A Process Evaluation of Celtic Against Drugs and Rangers Positive Choices
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A Process Evaluation of Celtic Against Drugs and Rangers Positive Choices Crime and Justice and Crime A PROCESS EVALUATION OF CELTIC AGAINST DRUGS AND RANGERS POSITIVE CHOICES John Flint, Joe Crawford, Sadie Parr and Ryan Powell Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Stirling Scottish Government Social Research 2009 This report is available on the Scottish Government Social Research website only www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch. The views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and do not necessarily represent those of the Scottish Government or Scottish Ministers. © Crown Copyright 2009 Limited extracts from the text may be produced provided the source is acknowledged. For more extensive reproduction, please contact the Queens Printers of Scotland, Admail, ADM 4058, Edinburgh EH1 1NG. Email: [email protected] ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors of this report are grateful to all of the research participants, including the head teachers and class teachers of the participating schools and the representatives of the partner delivery agencies for the two projects. We are also grateful to Margaret Doran, Executive Director of Glasgow City Council for giving permission to the research team to contact the schools. We wish to thank the representatives of the football clubs in Scotland and England who participated in our survey and Alan White of the Heart of Midlothian Education and Community Trust and Mark Dunlop of the Scottish Football League for their insights and making important information available to us. We greatly appreciated the support and assistance of Gavin Gray of the Scottish Football Association in conducting the survey of Scottish football clubs. We wish to thank Robert Doherty, Michael O'Halloran and Sean Gallagher from the Celtic Foundation and Celtic Football Club and Colin Atkinson and Greg Statt of Rangers Football Club for all the assistance they provided to us during the research. We wish to acknowledge the expert contribution of the Research Advisory Group members: Gary Bannon, Drugs Policy Unit, the Scottish Government Gavin Gray, Project Manager of Citizenship Through Football, The Scottish Football Association George Mackie, Adviser in Employability and Regeneration, Glasgow City Council Education Services Professor Ade Kearns, Professor of Urban Studies, Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow. Sarah Miller, Education Analytical Services, the Scottish Government Dr. Paul Bennett, Senior Research Officer, Justice Analytical Services Division, Police and Community Safety Directorate of the Scottish Government, was an excellent project manager. Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 Background 1 Aims and objectives of the evaluation 1 Research methods 1 Main findings 2 Recommendations 2 1 INTRODUCTION 4 Introduction 4 Drug and alcohol misuse in Scotland 4 Scottish Government funding for the two projects 4 Aims and objectives of the evaluation 5 About this report 5 2 RESEARCH METHODS 6 Overview 6 Literature and web reviews 6 Surveys of football clubs in Scotland and England 6 Analysis of project documentation and teaching materials 7 Interviews and informal focus group 7 Observations of teaching and coaching sessions 8 Project management 8 Reflections on the research methods 8 3 DRUGS POLICY AND EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND 9 Introduction 9 Drugs and alcohol education for young people in Scotland 9 The approach to drugs and alcohol education in and outwith schools 10 Existing evaluation evidence about drugs and alcohol services in Scotland 11 Evaluating cost effectiveness 12 Existing evidence about drugs education in and outwith Scottish schools 12 The use of outside agencies 13 Drugs education outwith schools 14 Evidence and principles of effectiveness in drugs education in schools 14 Summary 16 4 FOOTBALL CLUBS' INVOLVEMENT IN HEALTHY LIFESTYLES EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND 17 Introduction 17 National initiatives 17 Results from the survey of Scottish football clubs 17 Projects including drugs education 18 Healthy eating and healthy lifestyles projects 19 Other projects 19 The impacts of football clubs' projects 19 Evidence from English Football League clubs 19 Summary 20 5 CELTIC AGAINST DRUGS 21 Introduction 21 Background 21 Aims and rationales 22 Targeting and diversity 23 Organisation, management and internal evaluation 24 Training, expertise and partnership 25 The quality and effectiveness of education 26 Project outcomes 29 Value for money 31 Summary 32 6 RANGERS POSITIVE CHOICES 33 Introduction 33 Background 33 Aims and rationales 34 Targeting and diversity 34 Organisation, management and internal evaluation 35 Training, expertise and partnership 37 The quality