Renfrewshire Primary Support Project

Project: Renfrewshire Primary Support Project

Funding: £205,000, consisting of £167,000 from Renfrewshire Council and £38,000 from Action for Children Scotland

Aim: To prevent children from becoming young offenders and improve parenting skills

The Renfrewshire Primary Support Project, managed by Action for Children Scotland, offers support to children from eight primary schools in one of Scotland's most deprived areas. Children referred to the early intervention service have usually been identified as having behavioural problems - such as aggression - or problems with self-esteem.

The project, which supports around 35 children, uses a variety of approaches, including one-to-one sessions, group work and intervention in schools and with families. It also offers programmes to help improve parenting skills. An independent evaluation of the project by the University of Edinburgh found that it reduced school exclusion, improved behaviour and increased parenting ability.

John Duffy, project manager, says early intervention is key to stopping children from getting involved in crime. "I've worked in projects with older young offenders and it's harder to produce results because problems have had time to accumulate. Early intervention is demonstrably more effective," he says. "The children we're targeting come from deprived areas. Parents may be affected by poverty, domestic violence or alcohol issues, limiting their ability to help their children get the best out of the education system."

Children are usually involved in the project for around a year. Occasionally, support is extended beyond the age of 11 to help children make the move to secondary school, as Duffy says this transition can be particularly difficult. "We'll meet the key people involved to give an idea of the work undertaken, the areas that have improved and ongoing support needs."