Young Start Evaluation 2012-2015

Introduction

This programme aimed to:

• support children and young people in Scotland

• build confidence, skills, health, and employability

The evaluation wanted to understand:

• the programme’s impact

• young people’s involvement

• the use of local assets

It’s intended for funders, policymakers and organisations delivering youth programmes.

Methodology

The evaluation combined:

• analysis of funding management data

• reviews of 46 assessment and end‑of‑grant reports

• telephone interviews with 17 organisations

• project visits

Four case studies were also developed.

The approach provides qualitative insight but is limited by inconsistent reporting, biased sampling and restricted quantitative data.

Findings

The Young Start projects delivered a wide range of benefits for children and young people. Increased confidence was the most common benefit, followed by improved:

• social networks

• skills development

• aspiration

• employability

• mental health

• independence

• The projects used:

• local assets including partners

• community facilities

• volunteers

• staff expertise

Young people were often involved in shaping activities, volunteering and delivering project elements. Involvement in management roles was less common.

The organisations involved benefitted from:

• growth

• increased capacity

• new service development

Many projects continued with further Young Start funding.

Considerations

When using these findings, consider that the evaluation reflects an early stage of evidence maturity. The data is inconsistent and there’s limited long‑term tracking.

The evidence is:

• largely qualitative

• based on self‑reported information

• based on a sample biased toward successful or continuing projects

The findings are an indication of what happened. They're not complete or comparable across all projects.