Croft Street Hub (CSH) - Midlothian Council: What was done

How often did it run? 

The Croft Street Hub operates Monday to Thursday from 9:30am to 3:00pm. Young people attend within these times, dependent on individual timetables. Work experience placements are offered on Fridays. 

How long did it run for? 

The programme is ongoing. Young people attend, on average, for one year and then return to mainstream school or move into a positive destination. Young people that need to stay longer in the Croft Street Hub can stay longer. 

What space/location did you use? 

A community centre adapted for the purpose of the Croft Street Hub. 

How many individuals were normally involved? 

Approximately 40 young people per year. There are two intakes per year. 

What did the overall project programme look like? 

The programme operates on 39-week plans, which can be adapted to meet the evolving needs of young people. Core elements of the programme include: 

• Duke of Edinburgh Award Bronze Level – young people are supported to complete the award, including expeditions, and are provided with equipment at no cost to them 

• Wellbeing Award Level 3 – young people explore factors that influence personal wellbeing and look at connections between mental, emotional, social and physical health 

• SQA qualifications at SCQF levels 3 and 4 - Delivered by experienced tutors and supported by key workers, this is facilitated in small groups or one to one individualised support 

• Outdoor Learning – a nearby community garden is used as a space to improve mental health and learn about sustainability 

• Creativity (expressive arts) – provision of opportunities for young people to express themselves through different mediums. This includes learning how to create and record music. Art therapy sessions focus on creation and design, which links to the SQA’s Business qualification (SCQF Level 3) 

• Core subjects – tutors and key workers deliver Maths, English, Business, Hospitality, Geography, History and Employability  

• Awards and personal achievement – employability, personal development and SALTIRE awards for volunteering 

• Work experience – offered weekly at the Feel-Good Friday youth club, based at the campus. Additional work experience days can be offered for individual young people. Young people can undertake SQA’s Work Placement Unit (SCQF Level 5) and the SQA’s Employability Award and Personal Development Award at SCQF Level 4 

• Pastoral care – one to one support is regularly offered to young people to discuss anything that’s on their mind and ensure they feel equipped to tackle situations that may arise in their lives.  

• Personal and Social Education sessions, focussing on events important to their local community and beyond, including keeping safe on social media, knife crime, and gang-related violence 

What did you do each time you met? (Was there a structure on how it was delivered?) 

Each day has morning and afternoon sessions. Sessions can be split into smaller one-hour contacts or take place across a whole morning or afternoon. Each element of the programme has a 39-week plan with session plans attached to them.  

The programme is delivered in a range of ways to accommodate different learning styles, including visual, experiential, individual and social based activities. Learning outcomes are achieved through creative approaches that young people connect with. For example, attending the gym and going for a walk contributes to their Wellbeing Award. This encourages active engagement and readiness to learn, which positively effects other areas of their learning. 

Young people have different levels of need, therefore their engagement levels and participation can vary, depending on what is offered. The key focus is ensuring the programme is engaging and encouraging positive connections with education. It is intended that all young people experience a full and rewarding curriculum. 

Specific resources include:  

• Croft Street Hub building and facilities 

• Croft Street Hub Community Garden and development space 

• SQA learning packs and assessor packs 

• Music pathway equipment 

• DofE camping and expedition equipment 

• Funding for arts and crafts materials 

Resources are also developed by staff in response to issues that are affecting young people. This includes online safety, social media awareness and community safety. 

A list of sessions and session plans are available.

Croft Street Hub use informal youth work approaches to support young people to build, develop and maintain positive relationships within the social context of their lives. There is lived experience within the staff team that is shared with young people and their families; this provides authenticity and helps relationships to grow. First names are always used, and staff never impose any hierarchy onto the dynamic. Youth work approaches are based on the principles of young people building positive relationships not just with their key workers, but also with themselves, their peers, their wider networks, and their communities. This forms the basis of the relationship framework at Croft Street Hub. 

Staff ensure they actively listen to young people and respond to them in an ethos of mutual respect, which removes any preconceptions of hierarchy or unequal power dynamic. Staff at the Croft Street Hub do not give up on young people and continually try to get them back into education if they struggle to attend. Staff actively maintain a link and regularly communicate with families. 

The key worker is the link for the young person who ensures regular communication and pastoral care to maintain and strengthen relationships over time. 

The initial focus of engagements with young people upon entry to the Croft Street Hub is entirely based on establishing relationships and building trust. It is important to build from a strong foundation of mutual respect, scaffolded by a shared understanding of expectations, before moving into formal aspects of the curriculum and attainment. 

The Hub is consistently open for young people and staff are always present. The approaches, methods of communication and expectations are consistent across the staff team. Consistency is key in supporting young people who have disengaged from education. 

The staff at the Hub are authentic, resilient, non-judgemental, empathic and transparent in their manner. They offer genuine support and have personal and professional lived experience that they can draw upon to collectively problem solve with young people. 

Taking creative approaches to learning and “thinking outside of the box,” ensures each young person receives a bespoke learning offer. It is also important to apply this creativity when considering different ways of gathering evidence for qualifications.