Includem Impact Report '14 (V5)

There for young people 24/7
ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014

We are a specialist Scottish charity established in 2000. We remain solely focused on delivering
support to the most vulnerable and challenging young people in society. Our 1-to-1 support at the
times of need helps young people, parents and carers make positive changes to their attitudes,
behaviours and relationships.
There for young people 24/7
Includem delivers
community alternatives
to custody and secure
care, and diversion
from formal youth justice
measures, reducing
reoffending and keeping
communities safe.
Includem prevents
family breakdown and the
unnecessary use of residential
care. We address problematic
behaviours and underlying
support needs and help
parents/carers to better
support young people.
Includem responds
immediately to provide
crisis support, reducing
immediate risk of harm,
and stabilising difficult
situations while assessments
happen and longer term
plans are made.
Includem empowers
young people during
transitions to engage with
other services, build
independent living skills and
strengthen family and other
support networks.
It was a blessing knowing that there was
someone there
for my daughter, giving her the
help and support she needed when I could
not. Forever Grateful.
PARENT
HIGH RISK
COMPLEX NEEDS
YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK
VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES
ALL YOUNG PEOPLE
GIRFEC STAGED MODEL OF SERVICE PROVISION
Increasing
complexity
of risks
and needs.
Increasing cost
to society of
unmet needs.
CRISIS
RESPONSE
AND PREVENTION
OF IMMEDIATE HARM
COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVE
TO RESIDENTIAL CARE,
SECURE CARE OR CUSTODY
PREVENTING FAMILY BREAKDOWN
OR COMMUNITY PLACEMENT BREAKDOWN
TRANSITIONAL SUPPORT
INCLUDEM SPECTRUM OF SERVICES
Includem services
are reducing risk, addressing
immediate and underlying
support
needs, and reducing
the potential cost
to society.
Excellent work.
This young lady
might likely
have been
accommodated
if the intensive
support from
Includem
had not been
available.
SOCIAL
WORKER
CONTENTS
Message from the Chief Executive 04/05
Impact numbers 06
Includem Through the Year 07
Influencing Leadership 08
Foster Care Support 09
About Transitional Support 08
Understanding Transitions 11
Transitional Support
- Embedding Service Design 12
The Reality of Transition
- Connor’s Story 13
Harnessing Technology 14
Leading the way on partnership working 15
Fun with young people and families 16
Message from the Chair 17
Accounts / funders 18
2 ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014
3

There for young people 24/7
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
In the 2012/13 report I highlighted our innovative approach to Quality
Assurance and the purpose of our unique post of Practice Champion.
We were therefore delighted this year to receive recognition for
this investment through the SSSC Chairman’s Award. Professor Jim
McGoldrick, Chair and SSSC Convener said at the time our “Practice
Champion project demonstrated a very innovative approach to
organisational learning taking into account conventional quality
assurance measures, but also took in more qualitative measures
around ‘compassion’”.
The work of this post continues to
develop and bed in alongside a similar
process for the Includem MAPS database
which provides increasingly sophisticated
information on all our activity with targeted
reports for all levels of staff through to the
Board.
Through this combination of qualitative and
quantitative information we are therefore
continuing to translate our commitment
to a learning and improvement culture
into practice.
A key theme for ongoing scrutiny will be
quality of supervision for frontline staff
as the crucial activity to support their
personal and professional use of self in
helping young people and families with
complex problems.
In regard to this we are pleased to be
connected into a significant focus on
leadership skills for staff at all levels
through the SSSC workforce development
initiative and look forward to participating
in the strengthened learning and identity
for the wider social care workforce which
Social Work Scotland presents.
We have also over this year (re)established
relationships with the lead universities for
professional social work training given
our shared interests in professional and
practice development.
All of the above is not new but builds on
and develops the strategies we identified
5 years ago when we made the clear
decision to remain a specialist organisation
with a commitment to evidence and
improvement.
So whilst our core values and the
fundamental features of the Includem
model remain, our development and
diversification activity has been through
effective service targeting to support our
Local Authority partners in the objective
of prevention and early intervention at all
life stages – not just early years.
For example working with young
children and whole sibling groups to
keep families together; supporting foster
care placements where there is risk of
breakdown; maintaining young people
at school whose home circumstances
indicate risk of exclusion. All of which
fit our core purpose to support young
people who have the most challenging
and complex problems to have the best
life they can.
We therefore look forward to
supporting young people and families to
contribute their voice and experience
to implementation of the C+YP Act,
particularly the potential for “Relevant
Services” to further shape provision which
enables children, young people and families
to fulfil their potential as full members of
their communities. In that context our “Aye
Naw Mibbie” initiative to ensure young
people entitled are registered to vote in
the 2014 Referendum and supported to
develop their own judgement on this.
Lastly we were very appreciative of
the support and recognition Includem
received from the First Minister this year
when he opened Includem’s new Head
Office and met staff and young people.
4
ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014 5

