Theory of Change

 

Our revised Theory Of Change

 

Making Attendance Everyone’s Business with purpose: From Absence to Belonging

Please click on the revised theory of change below that has benefited from two year’s of contributions by hundreds of stakeholders in Redcar & Cleveland including young people, parents, family members, education, statutory, voluntary and community sector members. It seeks to capture on a single page the way in which working together we can prevent and reduce future levels of persistent and severe absence.

By making attendance everyone’s business we should be able to intervene earlier with young people and families that may be struggling; listen to and understand them; and nurture and support them. Should they start to become absent, then we want to make sure we work to support them in a FAB way, that is to say, with a team around them that can help them on a journey From Absence to Belonging.

 

 How we want to make change happen...

• If we listen carefully to children, young people and families so we understand what’s really going on in their lives — without blaming or shaming anyone
• And we work together as a team — schools, families, services, and the community — to give the right support at the right time, in a kind and understanding way
• And we make sure schools, colleges and other learning places feel safe, welcoming and exciting — places where children want to be and feel like they belong
• Then children and young people will feel happier, more confident, and better supported to come to school, join in, and do well — helping them build a brighter future.

 

Making Attendance Everyone’s Business: What we want to do and what difference we want it to make

 

What we will do (Interventions / Actions)	Short-term outcomes (2024-2026)	Medium-term outcomes (2026-2030)	Long-term outcomes (by 2040)
Build trusted relationships: children and families have a voice, feel heard, no blame or shame – communication is better all round	Children and families feel listened to and understood; needs are clearer by understanding lived experience	Stronger trust between home, school and services	Children feel valued, safe, and included in school life
Develop trauma-informed, relationship-centred practices across schools and services	Staff feel more confident and equipped; support feels kinder and fairer	Joined up working around each child’s needs	The system is known for caring and effective support
Provide mentoring, coaching, and trusted adults	Children feel supported and motivated	More children regularly attend and engage well	Absence is the exception, not the norm
Strengthen “Team Around” models for families, schools, and communities with targeted response to meet individual needs	Families feel supported as part of a team	Families feel more confident to help their child attend well	Families feel resilient, engaged, and positive about education
Improve links between health and attendance support: health services work with schools and families to address health-related barriers	Health-related attendance barriers are identified and addressed more quickly; children access support earlier	Health needs are better met in ways that support good attendance; fewer absences linked to health conditions	Health and education work hand-in-hand; children’s health needs no longer a major barrier to attendance
Create joyful, safe, welcoming learning environments	Children feel safer, happier, and more willing to come to school	Children see school as a place they belong and want to be	Redcar & Cleveland known for inspiring education where children thrive
Improve communication, data use, and early help offers	Barriers spotted earlier; support reaches families faster	Earlier intervention prevents persistent absence	System is proactive, not reactive, in tackling attendance issues
Test place-based pilot approaches and scale what works	Local areas see attendance improve; learning what works	More communities benefit from approaches that remove barriers	Modern, flexible, inclusive system that motivates and supports attendance

 

How we started the theory of change process back in 2023

Please click on the various presentation packs below to see the Theory of Change (ToC) that emerged from work in 2023. Skyblue facilitated a 10 Step Process developed by NPC (New Philanthropy Capital) and the ToC was shaped between October and December by 23 willing contributors with different professional and lived expertise.

The reflective process enabled us to not only think about ‘the problem,’ but the causes, the consequences and the enablers of different changes (outcomes) that might be possible for children, young people, families, schools, colleges & learning settings, services and communities. It has helped us define a set of related short, medium and long-term goals that we want to embed and activate across Redcar & Cleveland together and it has given a clearer rationale for why we might explore different types of solutions and interventions to achieve those changes. Importantly, this has not been about what services can do for children, young people or families (though clearly there are services in place to support), rather it is about developing a system where attendance is everyone’s business – everyone contributes something and in doing so the changes are more likely to endure beyond the resources or ability of any single organisation or setting. 

If there is interest, we can happily deliver an online seminar to talk through the ToC so everyone can see where they feel they might contribute over time. Please contact alan@skyblue.org.uk if this is something you would appreciate. 

If more people get behind this ToC and its ambition there’s a much greater chance that each person can go back to their own setting where they have influence and make simple, incremental improvements to the way they do things, the decisions they make or approaches they take. This is what we would dearly love to see – small changes across more settings that affect more children and young people so that they feel equipped and motivated to attend well, with the support and backing of their family who similarly feel able to support these positive routines in a stigma and judgement-free system.

Downloads

 

Making Attendance Everyone’s Business Theory of Change – Poster Version

Making Attendance Everyone’s Business Theory of Change – Shorthand Visuals

Making Attendance Everyone’s Business Theory of Change – Detailed Version