Youth Work Plan

Second Edition

2004-2005 - 2nd Draft

1. Introduction

1.1 Youth work engages young people by using a variety of informal learning opportunities through which they can grow and develop as empowered individuals. For youth work to be effective, high quality opportunities need to be developed, well planned and resourced.

1.2 The Hampshire County Council's Youth Service Strategic Development Plan (2003 - 2006) enables everyone involved in Youth Service work to build on existing provision and develop quality learning opportunities for young people in Hampshire. It is intended to assist staff, colleagues and partner organisations to focus on the priorities established for the planning period.

1.3 The Strategic Development Plan (03/06) provides:

· the curriculum for Youth Service work (see Principles and Outcomes)

· the priorities for Youth Service work between 2003 and 2006

· the framework for the Youth Service contribution to the Connexions Service in Hampshire

· the basis for all Youth Service District and Project Action Plans.

1.4 Expansion of Hampshire County Youth Service provision is dependent on incremental improvement in core funding of the Youth Service to the level identified in the formula spending share for local education authorities.

1.5 Hampshire County Council's Youth Service Plan has been prepared in consultation with:

· Young people

· Youth Service Staff

· Hampshire County Council colleagues, officers, staff and Members

· Voluntary and Community sector organisations

· South Central Connexions Partnership (SCCP)

· Contacts in other organisations and agencies.

1.6 The Second Youth Service plan has been developed between October and December 2003 in order to implement the vision and priorities for Youth Service and the `Transforming Youth Work Resourcing Excellent Youth Services' document. A number of factors influence the development of Youth Service work in Hampshire. These factors include:

· achievements, developments and evaluations of the first Youth Service Plan

· the development of Connexions Services

· revised planning guidance December 2003

2. Government expectations

2.1 The government expects local education authority youth services to:

· provide strategic leadership for the wider youth service

· ensure the local authority youth service is a key contributing partner to the Connexions Services and the delivery of local preventive strategies

· ensure the active participation of young people in the specification, governance, management, delivery and quality assurance of youth services

· secure appropriate and coherent youth work provision through coherent partnership arrangements

· take a leading role in representing youth service interests at local, regional, national and European governmental levels

· provide high quality youth work in settings where local authority is uniquely placed to make direct provision

· ensure safe environments supervised by skilled and caring workers providing a facility in which the community has the utmost confidence.

3. Hampshire County Youth Service Priorities

3.1 In line with Government requirements Hampshire County Youth Service is committed to:

· prioritising Youth Service work for 13-19 year olds and allocating at least 80% of Youth Service funding to this age group

· securing genuine equality of opportunity, whether required by law or not, as both a service provider and employer

· maintaining high quality youth provision within a healthy and safe environment

· working closely with the South Central Connexions Partnership (SCCP)

· improving the range and quality of personal development opportunities for young people

· being a proactive service adapting and changing in response to the needs of young people

· developing a youth work curriculum with learning opportunities to encourage personal and social development of young people

· working to promote and support youth work alongside and in partnership with voluntary and community groups, other agencies and organisations working with young people

· working towards the national standards of youth work provision

3.2 Hampshire County Youth Service has identified and prepared its priorities and organisational developments in the context of:

· Young people's needs

· The need to develop and expand the Service

· Hampshire County Council's Corporate Strategy

· Hampshire County Council's Education Development Plan

· Best Value

· The Transforming Youth Work Agenda

· The developing Connexions Service in Hampshire

· The developing statements on standards, adequacy, and ethics in youth work

· The implications of the Green Paper - `Every Child Matters'

3.3 The County Youth Service will:

· continue to integrate youth work provision with other County Council services and will contribute to meeting the objectives within associated strategies like Green Paper - `Every Child Matters', Extended Schools project and the Behaviour Support Plan

· support the voluntary and community sector to expand and develop provision through local and countywide organisations to maintain and develop effective work with young people

· respond to the needs and issues affecting young people and take a lead role in meeting the challenges presented both locally and nationally

· promote the involvement and engagement of young people in policy, service development, planning, operation and evaluation of youth provision.

4. Aims

1. To promote and deliver opportunities which are challenging, supportive, exciting and fun for young people, enabling them to learn, develop and respond to change.

2. To develop and deliver effective services for young people in partnership with other organisations and agencies

3. To increase the effective involvement of the voluntary and community sector as a partner in delivering youth work and services with young people.

5. Purpose

5.1 Hampshire County Youth Service:

· creates opportunities to encourage young people to achieve their potential as empowered individuals and members of groups and communities

· supports young people during their transition to adulthood

· provides learning opportunities which challenge young people to respond critically and creatively to their everyday experiences and to the wider world around them

· promotes the influence of young people, their involvement in decision making and active citizenship

· works closely with other organisations and agencies to provide high quality services to young people

· identifies young people at risk and provides youth workers with specialist knowledge, expertise and experience

· provides safe and informal environments for young people in which to deliver integrated services

· provides youth workers who may be best placed to act as a young person's personal adviser

· provides a diversity of culturally relevant community based youth work, which removes barriers to a range of groups including those from black and ethnic minority populations.

6. Principles

6.1 Hampshire County Youth Service is committed to promoting opportunities for young people which complement Connexions objectives and principles.

For young people, youth work:

· is based on their choice to be involved

· begins at their starting point and encourages critical and creative responses to their experiences and environment

· is based on the principles of equity and fairness and the promotion of equality and inclusion

· provides opportunities for them to achieve and fulfil their potential as individuals and members of the community

· encourages learning and complements school and college based education

· is exciting, challenging and fun

· is concerned with their mental, physical and spiritual development and well-being

· values them for who they are and how they feel and not simply for what they know and do

· is concerned with facilitating and empowering their voice

7. Outcomes

7.1 Outcomes from youth work for young people include:

· responsibility for their personal development

· the development of self-esteem, awareness, confidence and high aspirations

· the acquisition of a range of new skills and knowledge

· personal learning including physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, social and emotional development

· the awareness of rights and responsibilities

· participation in the democratic process

· active citizenship

· social inclusion

· participation in new opportunities and experiences

· recognition of achievement and learning

· healthy lifestyles

· successful transition to adulthood

· successful transition to further education, training and employment

· action plans for career and life goals.

8. Organisation

8.1 Hampshire County Youth Service achieves the planned outcomes for young people through the development of a range of services by:

· establishing policies and quality standards, and monitoring their implementation

· establishing, developing, and managing provision including specialist and targeted provision with young people

· working in partnership with other organisations, the Connexions Service, statutory agencies and voluntary youth groups

· providing grant aid to voluntary youth groups and organisations

· maintaining well-qualified staff teams

· ensuring resources are targeted to reflect Youth Service priorities and maximised through the generation of additional external funding.

9. Structure

9.1 Hampshire County Youth Service is part of the Hampshire County Council Education Department and located within the Lifelong Learning Branch. The County Youth Service is managed through 11 districts, coterminous with district council boundaries. Each Youth Service district has a team of youth workers who deliver a range of projects and services, consistent with County Youth Service priorities and in response to local issues. The Youth Service, subject to approval, will manage a Connexions sub-contract on behalf of the County Council working closely with other agencies.

See appendix 1 for organisational chart

9.2 The Hampshire County Youth Service supports the voluntary and community sector through the provision of grant aid, working alongside and partnership working. The Service works closely with Hampshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (HCVYS) and the South Central Connexions Partnership to promote youth work across the County and in neighbourhoods, in order to increase the capacity of the sector and deliver effective youth work.

See appendix 2 for organisational chart

10. Partnerships

10.1 Hampshire County Youth Service works closely with young people and a wide range of partner organisations to provide quality youth work opportunities to young people. Many organisations have both local and national networks providing a broad range of opportunities to deliver the youth work curriculum, thereby enabling the personal, social and spiritual development of young people.

10.2 The Hampshire County Youth Service will seek to increase the number and range of partnership agreements and will continue to work in partnership with:

· Connexions Services

· Community Safety Partnerships

· Youth Offending Team

· Drug Action Team

· Hampshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (HCVYS)

· Voluntary and community groups, other agencies and organisations.

10.3 Working with the voluntary and community sector the service:

· has a number of partnership agreements with voluntary organisations, where resources are shared to the benefit of young people. The Service has maintained its support to the Voluntary Sector by providing grants to a range of organisations. Annual revenue grants support ongoing expenditure and project development grants are for one-off new activities, developments or events.

· provides a range of support and advice through officers, some of whom are involved in Management Committees, or by responding to individual needs and issues as they arise.

· Supports the need for improved co-ordination and a closer working relationship being developed with Hampshire Council for Voluntary Youth Organisations (HCVYS). This will develop alongside the Hampshire County Council's Compact with voluntary organisations. Planning events and working conferences have been developed as a result of the Transforming Youth Work and planning agenda.

10.4 Working with Connexions:

· The Youth Service played a key role in the development of Connexions in Hampshire and the South Central Connexions Partnership (SCCP) area.

· Hampshire County Council (HCC) through the Youth Service were involved in the development of SCCP and the delivery of the Connexions Pilot and is delivering a sub-contract from September 02 - July 04 on behalf of SCCP within Hampshire.

· The commitment to partnership working is a major strand of the Connexions service delivery model adopted in Hampshire which is illustrated by the opening paragraph of section 5.2 of the Hampshire Connexions Delivery Plan:

The Connexions Service within Hampshire will build upon existing services that serve young people by encouraging greater and closer co-operation and by developing supplementary services where there are gaps.

