Thriving, Not Just Surviving

Last updated: 01/11/2021

Improving Employability Support for Single Parents and Carers in Scotland

The findings

Research carried out for OPFS, funded by Oxfam Scotland, shows that a new approach to employability for single parents and carers is needed. This approach should put access to good-quality, sustainable and rewarding employment at the heart of its design and operations.

Key points

  • Given the consistent undervaluation of unpaid care and women’s work more generally, and the fact that 58% of unpaid carers and 91% of single parents are women, an intersectional and gendered lens should inform Scotland’s employability framework. This approach would support women who are single parents and carers into decent paid work and, crucially, to progress within it – thereby supporting them to increase their incomes.
  • Fair Start Scotland, the Scottish Government’s flagship employability programme, has taken a
    number of welcome and important steps towards a more effective and fairer model. However,
    there is more to do to establish a distinct Scottish approach to employability. Furthermore, there
    is evidence that some positive elements are not being routinely implemented, and qualitative
    research has found a reluctance to invest in more intensive interventions owing to the
    programme’s payment structures.
  • The Scottish Government should continue to use its powers to significantly accelerate delivery of
    a distinctive Scottish approach to employability, drawing on the effective and innovative
    approaches considered within this report.
  • There are numerous models for effective employability support. Our research has identified a 10-point framework of key criteria that best meet the needs of single parents and
    carers.
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

View Privacy policy

Covering your tracks

You may not want other people to know that you’ve been searching for information or help from OPFS.

When browsing the internet whether on a mobile phone, tablet or computer, you leave a ‘history’ trail of pages and sites you’ve visited.

It’s impossible to completely avoid being tracked online but if you’re worried about someone knowing which sites you’ve been looking at, there are some things you can do to help cover your tracks.

If you’re using a laptop or desktop computer, try keeping another document or website open in a new tab or window while browsing. If someone comes in the room and you don’t want them to see what you’re looking at, you can quickly switch to another window or tab.

Deleting browsing history

You can delete the history of websites you’ve visited, but it’s important to know that if you delete your browsing history, someone else using the same device may notice.

If you share a tablet, mobile phone, laptop or computer with someone, they might notice that passwords or website addresses have disappeared from their history.

Find out how to remove your browsing history and other data from some of the most commonly used browsers:

Browsing in Private mode (incognito)

When browsing ‘incognito’, the internet browser won’t store cookies or record your browsing history on the computer, mobile or tablet.

This option is available on popular web browsers i.e. -

Toolbars

If you use a search toolbar in your web browser, remember that your searched items can be saved as part of your history. Find out how to delete your searched items from the following search engines: