Fair Start Scotland Evaluation Report 3: Overview of Year 2 (November 2020)

The document evaluates Fair Start Scotland (FSS), a service designed to help 38,000 people enter the labor market with personalized support. The evaluation, which covers the second year of FSS, employed a mix of telephone surveys, case studies, and data analysis. Results showed increased participation, especially among females, young people, and lone parents, but lower engagement from individuals with disabilities and older people. Awareness of FSS was relatively low. Participants felt more motivated to seek employment, but faced challenges like skill gaps and health issues. The program's person-centered and voluntary approach received positive feedback, with in-work support and action plans being highlights. However, difficulties in coordinating with local authorities and navigating the employability landscape were noted. The evaluation recommended improvements and emphasized the Scottish Government's commitment to refining services through a "test and learn" strategy. The impact of COVID-19 on service delivery will be a focus of future evaluations. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: The Scottish Government (The Scottish Government)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation
• Impact methods: Generic research method
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: October 2020

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes