselves and their child. Receiving Imagination Library books for 12 months or more correlated with improved academic outcomes at age 5. The curated book selection introduced new authors into the home and was highly valued by parents Participation in the Imagination Library strengthened parent-child bonds through frequent reading, and by helping parents learn more about their child. Participation in the Imagination Library supported improved parental self-image and their attitudes towards sharing books with their children. 11UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Page 102 of 166
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Books and Book Selection To date, we’ve included 528 different books in the programme. Our welcome book is a special hardback edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit with a message from Dolly, and the graduation book is Just Imagine by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart, with a Happy Birthday forward from Dolly, arriving the month the child turns 5. Our book selection panel is made up of early years professionals, children’s librarians and experts in children’s literature. They consider the developmental stage of the child and ensure a balanced mix of books, which includes rhyme, traditional tales, different illustration styles, and fact-based, across each age group. The prevalent theme and focus of the Imagination Library is inspiration and imagination. Other fundamental themes that support this are a love of reading and learning; regard for diversity of people, their roles, culture, and environment; promotion of self-esteem and confidence, and appreciation of art and aesthetics. Around 40-60% of the titles change every year, although some firm family favourites such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle have reappeared many times as they are so popular and offer so much to families. The success and impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are built on the fabulous books our picked by our Gold Medal Book Selection Committee over the years. 12 UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Page 103 of 166
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1st Pick 2nd Pick 3rd Pick 0 100 200 300 400 Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Shark in the Park Goodnight Tractor There's a Monster In Your Book Hairy McClary Yes Too Young Too Old 0 20 40 60 80 100 Yes No 0 20 40 60 80 100 Yes No 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has an exclusive arrangement with Penguin Random House to provide the selected books and we are grateful for the work they do behind the scenes to ensure the programme operates smoothly. This includes everything from resizing some books to make sure they fit through the family letterboxes to making sure the authors and illustrators permit us to use their books in the programme. What are the most popular Imagination Library books with you and/or your child? Parents were given the opportunity to choose three of their top titles from drop down menus and could not pick the same title more than once. The choices were compiled using the book lists from the last 2 programme years. The family voice is also important, and every two years we carry out a survey to inform the committee. The two-year gaps ensure the majority of families responding have received enough books to make informed decisions. In general, do you feel the book selections for the Imagination Library are age appropriate? Have you received books on themes that you would not have thought to borrow from the library or buy from a shop? Are you pleased with the diversity of characters/themes within the books you receive? 167 66 55 50 62 73 19459 53 96 199 86 70 116 213 203 35168 77 62 13UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Page 104 of 166
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How We Are Funded The simplicity of the Imagination Library, and the efficiency of its cost-sharing model contribute to its sustainability. All core costs, including administrative, operational, website, database management, marketing, training and technical assistance, are absorbed by The Dollywood Foundation UK, through grant funding from The Dollywood Foundation Inc. Furthermore, the Dollywood Foundation negotiates the costs of printing, wrapping, labelling and mailing. The Foundation assists community partners with local promotion for the programme, and in registering children via our secure, GDPR compliant, online database. Books are free of charge to families - each community reimburses The Dollywood Foundation UK for the costs of the books and mailing for enrolled children. When we partner with a community, we ask that they pay just £2.16 per child per month to cover the cost of books and mailing. Across the UK and Ireland, our community partners access funding from a range of sources. Some programmes have only one source of funding, such as the local authority, but others use a blended funding model. Local and central government, businesses big and small, public health, Rotary clubs, charities, housing associations, early years settings, trusts, foundations and private individuals are all encouraged to support the programme. Our model allows programme partners to use their local knowledge and connections to support families in the way that works best for their communities. We encourage partners to make sure families are aware of the programme and can easily register, particularly those families who might not usually access or be aware of services. Promote to families and register eligible children on the Book Order System Select age appropriate, high- quality books & manage procurement and delivery Post books direct to the child every month from birth until the month they turn 5 Pay the monthly invoice £2.16 per book on average (About £26 per child per year for 12 books) Provide support to families as required Support our local program partners to develop a sustainable and resilient Imagination Library ® Local Program Partners How It Works 14 UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Page 105 of 166
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‘It is kind to send us books, she is a nice lady. My dad loves Dolly Parton. His gran used to sing him Dolly songs.’ Jordan - age 4 ‘She is a kind lady.’ Lewis- age 4 “You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children.” ‘I feel happy when Dolly sends me a book. I like to get letters in the post, mum reads them to me. Isla - age 4 ‘She gives us books because her daddy didn’t have a lot of money to give her books when she was little, so she wants us to have them.’ Caleb - age 4 15UK IMPACT REPORT | 20241030-01 Page 106 of 166
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Helen Hastle, Regional Director, The Dollywood Foundation UK Meg Fletcher, Regional Director, The Dollywood Foundation UK ImaginationLibrary.com The Dollywood Foundation of the United Kingdom The Dollywood Foundation of the United Kingdom is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England, Wales (Registered Company Number 6400437, Registered Charity Number 1121917) and Scotland (Registered Charity Number SC045571). UK Charity Address: 167 - 169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor, London W1W 5PF hhastle@imaginationlibrary.co.uk mfletcher@imaginationlibrary.co.uk 07539 872794 07984 346592 Page 107 of 166
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Imagination Library in Renfrewshire Page 108 of 166
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How long has your child been enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library? Less than 12 months 36% 1 - 2 years 37% 2 - 3 years 16% 3 - 4 years 11% Approximately how many children’s books did you have at home before receiving books from the Imagination Library? None 6% 1 - 9 books 16% 10 - 19 books 20% 20 - 29 books 17% 30 or more books 42% Roughly how many books in your home are Imagination Library books? Approx. 10% or less 46% Approx. 25% 33% Approx. 50% 15% Approx. 75% 4% 100% of books in your home are from the Imagination Library 2% Imagination Library in Renfrewshire recently conducted an authority-wide survey, resulting in 168 responses from parents and carers who have children currently enrolled in the Imagination Library. The survey aimed to evaluate the impact of receiving monthly books on children's reading, skills development and family learning. 2024 Parent & Carer Survey Page 109 of 166
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How often did you read with your child before receiving books from the Imagination Library? Not at all 1% Once a week 12% 2 - 4 times a week 22% Once a day 38% More than once a day 27% Since receiving Imagination Library books, how often do you read with your child? Not at all 2% Once a week 2% 2-4 times a week 20% Once a day 34% More than once a day 42% How has receiving books from the Imagination Library changed your child’s interest in books and reading? They are more excited about reading and books 83% They are less excited about reading and books 3% Unsure 4% No noticeable changes 10% 2024 Parent & Carer Survey Page 110 of 166
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As a parent/carer, how do you feel about the quality/types of books your child receives? We love the books and they are great quality 90% We are satisfied with the quality and types of books 9% The quality and types of books are okay 1% We dislike the books and the quality is poor 0% Do you believe that receiving books from the Imagination Library has helped/is helping to prepare your child for school? Yes 71% Somewhat 21% Unsure 8% No 1% My child enjoys receiving a book via the post that is personally addressed to them. Strongly agree 88% Agree 12% Somewhat disagree 0% Strongly disagree 0% 2024 Parent & Carer Survey Imagination Library is an amazing resource for the children of Renfrewshire. My daughter’s face lights up when she gets a book delivered to her and she always says thanks to Dolly Parton for the lovely gift! We are so lucky to be part of this initiative! Thanks! Page 111 of 166
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My child receives a variety of books from the Imagination Library, encouraging them to read a range of different texts. Strongly agree 76% Agree 23% Somewhat disagree 1% Disagree 1% Receiving books from the Imagination Library motivates me to read more with my child. Strongly agree 63% Agree 33% Somewhat disagree 2% Strongly disagree 1% How has receiving books from the Imagination Library impacted on your confidence in reading with your child and selecting appropriate books? I feel more confident reading with my child/children 45% My confidence in choosing books to read with my child has increased 29% My knowledge of authors and age-appropriate books has increased, making me more confident in our reading choices 42% My confidence levels have not changed 22% My confidence in reading with my child has decreased 0% Imagination Library in Renfrewshire 2024 Parent & Carer Survey Page 112 of 166
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My child enjoys having the same books at home that are shared at nursery. Strongly agree 49% Agree 37% Somewhat disagree 1% Strongly disagree 1% Unsure 12% Do you borrow books for you child from your local library or the Skoobmobile? Yes, often 24% Sometimes 36% No, never 40% Families reported the following changes since receiving books from the Imagination Library: Increased vocabulary 57% Increased social skills 30% Increased listening skills 49% Increased interest in reading 60% No noticeable changes / Unsure due to age 19% TOTAL FAMILIES REPORTED POSITIVE CHANGES 81% 2024 Parent & Carer Survey Both my children have absolutely loved receiving their books from the Imagination Library! My 3 year old son gets so excited when a new book arrives. The stories and pictures are lovely and the program has helped spark his imagination and develop a love for reading early on. Page 113 of 166
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Children’s Looked After Statistics - 28 February 2025 _______________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. At the Board on 22 August 2024, it was agreed that an updated position in relation to the number of children who are looked after and the number of children on the child protection register in Renfrewshire would be presented to every second meeting of the Board. Due to the January Board meeting being early in the new year it wasn’t possible to provide the report at that time. This report presents the information on the number of looked after children in Renfrewshire on 28 February 2025. 1.2. The number of looked after children in Renfrewshire continues to reduce. On 28 February 2025, there were 576 children looked after by Renfrewshire Council. 1.3. 58 children’s names were on the Renfrewshire child protection register on 28 February 2025. In addition, 4 unborn children were recorded on the Renfrewshire child protection register due to the risk of identified potential harm at birth. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. Members are asked to: [a] note the information in this report on the number of looked after children in Renfrewshire on 28 February 2025. Item 5 Page 114 of 166
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3. Background 3.1. On 31 July each year, local authorities complete a census for the Scottish Government in relation to the number of children who are looked after. Whilst the census is conducted in July the report on the data is generally not available until the following March or April. The 2024 census was conducted on 31 July 2024 and the data report from the Scottish Government is expected to be published by the end of April 2025. 3.2. It should be noted that social work in Renfrewshire operates under the principles of minimum necessary intervention and “no-order”. This means that a significant number of children and families being supported by social work aren’t reported in relation to looked after statistics. This is due to “looked after” being a specific legal definition. 3.3. The minimum necessary intervention principle requires social work to provide support and intervention at the right level at the right time to allow children and families to move out of the system quickly when challenges are addressed and resolved. The “no-order” principle means that a children’s hearing or court should only impose a compulsory order on a child where it is better for the child to do so than not have the order in place. 3.4. On 31 July 2023, Renfrewshire was responsible for 640 looked after children. After verification work the annual census data submitted by Renfrewshire on 31 July 2024 showed there were 609 looked after children for whom the council was responsible. This represents a reduction of 4.8% in the number of looked after children between the two census dates in Renfrewshire. 3.5. The Scottish Government report on looked after children in Scotland is expected to be published by the end of April 2025 and a report will be presented to the Policy Board on this when it is available. Looked after children – Renfrewshire 28 February 2025 3.6. On 28 February 2025 there were 576 looked after children in Renfrewshire. This was a decrease of 33 from the data submitted for the annual census on 31 July 2024. This represents a reduction of 5.4% from July 2024 to February 2025. Looked after at home 3.7. On 28 February 2025, 155 children were looked after at home. This compares to 169 and 155 on 31 July 2023 and 31 July 2024 respectively. This is a 10% reduction in the number of looked after children at home since 31 July 2023. 3.8. Children’s Services staff continue to be concerned in relation to the number of children who are looked after at home and are working with the Scottish Children’s Reporters Administration to understand the reasons for this and to target a further reduction in the number in a safe manner over the next year. Page 115 of 166
