Review of Voluntary Sector Organisations
(Community Learning and Development)
Fairbridge in Scotland
21 July 2009
Contents
Page
1. Introduction
1
2. Context and background
1
3. Key strengths and good practice
2
4. How well did Fairbridge in Scotland meet the needs of its
stakeholders?
5. How effective was Fairbridge in Scotland in key aspects of
management?
2
3
6. How effective was the leadership of Fairbridge in Scotland?
4
7. What is Fairbridge in Scotland capacity to improve?
5
8. Main points for action
5
9. What happens next?
5
Appendix 1: Quality indicators used to evaluate Fairbridge in
Scotland
6
1.
Introduction
In January 2009, the Scottish Government (SG)commissioned HM Inspectorate of
Education (HMIE) to undertake a review of Fairbridge in Scotland (FiS). HMIE and
SG agreed the quality and performance indicators to be used in the review from the
framework of indicators within the HMIE publication How Good Is Our Community
Learning and Development?2 (HGIOCLD?2).
The fieldwork for the review took place between 11 and 13 May 2009.
HM Inspectors visited the FiS team bases in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow and
interviewed a range of stakeholders including participants, staff and referral
agencies. They also interviewed headquarter staff and members of the board of
directors, including the chair and vice-chair. They analysed questionnaire responses
from 32 external stakeholders.
2.
Context and background
Fairbridge UK is the result of the merging of two organisations. The Fairbridge
Society was established in 1909 by Kingsley Fairbridge. In 1987, the Fellowship
merged with the Drake Fellowship to become Fairbridge Drake, and in 1992 the
name was changed to Fairbridge. Fairbridge UK supports 13-25 year olds who may
be excluded from school, unemployed or involved in crime.
FiS was established as a separately registered Scottish Charity within the Fairbridge
UK group of charities in 1989. It consists of three operational centres in Glasgow,
Edinburgh and Dundee and a central support team based at Norton Park in
Edinburgh. FiS employs 55 full time staff, 45 in local teams and ten at its
headquarters who undertake a range of policy, fundraising and support functions.
There are normally around eight volunteers, most of whom have been on
programmes. Referral agencies, including schools and specialist support
departments and organisations, set up initial meetings between FiS staff and young
people to determine the suitability of the programmes to meet their needs.
FiS has two core elements that contribute towards delivering a comprehensive
programme for young people. Through the integrated use of dedicated one-to-one
support and a focus on long-term personal development within a programme of
activities, FiS works to empower young people to make positive choices about their
present and their future. FiS operates its programmes for two discrete client groups,
under 16 year olds and over 16s. It works closely with an extensive range of partner
organisations that refer young people who require intensive support to engage with
education or employment. They clearly target young people from inner city areas
who are disengaged from work and education. In 2008/2009 they worked with
730 participants.
All participants complete an access course before moving into a programme of
courses and sessions based on their individual action plan. The final phase is called
Moving On and is designed to reduce the participant’s reliance on FiS and to identify
next steps.
1
3.
Key strengths and good practice
•
Very well targeted work with young people with a range of complex individual
needs.
•
The impact of programmes on young people’s lives.
•
The high levels of commitment of staff and volunteers.
•
The consistency across teams and programmes offering young people a high
quality experience.
•
The approaches taken to making the organisation more sustainable by building a
good balance of funding sources.
Access programme
A structured highly interactive week of team building and activities which enables
participants and staff to work out next stage programmes which meet participants
needs. By visiting www.hmie.gov.uk you can find out more about this example of
good practice.
By visiting www.hmie.gov.uk you can find out more about these examples of good
practice.
4.
How well did Fairbridge in Scotland meet the needs of its stakeholders?
How well did Fairbridge in Scotland impact on young people?
FiS have a very positive effect on the lives of young people. Referral agencies,
including local authorities, reported significant development in young people after
involvement with the organisation. They are more confident and able to cope with
different situations. Many are more able to manage effectively their behaviour in
school. FiS provides a bridge for young people in transition, enabling them to move
towards gaining qualifications and employability.
The quality of learning experiences for young people is very well developed. Almost
all young people achieve their personal learning goals. Their experiences in outdoor
education and life skills lead to increased confidence and self esteem. Many young
people describe how their aspirations have been raised as a result. The Access
Programme has helped them to speak out in a group setting, work as a team and try
out new and challenging activities. Some young people have changed their attitudes
and are having more constructive experiences in school settings. Others have
reduced alcohol and drug consumption and addressed anger management issues.
