SERVICES TO VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE IN SOUTH NORTHANTS

Extracts from the main Report – Jan 2009 (31st Jan 2009)

1. Introduction

This report sets out an action plan for an Integrated Youth Offer and for vulnerable Young People. Information on targeting vulnerable young people has been collated from data collected from the Integrated Youth Offer Conference held at Plum Park on the 30th September 2008 (see Appendix 1 for details of services and Appendix 2 for list of participants), the data sets produced by Tom Gutteridge, data from the IYO Steering Group and the CYYP Information Coordinator. The aims of this report on targeting vulnerable young people in South Northants through the IYO and the governments TYS targets are:

  • to help vulnerable young people early, to address their difficulties as soon as possible and prevent their problems escalating
  • to identify the needs of those already receiving specialist support in order to ensure they are receiving the support they require and still have access to universal services

There are seven key elements of targeted youth support (As defined in the Every Child Matters document, Targeted Youth Support, 2007) and the South Northants Action Plan has five key target areas. Below is a table that sets out these priorities:

Table 1

South Northamptonshire Priorities / NorthamptonshireCounty Priorities / Targeted Youth Support, ECM, 2007
Priority 1: Young people and the organisations who work with them to have better access to information about activities and support available in South Northants / Are young people able to access relevant services through appropriate settings? / Make services more attractive, accessibleand relevant for vulnerable young people
Priority 2: Young people, including vulnerable young people, have a genuine influence with regard to the design and delivery of local service provision in South Northants / Are VYP, parents/carers and communities fully engaged in reform and their own support packages? / Strengthen the influence of vulnerable young people in South Northants, their families and communities ; peer mentoring, access to structured positive activities
Priority 3: Schools take a key role in coordinating and providing access to Target Youth Services / Are VYP able to access support in universal settings via better links between agencies? / Enable young people to receive early support in universal settings; establish better links between agencies and organisations
Are young people supported across key transition between stages in life/services? / Provide support for vulnerable young people across transitional phases; i.e. moving from school into employment
Priority 4: Vulnerable Young People in South Northants are identified early and they and their families receive the support they need / Are there effective processes for early identification of VYP? / Identify vulnerable young people early; staff training to identify risk factors, a simple assessment tool, improved IAG services.
Is there an efficient process for assessing YP’s needs around the CAF? / Using the Common Assessment Framework to build a picture of individual young peoples’ needs across South Northants
Priority 5: Commissioning and grant funding is used effectively to provide and develop good quality provision, with a focus on supporting and sustaining targeted youth services / Is the LP role in place and widely used with appropriate packages of support? / Ensure vulnerable young people receive a personalised package of support, IAG, and learning and development opportunities, coordinated by a Lead Professional and delivered through an inter agency approach

Appendix 6

DRAFT Action Plan for TYS for South Northants 2008-2011

Action / Detail / Lead / Supported by / Target date / Links/notes
Priority 1: Young people in general and particularly vulnerable young people and organisations who workwith them to have better access to information about activitiesand support available in South Northants
  1. Complete audit of existing services, with a focus on those offering targeted support
/ Phone/paper audit of all agencies who attended IYO event + Known others
See Appendix 1 for questions / Change Manager/steering group / James Kitchener, / Feb 09 / Link to audit of voluntary youth services being completed by JK (to capture youth voice) and any other existing auditing processes. See Appendix A for feedback from TDA event and local audit of voluntary youth services in Sep 2008. (check if this makes sense)
  1. Transfer audit information onto Children and Young People’s Directory
/ Via the NCC Families Information Service. Need to ensure that NCC has resources to keep information up to date. / FIS Manager Caroline Kiely / April 09 / Links to other databases / local directories where appropriate. NCC directory to have a new interface, designed by YP’s? (Jim Buchannan)
  1. Explore other communication / media routes
/ To explore the other avenues for communicating with young people / SNC lead / ESCO’s/YIT / April 09 / Link to target 2 = Youth voice
  1. Engage with business sector
/ Look at engaging with local businesses, including shops, to provide information and signpost young people / SNC lead / Chamber of Commerce / April 09
Priority 2: Young people, including vulnerable young people, have a genuine influence with regard to the design and delivery of local service provision in South Northants
  1. Map and clarify current structures for youth involvement
/ Develop mapping work already started by Northamptonshire Voluntary Youth Action.
Identify and address risks of ‘over consulting’.
Ensure vulnerable young people are being identified and supported to be part of consultation processes. / Karen Bricknell –
Statutory services
James Kitchener -
Voluntary youth services / Youth Strategy Group
SNC distract Lead
  1. Identify and explore effective ways to feedback information to Young people, following consultation
/ Ideas might include – school assemblies, SMS etc. / Karen Bricknell / Extended Services Cluster Coordinators;
Youth Council;
YP’s
  1. Explore possibility of a youth conference Spring / summer 09
/ To consult on TYS plan. But this event could draw together a range of other initiatives where YP’s have already been directly involved including a report of YOF funded projects, links to small grants fund and how YP’s can submit successful bids. Play builder funding projects update, extended services update, SNC Youth Council report etc. / Northamptonshire Voluntary Youth Action / Karen Bricknall / Spring / summer 09. / To involve other youth consultation fora
  1. Improve transport
/ Liaise with schools and local transport providers to ensure better access in rural areas / NCC ?? / SNC District Lead / Spring/Summer 09