IMPACT NUMBERS
INCLUDEM THROUGH THE YEAR
There for young people 24/7
Prevented
106
young people
going into care
31,466
hours of contact
with young people out with
normal working hours
Awarded
33
grants from our
Young Person’s Fund,
totalling £2,864.
9,984
calls to our free 24/7
support helpline
We had tried
just about
everything but
until Includem,
nothing had
worked. The
focus and the
“not giving up”
made a huge
difference.
SOCIAL
WORKER
They listened to me and were interested in
what I had to say.
YOUNG PERSON
from Clackmannanshire
6
100,189
hours of contact
with young people
Supported
73
families to
prevent breakdown
They helped
keep me safe and
feel safe
YOUNG PERSON
from Glasgow
I found Includem beneficial my son
needed some one on one support. All the
staff were very supportive and he feels
more confident now.
PARENT
ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014 7
* name changed to protect identity

INFLUENCING LEADERSHIP
FOSTER CARE SUPPORT
There for young people 24/7
Our Head of Corporate Services, Michelle Nairn has been seconded one day a week to
the Coalition of Care and Support Providers working on a project about leadership in
social services as part of the Workforce Development Network.
We have been involved in providing support to foster placements within Glasgow since
April 2013, with the aim of providing direct support where the placement has been assessed
as being at risk of breaking down.
This project is designed to recognise the
importance of leadership in driving forward
transformative change at a time of increasing
pressure and change across the social
services. It is also about looking at the way
services are designed for the people who
use them – not just focusing on processes
and procedures.
Includem is doing a lot on service design
at the moment, particularly around our
transitional support programme, and I
have been able to draw on many of these
experiences. There are also some lessons
to learn for all organisations working in the
sector – around the language we use, and
about how we empower people who are
leading in their field. From an organisational
point of view, it’s also about adopting a
culture that takes measured risk – not being
averse to innovation or change.
Our aim is aligned with other recent
work including the Christie Commission
which recognises that leadership is a
key driver in implementing the changes
that are needed to solve contemporary
challenges – for example around welfare
reform. The work from this project will be
ongoing for a number of years, and our
aim is in many ways to professionalise
the social care sector so that people see
themselves as working to a shared goal –
whether in the public, private or voluntary
sector. Ultimately it’s about ensuring that
what we are all doing is addressing the
problems and challenges we come across
on a daily basis in the sector and showing
leadership in how we address them.
This service is specifically targeted to
support the Council’s strategy to work
at earlier levels of intervention and
prevention.
One such placement was Lucy* who
was 12 when referred to Includem with
the aim of preventing family breakdown
and reducing her risk taking behaviour.
Both Lucy and her brother have been
diagnosed with microcephaly, which led
both to have special needs.
Lucy’s carer had been struggling with
her challenging behaviour and she had
been creating difficulties with other
foster children so that the carer had to
continually intervene to diffuse conflict.
However, through regular structured
activity in the local community and
sustained work on identifying the causes
of her behaviour and solutions to it,
we were able to build a much more
positive relationship between Lucy
and her carer. This resulted in reduced
incidences of difficult behaviour and
better communication about issues in
the house.
In addition to supporting Lucy, Includem
also supported her carer, offering advice,
guidance and encouragement as part of a
dual remit to support both young people
and their carers to sustain the foster
placement.
By achieving the desired outcomes we
were able to leave her in a placement
that was stable and secure – reducing the
future risk of it breaking down.
* name changed to protect identity
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ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014
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ABOUT TRANSITIONAL SUPPORT
UNDERSTANDING TRANSITIONS
There for young people 24/7
Since 2005 Includem’s Transitional Support Service has worked with over 500 young
people from within Includem’s core client group identified as most in need of
additional support.
Transitional Support ensures continuity
of support on a voluntary basis for
young people whose continuing vulnerability
may be due to their past histories
of abuse, neglect and deprivation and
the present deficits in family and environmental
supports at a critical time in
their adolescent development, when entitlement
to state funded support from
Includem is at an end.
This service builds on the outcomes
achieved in our core programmes based
on our proven delivery model which
helps young people build confidence,
sustain a non-offending lifestyle and ultimately
move towards employment
through incorporating the learning points
identified.
A key role for Includem has always been
to engage and support young people in
processes of constructive change. Our
model of practice is rooted not just in
research and theory but in hard earned
practice experience and emphasises the
positive potential of young people and
the importance of finding a way to release
it.
At the core of this is the establishing of
a constructive, caring relationship which
will support a young person to make
changes towards a better life.
A ground-breaking qualitative longitudinal study
of Includem’s Transitional Support Programme is
being carried out by Briege Nugent.
By researching in detail the transition of young people into adulthood and
for those with an offending background, this study is designed to understand
how young people can move away from their chaotic and challenging lives
and begin a new and better one.
So far, the study highlights how tough the lives of these young people have
been. Their childhoods have not been carefree, but rather impoverished
financially and emotionally. They come from chaotic backgrounds often
where substance abuse, loss and hopelessness meant that they have had to
grow up quickly. Includem comes into their lives at the point when they are
needed most, and therefore offer crucial support.
The relationship between the worker and the young person is valued most
and underpins any success achieved. As well as providing practical support,
Includem workers try hard to build a connection, mutual respect and trust
with young people who can be weary and as a result initially difficult. One
of the key early findings of this study is the importance of instilling belief in
these young people that they can and are worth a better future. It is sad
to say, but actually for many of those interviewed this encouragement is
otherwise not there, and without hope, ‘getting there’, wherever ‘there’ may
be is unlikely.
This is a collaborative 3 year PhD study with Includem, Glasgow University
School of Social Work and Edinburgh University Department of Criminology,
funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Wide dissemination of
findings is planned when the study completes next year.
Case Study
Supporting transitions isn’t just a
theoretical challenge for Includem
- we know from the work we do
how important it is to get this
journey right.
John was referred to Includem at aged 13 for
committing violent offences with the local gang.
At the time he felt that everyone viewed him as
a ‘bad person’. Includem saw John almost every
day for a few months and he was supported to
get into a construction course at college and to
get a gym pass.
He became interested in boxing which he describes
as a ‘turning point.’ At the local boxing
club he met new friends and was busy training
rather than getting involved in offending behaviour.
He has just had his seventh successful boxing
fight, and was both shocked and proud when
he recently visited his granny and saw a framed
picture on her wall of him winning his last fight.
John feels that four years on he sees himself
differently, not as a ‘wee boy jumping about the
streets’ but as a young man with a future ahead
of him. He is grateful to Includem for the support
offered and looking forward to the next
chapter of his life.
10 ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014
11

TRANSITIONAL SUPPORT - EMBEDDING SERVICE DESIGN
TRANSITION THE REALITY SUPPORT OF TRANSITION IN PRACTICE - CONNOR’S STORY
There for young people 24/7
Getting our transitional support service right is a key priority. We are engaged in a
partnership with service design agency Snook to develop a transition support service for
the future. Our ‘Snookster’ Keira Anderson explains what has been achieved.
Since May I have been working closely
with the Transitional Support Service
team and the young people they support,
with an aim to explore, define and
develop the service provided. Inclusivity,
empowerment and skills transfer are at
the heart of Snook’s core practice. We
firmly believe that a co-design approach
produces the best results for our clients
and, more importantly, service users
themselves.
The very people who interact with
services are, of course, the most
important in any project, which seeks
to comment on or improve a service.
Throughout this venture, I have aimed
to put the young people working with
Transitional Support at its heart, and
to ensure that they, their needs and
creativity, are at the forefront of any
outcomes.
In total, 17 young people have engaged
with the project, across both Glasgow
and Fife. They have generously shared
their journeys though Includem, identified
barriers along the way and suggested
opportunities for improvement. We
then worked together to develop some
of these opportunities and solutions
further.
A majority of the young people were
happy to be involved throughout the
project, allowing them to see the
progression of their ideas - from barriers
first identified in their journey with
Includem right through to more realised
solutions.
Through this process it is hope that the
young people involved have gained some
insight into how and why change comes
about, how they can influence it, and how
it can be implemented.
The next step is to facilitate a hands on,
participant led workshop at Includem’s
staff conference. Attendees will be
supported, encouraged and emboldened
to discuss, develop and define solutions
for Includem’s future. Bring an open
mind.
* name changed to protect identity
Conor’s* background is one of loss and pain. His father and mother were both alcoholics,
and as the older brothers and sisters had moved out when he was very young, he dealt
with the chaos more or less on his own. His father died when Conor was only thirteen,
and he became withdrawn and stopped going to school, at the time struggling to see any
point to his life. His mother worked alongside services to get herself sober, and she and
Conor became very close. She sheltered him, and allowed him to stay off from school and
remain for most of his day in his sanctuary, his bedroom, playing computer games.
At the age of sixteen Conor’s mum died
suddenly, he had lost his world. He moved
in with his older sister, and realised that
without his mum he had to make a
choice, continue as he was, or live his life,
and he chose the latter. Conor tried to
re-engage with education, it was tough,
and at times he felt it was too tough.
The school helped him get support by
Includem, and he worked closely with
his workers to build self-confidence and
become clear about what he wanted for
his future.
Three years on, Conor has just completed
his probationary period with a firm
working as a computer technician, and
has been told that he has been accepted
onto a full time course at college. It
is difficult to describe in words what
Includem were able to do for Conor. He
admits that he might have been able to
get things together himself, but he feels
that the encouragement given to him,
particularly by his main worker to believe
in himself and to have confidence to even
be able to talk to people again cannot be
underestimated.
Chris: They have boosted my confidence...
compared to from the start when I was
very quiet and wouldn’t talk to anyone,
and now I would talk to anyone who
spoke to me.
Calvin: I feel that talking about my future
goals made me motivated, and they made
me confident again.
12 ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014
13