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3.9. Table 1 provides information on the age and gender of the children looked after at home on 28 February 2025. Table 1 Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 14 35 22 5 76 Male 4 34 32 9 79 18 69 54 14 155 3.10. Looked after in kinship arrangements 3.11. 234 children were looked after in kinship arrangements on 28 February 2025 compared to 266 on 31 July 2023 and 252 on 31 July 2024. The reduction in the number of children looked after in kinship is a result of some children reaching their 18th birthday and a small number of children returning to the care of one of their birth parents. 3.12. Table 2 provides information on the age and gender of the children looked after in kinship arrangements on 28 February 2025. Table 2 Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 16 49 32 21 118 Male 15 45 38 18 116 31 94 70 39 234 Looked after in fostering arrangements 3.13. 129 of Renfrewshire looked after children were in fostering arrangements on 28 February 2025. This compares to 143 on 31 July 2023 and 137 on 31 July 2024. 3.14. 109 of the children in foster care on 28 February 2025 were cared for by one of Renfrewshire’s foster carers and the remaining 20 were cared for by foster carers in the independent sector. 3.15. Information on the age and gender of the children looked after in foster care on 28 February 2025 is provided in table 3 for internal foster care and table 4 for independent sector arrangements. Page 116 of 166
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Table 3 – Internal foster care Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 12 16 14 5 47 Male 22 21 7 12 62 34 37 21 17 109 Table 4 – External foster care Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 2 3 5 Male 7 4 4 15 7 6 7 20 Internal children’s houses 3.16. On 28 February 2025 there were 19 looked after children in Renfrewshire’s internal children’s houses. This is the same number as reported on 31 July 2024 and one fewer than on 31 July 2023. Board is advised that the 4 internal houses can provide for the care of 22 children and young people. There are 3 young people aged between 18 and 21 currently in the houses. 3.17. Table 5 provides information on the age and gender of children in our internal children’s houses. Table 5 Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 3 6 9 Male 1 5 4 10 1 8 10 19 External residential 3.18. On 28 February 2025 there were 21 looked after children from Renfrewshire cared for in external residential provision. The number of Renfrewshire’s Page 117 of 166
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looked after children in external provision on 31 July 23 was 28. The number reduced to 22 by 31 July 2024. 3.19. Table 6 provides information on the age and gender of Renfrewshire’s looked after children in external residential provision. Table 6 Gender 0 - 4 5 - 11 12 - 15 16 - 17 Total Female 1 4 5 Male 2 7 7 16 2 8 10 21 Other community 3.20. The category “other community” covers looked after children (all aged 16 or 17) who are living in supported accommodation or their own tenancy. There were 9 looked after children in this category on 28 February 2025. 4 of the young people are female and 5 are male. Pre-adoption 3.21. On 28 February 2025, there were 9 looked after children in pre-adoption placement. All of the children were aged between 1 and 6 years old. 4 of the children are female and 5 are male. Implications of this report 1. Financial Implications The current number of children looked after in external residential provision is at a higher level than for a number of years. The service is working to ensure that children’s needs are met by placements and where possible they can return to Renfrewshire to mitigate demand on budgets. 2. HR and Organisational Development Implications None 3. Community Plan/Council Plan Implications Community Care, Health and Well-being - Children and families are supported to address the challenges they face. Safer and Stronger - Children and families receive the right support to ensure they are safe at home and in the community 4. Legal Implications The authority works within the legal framework to discharge its duties to Page 118 of 166
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looked after children and those involved in the child protection system. 5. Property/Assets Implications None. 6. Information Technology Implications None. 7. Equality and Human Rights Implications The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities 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 because it is for noting only. 8. Health and Safety Implications None. 9. Procurement Implications None. 10. Risk Implications None. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. COSLA Policy Position None. 13. 14. Climate Risk None. Children’s Rights This report demonstrates compliance with Article 3 (best interest of child), Article 9 (keeping families together), Article 12 (respect for children’s views) and 25 (review of a child’s placement) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. List of Background Papers None ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services JCTLG 12 August 2024 Author: John Trainer, Head of Children and Justice/Chief Social Work Officer, 0300 300 0277, john.trainer@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 119 of 166
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Page 1 of 8 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Scottish Equity Framework (SEF) Progress and Next Steps ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. This paper provides an update on current Scottish Equity Framework workstreams, associated projects and impact. The paper will also outline future plans for 25/26. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to note the progress made and the future plans for 25/26 in particular new additions such as funding for the West Partnership activities and a police youth development officer pilot which is to proposed to be joint funded by selected schools. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 There are four attainment challenge workstreams; Data Analysis, Learning and Teaching, Families and Communities and Leadership. Each workstream have a number of projects to deliver on the SEF mission which is to use education to improve outcomes for children and young people impacted by poverty, with a focus on tackling the poverty-related attainment gap. 3.2 Since 2022/23, funding has been tapered in Renfrewshire and the breakdown of funding is detailed below. 2025/2026 is the final SEF funding year. 2022/2023 2023/2024 2024/2025 2025/2026 £3,749,496 £2,940,992 £2,132,488 £1,323,984 Item 6 Page 120 of 166
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Page 2 of 8 3.3 SEF is having a positive impact on attainment. The 2023-24 return demonstrates that there has been an increase in attainment across almost all curricular areas and stages. Attainment is now in line with or ahead of pre- pandemic levels. Renfrewshire is ahead of national figures across all stages and curricular areas in 2023-24. This has been a consistent trend in almost all stages and curricular areas, however the decreases in Renfrewshire’s data post pandemic were greater than national resulting in very close alignment with national figures in 2021-22. The 2023-24 data illustrates that Renfrewshire has made greater progress over the previous 3 years and is now comfortably ahead of national figures. 3.4 With regards to the poverty related attainment gap, there is still improvements to be made. Attainment gaps remain larger than pre-pandemic levels. Pupils living in SIMD 20% most deprived areas were most significantly impacted by the pandemic and the 2020-21 figures demonstrated large decreases in attainment. Attainment has improved across both groups and gaps are reduced since 2020-21. However, attainment of pupils living in 20% most deprived areas remains below pre-pandemic levels and as a result attainment gaps are wider than in 2018-19. 3.5 Senior phase performance is consistent with national trends, reflecting changing assessment methods over time. Leaver destinations sustained at a level above Virtual Comparator (VC) and Literacy and Numeracy is consistently above our VC. S4 5+ improved in 2023/24 and was above VC and higher than 2019. The patterns of attainment in Renfrewshire show that across all stages the middle 60% attainment cohort is consistently above national and virtual comparators. There have been improvements in 5+ Level 6 in S5 in 2022/23 and Renfrewshire is still above the VC in 2023/24. 3.6 In the next section, highlights from each workstream will be outlined. Workstream briefings can be provided to provide more detail and case studies demonstrating further impact will be available towards the end of session which will be included in the Standards and Quality Report. 4. Data Analysis 4.1 The data strategy in Renfrewshire was recently recognised as effective practice in the thematic inspection by Education Scotland in October. Data literacy support within the 2024-25 session has been focused on increasing data accessibility in secondary schools. The team are supporting schools to create online dashboards for their tracking data. The purpose of this is to reduce workload, provide a clearer overview of attainment levels for staff and to improve identification of attainment gaps. This system is now operational in 2 schools with a further 3 onboarding in the current session. A data network group of schools has been re-established to support this process and provide opportunities for sharing best practice. 4.2 The team is also working to improve data quality for additional support need information across all schools. Currently pupil needs are entered onto SEEMiS inconsistently and we are not able to use the data for analysis or planning. Updated guidance has been shared with schools and a review of data is underway, due to be completed in February 2025. Once complete, we will be able to understand better the relationship between additional support needs and deprivation as well as the impact of additional support needs on Page 121 of 166
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Page 3 of 8 attainment, attendance and wellbeing. Additionally, resources will be able to be distributed more equitably across schools. The team continues to provide bespoke data literacy to support to all schools and ensuring that analysis is readily available through the Data Dashboard site. 5. Learning and Teaching 5.1 This session, there has been a focus on delivering the target schools programme. 10 schools are receiving support in literacy and numeracy to close the poverty related attainment gap and improve school targets. Feedback from schools has been positive. Baseline data has been collated for all children and bespoke support is being tailored to each school. A full evaluation report will be completed at the end of the session which will demonstrate any improvements to attainment as well as to our stretch aims. 5.2 Numeracy training sessions are well underway for this session. There has been a combination of voluntary authority training (15 sessions at Jan 25), bespoke Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL) sessions requested by schools (20 sessions at Jan 25), a West Partnership conference, and a Renfrewshire secondary festival. Additionally, 2 sessions have been delivered to primary NQTs, and another 2 training sessions have been held for Numeracy Champions. All evaluations have been highly positive, with almost all participants reporting increased knowledge, skills, and confidence. The "Grow Your Own" Modelling and Coaching (MCO) programme is progressing well and teachers have reported gains in knowledge, confidence and leadership skills and some improvement in pupil attainment. The collaboration with Glasgow University on the MathsBURST Spatial Skills project is currently being implemented with primary 4 and primary 5 teachers and pupils. A total of 31 teachers across 14 schools are involved in the 6-month project. 5.3 Universal and bespoke support for literacy continues to be provided to schools and early years centres via tailored inputs and our annual CLPL calendar. Tailored support includes guidance with improvement planning, meetings with Senior Leadership Teams (SLT), individual support to class teachers/departments and provision of professional learning on a wide range of areas including Talk for Writing, raising attainment in reading/writing, reading comprehension, phonics, developing early reading skills, assessment of writing and spelling. Leadership training continues to be provided in relation to Talk for Writing to ensure effective implementation and to support longer-term sustainability of the approach. Our early years programme of Talk for Writing has grown in session 24/25 to include almost all early years classes, all early years centres and a significant number of early years partner establishments. Data shows consistent improvements in writing attainment again in session 23/24 at all primary stages. 5.4 The reach of the digital work is very positive with other 1000 unique visitors to the DigiLearnRen blog. 4 schools have been supported with planning your school’s digital strategy this session and 100% either agreed or strongly agreed that their confidence, knowledge and skills had increased and 100% were planning to implement what they had learned and share with colleagues. Sharing practice visits have taken place between 5 Primary Schools and 2 Secondary Schools in first 2 terms. All primaries and almost all secondaries are using Groupcall and approximately 13,000 parents are registered on Parent Portal. A further 8 Get Safe Online Safety Ambassadors have been trained this session, bringing the total to 26 schools. Page 122 of 166
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Page 4 of 8 5.5 Play pedagogy has been delivered in Renfrewshire for a number of years and the focus is on embedding practice. This session 22 primaries and early years teaching team participated in sessions exploring the environment, organisation of play, observation and evaluation. 5.6 The first Renfrewshire Employability Week was held delivering over 200 engagements for young people across Renfrewshire with support from the Local Employability Partnership. The Get Started event, hosted in partnership with SDS and Invest in Renfrewshire, provided targeted support for school leavers. The Local Employability Partnership’s School Transition Group has been re-established to promote effective cross-sector collaboration and ensure seamless transitions for young people. The DXC Digital Futures programme engaged 14 participants from Castlehead High School and Renfrew High School, offering valuable digital skills training. The Career Ready coaching programme has now been upscaled to include 25 young people from across 4 secondary schools for session 2024/25. 22% of the cohort are care experienced young people. 50% of the mentees will be paired with a Career Ready coach from Renfrewshire Council supporting workforce planning across the local authority. 5.7 Very good progress is being made towards the target to achieve 100% positive post school destinations by 2028. The Pathfinders employability programme was established in August 2024 to meet the needs of school leavers who had not yet managed to sustain a positive destination. 18 young people joined the programme, to date 16 are positively engaged with employment, training or further education. There is scope to increase numbers and frequency of the programme. All schools now have regular future pathways meetings, PT Pathways is invited to participate in these and feedback from schools is positive. 6 school leavers were successfully recruited into SoftFM positions within the authority, and the programme's success is expected to lead to its continuation in the future. 42 young people have benefitted from enhanced support between school and college with feedback from young people, schools and carers being unanimously positive. 5.8 Good progress is also being made towards widening access and participation to further and higher education. Since the PT Pathways post was established, drop out rates of the school’s vocational programme has decreased by 40%. By Christmas 2023, 70 students had dropped out, compared to 42 by the same time in 2024. 9 out of 11 Renfrewshire secondaries are now confirmed as participating the in Top Up programme in association with Glasgow University. 17 primary schools have actively participated in the WCS school science programme. Collaborative working with WCS has successfully resulted in the first International Business Event being held for 110 S3 pupils from 11 secondary schools. 5.9 The Developing the Young Workforce Engagement Officer is working with 30 young people on My Future Pathways curriculum offer. This includes pupils from senior phase Flexible Learning Resource. The Engagement Officer is also collaborating with primary schools to engage vulnerable learners as part of an early intervention programme. Community Benefits programmes have provided senior-phase pupils from all 13 secondary schools with valuable industry exposure, including site visits, work placements, and industry awareness activities. On average, 12 opportunities are offered to each school monthly. The work placement model is currently being refreshed to ensure all learners, particularly the most vulnerable, have access to relevant work-based Page 123 of 166