· The model strives to relate existing services to new supplementary services and initiatives that develop as a result of co-operative partnership working.

· The Hampshire sub-contract to 31 July 2004 involves:

1. The co-ordination of existing services within districts

2. The development and delivery of district multi-agency one-stop shops

3. The provision of teams of Personal Advisers within each district.

· The Hampshire County Youth Service has a partnership agreement to support the involvement of young people in Connexions and supporting youth workers to train and act as personal advisers as appropriate.

11. Resourcing the Youth Service

11.1 The HCC Youth Service for 04 / 05 has core funding of £4.5M.

11.2 For the financial year 2004/05, the Youth Service expects to receive from the Government Office grants for transforming youth work and to meet the duties under the Special Educational Needs Disability Act 2001. In addition the service has a contract of £51,00 with Social Services to support young carers and £683,00 to July 31 to develop the Connexions Service in Hampshire.

11.3 The Service accesses a range of other funding streams amounting to £1.2m from other external sources.

11.4 The Service strives to be a sufficiently resourced with sustainable core funding.

12. Approaches and methods

12.1 There are a variety of styles, methods and approaches to youth work. Relationships and learning opportunities are developed with young people in a range of situations and venues including:

· purpose-built youth centres

· schools and colleges

· community buildings

· one-stop shops

· places where young people meet and congregate which may be on a street, in a bus shelter or a community meeting place

· outdoor education environments

· mobile youth projects.

13. Youth Service Aims

13.1 In order to deliver youth work in Hampshire, the County Youth Service will be addressing each aim as follows:

13.2 Youth Service Aim

To promote and deliver opportunities which are challenging, supportive, exciting and fun for young people, enabling them to learn, develop and respond to change.

Objectives

· Personal and social skills

A range of youth work projects will be maintained in response to local needs providing personal development opportunities for young people, leading to higher aspirations and contributing to raising achievement.

· Democracy and decision making

Involvement of young people in improving the design and delivery of services will be increased through the support and development of local forums, county youth council, and in the Connexions Service

· Social Inclusion

The range of targeted youth work projects will be increasingly focused on improving community cohesion and supporting young people in order to develop positive lifestyles, engage in education training and work and raise their achievement and participation within the community

· New and challenging experiences

A range of new and challenging experiences will underpin youth work programmes to improve personal development, active citizenship, cultural awareness and self-esteem

· Health

Projects will be established and curriculum materials developed to engage young people in health, drugs and sex education support teenage pregnancy strategies and drugs action team targets, as well as physical activity, nutrition and the development of healthy life-styles

13.4 To achieve this aim and implement the objectives, the following range of methods and approaches will be used:

· detached, outreach and mobile work

· youth clubs and centres

· information, advice and support services

· youth counselling

· focused project work

· inclusion projects

· education support work

· Connexions services

· outdoor education

· residentials

· international experiences

· summer holiday projects

· individual support and personal advice

· accreditation of learning through participation in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Youth Achievement Awards. Millennium Volunteers .

· young worker training

· youth forums and councils

· after-school clubs

· arts work, music, dance and drama

· sporting activities

· support for the voluntary and community sector.

13.5 Each of the 11 Youth Service districts produce annual plans reflecting the County's priorities and local need. The Youth Service works closely with local district councils and other agencies to ensure that local plans respond to local need.

13.6 The promotion of social inclusion is a priority that is seen as key to all the Service's work. Hampshire County Youth Service encourages the engagement of young people with their communities through promoting access to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award or Millennium Volunteers as well as specific projects that facilitate the interaction between young people and other groups such as the elderly.

13.7 The Service actively engages young people through the use of arts based youth work as well as seeking to offer young people new and challenging experiences through their engagement with arts and cultural projects. The Service has two identified youth arts centres Genesis in Fareham and Junction 6 in Basingstoke, although the delivery of arts based youth work forms part of many other projects and centres.

13.8 Youth Service Aim:

To develop and deliver effective services for young people in partnership with other organisations and agencies.

Objectives

· Partnerships

A range of partnerships will be maintained and new ones developed with the Connexions Service, voluntary organisations, other HCC organisations and agencies to improve and expand youth work opportunities and respond to the transforming youth work agenda

· Development and training

Active strategies will be put in place to attract and recruit staff to work in the Youth Service. High quality training and development programmes and pathways will be developed to ensure staff are able to respond to the changing needs of young people

· Funding

Funding will be allocated according to the revised youth service formula ensuring equity of distribution and the level of external funding will be increased from a range of sources.

· Quality assurance

Quality assurance arrangements will be maintained to ensure quality work is established and electronic systems implemented to ensure data are available to monitor progress and inform future planning and actions

13.9 To achieve this aim and implement objectives the Youth Service will be:

· working in close partnership with educational establishments to help meet the needs and aspirations of young people within the community

· contributing to Connexions services for young people and enabling youth workers to work as Personal Advisers

· advocating for young people's involvement in decision-making processes

· providing advice and guidance to other agencies working with young people

· working in partnership with Connexions and other organisations

· supporting the development of multi-agency groups and initiatives.

