Impact reports

Last updated: 17/04/2025

To be able to capture the day to day experiences of single parents we are gathering feedback on some of the key issues single parents are facing during the cost of living crisis. We capture this feedback through our local and national services. A report is produced based on this feedback highlighting key themes which can then inform future service delivery and policy priorities.

My kids are still wee, and I want to be there to take them to school and pick them up and be there at things, but working this many hours there no way I can do this. I feel like I am letting them down and will be relying on other people to bring them up.

- Beth, Single parent

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View our latest report – Benefit Conditionality

OPFS regularly collects the experiences of single parents across Scotland. Through our six local services, national advice and information services and online support we capture key areas of concern for single parent families.

The themes for the period of January, February and March 2025, fall under the following broad headings:

1. Financial concerns and poverty
2. Sole carer & provider responsibility
3. Domestic violence/coercive control.
4. Child maintenance

Spotlight

In each report, we spotlight a specific topic with more in-depth coverage. In this edition, the focus is on benefit conditionality.

We remain ever vigilant to the needs of the single parent families. We are committed to advocating for positive social change on their behalf.

There are five elements to our impact tracking model:

  • Gathering knowledge: Parent’s experience is systematically collected and analysed.
  • Monitoring Emerging Issues: Emerging issues are drawn out and highlighted.
  • OPFS Response: Our services respond by working to meet the needs identified.
  • Dissemination and Communication: Emerging issues communicated to key influencers.
  • Single Parent Proofing: Using single parent feedback to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of policy and practice so that they respond effectively to the
    needs of single parents.
Download Issue 31 - Benefit Conditionality

 

 

Previous reports

Download Issue 30 - Cost of Christmas Download Issue 29 - Two Child Limit in UC Download Issue 28 - Domestic Abuse Download Issue 27 - Disability Download Impact report - 26 - DWP Managed Migration Download Issue 25 - The Cost of Christmas Download Issue 24 - Asylum Seeker and Refugee Parents Download Issue 23 - Mental Health Download Issue 22 - Child Maintenance Download Issue 21 - Pre-paid meters and self disconnection Download Issue 20 - Debt - Nov 22 Download Issue 19 - Food affordability - Sep 22 Download Issue 18 - Cost of the school holidays - July 22 Download Apr / May 22 - Cost of living Download January / February 22 Download October / November 21 Download July / August 2021 Download May / Jun 2021 Download April 2021 Download February 2021 Download March 2020 Download April 2020 Download May 2020 Download June 2020 Download July 2020 Download August 2020 Download September 2020 Download October 2020 Download November 2020 Download December 2020 - January 2021
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