There for young people 24/7
HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY
LEADING THE WAY ON PARTNERSHIP WORKING
14
Claire Barton, one of our Team Managers talks
about our new database and it’s important role in
delivering an effective frontline service.
At Includem we have always utilised technology to enable more efficient
working. In the past year we have invested in a new database – MAPs. This
database is now fundamental to how we operate. It provides flexibility and is
responsive to the needs of young people and families, and crucially, it allows us
to respond immediately when situations arise.
Our 24/7 helpline – a lifeline for many young people and their carers – is
now able to offer an immediate response with up to date information on the
young people concerned. Having accurate risk assessments available instantly
allows frontline staff to make informed decisions about the type of response
which in turn provides the best possible service for our young people. It flags
up risks, and for instance, if a young person has gone missing, there is a list of
everywhere they might be.
This database isn’t a distant resource for head office staff – it is a living
information tool utilised by all staff including frontline workers and is ahead of
the game in terms of being future proofed for GIRFEC and the Children and
Young People Act.
Euan’s Story
Includem worked with a young person,
Euan*, who was suffering from PTSD
symptoms from childhood abuse and was a
risk of suicide and self-harm as well as a risk
of physical abuse to his brothers.
We worked with Euan to prevent his adoptive
family placement from breaking down and to
support him to overcome his anxiety issues
and to build his self-confidence.
Euan and his carers regularly used Includem’s
24/7 helpline to report threatening behaviour
and self-harm. Helpline staff were able to
use the MAPs database to identify risks
and to provide appropriate support. In one
particular case, as a result of notes which
MAPs provided, a frontline worker was
able to intervene and take Euan to accident
and emergency following an attempted
suicide. The database allowed a speedy and
appropriate response.
Includem IMPACT is an initiative
to help reduce teenage violence in Glasgow
and is proving to be a success.
Our IMPACT programme was piloted in 2010 to support 14 to 18 year
olds embroiled in gang violence. In 2013 it was expanded as a Public Social
Partnership backed by two years funding from the Scottish Government’s
Reducing Reoffending Change Fund.
Independent research from the Dartington Social Research Unit has found that
four-fifths (81 per cent) of the young people involved in the project reduced
their offending and 62 per cent reduced the frequency of it compared to
their behaviour in the six months prior to working with the Includem project.
Overall there was a 38 per cent reduction in offences – including assault,
serious assault and weapon possession. Violent offences dropped from 20 to 6.
A further report from the Dartington Social Research Unit is to be released
next year, but as Superintendent Alick Irvine of Police Scotland points out,
initial findings “provide evidence that effective collaboration across a range
of agencies to help support the focused interventions provided by Includem
can deliver dividends for the young people involved and improve the safety of
people in our communities”.
Includem is interested in demonstrating value for money and contributions
towards the preventative spend agenda. This evaluation will therefore
complement our Public Social Partnership focus on translating better
outcomes to social and economic cost savings and ultimately cashable savings
for statutory funders.
ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014
DATA SHARING
Part of the success of IMPACT
has been the collaboration
between the third sector and
Police Scotland, but also the
innovative use of data gathering
and sharing.
As part of the evaluation of
the project protocols have
been put in place to share
Includem data – SHAANARI
outcomes, helpline statistics,
and descriptive records of our
work and police data – lists
of charges for young people
and qualitative feedback from
a comparison group who
have not been involved in
the IMPACT project. A police
analyst has been undertaking
this task with advice from
Scottish Government Justice
Analytical Services.
15

