Agenda item

Young People Services Review

Report of the Executive Director, People Services

Minutes:

7.1

The Committee received a report of the Executive Director, People Services, setting out the work of the Young People Services Review which was being overseen by the Leader of the Council (Councillor Julie Dore).  The Review was considering the range of support currently commissioned and delivered by the Council, which supported young people who struggled to make a successful transition from their teenage years into early adulthood.  The Review would develop proposals for the future delivery of these services, potentially through a more joined up service model, which should be more effective and streamlined, and support better outcomes for young people.

 

 

7.2

In attendance for this item was Sam Martin (Head of Commissioning – Vulnerable People).  The report set out details of the process of the Review and contained statistical information regarding the changing needs of young people, referring specifically to Education, Training and Employment, Crime, Health and Mental Health and School Engagement.  The report also set out data held by the People Services Portfolio, and other partners, such as the NHS and the police, relating to attainment/progression, lifelong barriers and social/individual issues.  The report contained details of the specific services available for vulnerable young people, summaries of the staff and provider engagement events and young people’s feedback following consultation, the current findings, agreed key principles and outcomes, together with details of the commissioning and delivery of a final model and the next steps.

 

 

7.3

Members of the Committee raised questions, and the following responses were provided:-

 

 

 

·                 Some of the aims of the Review were linked in with the former Troubled Families agenda, and had included a considerable amount of work in terms of looking at the provision of joined-up family support in the hope to keep any duplication of work to a minimum.  There would be a focus, as part of the Review, on those older children who had moved out of the family home, therefore needed additional support, such as finding them suitable housing.

 

 

 

·                 The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) did not fundamentally change what the Council was trying to do in terms of the Review, but did mean that the Council needed to be clearer when setting out its requirements from the outset.  It was hoped that the various partner agencies would not “hide behind” the GDPR.

 

 

 

·                 Whilst efforts had been made to find the exact number of young people who were supported by one or more of the specific services for vulnerable young people, it had proved very difficult to obtain clear data, hence the approximate number of 4,000 young people.  There were major differences between young people in levels of need.  It was made clear that, although there were some common themes in the needs of vulnerable young people, each young person was different, and needed to be treated as such.  Some young people would only need a little help, whereas others needed a lot more.

 

 

 

·                 There were some services that the Council could run, or arrange delivery through delivery partners, such as charitable organisations, as well as a number of services offered by schools and health services and voluntary groups.  It was planned, as part of the Review, to offer support to as wide a group as possible, and not simply focus on the most vulnerable young people.  The work undertaken by community organisations was very important in terms of identifying those vulnerable young people.  The Council had, and would continue  to, undertake a considerable amount of work with the police, particularly in connection with gun and knife crime.

 

 

 

·                 One of the main reasons for undertaking the Review was due to the budget constraints facing the Council and its partner agencies, as well as the fact that a number of contracts regarding services for young people were coming to an end.  There was an opportunity for the Council to think more broadly about the services that fit together, and a further piece of work would need to be undertaken on wider Youth Services.

 

 

 

·                 A number of different groups and organisations had been included in the consultation on the Review, including the Youth Council, Children in Care Council and Special Educational Needs groups.  Officers also visited a number of youth clubs and homeless hostels in the City.

 

 

 

·                 It was pointed out by Committee Members that one of the reasons for the fall in re-offending rates was due to changes in how the police recorded offences.  The use of case studies was incorporated to capture information about the approach.

 

 

 

·                 The figure of 7,000 young people who had some caring responsibilities in the City had been estimated based on national research.  The additional responsibilities placed on young carers could be very destructive for some young people, which was why they had been included in the scope of the project.

 

 

 

·                 Consideration would be given to running a pilot with one or more provider who would be keen to assist the Council in providing services for vulnerable young people.

 

 

 

·                 It was acknowledged that radicalisation was a new and emerging risk to young people, and that this would be considered as one of a number of key areas any new service delivery model would need to take into account.

 

 

 

·                 It was the Council’s assessment that the relatively high drop-out rate at year 12 suggested that there was an issue with regard to appropriate Post-16 provision.  There was a need to scope Post-16 provision as part of the Employment and Skills Strategy linked to the development of a new support model for young people.

 

 

 

·                 In terms of the next steps, the Review was planned to be completed, and a report summarising the findings and recommendations was anticipated to be taken to Cabinet, in December, requesting approval to implement the recommended approach, with a view to a new service model being in place from September, 2019.  There would need to be further consultation on the new service model prior to implementation.  It was also proposed that a further report on the Review would be submitted to this Committee.

 

 

7.4

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

 

 

 

(a)      notes the contents of the report now submitted, together with the responses to the questions raised;

 

 

 

(b)      thanks Sam Martin for attending the meeting, and responding to the questions raised; and

 

 

 

(c)      agrees that an item on Post-16 provision be added to its Work Programme.

 

Supporting documents: