Archived decisions

Contact: Malcolm Rittman, County Youth Officer, Tel: 01962 846370

1. Summary

1.1 The Hampshire County Youth Work Plan 2003/04 (appendix 1) sets out the areas of work the Youth Service will engage in. The plan has been drafted in response to the Government's agenda for Transforming Youth Work, which expects Local Authorities to approve a Youth Service Plan. Approved plans will be submitted to the Government Office.

2. Background

2.1 In autumn 2002 a common planning framework for the Youth Service was issued by the Government. Plans are expected to demonstrate how the Youth Service will meet the Transforming Youth Work objectives, which develops a Youth Service young people want to use through:

· Quality support to young people

· Enabling the voice of young people to be heard

· Ensuring a rich diversity of personal and social development opportunities

· Promoting intervention and prevention, addressing disaffection and exclusion.

3. Components of the Youth Service plan

3.1 Plans are expected to have clear aims and objectives, which focus on achieving outcomes reflecting the needs and priorities of young people at the local level with the following components:

1. Strategic objectives: this section is to identify the objectives for 2003/04, which include the service's contribution to a range of Government and local cross-cutting targets such as Connexions and community cohesion

2. The local context: a description of the local situation and the features and characteristics which need to be reflected in the nature of provision

3. The local Youth Service: an overview of how the local Youth Service is meeting the needs of young people and how it is organised including staffing, finance and resources

4. Involving young people: the expectations the service has to involve young people in decision-making, promoting citizenship and involvement in local democracy

5. Equity and diversity: the approach the service is using to promote equity and social inclusion

6. Quality and staff development: this describes how the service promotes the protection of service users and the quality of youth work delivery

7. Significant practice examples: a sample of the way in which the service works with and for young people is to be included.

4. The Hampshire County Youth Service Youth Work Plan

4.1 The Youth Work Plan for Hampshire responds to the guidance, builds on the Hampshire County Youth Service Strategic Development Plan 03/06 approved by the Executive Member for Education in March 2002 and includes key elements of the Minister's announcement in December 2002,Transforming Youth Work - Resourcing Excellent Youth Services. The plan outlines how the Hampshire County Youth Service will:

· Provide the strategic leadership expected by the Government

· Respond to the agreed local targets outlined in the Strategic Development Plan 2003/2006

· Perform against the Youth Work Standards, identifying the work required to be completed over the next three years to meet the standards effectively

· Work with young people to: increase their personal and social skills; promote democracy and decision making; promote social inclusion and community cohesion; develop new opportunities and challenging experiences and promote healthy lifestyles.

4.2 Existing planning processes and consultation arrangements within the service were used to produce the plan. In addition, two successful consultation events were held with voluntary and community groups, who have influenced and developed the plan as part of the consultation.

5. Challenges for the Hampshire County Youth Service

5.1 The plan sets high expectations for the service and in achieving these the service will need to:

1. increase the number of young people with whom it works

2. increase the level of nationally qualified staff

3. increase the number of local projects

4. improve the core funding base to meet the objective of a sufficiently funded service

5. improve data collection and quality assurance arrangements.

6. Recommendations

The Youth Panel advise the Executive Member for Education:

· to approve the Hampshire County Youth Service - Youth Work Plan for 2003/4

· to write to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) expressing concerns about the funding arrangements.

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

N.B. The list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

Transforming Youth Work - Resourcing Excellent Youth Services

Transforming Youth Work - Planning for the Local Authority Youth Service: 2003-04 Guidance