FUN WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AND FAMILIES
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
There for young people 24/7
CREATING MEMORIES, ADDING VALUE
Includem’s annual fun day this year
involved over sixty young people and their families.
Since 2006, this free event has been
a highlight of the year, organised by Includem staff
to create lasting memories
for young people and their families.
There were activities for all ages from face painting and bouncy
castle to caricature and henna painting along with a nail bar,
birds of prey demonstrations and a mini sports day. Our popular
family photographer provided family portraits – and lasting
memories for families to take away.
One parent said on the day – “we don’t ever get to spend time
doing things as a family. Today let us let our hair down and have
some fun together. The wee one’s had a great time”.
The day is funded by Includem and provides a fun and safe
environment in which young people and their families can spend
time together. For many, this is an important time to spend
together that is not centred around family problems.
YOUNG PERSON’S FUND
Our Young Person’s Fund was established in 2011
to provide young people with experiences
they wouldn’t otherwise be able to access or
with help towards their life aspirations.
However it soon became apparent that some families and young
people needed much more basic items. The fund has been
used to provide necessities such as furniture and warm winter
clothing – items which most of us would take for granted,
alongside special experiences and activities.
This year, the fund has provided young people with support
including:
• replacing some essential items after a house fire
• supporting a young person in transition from being homeless
to his own house
• buying boots to allow a young person to take part in a football
training programme
• taking a foster family ice skating – the first day out as a family
• buying ingredients so a young person could cook his mum a
meal to say thank you for dealing with his challenging behaviour
Leadership and professional practice
development have been key themes
for Includem this year. We continue
to provide support for leadership
development in the Scottish Social
Care Services Workforce (including the
secondment of a senior staff member),
and internally we continue to challenge
ourselves to achieve the highest
standards of professional practice. Our
work has received significant external
recognition.
We were particularly proud to be awarded
the SSSC Chairman’s accolade for our
work through the Practice Champion
role. We were also hugely honoured to
have the First Minister formally open our
new offices and spend some time with
our young people. As a board we are
proud to be associated with Includem’s
achievements and work hard to support
the leadership team achieve their goal
of delivering outstanding professional
practice.
Our core belief in sticking with young
people and being there when they
need us continues to be delivered with
commitment and passion through the
professional leadership skills of our Team
Managers and the dedication of our
frontline staff in what are almost always
complex and challenging situations.
It is through this skill and commitment
that we have been able to develop
sufficient trust between staff and young
people, that during this significant year
for Scotland, we have been able to
support and encourage the eligible young
people we work with to participate in
the referendum.
As always, my sincere thanks go to all
of Includem’s staff, my fellow Board
Members and our funders and supporters
without whom we could not be able to
make the positive difference that we do
in so many young lives.
JIM GIBSON
16
ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014
17

ACCOUNTS AND FUNDERS
There for young people 24/7
INCOME
Local Authority Service Fees £3,034,924
Grants £729,846
Other £58,801
Total £3,823, 571
EXPENDITURE
Staff £2,920,189
Direct client expenses / travel £326,462
Premises Costs £200,106
Administration costs £202,538
Professional Costs
Depreciation of Assets cost £74,761
Governance costs £26,374
FUNDERS
• The Robertson Trust • Big Lottery Fund Scotland •
• The Scottish Government • Strathclyde Police •
• Glasgow City Council • West Dunbartonshire Council •
• Fife Council • Clackmannanshire Council • Stirling Council •
• Dundee City Council • East Renfrewshire Council •
• Argyll and Bute Council
Copies of our full audited report and accounts along with current board
members are available on request.
TOTAL £3,750,430
BOARD MEMBERS
Jim Gibson
John McCaig
Bruce Marks
Sheena Brown
Alison Petch
Jo Noblett
Abigail Kinsella
Caroline Innes
David Wallace
Chairman
Deputy Chairman
Secretary / Treasurer
18 ACTIVITY AND IMPACT REPORT 2014
19

FIND OUT HOW INCLUDEM CAN HELP YOU
If you’d like to know more
about our services,
please get in touch today.
e-mail: david.ferrier@includem.co.uk
call: 0141 427 0523
web: www.includem.org
www.includem.org