14. Quality Assurance - measuring performance

14.1 Hampshire Youth Service is committed to ensure that all projects and services provide good quality learning opportunities for young people and good value for money. The Service seeks to continuously improve through regular monitoring and assessment of work. The major elements of the quality assurance framework are:

· clear aims, purpose, priorities and policies, widely published and influencing practice

· thorough and recorded planning at county, district and project levels

· monitoring, evaluation and recording of all direct work with young people

· project self assessment

· feedback from peer and management visits

· an internal inspection framework based on the Ofsted framework, up-dated and used every four years

· service-user satisfaction surveys

· non-user surveys

· collecting and analysing quantitative data

· co-operation agreements with the voluntary sector and other agencies

14.2 Projects complete sessional recordings of their work, provide evaluation reports and collect required data. District offices ensure recordings are received, collate the data and forward it to the county office monthly, for recording centrally. District quarterly reports reflect the monitoring processes and use the results to report on actual outcomes, and relate these to planned objectives. The information collected includes part of the data required annually by the National Youth Agency. In addition where projects are working directly with Connexions, CorePlus, the Connexions information system adopted by the Partnership, will be used. In addition, the Youth Service will adopt information sharing protocols approved by the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership.

14.3 An annual survey of service-users gauges user satisfaction levels and informs planning. Consultation with focus groups of non-users of the service was used to help assess the Authority's draft Youth Strategy in 2003. In 2004 this approach will be used to help assess need and to determine what may need to change qualitatively to attract and benefit more young people.

14.4 Project self assessment process and feedback from peers and managers visiting the projects are also used to inform reports of progress, to improve quality and influence future plans. Indicative of improved performance in quality will be:

· improvement in the learning opportunities available to young people.

· the securing of information about the results and outcomes of the work of the Youth Service.

· the obtaining of information about the needs of young people who do not use the service.

· efficient and effective reporting procedures.

15. Hampshire County Youth Service Priorities

15.1 To develop and build upon existing provision, Hampshire County Youth Service has agreed priorities for 2003-2006.

15.2 Hampshire County Youth Service will focus resources to maximise the benefits for young people in Hampshire and to respond effectively to Government and County Council initiatives.

15.3 Curriculum priorities are:

1. To enable young people to develop personal and social skills and high aspirations

2. To involve young people in democracy and decision making

3. To promote the social inclusion of young people

4. To engage young people in new opportunities and challenging experiences

5. To encourage young people to lead healthy lifestyles.

15.4 Organisational priorities are:

6. National and county priorities

7. Employment and staff development

8. Financial resources

9. Quality Assurance and evaluation.

16. Target age range:

16.1 The Youth Service will work with young people aged 11-24 but allocates at least 80% of Youth Service resources to the 13-19 priority group.

17. Priority groups and issues:

17.1 Whilst providing open access to Youth Service work and seeking to provide opportunities for all young people, the Service will allocate resources to:

_ Ensure young parents, young women, from ethnic groups, those at risk of exclusion, Young Carers and those who have special needs or disabilities are able to engage effectively in Youth Service opportunities

_ Address issues or concerns around: drug and alcohol misuse; offending activity and crime; health; housing and accommodation; education and training; employment.

18. The Local Context

18.1 Location

18.2 The county of Hampshire is situated in the far south of England, roughly half-way between the east and west ends of the South Coast. It is bordered to the west by Dorset and Wiltshire, to the north by Berkshire and to the east by Surrey and West Sussex. Most of Hampshire's southern coastline is on the Solent, the strait separating mainland Britain from the Isle of Wight.

18.3 Most of the county is within 1-2 hours reach of London by main-line railway and motorway links.

18.4 Area, Population and Characteristics

18.5 With a population of 1,240,032 (2001 census) and covering an area of  367,860 hectares (excluding Southampton and Portsmouth), Hampshire is one of the largest non-metropolitan or "shire" counties in England.

18.6 The County Council, together with 11 District Councils and the parish and Town councils, provides vital everyday services to 1.2 million people across the county.

18.7 In southern Hampshire, the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton are twin centres of the largest urban concentration in the South East Region outside London. The influence of the two cities extends far beyond their administrative boundaries. They are major centres of employment.

18.8 The coast - the Solent, its harbours and estuaries - has a special character: a mixture of intensive development and open spaces. The Solent is an area of national and international importance for environmental, recreational and commercial reasons.

