Research and analysis

Multiply deep dive research: Delivering adult numeracy skills in Scotland

Published 3 December 2025

Applies to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Executive summary

Introduction

Summary of Multiply

• Multiply was a 3 year, up to £559 million programme, designed to improve the functional numeracy skills of adults across the UK.
• This funding enabled lead Local Authorities (LAs) to develop local solutions to improve the functional maths skills of adults.
• Multiply included flexibilities that enabled the development of new and innovative projects, which often contextualised numeracy in the real world, enabling learners to develop and apply numeracy skills in a novel way.
• In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Multiply funding was also available to address the numeracy needs of 16 to 19 year olds at risk of being Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

Research aims and context

This is one of a series of deep dives conducted to identify lessons from the Multiply programme from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The research presented here explores how Multiply has been developed and delivered in Falkirk. The analysis identifies some of the key challenges faced and highlights lessons emerging from innovative and promising practice.

This builds on evidence of Multiply processes collected through the UKSPF place level evaluations in Glasgow, Edinburgh, North Ayrshire, Highland, North Wales, Mid Wales, South East Wales, South West Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Department for Education are conducting a full evaluation of the processes and impact of Multiply across England.

Key findings

Mixed-Methods Delivery Approach: The Multiply programme in Falkirk utilised a combination of in-house services and externally commissioned projects. The Community Learning Development (CLD) team collaborated with external service providers and community groups to develop new numeracy projects and integrate numeracy into existing provision. This approach ensured that numeracy education was relevant to learners’ daily experiences and was delivered in familiar community settings, enhancing engagement, especially among seldom-heard groups.

Flexibility and Innovation in Delivery: The flexibility of the Multiply programme allowed for innovative approaches to intervention content and delivery. Numeracy elements were embedded in various community activities, leisure courses, vocational training, and sporting activities. This flexibility enabled partners to align projects with their organisational objectives while achieving Multiply outputs and outcomes. Adjustments were made throughout the delivery period to respond to local experiences and demand and ensure effective use of resources.

Challenges in Promoting Numeracy: Promoting maths and numeracy-based courses was challenging due to learners’ anxiety and reluctance to engage with maths. This reluctance affected the achievement of qualifications and required innovative approaches to make numeracy appealing. Delivery partners adopted strategies such as contextualising numeracy within practical activities and sometimes ‘hiding’ the maths to make learning more engaging.

Engaging Seldom-Heard Cohorts: Adults without a maths qualification often faced multiple barriers to engaging with learning activities. Language skills posed additional challenges for speakers of other languages. Understanding learners’ needs and providing appropriate support were crucial for engagement. Delivery partners and the CLD team adopted a reflective approach, continuously evaluating and adapting courses to meet learners’ needs.

Importance of Networks and Partnerships: Networks and partnerships played a key role in the successful delivery of Multiply. Positive working relationships with Falkirk Council’s CLD team and other local partners facilitated innovation and problem-solving. Trust between local partners and with potential learners was essential for supporting engagement and ensure the success of the initiatives.

Lessons learnt

Strong partnerships and networks: Building and maintaining strong partnerships with local stakeholders, including community organisations, colleges, and voluntary sectors, is crucial. These partnerships facilitate a comprehensive understanding of local needs, enable resource sharing, and support the development of initiatives that are relevant and impactful. Councils and central government should invest time and resources in relationship-building to ensure effective collaboration and problem-solving.

Flexible and innovative approaches: Flexibility in programme design and delivery allows for adaptations based on local conditions and feedback. Innovative approaches, such as embedding numeracy into practical activities like sports, cooking, and vocational training, can make learning more engaging and relevant. Councils and central government should encourage flexibility in funding and delivery mechanisms to enable local adaptation and responsiveness to changing needs and circumstances.

Understand and Address Learners’ Needs: Tailoring interventions to the specific needs and to address the barriers faced by different learner cohorts is essential for effective engagement. Continuous evaluation and adaptation of courses based on learner feedback can ensure that initiatives remain relevant and effective.

1. Introduction

1.1. Multiply was a 3 year programme, delivering up to £559 million to improve the functional numeracy skills of adults across the UK. The programme ran from 2022 to March 2025 and was delivered alongside the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

1.2. Multiply was delivered by lead Local Authorities (LAs) in Scotland and Wales, by MHCLG in Northern Ireland and by the Department for Education in England, with MHCLG transferring funding to cover costs.

1.3. This funding enabled lead LAs to develop initiatives that addressed local numeracy needs, to boost people’s confidence in these skills and their ability to use maths in everyday life and supported learners to achieve a numeracy qualification. Multiply included flexibilities that enabled the development of new and innovative projects, which often contextualised numeracy in the real world, enabling learners to develop and apply numeracy skills in a novel way.

1.4. Multiply interventions were targeted at adults (19+) who had not previously attained a Level 2/ SCQF Level 5 or higher maths qualification. These learners could have a specific numeracy need for work progression or want to improve their numeracy skills to help everyday living. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where the school leaving age is 16, Multiply funding could also apply to 16- to 19-year-olds who were Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) .