and effectiveness of education 38 Project outcomes 41 Value for money 42 Summary 43 7 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 44 Introduction 44 Evaluation of delivery and impacts 44 Comparative effectiveness 46 Comparing the projects to alternative delivery models 46 Value for money 47 Funding and partnership considerations 47 Recommendations 48 REFERENCES 50 ANNEX 1: SURVEY OF SCOTTISH FOOTBALL CLUBS 52 ANNEX 2: PARTICIPATING PRIMARY SCHOOLS 57 ANNEX 3: CLASS TEACHER INTERVIEW SCHEDULE 59 ANNEX 4: FURTHER INFORMATION ON FOOTBALL CLUB INITIATIVES 60 Introduction 60 National football initiatives in Scotland 60 Survey of SPL and SFL clubs 61 Projects Delivered by SPL and SFL clubs 61 Projects including drugs education 64 Projects Aimed at Healthy Eating and Lifestyles 64 Other Projects 65 National initiatives in England 65 Survey of English Premier League clubs 68 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background 1. In June 2009, the Scottish Government commissioned Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Stirling to undertake a process evaluation of the Celtic Against Drugs and Rangers Positive Choices projects. The projects had received Scottish Government funding for 2009-10 to deliver drugs education and promote healthy lifestyles and participation in diversionary activities to school children in Glasgow. Aims and objectives of the evaluation 2. The study aimed to evaluate the quality of the design and implementation of the Celtic Against Drugs and Rangers Positive Choices projects and their suitability and value for money as vehicles for drugs education and prevention. The objectives of the study were to examine: • the value for money of the projects in relation to all funding sources, with a particular focus on funding made available by the Scottish Government; • the quality of each project's organisation and management; • the quality of each project's recruitment and training, especially in equipping staff to meet children's educational, health and social needs; • the effectiveness of procedures for enrolling children in each programme, particularly insofar as they satisfy demand and target appropriate age groups; • the appropriateness of, and success in, meeting diversity objectives, including gender ratios and social, cultural and geographical coverage; • the effectiveness of the projects as diversionary activities, and the efforts made to encourage children to continue these activities after the end of the children's participation in the projects; • the projects' contribution to Curriculum for Excellence, including their success in providing substance misuse education, promoting active and healthy lifestyles in line with the Health and Wellbeing learning outcomes and deterring anti-social behaviour; • the quality of the projects' internal record keeping and evaluation processes The evaluation was also required to identify recommendations and examples of good practice. Research methods 3. The research included: a literature review; surveys of professional football clubs in Scotland and England; analysis of documentation and teaching materials related to the projects; interviews with the project managers, coaching staff, delivery partners and class teachers and an informal focus group held during a 'Day at Celtic' event; and observations of teaching and coaching sessions on both projects and the 'Day at Celtic' and parents' evening seminar for the Celtic Against Drugs project. 1 Main findings 4. The key findings of the research were: • Several football clubs in Scotland were engaged in projects that promoted messages of healthy lifestyles and participation in sport to children and young people. A far smaller number of clubs, including some in the lower divisions of the Scottish Football League delivered projects on drugs and alcohol awareness. These projects were funded by the clubs themselves or in partnership with public agencies, local authorities and the private sector. Many clubs did not have the financial resources or expertise to deliver drugs and alcohol projects. • The Celtic Against Drugs and Rangers Positive Choices projects were targeted at primary schools in the most deprived wards of Glasgow. Celtic Against Drugs delivered early preventative messages to P5 pupils. Rangers Positive Choices focused on equipping P7 pupils for the transition to secondary school. Both projects had successfully engaged with pupils from a range of backgrounds and their targeting and delivery models were appropriate and effective. • The Celtic Against Drugs and Rangers Positive Choices projects combined football coaching with educational messages on drugs and alcohol framed within the holistic and positive promotion of healthy lifestyles. The projects were primarily delivered by the football club coaches, with inputs from the Glasgow Council on Alcohol and Strathclyde Police, although the model of partner agencies' involvement