18.9 Northern Hampshire has its own large urban areas of Andover, Basingstoke and the Blackwater Valley towns. All of these communities have, in the past, been developed to meet needs arising outside Hampshire. Many towns and villages are influenced by pressure from adjoining areas, particularly Greater London, the Thames Valley and Reading.

18.10 Between southern and northern Hampshire is a broad belt of countryside which gives Hampshire its rural image. Its farmland, woodland and valleys have, for many years, been defended in successive planning strategies as a rural heartland between the London and Reading orientated towns of north-eastern Hampshire, and the south coast communities.

18.11 South-west Hampshire is dominated by the New Forest, the conservation of which is of international significance. The New Forest Heritage Area, which embraces and surrounds the Forest, requires a special approach towards its use and management. However, communities within the Forest and the urban areas around its edge look outwards and are dependent on Bournemouth or Southampton for many of their social and economic needs.

* Same figure - Social Services regards Young People with Multiple needs as being at High risk.

*Note: Disability is not mandatory recording for under 18s so is not fully counted. Some children will have both physical and learning disability

19. Partnerships

19.1 The Hampshire County Youth Service recognises and values the range of services, delivered by District and Borough Councils and many different agencies and organisations, that are available to young people throughout Hampshire. The Service will work with Connexions, District and Borough Councils, statutory agencies, the voluntary and community sector and organisations who support the priorities outlined in this plan. It is essential they work to and deliver the youth work curriculum, which enables the personal, social and spiritual development of young people.

19.2 Policy

1. Annual revenue grant criteria

2. Project development grant criteria

3. Model partnership agreement

4. Connexions partnership agreement

19.3 Responsibilities

· Youth Service Manager - Deputy CYO has the strategic responsibility for developing the support and practice with voluntary organisations.

· Youth Service Managers will ensure:

_ The development of the Youth Service contribution to the Connexions Service in districts

_ The integration of Youth Service information projects with Connexions Service objectives

_ Staff are aware of Connexions and have appropriate training

_ Closer working with Voluntary and Community Groups, Local Authorities and other agencies

· Senior youth workers encourage support, develop and integrate partnership working with Voluntary and Community Groups, Local Authorities, other agencies and Connexions

· Contracts:

Connexions: The Youth Service will continue to manage the first sub-contract until it ceases on 31 July 2004. The Youth Service will support and implement further contracts if approved

· Young Carers: A contract with Social Services will be managed by the Youth Service to support 2 workers, one in the north and one in the south, to work with Young Carers

Structural arrangements

Curriculum development or work with young people

Monitoring and evaluation

Development and training

Allocation of resources revised criteria

20. Involving Young People

20.1 Involving young people in democracy and decision making is one of the key priorities of Hampshire County Youth Service. It seeks to involve young people at all levels of service delivery from their participation in staff recruitment to the completion of an annual user satisfaction survey. All projects are expected to involve young people fully in planning, operation and evaluation of their programmes as well as facilitating their engagement with policy and decision makers at all levels. Hampshire County Youth Service supports a wide range of youth forums and councils across the County and has worked with young people from across Hampshire to establish and develop an effective County Youth Council.

20.2 Policy Statements

1. Hampshire County Youth Service Strategic Development Plan 2003-2006

2. HCYS Curriculum Policy (July 03)

3. HCYS Quality Assurance Policy (Nov 03)

20.3 Responsibilities

· Youth Service Manager: responsible for ensuring young people are involved as fully as possible in all aspects of the Service's planning, delivery and operation.

· Development Youth Workers' Participation: responsible for supporting existing county wide initiatives and supporting the development of new participation work within Districts and the County as a whole; supporting and developing work of local UK Youth Parliament members (MYPs), Hampshire County Youth Council (HCYC), involvement of young people in the delivery of the Connexions service and extending the bursary holder scheme and the development of individual bursary holders.

· Senior Youth workers: responsible for ensuring that young people are actively engaged with the production and evaluation of Annual Development Plans and involved in the peer assessment of individual projects.

· All Staff: responsible for ensuring that young people are involved fully in the planning delivery and evaluation of youth work.

Involving Young People

21. Equality and Diversity

21.1 The development of Hampshire County Youth Service, both as an organisation and in its work with young people, is based on the principles and practices of equalities. The Strategic Development Plan (SDP) 2003-06 sets out the principles, practice and targets for implementing equalities and responding to the social inclusion agenda. The Youth Service curriculum and organisational targets are underpinned by these principles including the identification of priority groups and issues.

(Ref pages 4-10 SDP)

21.2 Policy Statements

1. Hampshire Corporate Equalities Strategy

2. Equalities in service delivery policy

3. Equalities in employment policy

4. Excellence in equalities - assessment framework

5. Behaviour Support Plan

6. Staff charter

21.3 Responsibilities

· County Youth Officer (CYO): co-ordinates the Equalities Review Group (ERG).