1.5. Multiply guidance encouraged lead LAs to develop interventions in partnership with providers and employers, as well as other partners in their local area to maximise value for money and ensure delivery of effective learner solutions.

1.6. This report presents the findings from the UKSPF place based evaluation for Scottish places on how Multiply has been implemented, along with a deep dive into the design and delivery of Multiply interventions and initiatives in Falkirk. This deep dive identifies the challenges experienced and lessons learned, along with innovative and promising practice.

2. Aims and methods

Evaluating Multiply: UKSPF Place evaluation

2.1. Multiply in England has been evaluated by the Department for Education; in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (SWNI) Multiply has been evaluated by MCHLG within the place-level element of the UKSPF evaluation.

2.2. The place-level case study element of UKSPF evaluation focuses on up to 34 lead LAs with the aim of building a detailed understanding of how UKSPF has worked in different places. As part of this work, research teams for Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland are exploring a common set of process evaluation questions (see Table 1) to understand how Multiply has been implemented in the case-study areas outside of England: South West Wales, South East Wales, North Wales, Mid Wales, Northern Ireland (economic inactivity project), Glasgow City Region, Edinburgh, Highlands and North Ayrshire. This has utilised qualitative methods only, through interviews with Multiply leads in LAs and some local delivery partners.

Table 1: Multiply Process Evaluation in Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland: Example research questions

• How were the spending decisions made?
• Which specific cohorts did you choose to target?
• Which specific barriers have you faced in delivering Multiply interventions, and how have you responded to them?
• What level of confidence would you have in delivering numeracy support again?

Deep dive research in Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland

2.3. To complement the place-level Multiply process evaluation work a series of deep dives have been conducted to explore delivery processes and identify lessons around innovative and promising practice, as well as to understand the challenges faced by specific place-based Multiply programmes in Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland. The deep dives have been conducted in Falkirk (Scotland), Wrexham (Wales) and Department for the Economy interventions in Northern Ireland. The Department for Education are conducting a full evaluation of the processes and impact of Multiply across England.

Scotland – Deep dive research focus and methodology

2.4. Falkirk was identified by the MHCLG Scottish engagement team as a lead LA which had demonstrated an innovative approach to delivering Multiply. To find out more about how Multiply had been developed and delivered in Falkirk a series of semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with officials from the local council (2) and local delivery partners (5). These interviews explored the processes involved with developing and delivering Multiply projects, the different cohorts targeted, as well as outputs and outcomes, including additional outcomes.

2.5. Evidence for the case studies presented in Falkirk Council’s Multiply Portfolio for November 2024 has also been reviewed and included in this deep dive.

3. Summary findings from Scottish place-level evaluations

Funding context

3.1. Scotland was allocated a total of £36.6 million Multiply funding and each lead LA developed their own programme of Multiply projects. As part of the place-level UKSPF evaluation, local research teams explored the implementation of Multiply in City of Edinburgh, Glasgow City Region (GCR), Highlands and North Ayrshire.

3.2. Table 2 details the Multiply allocations for the lead LA included in UKSPF place based evaluations along with Falkirk.

Table 2: Multiply allocations per head of population

Lead Local Authority	Multiply Allocation (*)	Multiply allocation per head of population aged 19+
Scotland	£36,604,310	£8.28
City of Edinburgh	£2,141,036	£4.94
Glasgow City Region	£12,757,406	£8.52
Highland	£1,631,153	£8.50
North Ayrshire	£1,070,795	£9.92
Falkirk	£1,067,855	£8.44

*Full Multiply Allocations by lead LA UKSPF allocations (2022-2025) - GOV.UK

3.3. Key messages from the place-level research on Multiply with the above Scottish lead LAs include:

Design

• Partnership has been crucial to designing local Multiply provision. Governance and development processes have brought together various stakeholders, including local authorities, the voluntary and community sector, local colleges and universities.
• Lead LAs with existing numeracy Programmes built on their existing knowledge and experience to develop their local Multiply offer. Local Authorities’ Community Learning and Development teams played a key role in this approach.
• Avoiding duplication was a key consideration when designing Multiply provision.
• Consideration was also given to how Multiply provision could support the strategic aims of other elements of UKSPF funding, particularly under the People and Skills theme.
• Some areas had not identified numeracy skills as a specific need. These lead LAs had to design an approach to deliver numeracy skills training and associated projects from scratch.

Delivery

• Multiply projects often provided numeracy skills under a broader banner of life skills and financial literacy. These include practical skills such as cooking or DIY, as well as support for budgeting and managing debt. This approach aimed to improve residents’ confidence with numbers in a more engaging way.
• Multiply has been delivered through a mixture of LA provision and commissioned projects and services.
• Multiply provision has been developed for a broad range of potential learners, including those seldom heard from, such as, parents/guardians and their children, Gypsy/ traveller communities, individuals engaged with the justice system and Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL learners).
• GCR managed marketing for Multiply at a regional level and established governance processes to support this.