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Page 5 of 8 learning opportunities. Between August and December 2024, 324 work placements were completed by young people across Renfrewshire schools. Currently 8 secondary schools are actively participating in Young Enterprise Scotland with the support of the DYW Engagement Officer. 6. Health and Wellbeing (HWB) / Families and Communities 6.1 Over the course of this session, there has been a continued focus on supporting the needs of staff through training and curricular development. Training continues to be aligned with the themes coming through our schools counselling service and the directive from Scottish Government in relation to the PSE Review (2019) and whole school approaches to self-harm and suicide prevention. 6.2 Our CEOP (Child Exploitation Online Prevention) Ambassador Training team now delivers a half day training each term. This is in response to continuing concerns around the safety of our children and young people and what we know in relation concerns from our partners in Police Scotland. MVP (Mentors in Violence Prevention) has been expanded and is now being delivered across all Renfrewshire secondary schools. In September, we worked with Education Scotland to deliver MVP pilot training for Early Years and Primary staff which will support the developing work around gender-based violence within the authority. Four “Approaches to Cognitive Behaviour Therapy” courses since August 2024 and a short introductory course has been developed which is being delivered as an in-service day input or twilight. Three emotions assemblies have been written for primary aged pupils which have been delivered across a number of establishments. 6.3 To support staff and parents/carers around internet safety, self-harm, suicide prevention, anxiety and using CBT approaches, a suite of “How to Have a Conversation About…” digital resources has been developed. These are available to staff post-training or via the termly newsletters and Glow Blog. 6.4 There is a continued focus on areas of the HWB curriculum which would support the improvement of our PSE programmes. This session, an external evaluation took place of Renfrewshire’s Alcohol and Substance Awareness Education Programme. This involved focus groups of primary pupils and staff and secondary pupils and staff. We continue to seek feedback on ways to improve our programmes and are currently linking in with Skills Development Scotland with a focus on careers education delivery within PSE. 6.5 Inclusion Support Assistants which were previously funded by SEF are continuing to work in some secondary schools and staff are supporting young people with attendance at and participation in school. Impact is monitored by schools. 6.6 Following research conducted by the Child Poverty Action Group, we know that food poverty has an impact on wellbeing and learning. Following feedback from children and young people, cost of the school day (COSD) funding has been allocated to ensure meals are provided to fuel for children’s learning but also reduce stigma in the lunch hall, improve home-school relations (because worries about dinner money debt evaporate) and encourage good eating habits among children. The Fairer Renfrewshire COSD funding is directly allocated to schools to alleviate financial barriers to education. Page 124 of 166
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Page 6 of 8 6.7 A small budget is allocated to supporting verbal or written translation to ensure the children and young people feel included and are able to participate in all aspects of education. Since April 2024, we have supported 10 requests however a number have had to be rejected due to particular languages not being available. 7. Leadership 7.1 Young Leaders of Learning has been recognised in Renfrewshire as an area of good practice in relation to quality improvement. The purpose of the programme is to ensure children and young people are actively involved in on- going self-evaluation activities leading to improvement. 34 primary schools and 8 secondaries are taking part throughout 2024/25 Initial evaluation completed by schools. 7.2 Currently 11 primary Headteachers and 1 early years Head are benefitting from supervision in a safe space which has the sole purpose to support Headteachers to pause and reflect on what is having the biggest impact on their working lives. Participant mid-point evaluation feedback has been extremely positive with wellbeing and confidence being areas of significant impact for Headteachers. The programme is having an impact on practice with Heads feeding back that protected time is supporting reflection and coaching techniques help with identifying solutions to tricky issues. 7.3 2 Renfrewshire Ambassadors (one primary, 1 secondary) are working closely with early career colleagues offering support and challenge through coaching, tailored professional learning, with a clear focus on the Professional Standards, and a range of networking opportunities. 7.4 This is the third year of our involvement in the year-long programme Improving our Classrooms (IOC) which is focused on improving classroom practice and raising attainment. Last session’s (2023-24) evaluation data showed that 95% of participants raised attainment with their learners as a result of participation in the programme. 8. Next steps - this section will detail future plans for SEF in 25/26. The funding for the final year is £1.3m. The majority of funding will be allocated to staffing. 8.1 Based on self-evaluation and review of data and intellegence, new additions to the plan include a contribution towards the continuation of West Partnership support and collaborative working opportunities and a police youth development officer pilot is also proposed for the new session, this would be part funded by SAC. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – No financial implications 2. HR & Organisational Development – No HR implications 3. Community/Council Planning – engaging with, and learning from external inspection, ensures that our Renfrewshire is thriving. High standards of education provision ensure that children and young people are given the best Page 125 of 166
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Page 7 of 8 start in life so that they promote and contribute to a more prosperous, fairer society. It also ensures our Renfrewshire is well – by providing an environment which encourages care, welfare and development, establishments play a crucial role in developing children and young people so that they become responsible citizens. The inspection process also supports delivery of the Council Plan crosscutting theme of improving outcomes for children and families as well as other Council Plan key strategic outcomes. Economy Equipping all children and young people to achieve success in life Fair Creating inclusive and supportive learning environments for children and young people. Embedding children’s rights in our decision-making processes 4. Legal - The full model inspection includes a focus on QI 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equity and inclusion. In evaluating this QI, one of the themes that HM Inspectors evaluate is the school’s Fulfilment of Statutory Duties related to attendance, exclusions, ASL Act and Associated Code of Practice, Bullying, Equality Act, Health and Nutrition, and Gaelic education. 5. Property/Assets – No risks to property/assets. 6. Information Technology – No information and technology risks. 7. Equality & Human Rights – The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities 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 following implementation, 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 & Safety – No negative impacts on health and safety. 9. Procurement – No procurement risks 10. Risk – No risks identified. 11. Privacy Impact – No impact on privacy. 12. Cosla Policy Position – N/A 13. Climate Risk – No risk. 14. Children’s Rights – Article 28 (right to education) Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child. Discipline in schools must respect children’s dignity and their rights. Richer countries must help Page 126 of 166
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Page 8 of 8 poorer countries achieve this. Article 29 (goals of education) Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment. Children’s Services Author: Emma Henry, Head of Education emma.henry@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 127 of 166
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 __________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services __________________________________________________________________ Heading: Learning Estate Programme Update __________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. Renfrewshire Council is delivering a large-scale investment into the learning estate. This programme of works which is underway includes four major projects to enhance and expand the current estate. 1.2. This report provides an update on the delivery of these projects and highlights next steps. The projects covered in this report are as follows: • Paisley Grammar School Community Campus • Park Mains High School extension and alterations • New primary school in Dargavel • Thorn Primary School new build __________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Board is asked to note the contents of this report. 3. Paisley Grammar School Community Campus 3.1. The project to deliver a new Paisley Grammar School remains on track for a 2026 completion and handover. Construction has progressed to a point where the majority of structural assembly is complete, and a transition has begun to shape the internal of the building. Item 7 Page 128 of 166
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3.2. Members have had the opportunity to visit the site to take in the scale of the project being delivered, and further opportunities will be made available as the development progresses. 3.3. Further relevant updates will be provided on the project at future meetings where appropriate. 4. Park Mains High School Extension & Internal Alterations 4.1. The project to extend and enhance Park Mains High School is progressing with the procurement process to appoint a contractor to develop the design now almost complete with a recommendation being made to the Council’s Finance, Resources & Customer Services Policy Board. This is now completing the final contractual agreement and standstill process. 4.2. The proposed design of the extended Park Mains High School has been available on the Council website to view since November 2024, and further engagement sessions with Ward Members has now also taken place. 4.3. The next phase of the project will develop the design further and will now be led by the successful contractor and their design team, in collaboration with the Council officer project team that has developed the project to this point. The next significant milestone will be summer 2025 when it is expected that planning permission will be submitted. 4.4. Ongoing engagement on the development of the design will continue, and further updates will be provided on this at future meetings. 5. New Primary School in Dargavel 5.1. The project to deliver a new primary school in Dargavel remains on track for a 2027 construction completion and handover. A recent report to the Finance, Resources & Customer Services Policy Board approved the recommendation to award an enabling works package to Hub West Scotland. These enabling works will allow important drainage, and earth works to take place well in advance of full construction of the school building and associated provisions. Planning permission has now been granted for these earth works which will allow the first site activity to begin. 5.2. This enabling works package contributes to the plan of meeting a demanding timescale for delivery and will allow a smooth transition to the wider construction process, pending planning permission approval, of which a decision is expected in May 2025, at the Planning and Climate Change Policy Board. 5.3. Officers have been conducting engagement with children in Dargavel and Bishopton Primary Schools to begin the planning process for naming this new school. This process has allowed the young people to have their views heard, as well as learn more about the history of the area and what may constitute a meaningful name. The Board should note that in line with the Naming of Schools Policy, the Director of Children’s Services, in collaboration with the Convener, will determine a short list of school names produced by the local young people. This will then be followed by a poll to all local residents and community groups to vote for their preferred name. The outcome of this poll will then be put forward to the May 2025 Education and Children’s Services Policy Board for Members to agree. Page 129 of 166
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6. Thorn Primary School New Build 6.1. Members are asked to note the contents of a separate report provided to this board regarding the next phase of Learning Estate Strategy. This separate report provides context around various data sets and the wider strategy and seeks a decision in relation to the route forward for delivery of a new Thorn Primary School. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial All projects are costed and included in Council financial planning. Projects are bound by rigorous governance including budget management and reporting. 2. HR and Organisational Development None. 3. Community/Council Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving - New, and improved, learning estate assets will allow our children and young people to thrive with the best possible infrastructure to support their school experience. Staff, and community users will benefit from modern and inclusive environments. Reshaping our place, our economy and our future - The learning estate shall be appropriately scaled and equipped to meet curriculum expectations and deliver an appropriate learning and teaching experience for all. 4. Legal None. 5. Property/Assets These projects will deliver significant improvements to the learning estate, extending the life of assets, and improving the experience of young people, staff, and the wider community. 6. Information Technology Digital improvements will be delivered through the learning estate strategy, where access to technology for all, will be a key priority for projects. 7. Equality and Human Rights The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts Page 130 of 166