· Deputy CYO: has the strategic responsibility for social inclusion policy and practice

· Youth Service Manager (Human Resources): is responsible for equalities policy and practices.

Employment

Current performance	Areas for improvement	Activity	Outcome	Priority
Recruitment, selection and support of staff meet county standards, practice and Investors in People principles Use of micro site for recruitment	Improve numbers of applications for posts Review recruitment information and targeting Clarify support for volunteers	Identify and use alternative methods of recruitment. On-line recruitment established Establish arrangements for supporting volunteers Training event for Youth Service Management Group to review, revise and refresh approaches to recruitment and selection	Systems of recruitment leading to the employment of staff Policy and practice implemented	1
Monitoring of staff. Records are in place for full-time staff and for part-time for last two years	Improve monitoring of staff Improve data collection Implement the new County SAP data collection system	Ensure SAP Human Resources system is configured to hold relevant data	Reports available from SAP Workforce data audit	1

Curriculum development or work with young people

Current performance	Areas for improvement	Activity	Outcome	Priority
Young people are able to access a range of provision to meet identified needs	Ensure young people are more aware of projects. Improve the range of projects in response to the needs of specific groups Improve reach to specific communities and identified groups	Raise awareness of projects in communities through improved marketing strategy Projects to be reviewed through quality assurance process Projects to target disability and ethnic groups	Marketing strategy implemented Quality Assurance process identifying responses to specific groups Projects involving young working with disability and ethnic groups	2 / 3
A range of opportunities for young people to be involved in feed back and decision making are in place	Ensure all projects are `listening' to young people Develop a Pledge for young people Provide additional support to enable young people to have their say Respond to outcomes of annual survey of young people	Projects to have methods in place to listen to young people and links made with voluntary youth projects Youth Service Contribution to County Participation strategy Carry out annual survey and implement findings	Young people influencing projects Pledge in place and actively monitored Survey and outcomes implemented	2

Monitoring and evaluation

Development and training

Allocation of resources

22. Protection of Service Users

22.1 The well being of service users is of prime concern to Hampshire County Youth Service. The Service seeks to develop a culture of safety and protection underpinned by robust policy, procedures and staff training. Hampshire County Youth Service works increasingly closely with colleagues in the voluntary youth service to develop protocols and procedures for sharing information and good practice in relation to the protection of young people.

22.2 Policy Statements

1. Hampshire County Youth Service Health & Safety Policy

2. Child Protection Policy

3. Hampshire County Youth Service Staff Development & Training Programme

4. HCC Recruitment & Selection Policy

22.3 Responsibilities

· County Youth Office: responsible for ensuring safety of service users

· Youth Service Manager (Human Resources): responsible for implementation and monitoring of Health & Safety, Child Protection and staff recruitment policies

· Training and Development Officer: delivery of and access to appropriate training for all staff

· Personnel Officer: co-ordinates recruitment process

Protection of Service Users

23. Quality Assurance

23.1 Hampshire Youth Service is committed to ensure that all projects and services provide good quality learning opportunities for young people and good value for money. The Service seeks to continuously improve through regular monitoring and evaluation of work.

23.2 Policy statements

1 Hampshire County Youth Service Strategic Development Plan 2003/06

2 Quality standards for advice, information and youth counselling to be revised 2003/04

3 Development and Training quality assurance procedures

4 Best Value Review of Joint Services to Young People

5 HCYS Curriculum Policy (July 03)

6 HCYS Quality Assurance framework (March 04)

23.3 Responsibilities

· A designated Youth Service Manager takes lead responsibility for Quality Assurance. All staff are expected to engage in quality assurance procedures relating to their respective roles. As a result of the Best Value Review of Services to Young People, the County Youth Officer is lead officer for the development of a cross-departmental Youth Strategy.

Quality Assurance

24. Staff recruitment and Development

24.1 The Youth Service operates a process for recruitment and selection following Hampshire County Council policy and procedures. The Youth Service seeks to involve young people at all stages of the recruitment process for both part-time and full-time staff, providing appropriate training in interview skills.

24.2 Policy Statements

1. Development & Training Programme

2. Strategic Development Plan

3. Corporate Managers' Guide to Staff Management and Health & Safety Child Protection Policy

4. Development & Training Manual

5. HCC Performance Development Guide

24.3 Responsibilities

· Youth Service Manager (Human Resources): responsible for staff recruitment, development and training policy and practice

· Personnel Officer: co-ordinates recruitment process

· Assistant Personnel Officer: part-time recruitment, monitoring, statistical recording

· Personnel Assistant: part-time staff recruitment, administrative support

· Development & Training Officer: planning, monitoring and evaluating staff training and development programme.

· Development Worker (Training): training planning and delivery of local qualification course

Staff Recruitment and Development

25. Practice Examples

25.1 Hampshire County Youth Service Annual Report 2002/03 demonstrates how an effective and modern Youth Service develops and responds to the specific needs and issues young people are facing today.