Flexibilities

• Multiply funding provided an opportunity to offer additional support to those who face multiple and complex barriers to engagement through bespoke projects.
• Expanding eligibility criteria to include 16-year-olds in Multiply projects was a positive development, allowing delivery partners to engage with those who were NEET.
• The regional approach adopted by GCR allowed Multiply underspend in one Member Authority (MA) to be redirected to another, enabling collaboration to maximise outputs and to ensure that local spend was as beneficial as possible.

Challenges

• The take-up rate for Multiply was lower than for training initiatives delivered under the People and Skills theme. This highlights the challenges associated with engaging learners in numeracy. As one interviewee stated: “maths is not the easiest thing to sell”.
• The short-term timescales of Multiply made it difficult to allocate resources effectively and ensure that all spending within the limited time period was “worthwhile”.
• Limited timeframes for design and delivery restricted lead LAs ability to act as strategically as possible.
• Separating the numeracy projects delivered under Multiply from broader People and Skills projects hindered some lead LAs from providing comprehensive support to address the full range of employability barriers, as numeracy was delivered independently.

4. Falkirk deep dive: Place context

4.1 Falkirk Council received £1.07million in Multiply funding which provided an opportunity to target numeracy related skills-gaps with the aim of improving people’s lives and life chances and supporting some learners at an early stage in their path to employment.

4.2 The Council’s Community Learning and Development (CLD) team led the local Multiply programme using a mixed delivery model. Partner organisations, including Cyrenians, Forth Valley College, The Larder and Falkirk Community Football Foundation, were commissioned to deliver specific projects and CLD Support Workers also directly delivered some projects.

4.3 A partnership approach was central to the delivery of Multiply in Falkirk. The CLD team and commissioned delivery partners collaborated with a wide range of organisations to extend the reach of Multiply. This included building relationships with other Council departments, local community centre management committees, training providers, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), temporary accommodation providers, and English for Speakers of Other Languages(ESOL) services.

4.4 Working in partnership helped to engage seldom heard learners, with Multiply provision targeted at groups such as the recovery community, ESOL learners, individuals in temporary accommodation, one parent families, young parents, people with learning disabilities, ex-prisoners, care-experienced young people and care homes residents. Working in partnership with organisations who support these leaners helped ensure provision was appropriate and provided existing links to engage these cohorts.

4.5 Falkirk’s Multiply programmes were designed to engage learners by contextualising numeracy in activities relevant to learners’ interests and needs. The interventions delivered by Multiply funding in Falkirk are listed in Table 3.

Table 3: Multiply interventions delivered by Falkirk Council

S42: Courses designed to increase confidence with numbers for those needing the first steps towards formal qualifications.
S43: Courses for parents wanting to increase their numeracy skills in order to help their children and help with their own progression.
S44: Courses aimed at prisoners, those recently released from prison or on temporary licence.
S45: Courses aimed at people who can’t apply for certain jobs because of lack of numeracy skills and/or to encourage people to upskill in order to access a certain job/career.
S46: Additional relevant maths modules embedded into other vocational courses.
S49: Courses designed to help people use numeracy to manage their money.
S51: Activities, courses or provision developed in partnership with community organisations and other partners aimed at engaging the hardest to reach learners – for example, those not in the labour market or other groups identified locally as in need.

5. Falkirk deep dive Findings

5.1. Multiply intervention design

Local processes, structures and approaches

5.1.1. Before Multiply funding was introduced, Falkirk Council held discussions with potential delivery partners to understand how they could support adult numeracy skills. The UKSPF team developed an initial programme plan that included eight interventions, 4 to be commissioned and 4 to be delivered by the Community Learning Development team (CLD). However, this approach was revised in light of practical considerations once a Multiply team leader was appointed at the start of the second year of the programme.

5.1.2. These practical considerations included the capacity of local delivery partners and their willingness to bid to deliver the different initiatives. For example, no organisation applied to deliver “Innovative programmes with employers” (S47) so that was removed from the plan.

5.1.3. Delivery partners developed bids for Multiply projects that met the needs of their client groups, were deliverable and enabled achievement of Multiply objectives. The flexible nature of Multiply funding enabled delivery partners to consider new ways of delivering numeracy skills, for example through sport, cookery and other life-skills provision. CLD delivered provision was accredited through a partnership with West Lothian Council Adult Learning Service.

5.1.4. The Multiply team leader had extensive experience of community work and was responsible for the delivery and management of Multiply with a small in-house team delivering some interventions directly. Other specific interventions were commissioned from existing delivery partners. The team leader had strong working relationships with many local partners, including those commissioned to deliver Multiply initiatives and this helped to facilitate a shared vision for Multiply and support active problem solving.

Design challenges

5.1.5. Local Capacity: The introduction of Multiply created a demand for community education workers across Scotland. The limited number of skilled individuals coupled with the short-term nature of these positions made staffing difficult, causing delays in delivery and reduced capacity. To address this, Falkirk restructured their staffing to include support workers managed by a community education worker. This adaptation was a practical change supported timely delivery of the programme but required time to build capacity through enhanced initial training and support for new staff.

