Raising awareness of the importance of The Promise with Family Learning Professionals is necessary to improve outcomes for children and families. Similarly, GIRFEC Strategic Leaders will benefit from an understanding of how family learning as an approach can be utilised to #KeepThePromise. This will help to ensure that we all work towards delivering upon Scotland’s commitment to #KeepThePromise to all children, young people and their families, and the priorities within Scotland’s vision for family learning.

The resource along with the reflective questions can be used to help practitioners consider their own approach to working with children and families. You are invited to read the resource then consider either individually or as a team, the reflective questions below.

Downloads

PDF file: Aligning Family Learning and The Promise (238 KB)

What was done?

Following intelligence gathering, a number of local authorities were identified as already having strong reporting mechanisms in place, which included family learning practice. After consideration, it was agreed that Dumfries and Galloway Council would be approached. A meeting was arranged with GIRFEC and family learning strategic leads within Dumfries and Galloway to discuss the identified need and gauge their interest and availability in joining a short-term working group. The remit of this group was to identify appropriate content for a national guide, set timescales, identify appropriate staff and resources to take this forward. A sub-group consisting of colleagues from Education Scotland, The Promise Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway council was tasked with developing this.

An initial starting point was for The Promise Scotland to work with the sub-group on an Empathy Mapping process. This was to identify potential gaps in practitioner’s knowledge and understanding of The Promise and Family Learning. From this information a project plan was created with objectives and outcomes.

Members of the sub-group came together online and in person to allocate individual tasks aligned with the objectives and outcomes. These were progressed between meetings and subsequent updates were provided.

Following the meetings, a draft of the guide was disseminated to the Strategic GIRFEC and Family Learning Leads for consultation and sign off.

Why?

A gap was identified by The Promise Scotland, in the reporting of family learning programmes that supported the foundations for change within The Promise. An initial meeting was held between The Promise Scotland and Education Scotland to discuss strategies to address this gap.

Reflective questions

• What opportunities do you provide for looked after and accommodated children and families to engage them in family learning opportunities?
• What approach do you take to promote genuine partnerships with looked after and accommodated children and families?
• Do any of the existing approaches to engaging parents and families need to change to more creative approaches?
• Are there specific barriers preventing looked after and accommodated children and families from engaging with the setting or school?
• How and when will you measure the impact of interventions?