25.2 Hampshire County Youth Service has established five curriculum priority aims:

· To enable young people to develop personal and social skills

· To involve young people in democracy and decision making

· To promote the social inclusion of young people

· To engage young people in new opportunities and challenging experiences

· To encourage young people to lead healthy lifestyles

These aims provide the focus for the examples below, which illustrate the variety of youth work opportunities created and the positive impact effective youth work has in enabling young people to achieve their potential and become more involved as active citizens

26. Personal and social Skills

26.1 It is important that young people discover their own potential and have opportunities to develop skills which enable them to flourish in the social world.

26.2 The Young Play Workers Project was set up in East Hampshire to develop play opportunities for 8 - 12 year olds and to develop volunteering opportunities for young people aged 14 - 18. The role of the volunteer play workers includes running and evaluating play projects and holiday schemes across East Hampshire. A successful bid to the `Better Play Grant Scheme' through Barnardo's, gained the project £91,600 over three years. A specially designed training course has been offered to young people and so far over 40 have volunteered on a weekly basis. The volunteers have worked with over 100 children on four different schemes.

26.3 An important part of the project has been to accredit young people's achievements. The play workers are currently working towards their Silver Youth Achievement Award and many are also using the opportunity to gain the Service Section of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. As part of their training, 20 workers participated in two residential events. The group was able to share their experiences with play workers from other projects. The training included discovering successful ways of working with young people who behave in challenging ways. The young workers also developed team-building skills and explored new and creative ideas for working with young children.

27. Democracy and Decision Making

27.1 Fundamental to good youth work is the involvement of young people in democratic processes and decision making. The Youth Service enables young people to make decisions at personal, project, district, county and national levels.

27.2 The Hampshire County Youth Council (HCYC) has continued to offer advice and support to new local youth councils and to share experiences of making cases for improved services for young people. The main event of the year organised by HCYC was the `50 Years of Fun' residential weekend held to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Over 60 young people attended the event at Avon Tyrell in the New Forest and learned many new skills as they participated in popular creative arts of the last 50 years.

27.3 Improving access to transport has featured high on the agenda of the HCYC this year. Members of the HCYC raised young people's concerns with representatives from Stagecoach and with Transport Officers of Hampshire County Council. The consultative role of HCYC has blossomed. Members of HCYC have been consulted about the development of the Connexions Service, contributed to Hampshire County Council's Best Value Review of Services to young people, and were also invited to comment on County Council services by the District Auditor.

28. Social Inclusion

28.1 Young people in many parts of Hampshire are involved in Youth Service activities leading to new opportunities in their lives.

28.2 A needs assessment identified there is limited provision for young people in the 19 southern parishes of Winchester district. Early in the year the County Youth Service entered into an agreement with partners from the voluntary sector to pilot mobile youth provision in five of the 19 parishes. The voluntary sector partners were Winchester Area Community Action and Meon Valley Lions Club.

28.3 The pilot phase of the work succeeded in highlighting the need for information services for young people living in this rural part of the Winchester district. A successful case for funding was made to the South Central Connexions Partnership for a new vehicle to provide an advice and information access point directly to young people in the southern parishes. This new and exciting project will offer young people information on health, careers, job opportunities, training, further education and a host of other matters of interest. Interviews with Connexions Personal Advisers is available, as is access to computers and educational software.

29. New Opportunities and Challenging Experiences

29.1 For young people to be successful in their transition into adulthood there is a lot to be gained from participating in new opportunities and challenging experiences in the company of peers and with the right level of support

29.2 Eight out of the nine young people from Rushmoor who took part in the Dublin Exchange were living in temporary hostel accommodation. The Irish group were all recovering addicts, who had strong family support and lived with their parents. The exchange provided the opportunity to experience things that most members of the group have never had access to including flying in an aeroplane, travelling to another country, working with new people, rural life and using another currency. The young people were involved in all stages of the planning and felt a real sense of achievement at the end of the exchange. Self-esteem soared as individuals overcame their fears and faced new challenges with determination.

Life experiences were shared between the groups and a greater understanding and respect of the different cultures were achieved. Prejudices were challenged, attitudes explored and new perceptions reached. New skills were learnt and confidence increased, as the two groups faced new experiences together. Comments made by young people from Rushmoor during the evaluation of the exchange included:

_ "Best week I ever had."

_ "Didn't know you could enjoy yourself so much without alcohol."

_ "Brilliant laugh I will miss the Irish group."

The group from Rushmoor have committed themselves to weekly planning meetings as they prepare to host the Dublin group.

30. Healthy Lifestyles

30.1 Enabling young people to make informed decisions about the adoption of a healthy lifestyle is increasingly important at a time when young people are at risk from the misuse of drugs, sexually transmitted infections, sedentary lifestyles and diet-related conditions.

30.2 Early in 2002, Dan Nolan a 14 year old young man from Hamble went missing. Since then detached youth workers in Eastleigh district have worked with groups of Dan's friends and peers on the issue of personal safety. The young people and the youth workers decided to go to see a performance of the play `Dan Nolan-Missing,' the compelling story of the night Dan went missing after a night out with friends. The play conveys several important messages about alcohol, personal safety, risk-taking behaviour and its consequences. The play is compulsive viewing for anyone who works with young people and is a superb personal safety education resource. The script of the play is available from the community safety education organization `Dbda' they can be contacted by email: mailto:[email protected]

Youth workers involved in the work with Dan Nolan's friends reported that the play was the most powerful tool they used in their work with the groups.



Annual

Plan

and

Targets

2003 - 2004

Quality and Staff Development

Measuring Performance

Annual Youth Service Unique Targets

Activity

As assessment of the services activity and performance against each target will be made to inform target setting.

Outcome

Performance assessed and targets set.

Action - Quantity for current activity.

Target -1- Personal and social skills

Target -1- Personal and social skills continued..

Target - 2 - Democracy and decision making

Target - 3 - Social inclusion

Target - 4 - New opportunities and challenging experiences

Target - 5 - Healthy lifestyles

Target - 6 - National and county priorities

Target - 6 - National and county priorities continued..

Target - 7- Employment and staff development

Target - 8 - Financial resources

Target - 9 - Quality assurance

Hampshire County Youth Service

Transforming Youth Work Development Fund

Implementation Plan

Revised October 03



1. To develop closer working relationships and encourage the sharing of opportunities between voluntary youth organisations and the Hampshire County Youth Service

Rationale:

Current practices for supporting voluntary and community groups to improve working together with the Youth Service are:

· The Hampshire County Youth Service allocates £195k per annum to the voluntary youth sector through The Hampshire County Youth Service grants budget

· The opportunities offered through The Hampshire County Youth Service training programme are available to staff and volunteers of voluntary organisations

· Staff attend a variety of meetings with voluntary groups and organisations offering support and guidance

· The development of a joint code of practice for child protection - "Safe from Harm"

· Many of The Hampshire County Youth Service projects are based on partnerships, most with voluntary organisations

Developing the youth work plan has created opportunities for closer co-operation and increased partnership working. It is leading to improved services for young people and policy development. Further co-ordination will result in increased opportunities for young people.

2. To underpin Youth Service and Connexions involvement and to encourage young people to become engaged in local democratic processes and influence how resources are allocated and used

Rationale:

Youth Service districts are responsible for developing, delivering and supporting opportunities to encourage young people's involvement. Experience has proved that they are unable to deliver that aspect of work at the level being sought currently as expectations are increasing.

As the participation of young people continues to grow there is a greater demand on the Youth Service to extend the opportunities for the voice of young people to be heard. In particular to provide:

_ support to the County Youth Council and local forums and conferences

_ support for young people's participation in Connexions including the bursary holders

_ peer education projects

_ support for the Members of UK Youth Parliament

_ increased co-ordination for the range of consultations increasingly being requested throughout the County by a range of other organisations

_ closer links with young people and staff of The Hampshire County Youth Service, Hampshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services and other voluntary organisations and agencies to promote participation.

The proposal to employ Development Youth Workers for participation will enable voluntary and community organisations, the Connexions Service and the Youth Service to be better placed to respond to other agencies and organisations needing to test out ideas and consult with young people and equip young people to express their views.

3. To improve the use of Information Technology (IT) within the youth work curriculum

Rationale:

Presently there is no co-ordination of matters relating to the place of IT within the curriculum. Any work undertaken occurs within districts and depends upon the interests and experience of district staff, young people and any other expertise that can be tapped into. The Development Youth Worker (IT) post will provide the co-ordination for the Service and will drive the development of quality and range of provision.

The Development Youth Worker will liaise with and support HCVYS with a view to relating this area of work to the voluntary youth service

4. To improve youth information, advice and counselling services

Rationale:

The Hampshire County Youth Service supports Advice, Information and Counselling services, generally in partnership with a voluntary organisation. These services are playing a key role in the development of the access strand of Connexions in Hampshire and developing into Connexions Centres.

The strategic role of the Youth Service and policies this area of work were reviewed by an external consultant.

5. To support the delivery of The Hampshire County Youth Service training programme

Rationale:

This strand of funding will be used to underpin the Hampshire County Youth Service training programme and will continue to be used in that way.

The programme benefits young people, the community and voluntary organisations and agencies by working to improve the number of staff and the range of knowledge skills and experience that they have at their disposal.

Budget 2004/05

Proposed County Youth Service Budget 2004/05

* Funds to be confirmed



Appendices



Appendix 1