So we restructured… and put our community education worker in to manage a team of support workers. To adapt to what we had at the time to try and get the project done.

5.1.6. Understanding local needs: Developing numeracy provision on the scale enabled by Multiply funding was challenging. Numeracy skills had not been a particular priority for Falkirk, making it difficult to establish appropriate output targets due to unknown demand and need. For example, more local college learners than anticipated had achieved a SCQF Level 5 in maths, so consequently the targets for one of the interventions delivered by the college needed revising.

5.1.7. Capacity of local delivery partners: Both the scale and time constraints associated with Multiply placed demands on potential delivery partners. These organisations invested in new approaches and resources to deliver numeracy skills, developing new projects at pace. For some this was the first time numeracy had been a priority, and this was a novel project for them to deliver.

5.1.8. Identifying appropriate output and outcome targets: The novelty of some of the Multiply initiatives for delivery partners made it difficult to identify appropriate output and outcome targets at the design stage, due to uncertainty around potential take up. To address this, some anticipated outputs and outcomes were revised during delivery.

5.1.9. Maths hesitancy: Interviewees reported that some community stakeholders expressed concerns about engaging in numeracy provision, for example some anticipated that their members would not be interested in engaging in numeracy skills and this hampered access to potential learners. One interviewee provided examples of where they had not been able to engage community groups in numeracy initiatives, either because members already had maths qualifications or members didn’t feel that numeracy was pertinent to the objectives of their group, for example support groups for those with specific medical conditions.

5.1.10. Some providers also had capacity challenges related to limited confidence of some staff in delivering numeracy elements of the initiatives.

[some of our staff]… seem to have a real barrier towards numbers and numeracy and a lot of my staff would rather deliver problem solving or working with others or a well-being award, but numeracy was not their bag, so we had to bring some associates to support me with that

5.1.11. Partnership working: Effective partnership working and building on existing relationships has supported the delivery of Multiply. However, relationship building and partnership working still required an investment of time and resources by the by the CLD Multiply team.

Lessons from designing Multiply

5.1.12. The Falkirk CLD Multiply team demonstrated a pragmatic approach to problem solving during the design of the local Multiply offer. Lessons from the design phase include:

• The value of working in partnership with local stakeholders to ensure that a range of local needs and opportunities are identified and understood. This helps to inform the development of initiatives that address these needs.
• The importance of relationships with local community networks when developing projects that would engage local residents and seldom-heard groups.
• How adopting a flexible approach when working in a new programme area allows new knowledge and understanding to be taken into consideration and acted on, for example feedback from participants helped shape the content of following courses, and experience of what worked, or didn’t when engaging different cohorts of learners, informed approaches to promoting Multiply activities.
• Understanding the capacity and capabilities of local delivery partners and internal teams ensures appropriate and deliverable initiatives are developed.
• The importance of getting people with the right skill mix in post at the right time.
• The value of a flexible approach to problem solving, particularly when working at scale and pace, this included realigning funding to support provision with the highest demand and opening up places to learners that did not meet the eligibility criteria to prevent empty spaces.
• Understanding the challenges faced by local delivery partners during the design period helps to facilitate the development of innovative projects.
• The value of existing partnerships, relationships and networks when developing a new programme. These included relationships that were both internal and external to the council. Multiply team members were able to draw on their relationships with colleagues in other council teams to encourage them to engage with the new opportunities offered by Multiply. And existing relationships with external organisations made it easier to promote involvement with Multiply.
• The benefit of building on existing provision and experience as well as designing new interventions.
• The ability of new funding to facilitate new learning, as one interviewee said “multiply has allowed us to do an awful lot of learning”

5.2. Intervention delivery

Delivery overview

5.2.1. The Multiply programme in Falkirk was delivered through a combination of in-house services and externally commissioned projects. The CLD team developed and delivered specific initiatives and worked in partnership with external service providers and community groups to add numeracy elements to existing provision. For example, they supported One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) to introduce basic numeracy education to their existing “Chill and Chat” group for parents and they have provided support workers to deliver numeracy-based cooking sessions in partnership with a community centre management committee.

That group was already there, but it’s the numeracy that you can add to it that’s making the difference.

This mixed-methods delivery approach benefited from the continuity, guidance and collaboration provided by the Multiply team lead.

5.2.2. Falkirk’s Multiply initiatives set out to make maths relevant to everyday life, ensuring that course content resonated with learners’ daily experiences. There has also been a commitment to a person-centred learning approach to address the needs of all learners, especially those who have not previously engaged with this type of initiative.

5.2.3. Multiply initiatives in Falkirk were typically delivered in local community settings such as community centres, existing learning hubs and other local facilities (including centres supporting with homelessness), with some initiatives delivered at the local Further Education (FE) college campus. This approach was based on the understanding that familiar environments are likely to benefit learners, and improve engagement, particularly among seldom-heard groups.

Flexibilities

5.2.4. The flexibility offered by Multiply in terms of the options for delivery fostered innovative approaches to course content and delivery. For example. numeracy elements have been embedded in a variety of different leisure courses including carpentry, cooking and joinery. They have also been incorporated into existing vocational training and sporting activities including courses offered by Falkirk Community Football Foundation, helping learners in developing a range of numeracy skills in innovative settings.

