Moving Forward has been operating for 12 years in Central Scotland, with the goal of improving young people’s confidence, resilience and employment prospects. Since 2017, we have been funded by the Scottish Government’s CashBack for Communities initiative and are now known as Moving Forward+ with CashBack. In October 2020, we introduced a new strand to the service – supporting young people who are too young to leave education but are struggling to engage.

The nature of non-engagement is varied and can include partial attendance, complete absence from school, part-time timetables and much more. 

The young people we support are aged 10 to 15 and often present with mental health challenges (most commonly extremely high levels of anxiety). In addition, they come from deprived backgrounds, in line with our funders’ goals of improving opportunities for disadvantaged communities. 

The programme was developed collaboratively with secondary school staff and mental health services in order to bridge the wide gap in support for this demographic. 

Moving Forward+ works with young people to help them develop emotionally and socially in the first instance. The young people we work with are supported to grow their independence, confidence and self-awareness in a safe, person-centred environment. Being able to offer tailored support to each young person sets Moving Forward+ apart as a provider of a truly unique service. 

Each young person is supported in developing an understanding of their goals: for some, this may include returning to education; for others, alternative pathways are a more suitable option. For those who wish to pursue school education, we liaise with schools to identify appropriate strategies, interventions and adjustments that can be put in place to support young people and promote a sense of safety and lowered anxiety levels when at school. This can include anything from a bespoke timetable, to having daily check-ins with pastoral care staff, to being allowed to leave class early to avoid corridor rushes, to wearing a slightly modified uniform to allow for sensory needs to be addressed. 

Young people who do not feel school is a viable option for them are supported to identify alternatives. These have included learning programmes held outside school in more suitable environments, early college applications, courses leading to qualifications through practical learning, and much more.

Our focus is to support young people to develop socially and emotionally, equipping them with the tools for coping with the demands in their lives. Through one-to-one support and limited group work, young people are supported to develop independence, self-awareness and emotional regulation. With these foundations in place, young people are in a much stronger position to pursue and maximise opportunities in their future.

Conclusion: 

As a result of taking part in the programme, the notable majority of young people and stakeholders (parents and school staff, primarily) report improved wellbeing after only a few weeks. Reports also show significant improvement in practical and social skills, reduced social isolation, improved confidence and independence, and more willingness to try new things (spanning from visiting new locations, to engaging in new activities, to tasting new foods). With young people, parents/carers and school staff reporting such improvements in wellbeing and the above-mentioned areas, quality of life drastically improves for young who engage in Moving Forward+. Furthermore, in the first two years of the programme, almost all participants either improved their relationship with school or accessed an alternative pathway. 

While initially beginning with limited targets and being active in one local authority in Central Scotland, the programme has been extremely successful, surpassing expectations and requiring an expansion of the team. In the new course of funding (beginning in April 2023 and lasting three years), our team has grown to include two additional members dedicated to working with young people not engaging in education. Furthermore, we have been able to expand our geographical reach to include another bordering, large local authority and to extend our support offer to those aged 10 and above. This allows us to support young people in the crucial stage of transitioning from primary into secondary school, which our experience tells us is usually a catalyst for non-engagement.