Meeting with young people from a range of inner city areas also helps to break down
territorial barriers in some instances.
2
Staff support young people to attain their personal goals following the Access
Programme. Young people produce CVs, gain qualifications such as ASDAN awards
and gain places at college. They are using the skills and experience they have
gained in other settings, for example dealing with the local social work office, taking
part in staff interviews and securing new tenancies. In some cases school refusers
return following their involvement. Success is regularly celebrated at graduation
ceremonies. Good engagement with partner agencies leads to some young people
gaining employment. Eighty five percent of over 16s have gone on to other learning
programmes. Some others have returned to volunteer at FiS as part of their exit
plan. Whilst there are good links with partner agencies, they could improve the
arrangements for moving on to other learning and development. FiS have set up a
short life working group to consider and make recommendations on how this area of
their work can be improved and this is given a priority in their five year strategic plan.
Work with Careers Scotland and other partners in relation to tracking leavers’
progress needs to be continued and further developed.
How well did Fairbridge in Scotland impact on staff and volunteers?
Staff are very well supported at team and headquarter levels. They are highly
motivated and have a strong pride in their work. Staff at all levels are actively
engaged in working groups and development work. Staff have a strong
understanding of the whole organisation rather than just their own roles.
Headquarters staff spend time working on aspects of local team work to ensure they
have a familiarity with programmes. Handbooks for staff in different roles provide
clear guidance on how to undertake the job and offer good advice and support links.
There is an effective system for staff training and learning opportunities although
there is room for development in relation to use of accredited training. Senior
managers have regular contact and very positive relationships with colleagues.
A recent staff survey shows that almost all staff feel well managed and supported
and are proud to work for Fairbridge.
5.
How effective was Fairbridge in Scotland in key aspects of management?
Inclusion, equality and fairness
The organisation is very effective at engaging with vulnerable participants presenting
with a wide range of complex needs. They have clear diversity policies in place and
a staff diversity working group that meets regularly to review and monitor activities.
Monitoring and evaluation are used to reflect on and target groups to ensure balance
and meeting local needs. Local teams are considering additional targeting to
address some limitations in target groups such as Black and Minority Ethnic and
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender young people. Further local social auditing
is planned and will enable teams to address these and other targeting issues. There
are very good examples of specific behaviours and attitudes around issues such as
sectarianism being well addressed with participants.
3
Participation of service users and other stakeholders
There are high levels of ownership by young people of their learning programmes.
These are individually designed and tailored to their needs. Young people take an
active part in reviews of their progress and feel their voice is heard by staff and other
learners. A very positive ethos and ownership was evident in each of the FiS
centres. They cited many examples of the approachable and non-judgmental nature
of the staff. There is scope to engage young people more fully in the overall policy
setting and decision making of the organisation.
Stakeholders report that FiS responds positively to criticism as well as praise and
reflects on policy and practice as a result. The views of partner agencies are
reflected in individual programmes for young people. Partners are also important in
helping staff to identify appropriate learning activities for young people. Partner
agencies are not formally represented in the development of policy and strategy of
the organisation. However FiS does seek the views of partner agencies and uses
their responses to inform the development of policy and strategy.
Operational planning
Planning is robust at all levels. The FiS strategic plan is very well focused on
improving services and impacts. The National Framework Document provides clear
guidance on the operation of programmes for under 16s and over 16s. The
management information system has well-developed data definitions to ensure that
information input by staff is consistent. This enables the system to produce reliable
data. Staff make good use of their systems for service accountability and
improvement. Strategic and operational plans articulate well. Quarterly information
updates enable staff teams to contribute practice to the web site, annual report and
to inform policy development. FiS has a very effective fundraising team that secures
around a 10:1 ratio of income over costs. The fundraising team operates within the
national context to maximise income through national fundraising bids in partnership
with the Fairbridge UK fundraising team. FiS needs to consolidate its relationships
with community planning partnerships in the three cities and demonstrate clearly the
cost-effectiveness of its work in contributing to Single Outcome Agreements. The
management information system is a UK system and needs to be adapted to meet
the needs of a Scottish context, particularly in relation to local authority priority areas
outlined in documents such as Integrated Children’s Services Plans, City Youth
Justice Strategies and Single Outcome Agreements.
6.
How effective was the leadership of Fairbridge in Scotland?