5.2.5. This flexibility in delivery enabled partners to develop projects that align with their own organisational objectives while delivering agreed Multiply outputs and outcomes. Multiply projects have also delivered a range of secondary outcomes beyond accredited numeracy qualifications. The range of these and the impact on learners, are explored in section 6.3.

5.2.6. A flexible approach allowed adjustments to be made throughout the delivery period, ensuring that the programme structure and content responded to local experiences, with resources reprofiled to support projects with the highest demand and enable effective spend.

So we started off with at 4 and went up to 9 [cohorts of learners]… Councils have different eligibility [criteria] and ways they manage these funds. With Falkirk it’s been really quite straightforward and I’m sure behind the scenes for [the Multiply manager] it would have been just as complicated as other local areas. But she certainly made it as streamlined as possible.

5.2.7. Flexibility also ensured projects were adapted to meet the needs of different cohorts of learners and made it possible to respond to changes in the local context. This included changes to content, timetable and location of some activities. For example, the time limit for those released from the justice system was removed.

When they’re just out of long-term sentence they’re not in a good place to come along to a numeracy group, that’s the last thing they want to be doing. It takes them a good six to nine months to get settled back into the day to day, find accommodation, and find their feet again… [6 months was] the wrong timing and I did go back and it was changed and it certainly made a difference having that change

5.2.8. For further details of the Multiply initiatives and evidence of early impact see Falkirk Council’s Multiply Portfolio.

Delivery challenges

Scale and timescales

5.2.9. The introduction of Multiply funding resulted in a significant increase in the number of numeracy courses being delivered in a very limited time-period. This placed significant demands on local capacity. One interviewee described how the biggest challenge in delivering Multiply related to internal capacity.

I’d say the most challenging aspects was internal. It was making sure that we have staff available and working and which staff would be available in the evening.

Maths anxiety

5.2.10. All interviewees mentioned the challenges of promoting maths and numeracy-based courses, describing this as ‘hard to sell’ and that this anxiety and reluctance to engage with maths can make it difficult for learners to achieve qualifications.

There’s a whole thing about numeracy and people don’t want to come in and learn about numbers

Numeracy isn’t going to attract people.

Even if you built it [numeracy] into a practical activity that people are interested in, like cooking or the football or the independent living skills, sometimes there’s a fear of qualifications, so it can be tricky to complete paperwork that you need for an SQA qualification.

The idea of the accreditation… was putting people off to start with

Seldom-heard cohorts

5.2.11. In addition to a general reluctance to engage with numeracy initiatives, those adults without a maths qualification often faced multiple barriers to engaging with any learning activity and this made it challenging to recruit learners. Some potential learners had learning disabilities, some were dealing with challenges around mental health, wellbeing and social anxiety. For others their previous (negative) experience of education was a major barrier to engaging with new initiatives and some speakers of other languages found achieving a numeracy qualification challenging due to the level of English language skills required to successfully complete assessments.

That’s the thing with maths, there is a big literacy element in passing the exam

Anticipating demand

5.2.12. Some activities were more challenging to recruit for than anticipated, interviewees identified a number of potential reasons for this, including a mismatch in the understanding of the needs and interests of the target group, and securing the most appropriate venue. One example of this was courses for parents to increase their numeracy skills in order to help their children and support their own progression.

One of the high schools asked us to come in and do some Level 3 numeracy courses because their parents… had requested this. But when you go and you do it, they’re not interested or we couldn’t get people along. So sometimes you think something’s going to go well and you talk to partners and you promote it, but it’s still not taken off.

5.2.13. Other courses were full as soon as they were advertised; this was particularly the case for the leisure based courses delivered by the local FE college. Understanding which activities were going to be most popular and anticipating demand was challenging. Local delivery partners carefully monitored take-up rates and used a range of activities including social media and word of mouth to promote activities. As discussed above, they were also able to reallocate resources where appropriate.

Promoting numeracy initiatives

5.2.14. Interviewees highlighted challenges in promoting numeracy initiatives and encouraging enrolment. To respond to this, they collaborated with other organisations and used wider networks to promote initiatives, although this required resourcing and could be challenging when many numeracy activities were available.

…part of it was about finding the right way to introduce the topic to existing community groups

It’s quite hard at times knocking on doors and saying we’ve got this to offer, can you support us? Can you get the word out to your clients that you’re working with? At times it’s a lot of door knocking and a lot of relationship building

Ensuring free provision is valued

5.2.15. Multiply courses were provided free of charge to the end user and, counter intuitively, this has the potential to have a negative impact on engagement.

Some of the challenge with that is because it’s free, which is not something that you imagine, but that in itself is a challenge, because people if it’s free people may think it doesn’t matter if I miss tonight… the value put on things and can make a difference”.