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on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, 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 None. 9. Procurement Any procurement work required will be conducted in collaboration with the Council’s Procurement team and adhere to appropriate regulations. 10. Risk All projects are bound by rigorous governance and supported by detailed risk registers. Risk is reported and managed at various levels with scrutiny applied to ensure mitigations and contingency plans are in place. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. Climate Risk New, and improved, learning estate assets will directly contribute to the Council’s journey towards net zero. Sustainability is a key concept of all projects. 13. Children’s Rights When considering any future school provision, the impact this will have on children is a key consideration, and any work will be based around the direct needs of children to allow their education experience to thrive. Whilst children have a right to choose where they wish to attend school in collaboration with their parents, the council’s admissions policy applies to ensure that schools that are oversubscribed can be managed. 14. Cosla Policy Position None. Children’s Services JL/GM Feb 2025 Author: Jack Lochans jack.lochans@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 131 of 166
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 __________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services __________________________________________________________________ Heading: Learning Estate Strategy Update __________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. Renfrewshire Council has committed to planning for its most ambitious and high value investment programme to improve the learning estate. The objectives, vision, and principles underpinning future decision making were outlined at and agreed by the August 2024 Education and Children’s Services Policy Board, and this report provides an update on the strategy development including proposals to progress the assessment of the next phase of delivery. 1.2. This Council is currently delivering on phase 1 of this strategy which includes the following major projects: • Paisley Grammar School Community Campus • Park Mains High School extension and alterations • New primary school in Dargavel • Thorn Primary School new build 1.3. At the August 2024 meeting, the Board agreed to adopt an objective prioritisation criteria and assessment methodology to support a structured review of the overall learning estate. Application of this methodology has now been completed from which a cohort of establishments have been identified as proposed priorities to progress to the next phase of the learning estate strategy process. This proposed cohort comprises of 10 primary schools and 4 secondary schools. 1.4. Members are reminded that the next stage in the strategic approach will be to consider in detail, establishments identified through this initial strategic prioritisation process. Those identified as priority establishments for consideration as part of the next stage, will be subject to the development of a detailed business case that will consider a broad range of factors including assessing the underlying reasons why each establishment is being flagged in Item 8 Page 132 of 166
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the priority list. It should be noted that not all establishments identified for consideration through this process will necessarily require to be rebuilt and or replaced or undergo a major refurbishment and it will be dependent on the specific circumstances considered through the business case process. 1.5. The business case stage will seek to assess each building to consider its local geography, condition, suitability for delivering the curriculum and meet the needs of an evolving demographic, as well as future roll projections, deprivation data and the overall local learning estate. As part of the business case development process, consideration will also be given to wider opportunities any major learning estate investment would bring as part of strategic placeshaping and strategic property workstreams being concurrently progressed by the Council. 1.6. This report also provides an update on the delivery of a new Thorn Primary School, with a recommendation to widen the consideration of this project as an immediate priority to take into account implications of improved data and intelligence relating to the overall learning estate across Johnstone, as it is currently scoped and as it progresses through the process. __________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to: 2.1 Note that a proposed business case framework will be brought back to the next cycle of the Board for consideration and approval to underpin a standardised approach to be adopted as part of the Learning Estate Programme moving forward. 2.2 Note that a proposed business case development programme and indicative timeline will be brought back to the next Board for consideration and approval for the 14 priority schools identified in the report. 2.3 Note the strategic assumptions set out in section 7 that will support the future planning in relation to long term lifecycle maintenance arrangements. 2.4 Agree to an options appraisal to be undertaken for the wider Johnstone learning estate, by widening the scope of Thorn Primary School development. 3. Learning Estate Strategy 3.1. In August 2024, members agreed on a long-term strategy to “create the best possible learning estate to allow children and young people to thrive”. This strategy will support the Council to develop a structured long term decision- making approach to investment in the learning estate and set an ongoing programme of delivery to address all learning establishments. 3.2. This strategy will work towards delivering the ambition to ensure all establishments are fit for 21st century education, as well as utilising a place- based approach to provide core community facilities. Page 133 of 166
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3.3. At its August 2024 meeting, the Board agreed to adopt an objective prioritisation criteria and assessment methodology to support a structured review of the overall learning estate. A work programme has progressed this assessment process which utilised the agreed methodology for scoring which considers key data sets including condition, suitability, sufficiency, and quartile data for deprivation ratings. Using this methodology and considering the 8 key objectives outlined in the strategy, a proposal has been developed which identifies a cohort of priority for consideration as part of the next stage of the strategy process. 3.4. The full prioritisation matrix established through this assessment process should be viewed as a key and evolving dataset that will be subject to ongoing review recognising that learning estate data on which it is predominantly based will be subject to regular updates. This includes for example aspects such as condition where ongoing investment through traditional lifecycle maintenance programmes will positively impact the condition score of associated buildings. Similarly, the assessment of sufficiency is influenced by the capacity of a school where school rolls and registrations are inevitably subject to change each academic year and will be supported by ongoing long term roll projections to enable effective forward planning. Again, as the strategy moves forward over the long term and such data is subject to updating, this will feed through into updates to the prioritisation matrix. In contrast the suitability score for delivering the curriculum, is a metric that has traditionally remained static and is therefore expected to remain more consistent over time unless a school is subject to change through investment. 3.5. It is appropriate to remind the Board that this overall strategic approach is intended to assist in developing long term priorities for future investment in the learning estate based on a transparent and structured assessment process and a well-developed business case approach. Notwithstanding, the strategy approach acknowledges that there may be circumstances where school capacity by itself becomes an overriding consideration for a school to be identified for priority consideration. Such circumstances are expected to be identified through the long-term school roll projection exercise that is expected will provide early indication of schools where capacity is expected to be permanently exceeded over the long term. Irrespective of all other aspects assessed under the methodology, such circumstances would elevate such establishment(s) into a priority status for detailed consideration in order that the Council was able to develop options and subsequently clear plans to address the longer-term capacity pressures. 4. Scoring Methodology 4.1. Scoring for each establishment has been developed utilising published Core Facts data that is supplied to the Scottish Government. For condition, and suitability, buildings are traditionally assessed on an ABCD basis. This has been transposed to the following, where A (4) is best, with D (1) being the worst: A = 4 B = 3 C = 2 Page 134 of 166
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D = 1 4.2. Whilst school capacities will largely be dealt with as a separate workstream to strategically plan, it is important to consider school capacities in the overall scoring methodology to identify schools that have either very high capacity, or very low capacity and how areas of concern can be considered and addressed through an evolving estate. Using strategic objective 3, as agreed as part of the learning estate strategy, which seeks to ensure that where appropriate, all learning establishments maintain a school roll of between 80- 95% of school capacity, the following scoring methodology has been applied where again, A (4) is best, and D (1) is worst: A = 4 (80-95%) B = 3 (50-79%) C = 2 (0-49%) D = 1 (>96%) 4.3. The above methodology allows schools that have capacity pressures of above 96% to be flagged as a key consideration as part of the scoring system. 4.4. For quartile scoring, which is an agreed method of socio-economic data that measures deprivation already uses a 1234 scoring method, where 4 is the least deprived, and 1 is the most deprived. 4.5. As outlined and agreed in the learning estate strategy, the following weightings would be applied to the scoring categories noted above, on the following basis: Condition 30% Suitability 40% Capacity 10% Quartile 20% 4.6. Using the combined scoring with weighting applied the prioritisation matrix will be produced with establishments that have a lower score being identified as of higher priority for further consideration. To provide context and an example of the scoring methodology, Paisley Grammar School scores have been provided below: Paisley Grammar School Category Core Facts Score Numerical Equivalent Weighted Calculation Condition 30% C 2 0.3 x 2 = 0.6 Suitability 40% C 2 0.4 x 2 = 0.8 Capacity 10% A 4 0.1 x 4 = 0.4 Quartile 20% 2 2 0.2 x 2 = 0.4 Total 2.2 Page 135 of 166
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5. Prioritisation Matrix 5.1. When the above scoring methodology is applied by using the approved Core Facts data for the learning estate, the full prioritisation matrix is established, and this is included at Appendix 1 for reference. Focusing on the areas of highest priority for initial detailed consideration, the top 4 priority ranking of establishments covers 14 schools (circa 25% of the overall portfolio) encompassing 10 primary schools and 4 secondary schools as follows: Priority Ranking Property Score Establishment Condition Suitability Capacity Quartile 1 2.2 Paisley Grammar School 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.4 2= 2.5 Auchenlodment Primary School 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 2= 2.5 Heriot Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.2 0.2 2= 2.5 Johnstone High School 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 2= 2.5 St Peter's Primary School 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 3= 2.6 Bridge of Weir Primary School 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.8 3= 2.6 Thorn Primary School 0.9 0.8 0.3 0.6 3= 2.6 West Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 3= 2.6 Castlehead High School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 3= 2.6 St Margaret's Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 3= 2.6 Gallowhill Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 3= 2.6 Brediland Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 4= 2.7 Trinity High School 0.9 0.8 0.4 0.6 4= 2.7 St Catherine's Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.2 5.2. Paisley Grammar School is identified top of the list, which through the application of this new strategic approach provides support to the previous decision taken by the Council to rebuild this school. 5.3. Similarly, Thorn Primary School, again an existing committed investment project is also identified in the priority list. Although not assessed to the same priority as Paisley Grammar in the overall scoring, it is nevertheless identified within the priority cohort of schools, with lower suitability and capacity being the primary drivers in its overall lower relative scoring. However, in the context of this whole estate assessment process, proposed adjustments to progressing this project are outlined in section 5.10 onwards, in this report. 5.4. As referred to in section 3.5 above future school roll projections, and specifically schools roll projections that indicate a school capacity is projected to come under sustained pressure, provides an additional layer of consideration to be taken into account. The recently completed whole learning estate pupil projection exercise has identified Trinity High School as a key risk of sustained capacity pressure as previously reported to the Board. 5.5. The table outlined below reflects the projections for Trinity High School outlined as part of the Learning Estate Strategy – Roll Projections report presented to the Board in October 2023: Secondary School Capacity 2024-25 (F) 2025-26 (F) 2026-27 (F) 2027-28 (F) 2028-29 (F) 2029-30 (F) 2030-31 (F) 2031-32 (F) 2032-33 (F) 2033-34 (F) Trinity High School 1032 994 1026 1052 1070 1097 1110 1121 1154 1187 1204 Page 136 of 166
