Commissioning – Voluntary Throughcare – Lessons Learned

Community Justice Scotland (CJS) established the Commissioning Project in May 2022 in response to the Scottish Government’s new Community Justice Strategy, which expressed an ambition to enhance the use of voluntary throughcare services.

This included a dedicated research and evidence-gathering phase (September 2022 to April 2023), an options appraising phase (Summer to September 2023), a grant process (Spring and Summer 2024) followed by a transition and stand-up of the new service (November 2024 to April 2025).

On 1 April 2025 a new voluntary throughcare service (‘Upside’) was officially launched, marking the conclusion of the Commissioning Project.

The CJS commissioning project team are grateful to everyone who took the time to complete surveys, participate in discussions and share their feedback. The openness and insight provided by contributors have been invaluable in identifying key lessons, informing findings and shaping future improvements. Thank you for your engagement, commitment and support throughout this process.

This external report is based on the full internal lessons learned review. It condenses detailed operational material, protects anonymity and presents the learning in a proportionate form for publication. It should be read as an account of the commissioning process and its improvement lessons, not as a full evaluation of service outcomes.