Home Link Team - East Ayrshire Council: How you knew it worked
This section details the progress and impact of the project, including reviewing evidence against measures of success and consideration of next steps. It also reviews the broader impact of the project, in addition to its original aims, and any unintended consequences.
How do you know the project improved attendance for children and young people and can you measure this? What else did you report on?
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Increase in attendance is tracked via SEEMiS
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Wellbeing is tracked via ‘Mind of my Own’ and wellbeing webs
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Programme delivery is tracked via pre- and post-evaluations
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Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) data is used and reflected in the support provided
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Good practice is highlighted in His Majesty's Inspectorate of Education and Community Learning and Development reviews and inspections
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Infographics and case studies reflect both the qualitative and quantitative positive impact captured
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Six monthly headteacher surveys review the impact of the service and highlight any areas for improvement
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Regular reviews between home link worker (HLW) and the school based HLW Coordinator
Various trackers have been used throughout the project. This has included:
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Excel tracker is linked to SEEMIS using the candidate number and an attendance tracker has just been added to this. It links to SIMD data, male/female, free school meal entitlement, Additional Support needs log, non-statutory kinship, previously or currently looked after.
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Evaluation is embedded for all programmes delivered with a pre and post evaluation.
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Weekly activity tracker allows an overview of staff workload
As the team has evolved since 2017, there has been continually refection inwards and outwards to improve the service and offer of support to families.
Much of the feedback for this section has already been detailed above. As the team has become more skilled via their own personal development, with an increasingly wide range of partners and relationships with communities and families, this has improved the service over the past seven years.
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The increased recognition of the wider achievement of young people has been an unexpected outcome.
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Parents are now engaging in volunteering opportunities and young people are engaging in community programmes and.
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A number of parents have been assisted to secure funding to help them back into employment.
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The delivery of cooking programmes has not only developed skills but have also led to the achievement of food hygiene qualifications.
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In the 2024 calendar year, over one hundred families/young people have gained certification for the work they have completed.
As the funding allocation from the Strategic Equity Fund tapers down in 2025/26, the work of the Home Link Team will not be continued into the next academic year. The project will therefore cease in August 2025. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to expand the service. However, we still have the same drive and focus to ensure a high-quality provision is in place until August 2025.
