Agenda item

(Ms Angela Slaven, Director Youth Offending and Substance Misuse and Mrs Joanna Wainwright, Director Commissioning (Specialist Services were present for this item)

(1)       Ms Slaven presented a report to brief Members on work that had been undertaken to develop a high-level Integrated Youth Support Strategy which KCC were required to produce. Although a great deal of work was already in place it needed to be drawn together to ensure a coherent and consistent approach to working across county with young people aged 14-19 years.  The Strategy would reflect a partnership approach and define the required and desired outcomes for young people in this age range.  This draft had already been considered by the Communities Policy Overview Committee and the Children’s Trust Board and would go back to the Children’s Trust Board in January for further consideration.  She explained that behind this document there would be detailed operational plans.

(2)       Ms Slaven invited Members views on the draft and the approach taken and the   comments made by Members included the following:-

·                    A Member stressed that many young people were vulnerable for example, there were statistics showing that young people in the 17-18 plus age range were five times more likely to be victims than perpetrators.

·                    It was important to make young people feel valued and it was emphasised that young people were our “present” and that we should be looking at young people as they are now and valuing them now.It was important that young people were given a belief in their ability to make a contribution and that the use of case studies within the Strategy was important.

·                    Positive contribution such as Skills Force should be acknowledged.

·                    It was emphasised that information, advice and guidance to young people should be independent and appropriate. It was stated that Connexions Career Advisers were sometimes not popular with schools if they advised against sixth form as a career path.

·                    Ms Slaven confirmed there were a series of visits planned to ensure that young people had the opportunity to consider this document.

·                    In terms of consulting with voluntary sector groups, this had been done via the Children’s Trust Board.

·                    Ms Slaven confirmed that the aim was to have a strategy as an overarching document and for it to be a county-wide integrated strategy and consultations were being carried out with Members and partners to develop it.

·                    It was hoped that within the operational plan, there would be much more detail which would reflect the whole range of services and groups.

·                    In terms of the National Youth Strategy, it was hoped that there was nothing at odds with this within the KCC strategy.

·                    Reverend Canon Smith stated that he did not recall the Church organisation being consulted on this and he would like to be consulted explicitly on this.

·                    The Strategy should be used to avoid duplication or overlapping of provision for young people within areas which was a waste of resources. This would also help with allocation of resources

·                    It was confirmed that the Strategy should be a co-ordination of Youth Services so that young people and families would know what facilities were available in their areas.  .

·                    It was important for Members to support at every opportunity the youth facilities that were available within their area.  Both provided by KCC and by the voluntary sector.

·                    In relation to extended schools, KCC was in a key position.  It was very frustrating for Members to see schools locked up and playing fields padlocked whilst young people hung around on street corners.  However, it was pointed out by officers that often young people did not want to use schools facilities outside of school hours.

(3)       RESOLVED that comment made by Members on the draft Integrated Youth Support Strategy be noted.