Agenda item

Report attached.

The Sub-Committee received an update report on the work of the Youth Services during 2019, and its focus upon targeted work and increasing need to develop a contextual safeguarding approach.

The report detailed that Havering Youth Service provides a wide range of opportunities for young people to grow and develop new and existing skills, make a positive contribution to their community and where relevant, reduce their involvement in risky, antisocial or criminal activities.

Havering Youth Service delivers an inclusive service that was available to all young people in Havering as well as providing targeted and preventative work in partnership with the wider Children’s Services, Education and Housing. 

The report outlined that youth work was an educational process that engaged with young people in a curriculum built from their lived experience and their personal beliefs and aspirations. The Youth Worker builds positive relationships with young people based on mutual respect.

It was noted that young people choose to attend a youth provision and engage with youth workers. The youth workers help young people learn about themselves, others and society, through informal educational activities which combine enjoyment, challenge and learning.

The Youth Service operated the facilities at Myplace Centre and the Robert Beard/Olive facilities delivering 18 weekly projects/clubs and over 10 bespoke additional programmes.

The report provided the following impact and success of Services during 2019:

·         The Service was engaged with over 1000 individual young people through club based and outreach projects. The predominant age is 13 to 19 (up to 25 with additional needs.

·         The Youth Bus – During the summer, the bus visited 10 different areas and communities within Havering to engage in a range of projects – this included knife crime awareness, art activities, life skill consultations, sport projects, positive activities, group work and more. Over 200 young people have benefited. The project was also supported other activities such as Street Wheels.

·         Knife Crime Summit – In November 2019, the Youth Service worked in partnership with Community Safety to put on a Knife Crime Summit. Young people were involved in this event.

·         Go Girls, Goodfellas and Life Skills Projects – Go Girls: 36 Referrals – 26 attended in 2019 of which 5 LAC, 4 Early Intervention, 6 CIN Referrals came from Schools, CSE Panel, Social Workers and CAMHS.

·         Goodfellas – 8 young people were referred to the programme scheduled for January 2020.

·         Co-Producing a Life Skills Project – Currently taking place with Havering Youth Council and other young people from schools and clubs

·         Central Park, Harold Hill Sport Engagement - The project was co-produced by a young person leaving care – where youth workers have engaged with up to 60 young people in Central Park Harold Hill.

·         The Junior Transitions Project for young people transitioning from primary to secondary school. The programme looked at key themes such as developing skills & confidence for school and life transitions, overcoming fears, personal safety, ‘friendships and relationships’ and healthy life style.

·         The increase in the use of bikes and bike projects have led to a new funded programme called the Bike Shed. (£10, 000 from Ground Work, with another £10,000 from Sport England). The project will enable young people to develop bike maintenance skills, provide peer education, and expand on bike and cycle projects within key targeted areas. Youth workers will also support young people to develop communication skills.

·         Duke of Edinburgh (DofE): 60 young people participated and completed DofE awards. 4 SEND young people were part of the cohort.

·         Outreach – Working in 12 different community areas with Youth Bus/Outreach Team.

·         Summer Programme - 27 different weekly projects/events over the 6 week school summer holidays.

·         Youth Bus engagement in Brittons Park to support Kelvedon/Ongar Way. Creation of Kicks Football project at Brittons School.

·         Harold Hill Festival: hundreds of young people, and a range of members of the public (Some young people involved in local performances

·         One to One Support – In the last year, 23 young people have been supported and mentored on a one to one basis. The impact of the interventions have reduced the need for young people to access higher tiered services, and young people gaining resilience and independence.

The report informed the Sub-Committee that the next step for the service was to align service provision via the Integrated Adolescent Safeguarding Strategy bringing together services to better to respond to the needs of children and young people at risk outside of the familial context.

The Sub-Committee noted the update report.