Impact and Insights: Work Pathways

We’re delighted to share our second Impact and Insights Report, focusing on Work Pathways. This report provides a deep dive into what we are learning about supporting people into work, helping with retention and progression, and embedding fair work practices to prevent and reduce poverty and trauma in Scotland.

The report explores patterns in practice, relevance to impact, and includes case studies throughout that shine a light on emerging practice, where grant holders are adapting to challenges and testing new ways to increase impact. 

View the report here. 

What are we learning?

Through our Work Pathways theme, we want to see a Scotland where paid work is a more reliable route out of poverty. We want to contribute to tackling the drivers of in-work poverty and to removing barriers so that more people can access fair work.

Analysis of grant holder reports, external data, and discussions at our collective sense-making event highlight several important insights:

• Barriers remain significant. Women, disabled people, parents, unpaid carers, those with convictions, and individuals from racialised minorities face the greatest challenges in accessing and sustaining employment.

• Employability services are under pressure. Increased demand, rising costs, and cuts to government funding mean many organisations are supporting people with more complex needs while facing financial insecurity themselves.

• Fair Work matters. Ensuring jobs are secure, fairly paid, and provide opportunities for progression is crucial to tackling poverty. Many of our grant holders are working directly with employers to embed fair work practices.

• Holistic approaches are most effective. One-to-one support, in-work aftercare, and integrated childcare provision all help to ensure people can not only access work but also thrive in it.

What is making a difference? 

Despite current challenges and issues on the horizon, our grant holders are continuing to make a real difference in preventing and reducing poverty and trauma across Scotland. The report highlights patterns in practice and emerging practice, including:

• DFN Project Search – advancing positive outcomes for young adults with a learning disability and/or autism to move from education into sustained employment. In 2023, 75% of interns were in work nine months after graduating.
• Skills Exchange SCIO – helping young people build wider outcomes such as confidence, resilience, and employability skills through their Let’s Grow project in South Lanarkshire.
• Fife Employment Access Trust – working alongside NHS partners to support people with severe mental health conditions into work, while also helping employers to create more inclusive workplaces.
• Works+ – delivering employability courses with long-term aftercare, ensuring over 90% of young people move into a positive destination. 
• Clackmannanshire Economic Regeneration Trust (CERT) – addressing childcare as a barrier to work by expanding local provision in partnership with community stakeholders.
• Worker Support Centre – providing vital advice and advocacy for migrant workers on restrictive visas while influencing policy at both Scottish and UK levels.

What’s Next?

Going forward, we are committed to:

• Expanding our collective sense-making sessions to include a wider range of stakeholders.

• Supporting delivery organisations to learn from impactful approaches such as holistic one-to-one support, employer engagement, and aftercare.

• Championing Fair Work more strongly, both in our role as an employer and through our funding.

• Working with other funders to grow long-term investment in employability across the full life cycle of support.

• Advocating for consistent commissioning models and stronger evaluation frameworks to demonstrate how access to Fair Work can provide a genuine route out of poverty.