Archived decisions

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

email: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 This report summarises recent developments in the Hampshire County Youth Service (HCYS) and updates Members on recent activities and projects developed, including summer activities, Hampshire County Youth Council initiatives, Hampshire Youth MPs activities and responding to the Green Paper Youth Matters.

1.2 The work identified in this report outlines how the youth service is contributing to the outcomes for young people identified in the Education Act 2004 and actively contributes to the corporate strategic aim 4 - building strong and safe communities.

2 Youth Matters

2.1 In response to the five year strategy a Green Paper `Youth Matters' was published on 18 July 2005 - summary appendix 1.

2.2 The Green Paper focuses on issues for teenagers and aims to address four key challenges:

1. how to engage more young people in positive activities and empower them to shape the services they receive;

2. how to encourage more young people to volunteer and become involved in their communities;

3. how to provide better information, advice and guidance to young people to help them make informed choices about their lives; and

4. how to provide better and more personalised intensive support for each young person who has serious problems or gets into trouble.

2.3 Reports on the Green Paper have been presented to the Children's Services Board, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Government Association and the Children and Young People's Strategic Partnership who have supported a collaborative response to the consultation. The paper will inform the development of Children's Services.

3 Summer events and activities

3.1 The involvement of young people in events and activities especially during the summer period is an expanding area of work for the Hampshire County Youth Service. This year has been no exception. District teams and development youth workers organised a variety of events and activities involving a range of young people. Events and activities included:

3.1.1 Being healthy: the outcomes of these projects enabled young people to be more aware of the effects of alcohol and issues about personal health.

· Over 30 additional detached youth work sessions were delivered in Hart where alcohol and sex education was part of the agenda. Youth workers used a contraception kit and beer goggles with young people to explore sex and relationship issues and improve their awareness of the effect of alcohol.

· The detached team in Eastleigh Town worked with the Chlamydia worker from the Primary Care Trust. The health worker accompanied the detached team to inform young people, who would not normally attend a clinic, about the dangers of Chlamydia. This resulted in twelve young woman being tested and plans are in place to extend the project across the district.

3.1.2 Staying safe: young people were engaged in a variety of activities and challenging experiences, enabling them to take part in a supportive and encouraging environment.

· Week long activity schemes were run in Test Valley engaging fifty young people in a variety of new and challenging experiences. Young people experienced climbing and abseiling on sea cliffs, canoeing on the Thames and mountain biking on the Purbeck hills.

· The youth work team in Rushmoor worked with young people whose parents and carers had been involved in domestic violence. They engaged the young people in a variety of arts and cultural activities for two days a week throughout the summer holidays. Youth workers will continue to work with young people involved in the Women's Refuge and alongside a local housing project.

3.1.3 Enjoying and achieving: through taking part in positive group experiences young people develop and learn a variety of new skills, increase self-awareness and esteem.

· The Bridgemary special needs group in Gosport planned a two day residential experience, involving problem solving, team building and kite flying. The group planned all the activities including the menu and cooking their own food.

· A group from Fareham took part in a week's camp in Germany involving young people with special needs and young carers. Young people were hosted by the Army Welfare Service and took part in a range of activities and visited the surrounding area.

· The Winchester `Winfest' involved five local bands. The festival took place at the end of the school term and has become a regular feature of the youth provision in Winchester. Supporting local young musicians to play to their peers develops their skills and appreciation of live music.

3.1.4 Making a positive contribution: young people through working together are able to make a positive contribution to improving their community. The graffiti projects have been seen as improving the environment and developing a sense of belonging in the community.

· The New Forest District "Free the Walls", a young people led graffiti art project, entered its second phase during the summer break. Young people from Totton, Holbury and New Milton signed up to become members of Graffiti Crews who consulted over the venue, designs and then transferred agreed designs on to the chosen walls.

· Painting the way: young people from the Junction 6 youth project in Basingstoke took a lead in the community by designing and painting a mural in one of the major subways, which provides direct access to the John Hunt of Everest Community School. Working with and encouraged by the youth work team, young people spent time exploring the community in which they live, produced different designs, developing different painting techniques, to use in an external environment. The painting of the subway not only involved young people but attracted adult members of the community who joined the painting. The project also involved the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Regeneration and Design Team.

3.1.5 Achieve economic well being: outcomes from these projects for young people identify an improvement in their sense of well being, a wider range of interest in future options and in their ability to be part of a team.

· Mind the Gap: nine young people completed the course for young people to develop and practise the skills of being a youth worker. A presentation evening was held in July where young people highlighted their learning including listening skills, group work, understanding boundaries and planning. One member of the group is now employed as a youth worker in Gosport and others have expressed a strong interest in continuing their involvement as voluntary workers. Three are considering a career in youth work.

· The Havant team established a project with Connexions supporting young people through the summer with the transition from compulsory education to further education training or work. The project involved support, careers advice and a residential week on a narrow boat developing personal and social skills.

· "Up4It" in East Hampshire is supported by Connexions funding and has involved 8 young people in a range of exciting activity as a way of developing their self awareness and esteem. This has been a vital part of encouraging them to consider more effective and productive options as they move from school to further education and training. The programme included team building, careers and activity days, leading to a full week residential at Avon Tyrrel in the New Forest.

3.2 The examples of work highlighted above demonstrate the impact of engaging young people in group activities and the learning they acquire to develop new skills which has a real impact on their lives, personal development and awareness.

4 Hampshire County Youth Council

4.1 Appendix 2 outlines the activities The Hampshire County Youth Council (HCYC) has been involved in during the last few months which includes developing priorities and the planning of a very successful HCYC event day.

4.2 The Hampshire youth MPs have also had a busy time (appendix 3) attending both local and national meetings

4.3 The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is a political organisation representing the regions of Europe. Hampshire County Council is an active member of the network and this year sent two young people, Mark Houston an employee of the County Council and Anne Gammon a member of the county youth council to the AER Youth Summer School in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

4.4 The theme of the 2005 Youth Summer School was 'Citizenship and Youth in a Multicultural Europe'. The participants explored: what the concept of citizenship means to young people in Europe today; how young people construct their identities and belief systems; how young people across Europe define themselves today. Over the next few months, Mark and Anne will be sharing their learning from the summer school with other young people in Hampshire.

5 Recommendations

That the current developments in the Hampshire County Youth Service be welcomed and noted.

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