Invicta Grammar School, Maidstone
HeadStart Programme Board
14th July 2014, 2pm – 4.30pm
Invicta Grammar School, Maidstone
Attendees: Angela Slaven (chair), Sharon Dodd,Angela Ford, Grace Dennis,
Sharon McLaughlin, Shannon Curtis, Maddie Springett, Paul Haith,
Andy Somers, Paul Dyer, Jessica Mookherjee, John Britt, Andrew Scott-Clark,
Neil Willis, Julie Wilson, Julie Albone, Lee Vallins, Sarah Gow, Karen Sharp,
Jo Tonkin, Eileen McKibbin, Marie Royle, Nick Fenton.
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10 / Angela Slaven welcomed attendees to the first HeadStart Kent Programme Board meeting.
Shannon (yp) and Maddie (yp) led a practical activity, to blow up balloons and write on the balloons what gets people down, with the balloons that last the longest without popping representing having the most emotional resilience. Shannon and Maddie then asked attendees to blow up big balloons as ‘bounce back’ balloons, sticking stars on the balloons with words which make us feel good/happy/resilient. Words included going to the beach, family, shopping, trees, all blacks winning, music, sunshine, poetry, friends, gardening, chickens, cats, Zumba, barbecues, family meals, exercise, cake, football, and theatre.
Angela Ford summarised theterms of reference. A crucial aspect of HeadStart Kent is we need young people to be active participants and involved as much as possible. Our work is evidence based. Working with young people through HeadStart will enable the transformation of services to reduce demand on specialist services. We will use reflective learning and exploration. The Knowledge Hubs will gather evidence, working with the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. We need to engage families to reduce poor outcomes, to test models to build resilience. The Partnership Agreement Cards are so members of the Board can sign up to HeadStart, setting out their contribution. The first Knowledge Hub provisional date is the 23rd September but needs to be confirmed with the Universities. The Knowledge Hub is bringing knowledge together as a whole picture, and shaping and testing the configuration of support for young people in the future. The Governance Structure has been agreed by Big Lottery.
Sharon Dodd provided an overview of HeadStart.In December 2013 Kent was identified as one of twelve authorities to be nominated to apply for £500k under the HeadStart programme. HeadStart is testing models, as a whole to change, improve and build the emotional resilience of young people, families, schools and communities. The Voluntary Sector was asked to step out of this first meeting because of the procurement process. HeadStart Kent went through a rigorous bid process, we needed a robust proposal. We are now able to go for £10m funding in June next year. It is up to us as a Board to communicate how we would like the funding to be spent and changes made long term. HeadStart’s ethos is to test and experiment,to not be afraid of saying when something is not working, we need to be critical. Jo Tonkin and Eileen McKibbin will evaluate. The Programme Board voice is critical, to see if it is working with young people. Schools representatives can help us build the picture on this.
Over 4 months we consulted with young people, schools, KCC colleagues, VCS and families to ask what they wanted. How could we build on existing progress? There are 92,000 10-14 year olds in Kent .HeadStart will use an ‘additive risk model’, meaning the more risk a young person is exposed to, the more likely they are to experience mental health problems. There are nearly 900 CAMHS referrals a month. Re-referrals to Specialist Children’s Services and Youth Offending Service hovers around 33%. We looked at data to get a ‘theory of change’ (measurable description of social change). We need hard smart measurable outcomes. What do young people want to see changed? We should focus on strengths rather than weaknesses, boost positives.The long term goal isemotional resilience in Kent.
It was asked if we should be separating mental and physical health? Jessica gave an example that sexual health and emotional resilience are linked. Resilient young people are more likely to go to school,there would be a reduction in disruptive behaviour, less antisocial behaviour on the streets. The Headstart Models are: Thanet, Canterbury, North West Kent, the Digital World, and Resilience Mentors. Big Lottery said we had one of strongest applications, we are innovative, connected, with the strongest digital solution (working with Public Health), match funding and co-production. We need to know if we have made an impact.
Angela Ford outlined the Co-Production aspect of HeadStart Kent. We held the first young people’s Shadow Board meeting at Ashford North Youth Centre on the 2nd July, Sharon McLaughlin said the evening had been really useful and young people enjoyed it. Big Lottery will send out Co-production guidelines which will be a cornerstone to HeadStart as we need young people to be involved at every opportunity. We need accessibility for young people ie. meetings timed so young people can go, using language they can relate to, the Shadow Board is central to this.
Decision making – we need transparency, young people need to be involved. We need to reward recognition so when young people give up their time to attend meetings etc they have good experiences or rewards in return. We need 10-14 year olds to be involved. We asked the Shadow Board what they saw emotionally resilient young people as, and what success is to them. We have come up with the idea to create Coping Packs, a bag or box filled with things like stress balls, sweets, positive quotes to help young people.
Sharon Dodd outlined how we will maintain systemic change. We will use a strengths based model. The Board will monitor progress, shape the direction of travel and to be the enablers of change that will last. We need to model co-production, generate communities of learning which will feed into the seminars, and not be afraid of change in the programme.
Sharon Dodd asked attendees to hold a table discussion on what success for HeadStart Kent looks like? What enables change and what prevents change? How can the Board lead or affect this?
Success looks like:
- a reduction in stigma around mental health, with open conversations around coping like
- a cultural shift, with ideas embedded and people enabling these ideas to take hold.
- the workforce maintaining these ideas as second nature despite workers coming and going.
- there being no such thing as a ‘wrong referral’, but timely access and well managed referrals, with on the ground intervention and support to see a tangible product. using the evaluation of the Pilots to create new ways of working.
- We need schools to be linked in with each other and to systemise this across Kent. older young people sharing their experiences with younger ones.
- An enabler of success is moving away from competitiveness and into collaboration.
- Family engagement is a key enabler, we need parents to be involved in building resilience in young people.
- Actions need to be structured which enable change, not just information but action.
- We need pathways that are understood and a CCG basis.
Jo Tonkin and Eileen McKibben discussed the Evaluation of HeadStart. Testing something new is key for HeadStart, and we need to evidence a difference in young people’s lives and learn as we go. HeadStart knows which direction it is going in, but we need to evaluate this so we can check we are going in the right direction. We need to use persuasive evaluation which is honest and critical. We will learn from practice ie. Knowledge Hubs feed into the evaluation, Project Groups link in with each other.
Karen Sharp discussed funding. We need to stretch the funding and get things going asap for the evaluation. We should try and keep as much funding external to KCC as possible which will show innovative working. £360k procured and invested which will sit outside of in-house provision. We will build on programmes which are already in place. We will invite Board members to support around thresholds. Lee said he can support HeadStart with this process.
Angela reiterated the Partnership Contribution. The Agreement card will be on the website so we can see who has signed up and a visual representation of who is engaging. The Press are interested in HeadStart Kent and there is now a landing page on the KCC website.
No AOB
Meeting dates: Venues will change, they will usually be in Maidstone. Times vary so young people can attend. The next date is the 19th November 5.00pm.
Programme Board
19th November 2014, 5pm – 7.30pm
17th March 2015, 1.30pm – 4.30 pm
15th June 2015, 5pm – 8.30pm
13th October 2015, 1.30 – 4.30pm / Young People’s Shadow Board (6pm – 8pm)
13th November 2014
12th March 2015
10th June 2015
7th October 2015
/ Angela Ford