Seeing is Believing
Seeing is Believing is an advocacy programme targeted at senior staff in LAs and local strategic bodies, comprising of a one-day session of visits to schools and other providers of extended services to discuss the impact of their work.
Seeing is Believing was piloted in the three south west local authority areas of Poole, Somerset and Gloucestershire. During the pilots senior staff in the local authority - including heads of service, Directors of Children's Services, elected members and strategy managers - were invited to visit a range of provision.
Aims
The aims of the pilots covered three main points:
- to ensure that Study Support/OSHL is recognised as an integral part of an education authorities and strategic bodies long term planning and strategy
- to target senior staff in education, but also related services eg social services, health, youth work, family support to encourage the multi-agency dimension of study support/oshl
- to facilitate a local Seeing is Believing network which will provide a mechanism for updating key local authority staff about the latest developments.
Typical day
A typical day involves a visit to some or all of the following:
- a breakfast club
-
a break/lunchtime club -
an after-school club -
a Playing for Success centre
These are usually at different schools/settings with the group travelling between the sites in a mini-bus. Each stop will provide an opportunity for the group to observe and take part in activities with the children and young people who attend. During each visit the delegates will be able to ask questions about the impact of the club on the school, the participants and the wider community. It also enables them to get to grips with some of the more practical issues the staff face on a daily basis.
Report
The report gives detailed background information and methodology for the events and reports on the key findings and issues raised as a result of the visits. Each visit heralded a wide number of quotes from senior local authority staff as well as agreed ways forward.
Download the Seeing is Believing report (Word file, 162 KB).
If you would like to know more about ContinYou delivering a Seeing is Believing day for your local authority please email Jenna Hall: jenna.hall@continyou.org.uk.
