She endures with me. an evaluation of the Scottish Guardianship Service Pilot

Abstract

This report builds on our earlier report (Crawley and Kohli 2012) and consolidates some of our preliminary findings, incorporating the evidence and conclusions gathered from Years 1 and 2 of the evaluation process. Our report is structured as follows. Section 2 describes our approach to the evaluation process, the data and information upon which this report is based, and the framework for our analysis, specifically the three domains of work in which the Guardians operate: asylum, well-being and social networks. Section 3 outlines the work of the Service including the number of referrals received and characteristics of the young people allocated a Guardian during the period of the evaluation. It also provides an overview of the work of the Guardians, their role and relationship with other agencies and professionals, issues around communication and information sharing, and an assessment of their professional skills and competences. In Section 4 we hear from young people themselves, their hopes and aspirations for the Service, their feelings towards their Guardians and the Guardians’ commitment towards them. Section 5 turns to outcomes and examines the work of the Guardians in the domain of asylum. It provides data on asylum outcomes for the young people who received a Service during the period of the evaluation and examines the role of the Guardian in helping young people to understand the asylum process, provide information about their experiences and plan for the future. Section 6 examines the work of the Guardians in the domain of well-being, exploring the partnership working that has been developed with Local Authority Social Workers particularly in relation to accommodation, education and health needs. In Section 7 we consider the work of the Service in creating spaces and opportunities for young people to develop social networks through a series of formal and informal activities which enables them to ‘be’ and to engage with others on their own terms. Finally, in Section 8, we conclude the report by returning to the core standards articulated by Goeman et al (2011) earlier in this section, and reflect on whether these standards have been met by the Scottish Guardianship Service.