Early Outcomes and Emerging Impact
On this page, we share feedback from families who have engaged with Families Together East Lothian, alongside a series of short videos in which leaders and practitioners reflect on the impact of the improvement work. Contributors discuss how improvement work has strengthened early help and whole family support locally, enhanced partnership working, and encouraged new ways of working across services. Practitioners also highlight how a shared focus on prevention has strengthened practice, enabling them to provide more coordinated, responsive and family-centred support for children, young people and families. You can also read a case study written by The Children and Young People Improvement Collaborative (CYPIC) and a CELCIS feature story that showcase the progress made by the East Lothian Collaborative Partnership and highlight key achievements from the first two years of the collaboration. Feedback from families
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Feedback gathered from families who have engaged with Families Together East Lothian (FTEL) has highlighted the value of the team’s compassionate, person-centred approach. 100% of families surveyed said support was what they expected. Examples of direct feedback from families include: “I think everyone in a similar situation would benefit massively. Even just to be able to talk about concerns openly is extremely helpful!” “It (FTEL support) was more than what was expected. Which I am very pleased with. The help was not only with my younger ones. The support was also extended to my boys as well. with ongoing issues in school and also with rebellious behaviour at home with one of my sons. The support and encouragement help me a lot. Which is appreciated” “Our Family Outreach Worker was fantastic. She had lots of ideas and information regarding opportunities in our local area (that I would have never heard about otherwise). She was also caring and knowledgeable, and took the time to get to know the whole family. I know my son was sad when our time came to an end” Turning whole family principles into practice in East Lothian At the Scottish Government Whole Family Support event at the SEC Glasgow on 24 September 2025, Gavin Russell, CYPIC Portfolio Lead for Children’s Services, Priorities and Family Support, described how national whole family support policies and principles have been translated into meaningful support for families across East Lothian. Gavin highlights how using the Quality Improvement Journey has helped the Change Team build a clearer picture of what families need and experience, strengthen relationships with partners, and use data and learning to test and refine new approaches. Gavin also highlights the scale of impact since the whole system change programme began in 2023, with over 740 families supported through whole family early help. This includes 419 families receiving direct one to one outreach support and a further 329 families supported through community groups and drop in offers, shaped by the contributions of more than 20 partner organisations. Acknowledge who filmed this session Button: Watch the video [hyperlink to a clipped version of this longer video, from the start to 5:20]. https://speakeasy.eventsair.com/whole-family-support/plenary-sessions Flexible, values-led leadership enabling responsive support for families Caroline Rodgers, Strategic Lead for Prevention at East Lothian Council and a member of the East Lothian Change Team, highlights the importance of a shared vision, a deliberate approach to change that recognises families and front-line workers as experts, and her focus on creating the conditions that enable teams to deliver the outcomes that matter most for families. Button: Watch the video Caroline Rodgers rough edit v_1.mp4 Structured improvement centred on family voice Lauren Nicolson, Project Manager for Families Together East Lothian, explains how family voice shapes decision-making, how feedback and data inform the design and delivery of whole family support in local communities, and the value of a structured approach to improvement. Button: Watch the video East Lothian 1 Lauren v3 Creating opportunities for families to influence change Zoe Thomson, Participation Officer for Families Together East Lothian, shares how colleagues have created ways for families and young people to influence change and how this approach allows the team to respond quickly to feedback, demonstrate impact, and ensure support reflects what matters to families. Button: Watch the video East Lothian Zoe Thomson.mp4 Making it easier for families to access support in their communities Claire Shearer and Audrey Menzies, Family Outreach Workers at Families Together East Lothian, explain the different types of support families may need, how they use families’ strengths to guide that support, and how being based in local communities helps them build trust and reduce stigma around asking for help. Button: Watch the video CAPTIONED East Lothian FTEL Our Story v2.mp4 Supporting confident, responsive practice through structured improvement Audrey Menzies and Claire Shearer, Family Outreach Workers at Families Together East Lothian, share how a clear, structured approach to improvement and implementation work is helping them use their professional skills more confidently, and how a flexible way of working ensures families get the support they need, when they need it. Button: Watch the video CAPTIONED East Lothian Quality Improvement and Active Implementation v3.mp4
Visit our learning and resources pages to access video, webinar and reading resources that provide insight into how national policies, principles and ambitions for whole family support in Scotland are being translated into meaningful support for families at a local level. They also highlight how learning and progress in local areas are, in turn, helping to strengthen whole family support across Scotland.