East Renfrewshire lies to the south of Glasgow. There are seven data zones in East Renfrewshire that are classed as being within the 20% most deprived in Scotland. These are located within Barrhead and Auchenback. Given the significant disparity between the least and most disadvantaged communities, reducing inequalities arising from socio-economic disadvantage is a key local authority and Community Learning and Development (CLD) partnership priority.

Barrhead High School has a long-term history of partnership working with the CLD service. The relationship has progressed from the initial delivery of universal issue-based programmes such as raising awareness of substance misuse and the co-delivery of personal development programmes.

The improvement issue

Senior leaders in Barrhead High School and in the local authority CLD service wanted a more systematic approach to joint planning and self-evaluation to help enhance their partnership working, post pandemic. This includes improving the shared use of data and jointly reviewing the impact of CLD delivery. A joint approach would help ensure the learning offer was relevant and appropriately targeted to better meet the needs of young people and the wider community. Barrhead High School and CLD service leaders are committed to improving partnership working to improve outcomes for young people. Their partnership is based upon mutual respect and reflective practice, which helps to create a culture of openness and improvement. The school and the CLD service staff agreed that they needed to jointly plan, review and pilot new interventions, which were needs led.

What East Renfrewshire Council did

To help improve joint planning between the CLD service and other schools across East Renfrewshire, CLD staff took an active role in a West Partnership Collaborative Enquiry exercise. The enquiry focused on youth work and school partnerships and was supported by YouthLink Scotland. CLD staff were given protected time to review existing partnership arrangements, the youth work approaches being used, and how to improve the measurement of impact. CLD staff developed a shared planning tool, which helped to strengthen practice and allow for a more joint focus on outcomes for young people. Improved approaches to measure and demonstrate impact were also included.

CLD and Barrhead High School staff used evidence from joint self-evaluation and the shared planning tool to help identify and secure improvement. The CLD offer in Barrhead High School progressed from providing a universal learning offer of personal development programmes and group work, to a model that was more needs led. The school and CLD staff developed a systematic plan to help deliver a learning offer and targeted youth work that was current, bespoke and of consistently high quality. The CLD service changed how their work with the school was resourced, using skills of staff across the CLD team. For example, moving away from one youth worker being aligned to the school. The offer is now more flexible and changes each year in response to the shared data and local intelligence. Programmes include a 12-week parenting input to all S4 pupils through personal, social and health education and bespoke one to one work. A ‘Safer Choices’ group work programme was created to support young people involved in risk taking behaviour. The school and the CLD service involved young people in actively shaping the learning offer and evaluating the programme content and delivery. The school offered the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as part of the school curriculum, to young people who were disengaged and face additional barriers in their learning. This targeted intervention, which was delivered in partnership, met the changing needs of young people. These programmes were designed to encourage young people to make safer choices and help to reduce their risk-taking behaviour.

What the sustained impact has been

Regular review meetings and joint self-evaluation demonstrates that partnership working remains highly effective and relationships between CLD and the school are stronger at all levels.

Improved communication, sharing of data and other intelligence about young people who may require targeted interventions allows the partnership to identify needs and explore solutions. The school and CLD youth workers are now more able to respond to changing needs of young people and the wider school community. CLD is now a regular feature in the school improvement plan, which outlines clearly how CLD youth work staff contribute to improving outcomes for young people.

A move away from the one worker per school model, has allowed young people to develop strong, trusting and supportive relationships with the wider youth work team. Young people benefit from and value the continuity of youth work support throughout the school week. For example, in the evenings, weekends and throughout school holiday periods. Feedback from school staff demonstrate that that they recognise and value the different approaches used by CLD staff to engage with, build relationship and support some of their most vulnerable young people.

In addition, following the pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of CLD programmes being offered. These programmes are responsive, targeted to those young people most in need and are having a positive impact, such as:

• increased attendance – school records show that young people’s attendance is improving with young people reporting that their involvement in CLD motivates them to attend
• reduced risk-taking behaviour – young people, the school and CLD staff report that programmes are allowing young people to explore their attitudes, values and the impact their behaviour has on themselves and the wider community
• meaningful accreditation opportunities contribute to closing the poverty related attainment gap, which is now exceeding pre-pandemic figures
• increased number of awards gained by young people, including Saltire, Dynamic Youth, Scottish Qualifications Authority short courses and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
• increased skills development, which links to the national youth work outcome and skills framework - young people are developing personal skills, including leadership, communication and resilience; and
• increased and effective targeting of young people living in the most disadvantaged areas of Barrhead, with 52% of young people participating in 22/23 coming from these areas.