5.2.16. At the same time, providing courses free to the end user was viewed as a strength of Multiply in addressing barriers to participation and widening inclusion. For example leisure courses provided by the local FE college are normally fee paying, increasing the numeracy element, removing the fee and targeting these types of course to those without a maths qualification enabled a different cohort of learners to participate, and these courses were oversubscribed.

What worked

Understanding learners needs and wants

5.2.17. There is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution to designing effective numeracy interventions. Understanding learners needs and wants has been central to developing appropriate services and engaging different cohorts of learners. One interviewee described their organisation’s approach to developing and delivering numeracy learning:

…we’re all about offering bespoke, needs led, wrap around services. What we tried to do was to encourage learners into these courses by offering fun and practical stuff as best you can with numbers.

5.2.18. The CLD team and delivery partners built on their understanding of learners’ needs during the delivery process. They adopted a reflective approach to delivering these courses, making it possible to adapt during delivery to meet the needs of learners.

[there was] general chit chat at the start and then at the end of the session asking how did that go? What did you think? What did you enjoy? So they [the trainers] were constantly evaluating their work and acting on that

5.2.19. Some learners required additional support to help them to engage with Multiply courses, for example those with mental health issues or additional learning needs. Investing in this support and taking the time to really understand what would work for these learners at the outset resulted in positive outcomes.

So the worker would be coming with the clients the first, maybe, day to reduce the anxiety levels, getting familiar with our building and that had a positive impact.

I think that was all because of the time they took to build the relationship with the group… they came in for first week to talk about Multiply then they invested time to get to know the individuals.

What we really want to do is support the learner to get as much as they possibly can out of the programmes

5.2.20. It is essential that provision addresses the needs and learning styles of learners. A Community Education Worker described how they had worked with Community Learning and Development Support Workers and the learners to understand what the most appropriate provision would be, this included the topics covered and the pedagogy employed. This bespoke approach supported all learners succeed.

Learners were at different levels. Some needed more support than others, and so some would need a bit of 1:1 support in that session. But the fact there was 2 workers there to offer support. So nobody was left behind as such, everybody got the level of support training that they needed at that time.

An appropriate learning environment

5.2.21. Delivery partners and the CLD team are aware of the impact that the learning environment can have on engagement and outcomes, and for many learners a familiar environment was important.

…I think [that] takes away some of the fear around numeracy if you’re either in a familiar place, or you’re with familiar people or a staff member that you know and trust [and who] is recommending it… that’s been really helpful

5.2.22. For some learners community-based provision is vital, as familiar places can help learners feel comfortable, relaxed and confident which all impact on effective learning. However, others value a more formal learning environment:

The venue can make a difference. For some people coming into a community centre is absolutely perfect, it’s local and it’s informal. For others the value isn’t the same, because it’s not seen as a real learning place

Innovation – delivering new programmes

5.2.23. Multiply funding enabled delivery partners and the CLD team to adopt new approaches to numeracy skills training. Central to this was a focus on contextualising the maths to make the numeracy both relevant and accessible. Innovations included teaching numeracy through existing vocational and life-skills courses, incorporating new numeracy elements into leisure courses such as painting and decoration, creative crafts, and sport and fitness. Falkirk Community Football Foundation integrated a range of numeracy skills training into sports-based courses. Other providers developed numeracy skills through practical activities such as cookery and sewing. Parents and carers developed their numeracy skills during interactive sessions with their children.

5.2.24. There has also been innovation when developing provision for particular cohorts. Central to this has been the adoption of a learner centred approach to developing and delivering numeracy skills training. Examples of these are summarised below.

Example 1: Multiply funded support for adults with learning disabilities

This group had recently constituted a committee and their treasurer struggled with numbers. The group’s community development worker engaged with the Multiply team leader to explore how Multiply could provide tailored numeracy training for the committee and the wider group.

The project began with informal meetings to build relationships and understand the specific needs of the learners. The Multiply trainers, conducted these sessions, adapting their approach based on feedback from the learners.

They incorporated local history and practical activities, such as measuring tomato vines in a community garden to make learning interactive and relevant.

The beneficiaries of this project were older adults, all over 50, with learning disabilities and additional support needs. The training was delivered in a person-centred manner, allowing learners to progress at their own pace without the pressure of heavy assessments. This approach ensured that the learners felt supported and engaged throughout the process.

The impact of the numeracy training was profound. The learners, who had previously faced barriers to education and lacked qualifications, were able to achieve an SQA qualification. The project improved their numeracy skills but also boosted their confidence, providing them with a sense of accomplishment and inclusion.

Multiply funded activities gave learners a sense of purpose and commitment. They became more engaged and looked forward to the sessions, which improved their mental well-being and reduced isolation. One learner, who previously relied on a carer for shopping, gained the confidence to manage her own shopping independently. The treasurer, who initially struggled with bookkeeping, became more confident in managing the group’s finances, significantly reducing her need for assistance.

Takeaways:

• The importance of a person-centred approach based on a thorough understanding of learners needs.
• The value of making learning fun.
• Additional outcomes have a significant impact on individuals’ quality of life.

Example 2: Multiply funded support for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness

Multiply funding was used to support two homelessness related projects.

