Archived decisions

Contact: Chris Young, Senior Youth Worker, Tel: 01256 334882

1 Summary

1.1 This report provides information about youth work in the Basingstoke District with reference to the key issues being addressed. Information is included on current work and planned developments. A list of current Youth Service projects and networks is attached in a series of appendices.

2 Basingstoke District

2.1 The District is coterminous with the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council covering approximately 250 square miles with a population of around 160,000; 13,000 of whom are young people aged 13-19. The majority of the population lives in Basingstoke, the major commercial and residential area, with the remainder living in the surrounding rural towns of Tadley, Whitchurch and other villages in rural areas.

2.2 The Basingstoke area benefits from low unemployment. Young people attend eleven secondary schools, one sixth form college and one college of further education.

2.3 In addition to the senior youth worker, the Youth Service team is made up of five full-time and thirty part-time youth workers delivering a range of services, including youth arts projects, detached youth work, information, advice and counselling, working with teenage parents, inclusion programmes and building based youth clubs. Full-time staff each have responsibility for an aspect of this work. Difficulties have been experienced in recruiting part-time youth work staff. The initial response to a new recruitment programme is encouraging.

2.4 The priority issues and needs of young people in the District are identified through local consultation with young people, the wider community, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, voluntary organisations, and other agencies and organisations. These are:

· safe accessible places to meet

· involvement in democracy and decision-making

· consultation and involvement in service delivery

· curriculum development

· development of the Connexions strategy

· review and development of partnership working.

2.5 These needs, with those identified by national and county priorities, will be addressed throughout the forthcoming year in the Basingstoke District.

2 Curriculum

2.1 Healthy living.

3.1.1 The Youth Service is actively involved in the teenage pregnancy agenda, working closely with Primary Care Trusts and Health Promotion, developing sexual health programmes. Working with Family Planning Services and health visitors, a successful programme has been established for teenage parents - Friday+. The emphasis is to provide support to teenage mothers, the development of parenting skills and providing learning opportunities. The Youth Service is also working with health partners in areas of high teenage pregnancy to develop and promote accessible sexual health programmes.

2.2 Social inclusion.

2.2.1 A successful project, working in partnership with Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) and the Ashwood Centre has recently been completed. Working with groups of young people, who had been excluded from schools, the programme was designed to address behaviour difficulties, anger management, and provide support and encouragement for young people to re-enter full-time education.

2.3 Democracy and decision-making.

2.3.1 The District Youth Work team, working in partnership with the District Connexions team, are actively working with groups of young people from communities across Basingstoke, consulting with young people and promoting Connexions services and youth forum(s), to involve young people in the development of Connexions services and the establishment of advice, information and counselling services for young people.

2.4 Personal and social skills.

3.4.1 The Ridgeway project is a programme working with young people in the Buckskin community. It has been identified as an area of need by the Youth Service and the Borough Council, who are developing the estate. Bringing together a team of youth workers from different projects, a programme has been established, based at the Ridgeway Centre, working with groups of young people, addressing the implications of anti-social behaviour, healthy living and social interaction, introducing young people to a wide range of new experiences.

2.5 New and challenging experiences.

2.5.1 District youth work teams have been working closely with the Calshot Centre to provide young people with the opportunity to experience new and exciting activities including climbing, skiing, snow-boarding and archery. The detached youth work team completed a successful residential programme based at the Calshot site. A District residential is planned for the summer (June/July) surfing in Cornwall; this will bring together young people from different youth projects to share their experiences. A number of projects have used trips to the theatre to provide young people with new experiences; the ballet in Southampton has left an impression with the young people which is still a focus of attention. Freedom Youth, on the other hand, used a play in London as a positive learning opportunity for discussion.

2.6 Partnerships.

2.6.1 It is a credit to the District Youth Work team that Hampshire County Youth Service provision in the District is actively sought to work in partnership with other agencies and organisations, taking the lead in issues affecting young people. Partners include Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, Hampshire Police Authority, Southern Careers, Connexions, EOTAS, local schools, voluntary youth organisations, Basingstoke Voluntary Services and the three Primary Care Trusts, operating in the area.

2.6.2 The District Youth work team is also receiving requests to manage youth work projects on behalf of agencies, in particular, the Borough Council and voluntary youth organisations.

2.6.3 These partnerships currently raise approximately £35,000 for youth work, with projected additional funding of £30,000.

3 Buildings

3.1 Junction 6, the Youth Arts Centre based in Popley, is planned to be relocated to a new part of Popley after the John Hunt of Everest Community School is relocated in 2005/2006. This will provide an exciting opportunity for a new youth building and it is envisaged that young people will be totally involved in the designing and specification of the premises.

3.2 The Youth Service, Connexions and the Borough Council are in discussion to secure shop premises in Basingstoke Town Centre to operate a one stop shop service for young people.

4 Staff development

4.1 Presently two members of staff are attending the Connexions Diploma course; a further three staff attended the introduction to Connexions programme and one member of staff is being supported to gain the National Youth Work qualification.

4.2 We are recruiting 20 new part-time youth work staff to work at youth projects across the District. A district induction and youth work training programme has been established to ensure new staff have acquired appropriate skills as they are deployed to projects.

5 Youth Service resources

5.1 The Youth Service delegated budget for the Basingstoke District in 2003/2004 is £147,868.

5.2 Additional external funding is targeted to be secured during 2003/2004.

5.3 Breakdown of external funding secured for revenue cost 2003/2004:

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council £34,000

Voluntary organisation £11,000

External sources (targeted) £12,000

Total £57,000

6 Recommendation

The current development of youth work in Basingstoke District to be welcomed.

Section 100D, Local Government Act 1972 background papers.

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

N.B. The List excludes:

· published works

· documents which disclose exempt or confidential information defined in the Act.

Nil