Community / Anchor project praised for ‘commitment to early intervention’
A PROJECT set up to support Shetland families affected by rising living costs has been praised as a “leader in social action”.
Its work has been commended in a report led by Robert Gordon University (RGU).
The Anchor project – set up in 2018 with support from the National Lottery Community Fund, with Shetland Islands Council as its host organisation and support coming from a range of partners – looks to help families identify and solve problems to prevent crisis happening in the first place.
Now named Anchor for Families, it offers practical help, such as food parcels and clothing, as well as a friendly ear to anyone experiencing poverty, isolation, health or social problems.
A team of academics from RGU worked with the Shetland Partnership from 2022 to 2023 and gathered feedback from families, project workers and stakeholders to assess the impact of the Anchor project on families living in poverty in Shetland.
The Anchor team was praised for working closely with families in need to help them access fuel vouchers, food or children’s clothing, and for establishing face-to-face contacts that have built up trust and broken-down barriers with support services.
The report highlights that Anchor’s support is seen as being a “listening, befriending and boundary spanning” agency linking service that has grown organically in response to the needs of the community.
RGU’s associate dean for research Professor Catriona Kennedy, who led the study, said: “A key part of Anchor Shetland’s success has been the project’s problem-solving and practical approach. If a child needs shoes or a warm coat, Anchor workers prioritise this, without the need to know why in the first instance.
“This speaks to the non-judgemental, openness, compassion, humanity, and kindness we identified as part of the Anchor approach, building trust, and encouraging long-term independence and sustainability.
“There is a sense of place and belonging for leaders, workers, and communities. Passion for improvement is visible and permeates throughout Anchor. Shetland is their community, and they want it to be an inclusive and fair place to live and work.
“A commitment to early intervention, prevention and interdisciplinary working underpins Anchor. By drawing services together, such as social work, the Shetland Family Centre and a ‘no door is wrong door’ policy, Anchor is taking a multiagency lead, to ensure people have a better and fairer society in Shetland.”
One parent who used the service said a project worker was the “first person in a long time who really helped me”.
“I wouldn’t have what I do now if it hadn’t been for her,” they added.
“She listened to me, connected me with agencies, telephoned, sent emails, shared information and attended meetings with me.
“The agencies I’d dealt with before, were often dismissive and unhelpful.
“An Anchor worker came to my child’s school and helped me have my voice heard. She took me to a hub for food and clothes which was a life saver.
“She helped me access a Chrome book for the kids to do their homework. She gave me energy support for my quarterly bills and provided a food parcel for Xmas.
“The project worker has been my anchor. I think the project’s great, and I cannot think of anything it could do more of. It just needs to do what it does, for more people.”
SIC leader Emma Macdonald said: “I am very proud of the work of many council staff and partner organisations, for their commitment to develop a whole family approach that suits our island communities.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the families who were involved in developing the support now in place, and to those who participated in this valuable piece of research.”
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