Funding was used to provide numeracy courses for those who were homeless and living in temporary accommodation. This project focused on developing relevant life skills including cooking, budgeting, teamwork, and time management. These topics were delivered through practical sessions that learners described as fun. The Health and Wellbeing Manager responsible for this provision noted that that this approach reignited participants’ confidence and belief in themselves and provided practical to support them as they set up a home. They stated that these additional outcomes may have been more impactful than a numeracy qualification in this situation. Flexibility was key to developing an approach that met these learners needs, the transient nature of this cohort presented challenges that meant that qualifications were not a priority, however some learners have talked about further learning as a result of their Multiply experience.

In addition to this a casual staff member worked alongside housing support workers to focus on practical skills like managing bills and cooking-based numeracy as part of the homeless prevention service. Engaging the cohort proved particularly challenging and the casual member of staff was unable to meet tenants as planned. However, the act of promoting this service to tenants allowed the housing support workers to initiate conversations about numeracy, providing an easier entry point to discuss broader more complex issues.

Takeaways:

• Working with trusted individuals supported engagement with seldom-heard groups.
• Life-skills outcomes were valuable and had an important impact on quality of life.

Networks and partnerships

5.2.25. Networks and partnerships played a key role in the successful delivery of Multiply projects. Interviewees highlighted their positive working relationship with Falkirk Council’s CLD team and how this helped to maximise the effectiveness of the local Multiply offer due to a positive approach to innovation and problem solving. Delivery partners often had an established relationship with the local council.

We’ve obviously had a long-standing working relationship with Falkirk Council who came to speak to us initially about delivering Multiply and courses delivering numeracy… [we] met with them and they were really good. They were willing to think outside the box

5.2.26. Delivery partners drew on their wider networks and partnerships to promote Multiply:

You had partners that are organisations we’ve worked with, maybe in other roles so you had a good relationship… [and] you could encourage them to get involved, and that was sort of opening up access then to different groups.

5.2.27. Interviewees highlighted the importance of trust both between local partners and with potential learners to support engagement:

They delivered multiply to the people that already trusted them. So it was having that trusted relationship with the participants

Hiding the maths

5.2.28. Some of the challenges associated with introducing learners to numeracy are outlined above (5.2.10.) and interviewees were very clear that they experienced resistance to numeracy from potential learners.

5.2.29. Delivery partners adopted a number of approaches to address this, including making the maths as relevant to the wider learning as possible

I would say that certainly contextualising the numeracy worked, I wouldn’t say hiding it because we were quite transparent, that it included numeracy in there, but contextualising that was in something that was more successful

If we had just done a whole evening classes on numeracy and developing ourselves, we wouldn’t have recruited. I think the fact that we embedded that into leisure-based activities made a massive difference.

5.2.30. Others adopted a more subtle approach, often ‘hiding’ the maths.

“…sometimes we kind of did it by stealth. I’m not sure I should maybe tell you that, but it’s almost Numeracy by stealth and then they [the trainers] would say, do you realise over the last three weeks you’ve been learning this, this and this, the staff are really talented at making all that work.”

5.2.31. Interviewees also highlighted the value of learning through fun activities and linking the learning to the interests of the learners. This included thinking about how many Spitfires would fill the room and using measuring tapes, which was described as “really, really fun learning”, and how “they [the learners] were laughing having fun but not realising as well that they were actually learning numeracy continuously with the numbers”.

5.3. Outcomes and impacts

5.3.1. Falkirk Council achieved almost all the output and outcome targets set for Multiply, although the target for the number of courses for money management was not met. The initial forecasts were stretching and achieving these was challenging:

I think targets were really ambitiously set up in Falkirk, looking at all of the interventions and I don’t think it’s wrong to be ambitious, but I think if we were redoing it, we’d reduce the number of interventions

5.3.2. Interviewees recognised that setting targets before local needs and context had been fully understood contributed to these challenges and acknowledged that focusing on broader headline outputs and outcomes would support flexibilities and innovation, particularly in relation to courses to support those on the first steps towards qualifications (S42) and provision for the hardest to reach learners (S51)

We should have gone for some of the broader outputs and outcomes… to enable us to meet the needs that we were coming across. And to be fair, some of the needs only were found when we started engaging with the local third sector.

5.3.3. Engaging with some of the seldom-heard cohorts has been difficult and interventions for these groups haven’t always resulted in reported Multiply outputs or outcomes. For example, the CLD team were aware that working with learners who are homeless was unlikely to result in a SQA qualification (a key outcome measure), due to the transient nature of this group, however additional benefits of working with these learners, such as developing budgeting skills, cookery skills, confidence and general wellbeing, were identified as valuable outcomes, even if they did not contribute to the agreed outputs and outcomes.

5.3.4. Delivery partners and Falkirk Council found the reporting requirements for Multiply manageable. Some partners developed new processes and systems for reporting, but they considered this effort proportionate, especially compared to ERDF programmes. Initially, some partners worried that monitoring requirements might change and additional data might be needed later. However, the Multiply team clearly communicated the reporting requirements and processes from the beginning, which delivery partners appreciated.