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5.6. As outlined previously, the projection modelling indicates that the capacity pressure trend is not expected to be a short-term peak that otherwise could be managed by local interventions, but rather indicates a sustained level of pressure over the long term. On this basis, the scoring for Trinity High School capacity criteria has been realigned to reflect this longer-term risk profile, where capacity is expected to exceed 95% by next year and continue to rise over the 10-year projection period without any form of intervention. The risk of inadequate long-term capacity to meet school roll demand moves Trinity High School capacity score from the optimal range scoring a 4, to the category scoring a 1 which elevates the school up the prioritisation assessment as detailed in the table below: Priority Ranking Property Score Establishment Condition Suitability Capacity Quartile 1 2.2 Paisley Grammar School 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.4 2 2.4 Trinity High School 0.9 0.8 0.1 0.6 3= 2.5 Auchenlodment Primary School 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 3= 2.5 Heriot Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.2 0.2 3= 2.5 Johnstone High School 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 3= 2.5 St Peter's Primary School 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 4= 2.6 Bridge of Weir Primary School 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.8 4= 2.6 Thorn Primary School 0.9 0.8 0.3 0.6 4= 2.6 West Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 4= 2.6 Castlehead High School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 4= 2.6 St Margaret's Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 4= 2.6 Gallowhill Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 4= 2.6 Brediland Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 5= 2.7 St Catherine's Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.2 5.7. It is important to emphasise that the purpose of this stage of the strategic process has been to establish an assessment outcome that provides a cohort of schools that are identified as being priorities for progressing to the next stage of the strategic programme which encompasses a phased business case development process. A business case is a structured set of documents that outline the rationale for a proposed change or investment. It details the expected benefits, costs, risks, and opportunities with clear justification for why a recommendation is being made. This process will allow the Council to make informed decisions that are in line with the overall objectives of the Learning Estate Strategy. 5.8. The business case development stage represents a significant undertaking to support robust decision making and due diligence in relation to the scale and shape of project that will ultimately be progressed by the Council. In broad terms, this will be conducted in four sub-stages that will ultimately lead to a final delivery case that will underpin projects moving into physical delivery. It is important to recognise that as part of this business case development, an establishment will not be looked at in isolation, and this process will consider many factors including assessing other establishments in the vicinity that could also be incorporate into a project alongside a priority establishment, should there be a business and education justification for doing so. This means that the priority list shown in appendix 1 may be subject to change beyond the core facts of an establishment outlined in section 4 of this document, and could be amended through justification outlined in future business case development. Page 137 of 166
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5.9. The key stages of developing the business case for school projects will encompass: - • Strategic Case for Change (SCC) – this initial stage will very much establish the strategic case for change and scope for the business case to consider. • Outline Business Case (OBC) – the OBC stage will begin to develop the business case in line with national green book treasury guidance, including the initial development and appraisal of potential options to meet the identified strategic need and will be informed by initial community engagement in line with best practice and the recently approved consultation and engagement policy. • Full Business Case (FBC) – the FBC enhances and progresses the completeness of all aspects of the business case including assessing and identifying the preferred option that would progress to formal engagement and consultation including where appropriate statutory consultation processes. • Final Deliver Case (FDC) – the FDC would be informed by the consultation on the FBC and would set out the final agreed business case for the project to be progressed and at this stage would represent a formal commitment and approval of financial resources by the Council and would trigger the project to move into the delivery phase. 5.10. In order to support this business case stage, there are two key requirements that need to be progressed over the coming months before this staged process commences: - 1. Development of a detailed business case framework setting out the standardised approach to be adopted for developing and assessing business cases as part of the Learning Estate Programme, reflecting best practice and national guidance for major infrastructure investment decisions. 2. Taking account of the scale and range of schools identified in the prioritisation list above and the resource capacity of the Council to concurrently develop the programme, there is a need to develop proposals for board approval that outline a structured deliverable programme to support all 14 schools through the business case development process. As part of this process the proposals may make recommendation to batch several schools within a single business case process where circumstances would support such an approach. The work completed to date has highlighted an obvious consideration in this regard linked to the existing Thorn Primary project. As outlined in the sections below it is recommended that the scope of this project should be expanded and considered through a wider business case development process. 5.11. Following an unsuccessful funding bid to replace Thorn Primary School through the Scottish Government/Scottish Futures Trust Learning Estate Investment Programme, the Council agreed to earmark £14 million to support a project to develop a new build Thorn Primary School. Page 138 of 166
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5.12. This project was framed on constructing a like for like single stream primary school on the same site as the current school. Over the previous 12 months, progress has been achieved across key workstreams supporting the learning estate strategy. This has provided more robust information, data and intelligence that strongly indicate a need to adopt a wider scope beyond Thorn Primary School in isolation. 5.13. Firstly, in relation to the prioritisation matrix outlined above, 4 of the 14 schools recommended for priority consideration are within the Johnstone area indicating a strong geographical concentration of priority schools. 5.14. Secondly, in relation to the whole estate school roll projections, it is forecast that all schools across the Johnstone area are expected to reduce over the 10-year projection period with some schools projected to reduce significantly, resulting in an over provision of existing capacity aligned to expected demand. As summarised in the table below, on the projected trajectory, the school estate in Johnstone will be operating in the region of 57% of its overall capacity in 10 years and on an individual school basis that percentage is forecast to be as low as 37%. 5.15. In addition to the prioritisation matrix focus on Johnstone, the school projection data indicates a strong geographical concentration of over- provision of school places that is expected to become more pronounced over the medium to long term, with no schools projected to be operating at the agreed target capacity of 80-95% in 10 years. Specifically in relation to Thorn Primary the projection data indicates a single stream ‘like for like’ school would be forecast to be operating at more than half its capacity by 2034. School Capacity 2024 Roll 2034 Roll Thorn Primary School 242 136 (56%) 117 (48%) Auchenlodment Primary School 302 210 (69%) 157 (57%) St Margaret’s Primary School 272 173 (63%) 136 (50%) St David’s Primary School 184 88 (48%) 89 (48%) Cochrane Castle Primary School 242 113 (46%) 90 (37%) Fordbank Primary School 327 263 (80%) 219 (66%) St Anthony’s Primary School 302 274 (90%) 221 (73%) Johnstone High School 1380 872 (63%) 849 (61%) TOTALS 3251 2,129 (67%) 1,878 (57%) 5.16. In the context of this new information, data, and intelligence, it would be sensible at this stage to consider the greater gain that can be delivered by assessing the Thorn Primary Project in line with the previously agreed Learning Estate Strategy objectives and by carefully considering the wider Johnstone Learning Estate in a set of options to understand the extent and feasibility of a wider scope to the project. Whilst this data recognises the need for a wider scope, Thorn Primary School will still be taken forward and in addition and as a result of this strategy, with greater benefit to the wider Johnstone community. As such, it should be recognised that time will be required to consider all options. 5.17. It is therefore recommended that as part of this next stage of work to develop a structured deliverable programme to support all 14 schools through business case development process, this specifically considers as a priority, a Page 139 of 166
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proposed wider scope project for the Johnstone learning estate, including the existing Thorn Primary project. The objective of a wider scope exercise will be to examine options that would maximise the opportunity to support the long- term objectives of expanding the number of pupils being educated in A-rated condition buildings, while making the most efficient use of available budgets and existing capacity. 6. Lifecycle Maintenance 6.1. Alongside the ongoing assessment of schools that will require to be rebuilt or undergo major refurbishment, is the need to develop a strategic and targeted lifecycle maintenance strategy. The Council currently operates a wind and watertight policy in relation to building maintenance, and whilst effort is being made to maximise this and stretch beyond where possible, a revised approach will be required to maintain and improve the learning estate in line with the principles of the wider learning estate strategy. 6.2. With maintenance being led by the Head of Facilities and Property Services, a tailored plan will be developed over the coming year to identify how the learning estate can be supported in an appropriate manner through lifecycle maintenance by considering the following principles, which have been applied to each school in appendix 1: 6.3. Category 1 – the priority cohort The establishments identified in this report as priorities will move to the next stage of the process and be subject to a detailed business case approach, should members agree to the contents of this report. This means that these buildings could be subject to substantial change and intervention, albeit this will still take a significant period of time to deliver in full. On this basis, lifecycle maintenance should focus on maintaining the building at an acceptable standard for a short to medium term lifespan. 6.4. Category 2 – the middle cohort Establishments in the middle cohort will still be subject to similar business development process and potential intervention, but it must be recognised that this will be developed in phases over the next 10-20 years. These establishments must therefore be subject to a greater degree of lifecycle maintenance planning and investment with an assumed longer lifespan of building than the priority cohort. 6.5. Category 3 – the long-term cohort This cohort of establishment will focus on the newest built schools and the PPP estate where buildings are expected to have a long service life wbeyond the 25 years of this strategy. The assumption for these schools will be to develop a plan that considers long-term lifecycle maintenance programmes to maintain condition and, where required, net zero transition investment. Additionally, it should be recognised that whilst establishments in categories 1 and 2 are addressed via major intervention, these will then fall into category 3, which shows the evolving nature of this list. Page 140 of 166
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7. Finance Plan 7.1. The learning estate strategy agreed by the Board in August 2024 also outlined that the strategy would need to be underpinned by a long term funding model which would outline a proposed strategic funding approach, affordability considerations in the context of the Council’s overall medium and longer term financial sustainability, and the scale and timing over which investment capacity could be generated and deployed. 7.2. Work to develop this model is continuing and is reflective of the complexity of the funding arrangements and consideration not just of capital investment and associated borrowing requirements, but also factoring in existing and planned lifecycle maintenance requirements. The potential phasing of these is also important to understand in terms of both medium and long term capital plans and the impact on overall levels of debt which the council could consider – always recognising that there will be a limit within which total debt levels require to be managed. There is currently no visibility of any Scottish Government funding for schools capital investment beyond the existing LEIP programme, however should funding become available then this will also require to be factored in to the model. 7.3. At the Council meeting on 27 February 2025, Council agreed to make an initial provision of £2.5m to support borrowing which would be utilised to invest in the learning estate, with similar levels of revenue resource being committed to each year over the remainder of the current Administration. This cumulative commitment will generate borrowing capacity and rolled up revenue resource of up to £170m which is comparable to the total funding being deployed over the current phase of schools capital investment. Members should recognise that successive phases of delivery against the strategy will require similar levels of revenue resource to be committed to. 7.4. The overall funding model will continue to be developed in the coming months, as will the financial framework and analysis necessary to underpin the business case process outlined above. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial Council has agreed to make provision of £2.5m of revenue resource in 2025/26, with similar amounts being committed to on an annual basis each year over the remaining years of the current Administration. The financial model underpinning the strategy continues to be developed, along with the framework and analysis required in the business case process. 2. HR and Organisational Development None. 3. Community/Council Planning Page 141 of 166
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Our Renfrewshire is thriving - New, and improved, learning estate assets will allow our children and young people to thrive with the best possible infrastructure to support their school experience. Staff, and community users will benefit from modern and inclusive environments. Reshaping our place, our economy and our future - The learning estate shall be appropriately scaled and equipped to meet curriculum expectations and deliver an appropriate learning and teaching experience for all. 4. Legal None. 5. Property/Assets These projects will deliver significant improvements to the learning estate, extending the life of assets, and improving the experience of young people, staff, and the wider community. 6. Information Technology Digital improvements will be delivered through the learning estate strategy, where access to technology for all, will be a key priority for projects. 7. Equality and Human Rights The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities 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 following implementation, 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 None. 9. Procurement Any procurement work required will be conducted in collaboration with the Council’s Procurement team and adhere to appropriate regulations. 10. Risk All projects are bound by rigorous governance and supported by detailed risk registers. Risk is reported and managed at various levels with scrutiny applied to ensure mitigations and contingency plans are in place. 11. Privacy Impact None. Page 142 of 166
