How change happens at Juniors

Our Family Strength Framework sets out how our work leads to lasting outcomes for children and families. It’s the logic behind everything we do — and the basis for how we measure whether it’s working.

– Children growing up in poverty face early gaps in language, development and school readiness.
– Families under pressure experience isolation, low wellbeing and barriers to support.
– 22South Lanarkshire poverty / child poverty statistic with source and year — replace the 2020 figure currently on the site.]

What we do:
Early years development sessions · the Community Larder and practical support · parent wellbeing and peer groups · family support work and referrals · validated outcome measurement.

The change we expect
– For children: improved communication, confidence, social skills and school readiness (measured by ASQ-3).
– For parents: improved wellbeing and reduced isolation (measured by the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), increased confidence, and for some a route toward volunteering, training or work.
– For families: greater financial stability, reduced crisis, and stronger connection to support.

How we know (evidence):
We measure outcomes, not just attendance.

• We measure our work in three ways.
  Validated tools — We track children’s development using the Ages & Stages Questionnaire covering communication, problem-solving and social skills, and we measure change in parents’ wellbeing using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Both are nationally recognised, evidence-based tools used across the NHS and early years sector.
  Reach and demand — Our attendance data shows we’re supporting families at scale, with demand more than doubling since 2022.
  Family voice — We listen to the families we work with and capture their experiences directly.

  Case Studies:

  1.     Gran arrived at the centre and became visibly upset when speaking to member of staff.  It transpired she was suffering from long covid, but as a relatively new phenomena, was not recognised as a condition claimable through benefits such as PIP or ESA.  Gran had worked full time for south Lanarkshire council for 30 years and had never experienced financial difficulty before, but due to her illness she was unable to continue working full time.  She had no idea what help was available to someone in her position.  Staff were able to support Gran during her visits by offering free play and lunch for both gran and grandchild, access to hygiene products, clothes and food bank vouchers while awaiting a decision from benefits agencies.  Gran has returned to employment on a part time basis as her health allows.  She continues to use Juniors regularly with her grandson for supper club, provision, and advice.  After being rejected for PIP, staff have launched an appeal to assist.  Gran has also had her application for housing benefit rejected as she leases from her daughter.  Working in partnership with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, we are assisting her to prove payment of rent and provide a tenancy agreement to show regular payments and responsibilities of both parties.

  2.     Mum new to the area and struggling to make friends.  Staff member discovered mum emigrated from Australia, is a lone parent and needed advice on which benefits she could receive, housing information as she resided in temporary accommodation with her son, nursery placements available in the area and general introductions to other mothers in similar situations.  We began by applying for available benefits which included Child Payment, Universal Credit and Sure Start Grants.  A housing application was completed for South Lanarkshire Council and the family have secured a tenancy in Larkhall.  Staff assisted mum to apply for college and mum has secured and completed an NVQ in Travel and Tourism and has an unconditional offer for a HNC this year. Son has settled well in nursery; mum now has a part-time job working in retail which has increased her income and we continue to offer support as required to the family.

  3.     Family referral for emergency provision of food and a warm space, staff also suggested the supper club and talk, learn, do workshop.  Parents attended both these provisions and mother expressed interest in returning to work.  Staff delivered the back to work programme with client and client expressed an interest in cookery.  Staff invited client to volunteer at the supper club, and we provided food hygiene training.  Client enjoyed the opportunity and gained confidence to apply for an apprenticeship working in a local restaurant.  Client now works four evenings a week and attends college day release to become a chef.  Family is working their way out of poverty by increasing their income through employment and budgeting finances.

  4.     Ukrainian family attended the centre in desperate circumstances.  Mum had signed a private tenancy agreement but hadn’t understood the terms of the lease.  Rent would only be covered for 6 months, then family would liable for future payments.  Working with Money Matters, staff ensured all paperwork was to allow the family to apply for benefits to assist with living costs, while providing emergency provisions of food, clothing, hygiene products and emotional support.  Staff completed application forms for both children to secure school and nursery placements in the local area and are aiding Mum to secure employment by providing Wi-Fi access, CV writing skills, structured job searches and connecting the family with the local library to attend ESOL classes.

  5.     Single mum with three children arrived upset as benefits had been sanctioned.  The parents had missed an appointment noted on the journal due to lack of internet access.  This resulted in benefits being sanctioned for four weeks.  For the interim period, the family attended the centre every day to receive food, warmth and free Wi-fi to respond to all journal entries.  We sent hot meals home with the family and provided emotional support and advice to assist with their appeal.  Their oldest child was due to start school in the summer, so we applied for the Best Start and Best Start Food grants, clothing and free school meals and child payment for each of the children to help increase the benefits total for the family.

  6.     Dad attended clothing market with teenage son.  As a lone parent, he was struggling to clothe his growing son and was conscious of peer pressure and issues his son was having at high school.  We were able to provide branded, high quality clothing and increase the family income by informing Dad of the new Scottish Child Payment that was available for older children now.  We also connected the family with Regen-fx that support young people in the Hamilton area by providing free youth projects that give an opportunity for young people to make new friends and have life experiences.