Home Link Team - East Ayrshire Council: What did you learn?
This section contains observations and reflections from the partner’s involved in delivering the project, specifically detailing advice and guidance, challenges and solutions and lessons learned from their perspective.
- Take the time to build relationships with families
- Establish key partners across your community
- Collate the data to identify what’s working well and to highlight where improvements can be made.
- Share your effective impactful practice
- Basing the staff between vibrant communities and education has resulted in them have a wealth of supports to utilise to support the families.
- Basing the HLWs in two schools rather than wider education groups has enhanced the provision.
Funding is the main challenge, initially the local authority funded this project via Attainment Scotland Funding; over the last three years we have been subject to year-to-year funding. This inevitably means it’s incredibly difficult to retain high quality, experienced staff. The impact can be seen and heard when you talk to families and staff, however, it can be challenging to reflect this in qualitative data.
No major changes. We are in such a positive position due to our reflective approach and the subsequent associated learning and adaptations of practice.
Reasons for low or reducing attendance and multi-faceted and extremely complex. The offer of early intervention, which is family centred, with pupil voice front and centre is more vital than it has ever been.
COVID undoubtedly has had a significant impact on attendance, we know this both nationally and internationally. The challenge that lies ahead is significant, particularly within the present fiscal climate and with early intervention support significantly reducing as a result of many non-statutory funded services ceasing. This will undoubtedly add significant pressure to both schools and social services.