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12. Climate Risk New, and improved, learning estate assets will directly contribute to the Council’s journey towards net zero. Sustainability is a key concept of all projects. 13. Children’s Rights When considering any future school provision, the impact this will have on children is a key consideration, and any work will be based around the direct needs of children to allow their education experience to thrive. Whilst children have a right to choose where they wish to attend school in collaboration with their parents, the council’s admissions policy applies to ensure that schools that are oversubscribed can be managed. 14. Cosla Policy Position None. Children’s Services JL/GM/JO 21/02/205 Author: Jack Lochans jack.lochans@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 143 of 166
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Appendix 1 – Full Prioritisation List Key: Column A – Priority Ranking Priority ranking is derived directly from the property score for all 63 schools in Renfrewshire. Column B – Property Score The property score is a calculation of the 4 core metrics • Condition • Suitability • Capacity • Quartile Column C - Delivery Cohort Priority Category 1 These establishments will move to the next stage of the process and be subject to the detailed business case approach as a priority. Medium Category 2 Will progress to the next stage of the process and be subject to the same detailed business case approach over the next 10-20 years. Long Term Category 3 Buildings with lifespans well over the 25 years of this strategy and focus will move to long term lifecycle maintenance and sustainability transition. Page 144 of 166
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Column A Column B Column C Priority Ranking Property Score Delivery Cohort Properties Condition Suitability Capacity Quartile Comment 1 2.2 Priority Paisley Grammar School 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.4 2 2.4 Priority Trinity High School 0.9 0.8 0.1 0.6 3= 2.5 Priority Auchenlodment Primary School 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 3= 2.5 Priority Heriot Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.2 0.2 3= 2.5 Priority Johnstone High School 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 3= 2.5 Priority St Peter's Primary School 0.6 1.2 0.3 0.4 4= 2.6 Priority Bridge of Weir Primary School 0.6 0.8 0.4 0.8 4= 2.6 Priority Thorn Primary School 0.9 0.8 0.3 0.6 4= 2.6 Priority West Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 4= 2.6 Priority Castlehead High School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 4= 2.6 Priority St Margaret's Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 4= 2.6 Priority Gallowhill Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 4= 2.6 Priority Brediland Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.2 5 2.7 Priority St Catherine's Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.2 6= 2.8 Long term* St James' Primary School - Paisley 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.4 Significant recent refurbishment. Maintenance programme to be targeted. 6= 2.8 Middle Langcraigs Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.4 6= 2.8 Middle Mary Russell School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.4 6= 2.8 Middle Williamsburgh Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.4 6= 2.8 Middle Kirklandneuk Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.4 6= 2.8 Middle Our Lady of Peace Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.4 6= 2.8 Long term* Woodlands Primary School 1.2 1.2 0.2 0.2 PPP School, low quartile & low capacity driving up the list. 7= 2.9 Middle St Charles' Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.4 7= 2.9 Middle St Mary's Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.4 7= 2.9 Long term* St Andrew's Academy 1.2 1.2 0.1 0.4 PPP School, high capacity driving up the list. 7= 2.9 Middle Rashielea Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.2 0.6 8= 3 Middle Gryffe High School 0.9 1.2 0.1 0.8 8= 3 Long term* Riverbrae School 0.9 1.6 0.1 0.4 Newer school, high capacity driving up the list. Page 145 of 166
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8= 3 Middle Lochfield Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.6 8= 3 Middle Lochwinnoch Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.6 8= 3 Middle Bushes Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.6 8= 3 Middle Kilbarchan Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.6 8= 3 Long term* St Fergus' Primary School 1.2 1.2 0.4 0.2 Newer school, low quartile & high capacity driving up the list. 8= 3 Middle East Fulton Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.6 8= 3 Middle Renfrew High School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.6 9= 3.1 Middle Newmains Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.6 9= 3.1 Long term* St James' Primary School - Renfrew 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.6 Newer school, maintenance programme to be targeted. 9= 3.1 Middle Arkleston Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.6 9= 3.1 Middle Wallace Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.6 9= 3.1 Middle St John Ogilvie Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.6 10= 3.2 Long term* Mossvale Primary School 0.9 1.6 0.3 0.4 Significant recent refurbishment. Maintenance programme to be targeted. 10= 3.2 Long term* St David's Primary School 1.2 1.6 0.2 0.2 Newer school, low quartile & low capacity driving up the list. 10= 3.2 Middle Inchinnan Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.8 10= 3.2 Long term* Cochrane Castle Primary School 1.2 1.6 0.2 0.2 Newer school, low quartile & low capacity driving up the list. 10= 3.2 Middle St Anne's Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.8 10= 3.2 Middle Howwood Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.8 10= 3.2 Long term* St Anthony's Primary School 1.2 1.2 0.4 0.4 Significant recent refurbishment. Maintenance programme to be targeted. 10= 3.2 Middle Barsail Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.8 10= 3.2 Middle Langbank Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.8 10= 3.2 Middle Bishopton Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.8 10= 3.2 Middle St Fillan's Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.3 0.8 11= 3.3 Middle Glencoats Primary School 1.2 1.6 0.3 0.2 11= 3.3 Long term St Paul's Primary School 1.2 1.6 0.3 0.2 11= 3.3 Long term Linwood High School 1.2 1.6 0.3 0.2 11= 3.3 Middle Ralston Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.8 Page 146 of 166
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11= 3.3 Long term Houston Primary School 0.9 1.2 0.4 0.8 11= 3.3 Long term Glennifer High School 1.2 1.2 0.3 0.6 12 3.4 Long term St Benedict's High School 1.2 1.6 0.4 0.2 13 3.5 Long term Fordbank Primary School 1.2 1.6 0.3 0.4 14= 3.6 Long term Park Mains High School 0.9 1.6 0.3 0.8 14= 3.6 Long term Bargarran Primary School 1.2 1.2 0.4 0.8 15 3.8 Long term Todholm Primary School 1.2 1.6 0.4 0.6 16= 4 Long term St John Bosco Primary School 1.2 1.6 0.4 0.8 16= 4 Long term Dargavel Primary School 1.2 1.6 0.4 0.8 Page 147 of 166
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Page 1 of 6 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Gaelic Medium Education Provision in Renfrewshire ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. The Education (Scotland) Act 2016 places a duty on education authorities to promote and support Gaelic Medium Education (GME) and Gaelic Learner Education (GLE) and establishes a process by which parents can request Gaelic Medium Primary Education (GMPE) from their education authority. 1.2. GMPE is delivered via full immersion. Children experience all learning through the medium of Gaelic in P1-3. Thereafter, immersion continues but from P4, English is introduced. Gaelic remains the predominant language of the classroom. 1.3. Under the legislation and statutory guidance, parents of pre-school children have the right to request an assessment of the need for GMPE from the education authority in which they reside. Any request must be accompanied by evidence of demand for GMPE from parents of other children resident in the same education authority area who will commence primary school in the same year as the specified child. An initial assessment must be completed within 6 weeks. A full assessment allows 10 weeks for the local authority to undertake and report on the exercise. 1.4. On 27 January 2022 the Council received a request from a parent resident in Renfrewshire seeking an assessment of the demand for GMPE and for a composite P1/2 class to be established in August 2022. Due to the timescales involved, a decision was taken not to carry out a full assessment of need but to establish provision for GMPE. 1.5. The first GMPE provision in Renfrewshire opened in August 2022 within West Primary School and welcomed pupils in primaries 1-3. In session 24/25, the provision has extended to primaries 1-5 with 13 pupils. Growing year on year, 9 P1 pupils are registered for session 25/26. 1.6. Our GMPE provision is led by the Head Teacher at West Primary School, a Principal Teacher of GME and one class teacher. Item 9 Page 148 of 166
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Page 2 of 6 1.7. Each year, an application is made to the Scottish Government’s Gaelic Specific Grant Fund and Capital Grant Fund with bids written with a view to embedding, extending and enhancing our existing offer for GME within Renfrewshire. 1.8. Our provision for GMPE was inspected by Education Scotland in April 2023 as part of a wider inspection of West Primary School. Inspectors highlighted a number of strengths including the positive impact of Gaelic on the wider school: ‘Gaelic Medium Education within West Primary School is becoming well established. Children are making good progress in talking Gaelic. For children learning through English, their curriculum is widening through their learning about Gaelic language and culture.’ 1.9. An annual event to promote the availability of GMPE in Renfrewshire has been established and is delivered in partnership with representatives from Bòrd na Gàidhlig and Comann nam Pàrant. 1.10. The Scottish Languages Bill is currently at Stage 3 of the process to determine if it should become an Act. The Bill gives the Gaelic language official status in Scotland and makes changes to the support for the Gaelic language in Scotland. This includes changes in relation to Gaelic education: - providing Scottish Ministers with powers to set standards and produce guidance for local authorities in relation to Gaelic education; - amending the statutory definition of school education; - requiring local authorities to promote Gaelic education; - making various other changes linked to GME including a process for parents to request Gaelic Medium Early Learning & Childcare. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Education and Children’s Services Policy Board is requested to: - Note progress to date in relation to Gaelic Medium Primary Education (GMPE) - Approve Children Services officers to explore options in relation to the growth of GMPE within Renfrewshire. This is proposed to be conducted in a phased assessment looking at short, medium and long term, with the objective of developing an expansion of GME provision to early years and secondary in order to provide a 3-18 pathway for Gaelic education. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1. The Council’s Gaelic Language Plan (2024 - 2029) includes a commitment to explore opportunities for GME early years and secondary provision during the life of the Plan. 3.2. In our consultation 2023 as part of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, 23% of respondents expressed an interest in GME as part of their child’s early learning experience. The majority of those who expressed an interest reside in the Erskine area. Page 149 of 166
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Page 3 of 6 3.3. Renfrewshire Council continues to provide transport to children attending GMPE provision outwith Renfrewshire for children in P6 & P7 and young people attending GME secondary provisions in other local authorities. Transport is currently provided to 8 primary pupils attending provisions in Glasgow and Inverclyde. 17 secondary pupils are provided with transport to Glasgow Gaelic School. 71% of these young people live centrally within Renfrewshire, specifically within the Paisley and Renfrew areas. 3.4. The Council’s webpages are currently being updated in relation to GME with a continued focus on highlighting the availability of GMPE within Renfrewshire. 3.5. A working group of Council officers (Children’s Services) and parents of children accessing our GMPE provision has been established with a view to consulting on aspects of the Council’s Gaelic Language Plan (2024 - 2029). 3.6. A strategic planning group has been established to consider plans to further develop GME in Renfrewshire and has identified a short, medium and long- term plan: Short-term Plan - Consider establishing a GME early years provision to support the growth of GMPE in Renfrewshire. - Consider options in relation to establishment location. - Explore staffing and recruitment options. - Engage with the Care Inspectorate to register the GME early years provision. Medium-term Plan - Consider a merged provision for early years and primary on the basis that the demand for Gaelic is likely to increase and will outgrow the existing service at West Primary School. - Consult and engage with partners as appropriate including Education Scotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Comann nam Pàrant, parents/carer and the Scottish Government. - Continue to explore options for secondary GME provision and liaise with parents to support effective transitions for pupils. 2 pupils from our GMPE provision are due to start S1 in August 2027 - a low number when considering establishing provision within Renfrewshire. - Placing requests will be considered by Inverclyde and Glasgow and secondary provision is also currently available in North Lanarkshire and Falkirk. Long-term Plan - Undertake public consultations in relation to GME as appropriate. - Focus on a strategic 10 year plan for GME in Renfrewshire and assess 3- 18 provision. 3.7. The Scottish Government provides opportunities for local authorities to apply for Capital Grant funding each year. In December 2023 for financial year 24/25, Scottish Government awarded Renfrewshire £43,000 to undertake works and purchase resources for a new P4-7 GME classroom at West Primary School to support our provision. Page 150 of 166
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Page 4 of 6 3.8. Renfrewshire Council can also apply for Gaelic Specific Grant funding on an annual basis. This also comes from the Scottish Government and is specifically for projects that support the growth and use of Gaelic. Renfrewshire has applied for this for several years but over the past 3 years the council has received: 24/25 £55,000 23/24 £50,000 22/23 £26,449 ______________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial The forecast total spend on transport to GME provisions in 24/25 is £170,93. £38,126 to West PS £132,808 to Glasgow Gaelic and Whinhill This figure will rise for session 25/26 due to potential increase in transport costs plus the transport for up to 9 additional new P1 pupils into West Primary as the provision grows. 2. HR and Organisational Development There will be a requirement to recruit 2 GME Early Learning practitioners for the new provision. 3. Community/Council Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving - Children have the best start in life. Working together to improve outcomes - Consultation with the parents involved has been ongoing throughout the process and Scottish Government and Bòrd na Gàidhlig have been fully engaged in supporting the Council through the development of GMPE in Renfrewshire. 4. Legal Renfrewshire Council is complying with the key legislative provision of the Education (Scotland) Act 2016, Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, the Standard in Scotland’s Schools Act 2000 and the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014. These Acts together provide a framework for children to be educated in accordance with their parents’ wishes. 5. Property/Assets Consider options for GME Early Years Provision, Page 151 of 166
