At Circle we actively listen to the voices of all the family members we work with and provide them with a platform to be heard. We’ve included examples below of how we work alongside children and families to share amplify their voices.
Circle developed the below infographic to share our learnings from our involvement in Together’s State of Children’s Rights Report!
Way Forward for Families Focus Group – Prestonpans Community Centre, 24th September 2025
Family members in East Lothian were invited to attend a two-hour ‘soup and sandwich’ focus group at Prestonpans Community Centre. The session was attended by two mums, one dad, one granny and one young person. Another parent who had planned to attend was unfortunately unable to do so due to ill health. Transport support was offered to ensure families could participate where needed.
The purpose of the focus group was to gather honest feedback to help shape and develop the service moving forward. Participants were reassured that discussions would remain confidential and were encouraged to share their views on what aspects of the service have helped improve their lives and the lives of their families, as well as any areas where improvements could be made.
Using a simple traffic light activity, family members and staff worked together to identify what was working well, what could be improved and what new ideas could be explored. The informal and welcoming approach encouraged open conversation, and participants quickly shared their experiences and insights. The key themes and feedback gathered through the session are highlighted in the infographic linked below.
Circle DADtastic: Challenge Poverty Campaign 2023
Circle is supporting Challenge Poverty Week. Challenge Poverty Week (2nd-8th October) is a Scottish-wide campaign that aims to highlight that too many people are living in poverty and showcase the positive action being taken to combat this.
Our Fundraising Team met with the Circle DADtastic group to get their perspectives on adequate incomes.
Family support
Circle works with the whole family. One father, Steven, gives his views on the type and impact of support that worked for him. He describes a respectful and trusting relationship with his Family Outreach Worker and the gains of his efforts in relation to lots of different aspects of his life. Find out more by watching the video.
One-to-one support for children
Circle also provides one-to-one support for children to help them understand changes within their family, listen to their views and help them to express these views within the family or with professionals; also to help them understand their parents’ recovery journey and their own needs within this. We use creative approaches and resources to help children express their emotions, build their confidence, identify their strengths and learn to cope with difficulties.
An example of a conversation between a young person and a Circle Family Outreach Worker can be viewed here, between Lewis and Bob.
SHANARRI Safari
We are working with families on a journey to explore, discuss & understand what wellbeing means to them.
We are using the 8 wellbeing indicators from the Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) national practice framework, which are: Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, Included (SHANARRI).
We are learning together with families what each of the wellbeing indicators mean to them from their own unique experiences. This will help us to understand our approaches to planning and support.