Priority 3: Schools take a key role in coordinating and providing access to target Youth Provision

  1. Extended Service Coordinator’s role established within each school cluster
/ ESCo’s will support schools in improving/embedding the ES core offer, which includes swift and easy access to targeted support for YP’s at risk of poor outcomes. / Nicky Booth NCC Extended service / Jane Pitchfork, / Sept 09? / School clusters have received funding for the equivalent of .5 ESCo role for next 3 years.
  1. Map multi agency networks around schools including Safer Schools Partnerships and address gaps in provision
/ Need clarity about what’s working well already and how we can extend this to all schools. / Police / ESCo’s, Safer Communities Teams / Links to CPRD targets?
Actions from outcome 1 = audits, will feed into this.
  1. Develop an appropriate model of Prevention Through Learning in SN
/ Explore how the elements of PTLP can be developed in rural SN / Steering Group / Helen Bradshaw / April 2010
Priority 4: Vulnerable Young People in South Northants are identified early and they and their families receive the support they need
  1. Map existing CAF activity in South Northants
/ There is no local CAF panel as yet but models for panels are bring developed by Richard with partner agencies. There is a central CAF helpline for assistance with CAFs carried out.
Only 3% of the 183 CAFs carried out locally have been from South Northants.
Any other barriers/blocks to be identified. / Richard Ward / CAF team / Identified gaps to inform commissioning strategy – Outcome 5.
  1. Conduct training needs analysis and roll out further CAF training across locality
/ Improve understanding of and access to Lead Professional role / Richard Ward / CAF team / All Staff within Statutory services should be CAF trained.
All voluntary Youth services receiving grant funding could be asked to attend training as part of grant conditions.
Links to schools re Lead professional role. An event is taking place in January on this.
  1. Ensure YP’s understand CAF process
/ Produce and circulate a YP CAF leaflet / Richard Ward / SNC District Lead / Mar 09 / Richard Ward aware of the need for this.
  1. Commission local training event to support improved understanding of risk indicators
/ Linked to CAF training although his could also be included as part of multi agency follow on IYO event / SNC District Lead / TDA / Spring/Summer 09
  1. Develop links with Social care to ensure appropriate referrals and sharing of risk
/ To work with the area team for social care to establish what support social workers can give to teams working with young people / Heather Frick NCC / Mar 09 / Contact to b made with Heather. Heather to be involved with Action 13 above.
Priority 5: Commissioning and grant funding is used effectively to provide and develop good quality provision, with a focus on supporting and sustaining targeted youth services
  1. Identify and clarify the roles and responsibilities and information flow to and from existing partnership forums in regard to services for YP’s
/ This will allow us to capture local information and identify gaps in provision or threats to sustainability. / Youth service / LSP CYP sub group / Jane 09
  1. Revise the criteria for grant funding to ensure access to and delivery of targeted services are considered and recorded.
/ Ensure vulnerable young people are benefiting from commissioned services / James Kitchener / Gordon Stewart
  1. Promote Quality Assurance through statutory and voluntary youth service provision.
/ Links to NCC youth service QA.
Links to QA toolkit/resources for voluntary groups / Karen Bricknell / James Kitchener
  1. Build capacity within the voluntary sector
/ Need to establish current capacity building potential. What more is needed? Do organisations receive good information and support, e.g. access to training? / VSSU
CVS?
Connexions?
YMCA? / SNC District Lead?

Ideas suggested at PlumPark (to be incorporated into longer term action plan in time)

What’s Not available Happening but should be?

  • Cinema, bowling, skate park
  • More permanent bases for agencies
  • Disco Night
  • Squash courts
  • Bespoke sexual health venues for under 25’s
  • Graffiti wall
  • Better transport links (including for rural areas)
  • Affordable and available transport e.g. evening availability
  • Use Youth shelters to access and work with young people
  • Local youth venues and Youth clubs
  • Education career based courses
  • Motor cycle scheme for young people and jobs
  • Youth centre Brackley
  • Support young people aged 16/17 through driving courses
  • Access to local facilities
  • Youth forum in Brackley
  • Provision in villages
  • Youth represented on Parish Council
  • Junior football pitches in Towcester
  • No transport after hours form schools or to activities
  • Buddy system for seriously disruptive youth
  • Somewhere inexpensive to hang out and meet friends
  • Poor services for children with Aspergers
  • Cycle routes in Brackley and in the countyside
  • Consultation with children
  • Traffic calming
  • Menu of activities for young people are easily accessible
  • Recognition that rural areas have the same problems with drugs and alcohol however these are not attracting the funding
  • Different evening activities which meet the needs/interest of young people
  • Help support for addiction problems
  • ToveTown Council Involvement
  • Suitable number of youth workers and the money to pay for them
  • Help/support for accommodation problems/issues
  • Further education college in SNC
  • Schools and education to relate to wider agenda, use governors and councillors
  • PHSE-Day on health and well being