Lone Parents Financial Capability Initiative

One Parent Families Scotland's - Choices service has been given funding through the Barclays Horizons programme to support lone parents in making the transition out of debt and poverty via a mix of support offerings; problem identification (via financial health checks) and prevention via financial training, and capacity building.

For some lone parents life can be very tough; money may be tight; it’s difficult to plan too far ahead and trying to mix paid work with bringing up children is a daunting prospect. That’s where Horizons can help. The service is directed at lone parents and practitioners regularly working with lone parents. It involves group training but also one to one work with lone parents who require this.

The service builds on the OPFS Free phone Helpline (0808 801 0323). A key element of this initiative will be the development of a partnership approach to lone parent financial capability particularly with local authority providers and Glasgow’s Advice & Information Network (GAIN) Through the Horizons Your Money programme, Choices will provide support and advice to lone parents on a whole range of money matters, covering everything from managing money and budgeting, to planning ahead for life transitions such as moving into training, education, employment or family change such as separation or bereavement

It is a two-year programme during which OPFS will focus on:

• Developing the reach of the programme including raising awareness amongst employability & advice agencies of the unique challenges lone parents face in achieving financial sustainability.
• Building OPFS internal capacity to offer a service responsive to the needs of lone parents facing debt and tax credit issues, and to work actively to support parents to move from ‘crisis mode’ into preventative financial sustainability.
• Develop close referral networks with existing debt advice agencies, to offer lone parents one to one debt advice.
• Enabling Lone Parents and intermediaries not covered by the Glasgow Horizons to be able to access the Horizons website or Lone Parent Helpline signposting to other sources of help.
• Developing a programme using volunteers to extend the reach of the project

OPFS will provide financial planning training on a one to one and group basis for lone parents. The Glasgow Horizons Financial Capability Worker, Ian Beattie, will maintain direct contact with lone parents and build up the inventory of real life case studies providing feedback of the impact of the programme. Ian is an experienced Money Adviser who most recently worked for Pollok Credit Union Budgeting Service.

OPFS aims to work in an integrated way with other Horizons partners to develop a programme for lone parents, which fits with the context of Glasgow’s employability & financial inclusion strategies.