Category

• Fully Validated Effective Local Practice

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Poverty impact

• Prevention
• Mitigation
• Reduction
• Awareness

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Poverty driver

• Provide benefit in-kind (experience)
• Increase employment income

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Keywords

• Lived Experience
• Training for Employment
• Empowerment
• Community Place-based
• Community Engagement

Aim

The aim of this project is to design community-led services that support parents with employability, ensuring that no one is left behind because of formal employability criteria. Its objectives are to develop services based on users’ needs and provide pathways into fair and sustainable employment, education and accredited training. Working with local agencies, including Volunteer Scotland, the project provides wraparound support and volunteering opportunities that build confidence, skills and other soft outcomes needed to achieve long-term employability outcomes.

Summary

The community-led service design project operates within a Scotland-wide programme to improve parental employability. Originating in Stranraer, it now connects three Hubs across Stranraer, Kirkconnel and Kelloholm through a shared grassroots approach. Staff, volunteers, parents and local partners use lived experience to identify barriers, including limited transport, health and social care needs, and a lack of shared spaces—and co-design accessible, face-to-face employability support. While following a common organisational model, each Hub adapts its services to local community identified needs.

What difference does it make?

· Improved access to local services by delivering support through community Hubs.
· Reduced travel barriers for people in remote small towns and rural areas.
· Increased engagement with employability support within the community.
· Created trusted, non-judgmental spaces for individuals experiencing poverty.
· Strengthened community ownership and involvement in local services
· Improved social connections as well as confidence and empowerment among users.
· Developed local peoples’ skills and experience through participation and volunteering
· Strengthened partnerships between community organisations and services.
· Access to services to improve health and wellbeing has improved.
· A safe, familiar, family-friendly place within the local community has been created.

Key take-aways

• Use local community members to gather insights – responses were more honest and open when research was carried out by local people known in the community.
• Use multiple engagement methods to reach people.
• Community-led co-design leads to a shared solution – after analysing insights, community members were invited to co-design solution.
• Recruiting community consultants can be challenging – time therefore needs to be factored in to support the recruitment process and build community relationships.

 

Organisations

Apex. Creative Stranraer. Dumfries and Galloway College. Galloway Action Team. Dumfries & Galloway Council. Stranraer Development Trust (project 1). Kirkconnel and Kelloholm Development Trust (project 2).

Location

Dumfries and Galloway.

Contact