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Page 5 of 6 6. Information Technology N/A 7. Equality and Human Rights The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities 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 following implementation, 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 Council Officers will liaise with central teams to ensure policies are adhered to. 9. Procurement None. 10. Risk None. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. Climate Risk None. 13. Children’s Rights When considering any future GME school provision, the impact this will have on children is a key consideration, and any work will be based around the direct needs of children to allow their education experience to thrive. Whilst children have a right to choose where they wish to attend school in collaboration with their parents, the council will adhere to legal requirements. Article 28 (right to education) Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child. Article 29 (goals of education) Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment. 14. Cosla Policy Position None. List of Background Papers ‘Gaelic Medium Primary Education Provision in Renfrewshire’ - Report to Education and Children’s Services Policy Board on 9 June 2022. Page 152 of 166
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Page 6 of 6 The foregoing background papers will be retained within children’s services for inspection by the public for the prescribed period of four years from the date of the meeting. The contact officer within the service is: Laura McAllister, Education Manager (Curriculum, Learning & Teaching), 07483 361 153, laura.mcallister@renfrewshire.gov.uk. ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services LM Author: Laura McAllister Education Manager - Curriculum, Learning & Teaching laura.mcallister@renfrewshire.gov.uk / 07483 361 153 Page 153 of 166
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Page 1 of 3 To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Mobile Phone Guidance for Schools ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. Following the publication of the Scottish Government’s Guidance on Mobile Phones in Scotland’s Schools in August 2024, Renfrewshire Council set up a working party to review this guidance and provide schools with guidance on how to develop a local school policy, with a view to this being implemented in schools by August 2025. This guidance is Appendix 1. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Board approves this guidance with a view to a soft launch in Term 4 this session and full implementation across all schools from August 2025. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1. The short-life working group was comprised of Head of Education, Digital Learning Manager, Headteachers (Primary and Secondary) and Teacher Union Representatives. 3.2. A draft guidance document was written by Pam McDowall, Digital Learning Manager and shared with all members of the working group. 3.3. The group met 3 times. 3.4. Not all staff members were available to attend every meeting, but all were given the opportunity to review the draft guidance and submit comments. 3.5. After each meeting, an updated draft was produced in line with the group’s thoughts, with the final draft (Appendix 1) being approved by DMT prior to being shared with JNCT and Education and Children Services Policy Board. Item 10 Page 154 of 166
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Page 2 of 3 3.6. Appendix 1 outlines the features of a respectful and responsible use of mobile phone technology policy. These fall within three broad categories: 3.6.1. Digital rights and responsibilities (what individuals can and cannot do) 3.6.2. Digital etiquette (standards of conduct when using mobile phones) 3.6.3. Safe and secure use (precautions that can be taken to ensure digital safety) 3.7. More details on these can be found in Appendix 1. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of this report 1. Financial Minor. 2. HR and Organisational Development None. 3. Community/Council Planning None. 4. Legal Minor. 5. Property/Assets None. 6. Information Technology Minor. 7. Equality and Human Rights (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities 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 following implementation, 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 Minor. 9. Procurement Minor. 10. Risk Minor. Page 155 of 166
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Page 3 of 3 11. Privacy Impact Minor. 12. Climate Risk None. 13. Children’s Rights Minor. 14. Cosla Policy Position None. List of Background Papers None. The contact officer within the service is Gerard McLaughlin, Head of Education, Tel:0141 487 0885, Email: Gerard.mclaughlin@renfrewshire.gov.uk ___________________________________________________________________ Children’s Services Pam McDowall Author: Pam McDowall, Digital Learning Manager, pam.mcdowall@renfrewshire.school Page 156 of 166
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Renfrewshire Council Children’s Services Guidance on the use of mobile phones for schools (Version 5) Vision ‘To enable all schools and local authori�es to develop an ethos of ci�zenship that leads to respec�ul and responsible use of mobile technology. This will encourage schools to posi�vely embrace mobile technology to enhance learning now and, in the future, whilst helping them protect staff, children and young people from the possible disrup�ve and harmful consequences of misuse.’ Sco�sh Government “Guidance on Mobile Phones in Scotland’s Schools” – Update 2024 Context Mobile technology is an integral part of the lives of children and young people across Scotland, with many bringing their own mobile phone devices into school. When used responsibly, mobile devices such as phones and tablets can be powerful tools to enhance learning and teaching, communica�on and social experience but it should also be recognised the significant challenges and impact these can have on children and young people. These devices may remove barriers to learning for some pupils. They can bring a sense of security to parents as their children enjoy more independent ac�vi�es, such as walking to and from school unsupervised. Such devices can also be powerful tools when u�lised by teachers to enhance learning and teaching. There is a clear commitment to recognising, respec�ng and promo�ng children’s rights in Scotland through the United Na�ons Conven�on on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and any local decisions rela�ng to the use of mobile devices in school should be made ac�ng in the best interests of the child and taking their views into considera�on. Purpose The purpose of this guidance is to provide schools in Renfrewshire Council with advice on how to develop a local school policy that encourages safe and responsible use of personal mobile technology in school, and beyond, whilst encouraging schools to adopt a robust but measured response to their inappropriate use. This may include restric�ons and limita�ons on the use of mobile phones in schools. These policies should also be designed to protect children and young people and staff from harassment and abuse which can arise from the misuse of such technology. They should include the move towards the promo�on of posi�ve rela�onships and behaviour in a digital context and the important role of educators in preparing children and young people to become “digital ci�zens”. Guiding Principles • Balance: We recognise the poten�al benefits and risks of personal mobile technology use. Our approach aims to strike a balance that supports learning and teaching, whilst minimising disrup�on and harm. • Respect for Rights: We uphold the rights of the child, including their right to express their views and par�cipate in decisions that affect them. We respect the rights of staff and pupils to have a safe and conducive learning environment and recognise that these rights are interconnected. Considera�on must be given to how they impact each other. • Whole School Community Involvement: We will develop local policies in partnership with the whole school community engendering a sense of engagement, shared ownership and commitment. • Consistency: Children and young people need to understand that unacceptable behaviour remains unacceptable whether it occurs in an online environment, the playground, the classroom or anywhere else. Expecta�ons for responsible conduct remain consistent, regardless of the context, and any breach of expecta�ons in rela�on to mobile technology should be treated in accordance with the school’s policies. It is expected that staff will respond consistently to any irresponsible use of mobile technology and will explain to children why certain behaviours are unacceptable, and what the poten�al impact of such behaviours might Page 157 of 166
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be. In line with this, policies on mobile phone technology must be rooted within exis�ng posi�ve, nurturing rela�onships or behaviour policies, which will set out how incidents will be dealt with. • Features of a respec�ul and responsible use of mobile technology policy would fall within three broad categories: o digital rights and responsibili�es (what individuals can and cannot do) o digital e�quete (standards of conduct when using mobile phones) o safe and secure use (precau�ons that can be taken to ensure digital safety) • Further reading: o htps://eprints.lse.ac.uk/125554/1/Smartphone_policies_in_schools_Rahali_et_al_2024_002_.pdf o htps://edexec.co.uk/unesco-urges-global-ban-on-smartphones-in-classrooms-to-enhance-learning- and-protect-children/ Digital Rights and Responsibili�es (what individuals can and cannot do) • Unacceptable Behaviour: Unacceptable behaviour, whether online or offline, is not tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to, bullying, harassment and the sharing of inappropriate content. • Consequences: Pupils who misuse their phone will be subject to the school’s own posi�ve rela�onships and behaviour polices, which already set out how incidents will be dealt with, including agreed consequences and sanc�ons. Consistency is key to the successful implementa�on. • Repor�ng: Incidents of misuse should be reported by pupils to a teacher or member of staff and there should be clear protocols outlining the support available in school for staff and pupils who are the subject of harassment using mobile phones. Digital E�quete (standards of conduct when using mobile phones) • Permited Use: Mobile phones may be used in class for educa�onal purposes when explicitly permited by the class teacher. On arrival in class, phones should be stored in an agreed place. In Primary, this could be outwith the classroom. There should be an emphasis on the need for safe and responsible use of mobile phone technology by children and young people and staff outwith formal leaning and teaching purposes. Phones may be used at interval and lunch within the social areas in the secondary. In the Primary School, agreement must be made if phones are to be le� in the agreed point in the classroom or returned to pupils. • General restric�ons: At all other �mes during the school day, mobile phones must be switched off and out of sight (e.g. in school bags). This includes movement between classes/toilets and inside toilet areas. • Exams: Mobile phones are prohibited during exams and assessments. Digital solu�ons can be used for alterna�ve assessment arrangements, but mobile phones should not be considered for this. Further informa�on on SQA arrangements can be found here: htps://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/107507.html • Privacy: There is a need to respect privacy and the camera and filming func�ons on mobile phones must not be used without prior consent of subjects (children and young people or staff) being filmed or photographed, including the uploading of these on social networking or other websites. Camera and filming should not be used in a classroom se�ng unless clearly detailed by the class teacher. This also applies within the playground before and a�er the school day. The use of phones is prohibited at all �mes in PE areas and in changing/toilet areas. Safe and Secure Use (precau�ons that can be taken to ensure digital safety) • Curriculum Support: We will incorporate lessons on safe and responsible mobile technology use into our curriculum. In addi�on, work is ongoing in schools in developing responsible and global ci�zens, recognising and respec�ng children’s rights, crea�ng an an�-bullying culture and raising awareness of digital and online safety through Health and Wellbeing. • Parental Involvement: We encourage parents and carers to discuss safe mobile phone use with their children. Guidance on this will be shared regularly, including new na�onal and local guidance. Implementa�on and Enforcement • Clear Communica�on: Headteachers should ensure the contents of this policy and guidance on how it will be applied in their own school are clearly communicated to all staff, pupils, parents and carers, including through consulta�on and two-way engagement with Parent Councils (where available) and the wider school community. Support from Headquarters is available if needed. Page 158 of 166
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• Consistent Enforcement: All staff will consistently enforce this policy, explaining the reasons behind the rules and the poten�al consequences of non-compliance. • Review: This policy will be regularly reviewed to ensure it effec�veness and relevance. Emergency Contacts In the case of emergency, pupils should contact a member of staff who will facilitate communica�on with parents or carer. Parents who need to make urgent contact with their child should contact the school office. Any unwell pupils or required absences should follow the school procedures and protocols. Excep�ons Excep�ons to this policy may be made for pupils with specific needs, such as young carers or those with medical condi�ons. The parameters of any excep�onal arrangement will be agreed on by all relevant stakeholders and managed on a case-by-case basis. Legal Aspects We will adhere to all relevant legisla�on regarding mobile phone use, including laws related to data protec�on and online safety. Legisla�on relevant to aspects of online safety, including the safe and responsible use of mobile phones, can be found in appendix C5 of the Sco�sh version of the online safety policy tool for schools, 360 Degree Safe Scotland. The 360 Degree Safe Scotland self-review tool is free to use and is intended to help schools review their online safety policy and prac�ce. Regardless of specific legal aspects, staff, children and young people need to feel safe and protected. The school’s polices on promo�ng posi�ve rela�onships and behaviour and an�-bullying will provide a framework which should underpin responses to cases where mobile phones have been, or are perceived to have been, misused. Policies should make clear that there are consequences for misusing mobile technologies. In cases of extreme misuse where criminal events have been recorded using a mobile device, this immediately becomes a police mater and the school should place the device in the hands of the police without trying to access the contents. School staff cannot access content on a pupil’s mobile phone without the pupil’s consent, or the consent of their parent or carer where the pupil does not have capacity to consent. Taking photographs, videos or audio recordings of an individual without their permission may be regarded as a breach of that person’s rights, and may, in some instances, be regarded as an offence by the police. Should images of recordings be uploaded onto social networks without permission from the data subject, the individual should be asked to remove this as part of the normal behaviour policy of the school. The Council does not accept responsibility for any damage to mobile phones whilst on school property. Appendix One: Hints and Tips The following are a range of hints and �ps for considera�on as you are crea�ng your own local context policy. These have been collated from other schools who shared what they have done to make it work in their context. This policy sits within the wider rela�onships policy for your school and should link to your core values. Consistency is key. • Each class could be given a box to store the mobile phones on arrival in the classroom. • Mobile phones and wearables e.g. Smart Watches, should have no�fica�ons turned off. • Staff should not handle the mobile phones – the pupil puts their mobile phone in the box and retrieves it so they remain responsible for the device. This needs to be agreed with staff and should be woven into the wider rela�onships policy. • Agree with staff, pupils and parents the procedure should a pupil refuse to put the mobile phone in the box to ensure this is dealt with the same way in every class. It may be helpful to discuss the procedure within your cluster. Page 159 of 166