Additional outcomes

5.3.5. Along with the outputs and outcomes reported to MHCLG, a number of additional outcomes were also delivered that have had a positive impact on learners’ experience. Developing functional numeracy skills often improved learners’ everyday lives and, in some cases, supported their first steps towards employment.

5.3.6. Additional outcomes for Multiply learners in Falkirk included:

• ability to apply new numeracy skills to everyday life - from reading bus timetables to being able to calculate the quantity of materials needed for a DIY task
• improved social skills
• new interest in and engagement with learning
• improved vocational skills, beyond numeracy
• accessing further courses or training
• ability to budget and manage money effectively
• improved well-being and mental-health
• improved independence and reduced reliance on others
• cooking skills and improved understanding of nutrition
• starting to move towards employment

5.3.7. Some potential learners had already achieved SCQF Level 5, but struggled with practical numeracy. Although they did not strictly meet the eligibility criteria for Multiply, delivery partners made efforts to fill spare capacity with these learners. This resulted in additional outcomes that were not reported as part of the MI.

You might have a numeracy qualification from school. But you don’t apply that to everyday life… you could see learners could absolutely benefit from it and they would fill up places, but we wouldn’t be counting them through Multiply because strictly speaking they’re not eligible.

5.3.8. Multiply has strengthened relationships between delivery partners and Falkirk Council. This improvement is partly due to a collaborative approach to problem-solving and a shared commitment to making Multiply work for the local community.

5.3.9. Multiply has also opened learning opportunities to those who cannot always access them. Delivery partners are adept at making the best possible use of funding opportunities, and adjusted the timing and location of activities to support wider participation. The local FE college used Multiply to provide free access to evening leisure courses, with enhanced numeracy elements, to learners who typically cannot afford this provision.

6. Conclusions

6.1. This deep dive has identified several factors that have contributed to the success of programme design, delivery and the achievement of desired impacts and outputs of Multiply in Falkirk. The findings are summarised below.

Conclusions: Supporting successful Multiply design

6.2. Effective Multiply design in Falkirk was underpinned by several key factors:

• Partnerships: Collaborating with local stakeholders, including community organisations, colleges, and the voluntary sector, ensured a comprehensive understanding of local needs and opportunities. These partnerships facilitated the sharing of resources, expertise, and best practices, which were crucial for designing initiatives that were both relevant and impactful.
• Capacity Building: Ensuring the right skill mix and timely appointments were crucial for effective delivery. The introduction of Multiply created a demand for community education workers, and Falkirk addressed this by restructuring their staffing to include support workers managed by a community education worker. This adaptation required initial training and ongoing support to build capacity.
• Local Knowledge: Leveraging existing relationships and networks facilitated the development of initiatives that resonated with the local community. The Multiply team leader’s extensive experience and strong local connections were instrumental in understanding and addressing the specific needs of different learner cohorts.
• Innovative Approaches: The ability to incorporate numeracy into various activities, such as sports, cooking, and life-skills courses, made learning more engaging and relevant. This approach helped to overcome the stigma associated with numeracy and made the learning process enjoyable and practical for learners

Conclusions: supporting effective programme and project delivery

6.3. Effective delivery of the Multiply programme in Falkirk involved:

• Local Networks: Strong local partnerships and networks supported the delivery of initiatives tailored to community needs. These relationships enabled the sharing of ideas, resources, and support, which were essential for addressing local challenges and ensuring the success of the programme.
• Understanding Learners: A deep understanding of learners’ needs and barriers to participation was essential for designing engaging and accessible initiatives. This involved continuous feedback and evaluation to ensure that the initiatives remained relevant and effective for different learner cohorts.
• Flexibility: The programme’s flexibility allowed for adaptations in response to local conditions and feedback, ensuring initiatives remained relevant and effective. This included modifying content, structure, and delivery mechanisms based on learner feedback and changing circumstances during delivery.
• Inclusive Provision: Offering initiatives to a broad range of learners, including those not strictly meeting eligibility criteria, helped maximise impact. This approach ensured that the benefits of the programme were extended to as many individuals as possible, including those who might not have been initially targeted.

Conclusions: supporting enhanced outputs and impact

6.4. The Multiply programme in Falkirk achieved formal and additional outcomes by:

• Addressing Local Needs: Initiatives were designed to meet specific local needs, enhancing their relevance and effectiveness. This involved tailoring the content and delivery of numeracy courses to the interests and circumstances of different learner groups, such as integrating numeracy into community activities and vocational training.
• Legacy Planning: Some initiatives were designed with sustainability in mind, ensuring long-term benefits beyond the funding period. This included developing resources and training that would continue to be available to learners and educators, fostering a lasting impact on numeracy skills in the community.
• Additional outcomes: The programme delivered a number of additional outcomes, such as improved confidence, well-being, and social inclusion, which added value to the formal outcomes being delivered. These additional benefits highlighted the broader positive effects of numeracy education on learners’ lives, including increased independence, better mental health, and enhanced social skills.