Supporting Outcome Focused Practice in CLD

1. Supporting Outcome Focused Practice in CLD Setting the National Policy Context

2. Priorities for the new Scottish Government • Core purpose: To create a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. • Government has set 5 strategic objectives which play a key role in focusing all the activity of Government, and the public sector in its widest sense, on increasing sustainable growth. These are: • A smarter Scotland • A wealthier and fairer Scotland • A healthier Scotland • A safer and stronger Scotland • A greener Scotland • Demonstrating the impact of services is a key focus for the new Government.

3. Concordat agreed between Government and CoSLA • Sets out a new relationship between the Scottish Government and local government, based on mutual respect and partnership. • Gives greater flexibility and responsibility to local government • Underpins the funding to be provided to local government over the period 2008-09 to 2010-11. • Single Outcome Agreement negotiated with every council. • Based on 15 National Outcomes

4. Making the links from policy to practice • Working and Learning Together (WALT) • Skills for Scotland • National Youth Work Strategy • More Choices More Chances • Curriculum for Excellence • Get It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) • Community Planning • Engaging Children & Young People in Community Planning • Youth Strategy (Framework for Youth)

5. How does this impact on CLD? • All public services are being asked to demonstrate how they are contributing to achieving the strategic objectives of the Scottish Government. CLD services must be able to demonstrate their impact too. • Perceived difficulty in CLD of being able to evidence impact - we need to get better at doing this. • CLD activity is fundamentally about achieving change in the lives of individuals and communities and it is important to be able to demonstrate how this has been done.

6. Progress so far... • Partnerships have made progress in outcome-focused practice and HMIe report that: • There is increasing awareness among CLD sector of the importance of evaluating its work and demonstrating its impact. • CLD Sector is beginning to develop more effective approaches to self-evaluation and improvement. • Staff contribution to inspections as Associate Assessors has been excellent. • But more still needs to be done...

7. What do we need to do? • Focusing on outcomes is everyone’s responsibility. • At practice level people delivering CLD need to build a focus on outcomes into their day-to-day work with individuals and groups – thinking about what changes they expect to happen. • Those with a responsibility for operational management need to provide a context in which practitioners are able to focus on outcomes. • And people who are in charge of strategic management need to make sure that there is a focus on wider outcomes in strategic planning.

8. Incentives for outcome based practice • the participants in CLD are commonly very clear about the outcomes they want • participant and worker satisfaction grows with evidence of achievement • policy makers and funders see the ‘bang for the bucks!’ • practice theory is based on evidence not hunch • professional credibility is secured

9. Why does outcome based practice still need attention? (1) • Despite progress some workers and agencies still confuse outputs and outcomes • the key variable is not what we deliver (outputs) but the difference that we want to make (outcomes) • Outcome led practice frequently challenges established output focused culture of performance measurement/management information systems • Lack of consistent commitment to a learning and continuous improvement culture

10. Why does outcome based practice still need attention? (2) • Resistance to: • discipline of evidence gathering and recording • perceived external bureaucratic obligation • Understanding intermediate and end outcomes • Recognising personal, group, community and societal outcomes • Appreciating and integrating outcome perspectives of stakeholders: • Participants • Policy makers • Practitioners

11. Core and contributory support tools Literacy curriculum National CE standards HGIOCLD Community appraisal Step it up Working & Learning Together Delivering Change LEAP Big Picture Richter scale Individual learning plans Assessing community strengths Where do they fit?

12. Reflection & learning tools like: Step it up; Richter Scale; Weaver’s Triangle; Individual learning planning; The Big Picture; Adult Literacy and Numeracy Curriculum Framework Engaging & assessing tools like: National Standards for Community Engagement,Assessing Community Strengths; Community Appraisal Action, reflection Adult learning Youth work Capacity building Identify individual & community needs & resources Take & Monitor action Review & evaluate lessons Plan action Agree outcomes cycle Delivering Change Ideas for the outcomes you and participants might want to achieve HIGIOCLD? Helps you to ask the right questions for self-evaluation for service improvement LEAP Helps you to ask the right questions in planning and evaluating your practice

13. Group Discussion • What are the main difficulties/barriers faced in taking an outcome focused approach to your practice? • What support or strategies are required to implement an outcome focused approach to your practice?