The FiS Board provides strategic leadership and support. Members have a broad
range of business and public sector expertise and are very committed to the
organisation. They are very well supported by the director and senior team. The
organisation has very effective systems for risk management which enable managers
at different levels in the organisation to monitor their business. Resources are well
managed and there is an overall ethos of making sure everything is used to best
effect. Leadership at local and team levels is very good overall. While the emphasis
on responding to local circumstances is positive, there is a need to consider the
4
balance of consistency across the country . Engagement with local authorities and
community planning partners has led to varied strategic success and limited funding
to date.
7.
What is Fairbridge in Scotland’s capacity to improve?
The self-evaluation approaches of FiS showed a detailed understanding of the
impact of the organisation on its target group. The organisation shows a strong
commitment to continuing to meet the needs of the most disadvantaged young
people in the areas it is working in and an enthusiasm to grow the organisation at a
sustainable rate. They need to continue to develop more succinct publications,
leaflets and approaches to marketing locally and strategically. Senior staff and board
members are working together to consider appropriate approaches to ensure the
organisation is better placed on the strategic agendas within all current cities. FiS
has a clear long term tracking framework which they are in the process of rolling out
and this has the potential of evidencing the sustainable impacts of their programmes.
The organisation has plans in place to increase the engagement of young people in
strategic decision-making in the organisation, building on their positive engagement
at local level.
8.
Main points for action
Fairbridge in Scotland should take action to address the following main points for
action.
•
Ensure that operational staff are equipped with appropriate level of knowledge
about Curriculum for Excellence, Community Planning and other key policies.
•
Develop more effective tracking and follow-up processes in conjunction with
appropriate partner agencies.
•
Develop an effective strategy to engage participants in decision-making at all
levels in the organisation.
9.
What happens next?
HMIE will take no further action in relation to this positive report. Colleagues in
Scottish Government will continue to monitor progress in relation to their grant
funding.
Maureen Mallon
Managing Inspector
HMIE
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Appendix 1:
Quality indicators used to evaluate Fairbridge in Scotland
HM Inspectors use performance measures and quality indicators when making
judgements in their reviews of national voluntary organisations. The quality
indicators used were selected from those published in June 2006 in the publication
HGIOCLD?2. This publication is available on the website www.hmie.gov.uk.
In the report and this appendix we make clear the judgements made by using these
word scale categories:
Excellent
Very good
Good
Satisfactory
Weak
Unsatisfactory
Outstanding, sector leading
Major strengths
Important strengths with some areas for improvement
Strengths just outweigh weaknesses
Important weaknesses
Major weaknesses
Improvements in performance
Impact on young people
Impact on paid and voluntary staff
Inclusion, equality and fairness
Participation of service users and stakeholders
Operational planning
Leadership and direction
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very good
very good
very good
very good
good
very good
very good
How can you contact us?
HMIE has responsibilities to evaluate the quality of pre-school education, all schools,
teacher education, community learning and development, colleges and local
authorities. We also publish reports of interest to the public and professionals about
services for children and evaluate child protection services. From this extensive
evidence we are able to give the professional advice needed to support the
development of educational policy.
For more information about the work of HMIE, including examples of good practice
and links to Journey to Excellence, please visit our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.
To find out more about inspections go to www.hmie.gov.uk. Please contact the
Business Management and Communications Team if you require any of our
information available in translated or other appropriate versions.
If you wish to comment about any of our inspections, contact us at
HMIEenquiries@hmie.gsi.gov.uk or alternatively you should write to Business
Management and Communications Team, HM Inspectorate of Education, Denholm
House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston EH54 6GA.
Our complaints procedure is available from Rona Littleproud, HM Inspectorate of
Education, Denholm House, Almondvale Business Park, Almondvale Way, Livingston
EH54 6GA or phone 01506 600258 or from our website at www.hmie.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the action we have taken at the end of our complaints
procedure, you can raise a complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
(SPSO). The SPSO is fully independent and has powers to investigate complaints
about Government departments and agencies. You should write to the SPSO,
Freepost EH641, Edinburgh EH3 0BR. You can also telephone 0800 377 7330, fax
0800 377 7331 or email ask@spso.org.uk. More information about the
Ombudsman’s office can be obtained from the website www.spso.org.uk.
Want to join us?
In addition to HMI, inspection teams often include people who are not HMI but are
involved directly in education. They are called Associate Assessors and most work
in community learning and development. Most inspection teams also include a
member of the public called a Lay Member. More information about how you can
become an Associate Assessor or Lay Member is available at www.hmie.gov.uk.
Crown Copyright 2009
HM Inspectorate of Education