Category

• Promising Local Practice

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Poverty impact

• Mitigation
• Awareness

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Poverty driver

• Provide benefit in-kind (experience)
• Increase income from benefits
• Non-driver - improving quality of life

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Keywords

• Food
• Health
• Empowerment
• Education
• Financial

Aim

The project provides targeted support for young people who are experiencing difficulties with the transition from primary to secondary school, particularly where challenges related to engagement, disadvantage or poverty are present. Although the service offers intensive one-to-one support for the young person, it is underpinned by a whole-family ethos, recognising that children do not exist in isolation. As such, the intervention extends to working collaboratively with parents or carers, as well as school staff, to provide a consistent and holistic support network. The overarching aim is to strengthen school engagement, promote positive educational transitions and contribute to wider efforts to support families in moving out of poverty.

Summary

The Flourishing Families Project is one of COVEY’s initiatives for families and young people. It provides group-based support, activities and experiences aimed at building communication, team building, positivity, and stronger relationships amongst participants. Recent activities include activity based outings, positivity workshops, team games and creative projects for new members. The project provides targeted support for young people and families who are experiencing difficulties with poverty related challenges, specifically those connected with Primary and Secondary school transitions.

What difference does it make?

• Higher attendance rates.
• 85% increased confidence.
• 92% reduced isolation.
• 100% improved health and wellbeing.
The project looks at the family as a whole and treats poverty as one of the root causes of challenges families encounter in education. If a family cannot afford to heat their house, that needs to be tackled first. From there, poor school attendance can be addressed. Through this project, young people and their families are connected into a network of support and received tailored support around their welfare and benefits.

Key take-aways

• We initially envisaged working with a cluster of primary schools linking to one high school, but the reality was different - transition support needs were more complex than anticipated, as young people moved into multiple high schools (for example ASN-specific high schools), which required working more broadly than anticipated.
• We have found that the young people we work with have high levels of ASN (80% diagnosed or awaiting diagnosis), showing a potential link between health, wellbeing, poverty, and school disengagement. Added to this, CAMHS and other specialist delays increase pressure on third sector support.
• Sibling support groups can strengthen whole-family dynamics.

 

Organisations

COVEY

Location

Deprived areas and schools in the town of Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, specifically Glenlee Primary School and Udston Primary School.

Contact