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• Regular reminders are given to pupils through assemblies to ensure all are clear about the procedures. This is linked to the posi�ve rela�onships policy and not just about mobile phones. A flowchart outlining this may be useful for schools. • It may be useful to agree the procedure for a�er school clubs, events and residen�als with staff, pupils and parents. • Spot checks where a pupil claims not to have a mobile phone are useful and could be followed up by a phone call to the parent. • Challenging situa�ons will arise with pupils refusing to comply – be aware of this and make sure that a consistent approach to dealing with this is in place and agreed with pupils, staff and parents. • Fire evacua�on procedures must be agreed in advance – the priority is to evacuate pupils, not the mobile phones. AirPods and wearables should not be used in class as pupils cannot hear the fire alarm. • Consider when to implement the policy. Some secondary schools ini�ally implemented with S1 – S3 during exam leave to make it easier to manage. They got pupils to create video clips around what had been agreed – for pupils and parents – and promoted these widely. • Schools may find it helpful to provide parents with reference to useful literature that will help them understand the need for this policy: o TED talk – htps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpjSEY3pe7U o Get Safe Online htps://www.getsafeonline.org/personal/ar�cle-category/safeguarding-children/ o Health and Wellbeing resources htps://sway.cloud.microso�/8m9tr0cQVAE5mKOC?ref=Link htps://sway.cloud.microso�/SpUNDeYyeo8YblbH?ref=Link&loc=mysways o SQA htps://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/107507.html Further Links • htps://www.gov.scot/publica�ons/mobile-phone-guidance-scotlands-schools/ • htps://www.ades.scot/Content/UserGenerated/file/RRlearningbeyondboundaries1.pdf • htps://www.ades.scot/Content/UserGenerated/file/InsightsfromYoungPeopleandTeachersinScotland_Learni ngBeyondBoundaries_TheStaffCollegeandADES_final301024.pdf • htps://www.channel4.com/programmes/swiped-the-school-that-banned-smartphones Page 160 of 166
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Page 1 of 4 ___________________________________________________________________ To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 13 March 2025 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Education Scotland Inspection of Bargarran Primary School ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 Education Scotland Inspection of Bargarran Primary School was inspected by Education Scotland in October 2024 as part of a national sample of education. Education Scotland uses different models of inspection and at Bargarran Primary School the full model approach was deployed. Inspectors assessed the school with a focus on four quality indicators which are referenced in How Good is our School? 4 Quality Indicator 1.3 Leadership of Change Quality Indicator 2.3 Learning, teaching and assessment. Quality Indicator 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equity and inclusion. Quality Indicator 3.2 Raising attainment and achievement. 1.2 This was a very positive inspection which evaluated quality indicators in the school as: Quality Indicator 1.3 Excellent Quality Indicator 2.3 Very Good Quality Indicator 3.1 Very Good Quality Indicator 3.2 Very Good 1.4 As part of the inspection model the following area was also reviewed: Quality Indicator 2.1 Safeguarding 1.5 Education Scotland do not attach an evaluative grade to this. Instead in the Summary of Inspection Findings there are evaluative statements provided which are positive and contribute to the overall school ratings. The inspection report in the form of a letter to parents, published by Education Scotland on 11 February 2025, is attached as an appendix to this report and is also available from the Director of Children’s Services or from the Education Scotland website. Item 11 Page 161 of 166
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Page 2 of 4 1.6 The letter to parents identified five key strengths of the school: • The highly effective and respected headteacher is providing very strong strategic leadership and direction to the work of the school. The headteacher is supported very well by the depute headteachers. Together, their strong approaches to improving the school is helping raise attainment for all children. • Children are highly confident, happy, enthusiastic, respectful and articulate. They are proud ambassadors of their school. Staff and children’s extensive work on children’s rights over several years is helping all children to understand well their place in society. This outstanding work is helping all children to achieve well in school. • Through meaningful shared leadership at all levels, children and staff work collaboratively to ensure their vision and values are lived. This underpins all aspects of children’s learning. This is leading to a school environment where children experience creativity, innovation and enquiry and results in children who are successful learners. • Senior leaders’ rigorous approaches to tracking and monitoring are leading to high levels of attainment and achievement over time. • Teachers have developed highly-effective approaches in the use of digital technology to support and enhance children’s learning. Across the school, children are skilled in using digital technology creatively to support their learning. 1.7 The following area for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from Renfrewshire Council. • As planned, staff should support all children across the school to set targets for learning beyond literacy and numeracy. This will support children to understand fully their progress and next steps in learning across the curriculum. 2. Recommendations 2.1 Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board are asked to note and celebrate the key strengths and recognise the areas for further improvement in the Education Scotland report on Bargarran Primary School. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Children’s Services welcomes the process of audit undertaken by Education Scotland as supportive to continuous improvement in Renfrewshire’s education establishments. The school team at Bargarran Primary School approached the inspection in a positive manner and embraced it as a professional learning opportunity in partnership with colleagues at Education Scotland. 3.2 The report includes one area for further improvement, and progress in addressing this will be monitored by Children’s Services staff through the Quality Improvement Framework. 3.3 The inspection report will inform planned improvement activity and will enable the school to build on the recognised strengths and focus further development on areas for improvement to enable the school to continue to deliver a quality Page 162 of 166
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Page 3 of 4 educational provision. ___________________________________________________________________ Implications of the Report 1. Financial – No financial implications 2. HR & Organisational Development – No HR implications 3. Community/Council Planning – engaging with, and learning from external inspection, ensures that our Renfrewshire is thriving. High standards of education provision ensure that children and young people are given the best start in life so that they promote and contribute to a more prosperous, fairer society. It also ensures our Renfrewshire is well – by providing an environment which encourages care, welfare and development, establishments play a crucial role in developing children and young people so that they become responsible citizens. The inspection process also supports delivery of the Council Plan crosscutting theme of improving outcomes for children and families as well as other Council Plan key strategic outcomes. Economy Equipping all children and young people to achieve success in life Fair Creating inclusive and supportive learning environments for children and young people. Embedding children’s rights in our decision-making processes 4. Legal - The full model inspection includes a focus on QI 3.1 Ensuring wellbeing, equity and inclusion. In evaluating this QI, one of the themes that HM Inspectors evaluate is the school’s Fulfilment of Statutory Duties related to attendance, exclusions, ASL Act and Associated Code of Practice, Bullying, Equality Act, Health and Nutrition, and Gaelic education. 5. Property/Assets – No risks to property/assets. 6. Information Technology – No information and technology risks. 7. Equality & Human Rights – The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities 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 following implementation, 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 & Safety – No negative impacts on health and safety. 9. Procurement – No procurement risks Page 163 of 166
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Page 4 of 4 10. Risk – No risks identified. 11. Privacy Impact – No impact on privacy. 12. Cosla Policy Position – N/A 13. Climate Risk – None. 14. Children’s Rights – This links to, Article 12 (respect for the views of the child) Every child has the right to express their views, feelings and wishes in all matters affecting them, and to have their views considered and taken seriously. This right applies at all times, for example during immigration proceedings, housing decisions or the child’s day-to-day home life. Article 28 (right to education) Every child has the right to an education. Primary education must be free and different forms of secondary education must be available to every child. Discipline in schools must respect children’s dignity and their rights. Richer countries must help poorer countries achieve this. Article 29 (goals of education) Education must develop every child’s personality, talents and abilities to the full. It must encourage the child’s respect for human rights, as well as respect for their parents, their own and other cultures, and the environment. List of Background Papers - The inspection report and additional evidence is published on the Education Scotland website. __________________________________________________________ EH 13 March 2025 Author: Emma Henry, Head of Education, emma.henry@renfrewshire.gov.uk Page 164 of 166
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1 | Bargarran Primary School, Renfrewshire Council, 8621829 © Crown Copyright 11 February 2025 Dear Parent/Carer In November 2024, a team of inspectors from Education Scotland visited Bargarran Primary School. During our visit, we talked to parents/carers and children and worked closely with the headteacher and staff. The inspection team found the following strengths in the school’s work. • The highly effective and respected headteacher is providing very strong strategic leadership and direction to the work of the school. The headteacher is supported very well by the depute headteachers. Together, their strong approaches to improving the school is helping raise attainment for all children. • Children are highly confident, happy, enthusiastic, respectful and articulate. They are proud ambassadors of their school. Staff and children’s extensive work on children’s rights over several years is helping all children to understand well their place in society. This outstanding work is helping all children to achieve well in school. • Through meaningful shared leadership at all levels, children and staff work collaboratively to ensure their vision and values are lived. This underpins all aspects of children’s learning. This is leading to a school environment where children experience creativity, innovation and enquiry and results in children who are successful learners. • Senior leaders’ rigorous approaches to tracking and monitoring are leading to high levels of attainment and achievement over time. • Teachers have developed highly-effective approaches in the use of digital technology to support and enhance children’s learning. Across the school, children are skilled in using digital technology creatively to support their learning. The following areas for improvement were identified and discussed with the headteacher and a representative from Renfrewshire Council. • As planned, staff should support all children across the school to set targets for learning beyond literacy and numeracy. This will support children to understand fully their progress and next steps in learning across the curriculum. Page 165 of 166
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2 | Bargarran Primary School, Renfrewshire Council, 8621829 © Crown Copyright We gathered evidence to enable us to evaluate the school’s work using four quality indicators from How good is our school? (4th edition). Quality indicators help schools, local authorities and inspectors to judge what is working well and what needs to be improved. Following the inspection of each school, the Scottish Government gathers details of our evaluations to keep track of how well Scottish schools are doing. Here are Education Scotland’s evaluations for Bargarran Primary School Quality indicators Evaluation Leadership of change excellent Learning, teaching and assessment very good Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion very good Raising attainment and achievement very good Descriptions of the evaluations are available from: How good is our school? (4th edition), Appendix 3: The six-point scale A more detailed document called Summarised Inspection Findings (SIF) will be available on the Education Scotland website at: Bargarran Primary School | Inspection Report | Education Scotland What happens next? We are confident that the school has the capacity to continue to improve and so we will make no more visits in connection with this inspection. Renfrewshire Council will inform parents/carers about the school’s progress as part of its arrangements for reporting on the quality of its schools. Nicola Drew HM Inspector Page 166 of 166