Archived decisions

Contact: Steve Crocker Tel: 01962 876100 Email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1. This report outlines how all departments within Hampshire County Council could offer employment and training opportunities for socially excluded young people, including young people who have offended and young people who are looked after by the Council. It builds upon previous work undertaken by the Hampshire Own Grown Project and the Wessex Youth Offending Team (YOT) and also incorporates new developments that are proposed as a result of funding from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

2. Recommendations

That Cabinet

(a) approves the plan to merge the Youth Offending Team
employment proposals and Hampshire Own Grown project; and

(b) approves the plan to work with the Learning and Skills Council and the
Regional Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) on this
project.

3. Background

3.1 The project to develop work experience placements for young offenders has been built upon previous experience gained by colleagues in Children's Services and has been developing over the last six months. In exploring ways in which to deliver the original project aims, the YOT Manager met with senior officers from a number of the County's Directorates. It became evident that the best vehicle to deliver this project would be through the Council's own Hampshire Own Grown project. This project has three strands; the future leaders, work experience and work placements strands. This latter strand was hitherto undeveloped but was aimed at precisely the same objective as the original YOT proposal - providing opportunities to a wider range of the Hampshire community, encouraging a more diverse workforce including offering placements for care leavers, adults with learning difficulties and others. The merging of these two work streams (i.e. the YOT proposal and the Hampshire Own Grown Project) formed part of the further informal briefing to Cabinet in May 2007 and will, if approved by CMT, form part of the proposal for Cabinet in July. The benefit of merging these work streams is the greater capacity to work across Directorates that Hampshire Own Grown brings and the impact of the Hampshire Own Grown branding which is becoming prominent within the council.

3.2 A further opportunity then arose in March when the National Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) sought bids via its regional Education Training and Employment Boards for two `test bed' areas to develop employment opportunities for offenders. Whilst OLASS is predominantly focused on adults, Wessex YOT worked with South Central Connexions, Hampshire Own Grown and Children's Services in Hampshire to develop a bid. The bid was short listed for one of the national `test bed' areas, but ultimately it was not successful as it was not a close enough match to the original specification. However, the above partners were then informed that whilst our bid was not successful the bid had `evoked great interest and enthusiasm and that the Learning and Skills Council nationally have found £220,000.'

3.3 At the time of writing the YOT and Connexions on behalf of the partnership are negotiating with the Learning and Skills Council about the precise make up of the project and the timescales (the LSC want all funding spent or committed by 31^st March 2008). A copy of the specification is attached although this is not the final document. We have written to the LSC highlighting changes including strengthening the participation of young people in care.

3.4 The basic elements of the project are as follows:

· To develop a range of pre-employment placements to enable young people at risk of offending and other socially excluded to prepare for employment.

· To develop a range of Entry2 Employment (E2E) schemes with public bodies for the above groups funded by the Learning and Skills Council.

· To develop apprenticeship schemes with public bodies where these do not exist.

· To provide high levels of support for young people entering employment and who are at risk of offending.

· The funding will support Job Development and Curriculum Development Officers to develop placements and specialist support workers.

3.5 As it stands the specification from the LSC is weighted more towards a high number of support workers. Part of our negotiations is to seek to have a higher number of Job Development Officers in order to create sustainability.

3.6 We aim to work very closely with Hampshire Own Grown in the early part of the project in order to build upon the commitment within the council and achieve some `quick wins' under the Hampshire Own Grown brand.

3.7 Because of the need for a quick response to the release of funding it is likely that at least some of the posts above will be offered on short term secondments from Partner agencies or other agencies (e.g. Job Centre Plus).

4. Context

4.1 The County Council has a statutory duty to `exercise its various functions with due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do all that it reasonably can to prevent crime and disorder in its area' (section 17, Crime and Disorder Act 1998). The authority is also a statutory partner to the Wessex Youth Offending Team which delivers Youth Justice services across Hampshire. The Chief Executive of the Local Authority is also required by the same Act to ensure that such services for young offenders are in place.

4.2 Councils' corporate responsibilities towards young people have been tested recently in a number of cases. The Howard League recently brought to the attention of a number of Children's Services Departments the issue of children (i.e. young people under 18) with complex needs being released from youth custody. The Howard League supported one young person in bringing a case against Caerphilly Council with regards to it not fulfilling its statutory duty under 17's of the 1989 Children Act (i.e. providing services to children in need). This case related to a child who had been looked after by the local authority.

4.3 The Howard League have assisted other young people in bringing cases against local authorities under the same criteria, some of these have been young people who have not been previously looked after but who have had significant needs, primarily mental health issues but also associated problems with housing and unemployment.

4.4 The Youth Offending Team (YOT) recently reviewed its data relating to employment for young people leaving custody. Such young people are likely to have the highest level of needs - many are unemployed at the point of release and some have only temporary accommodation. However, many of these young people identify the point of release from custody an opportunity to change their behaviour.

4.5 Hampshire County Council is the largest employer in the Hampshire area and one of the larger employers in the south east region. Hampshire Children's Services has previously set up a scheme with Balfour Beattie to provide a `Taster programme' for young care leavers. This scheme appears to have been successful and Balfour Beattie have employed five care leavers on apprenticeship schemes. However, my understanding is that a follow up scheme has not yet been planned.

4.6 The Property, Business and Regulatory Service (PBRS) have also recently started a taster scheme for people with learning disabilities offering routes back in to employment. Issues such as Insurance have been addressed in these existing schemes and would be the intention to build upon this for future schemes.

4.7 The YOT works closely with South Central Connexions partnership who second personal advisors into the YOT to provide careers advice and support for young people. The Connexions advisers seconded to the YOT are in a good position to provide intensive support to young people leaving custody and entering employment. However, the main barriers for young people leaving custody are employer's perceptions and these young people's lack of work experience and routine.

4 Financial Implications

4.1 No costs are necessarily associated with this scheme as young people will be offered opportunities to take part in taster schemes as work experience. They will then have the opportunity to apply for apprenticeships or other employment on an equal basis with others, as has been successful with the existing Balfour Beattie scheme.

4.2 The role of the Job Development Officer will be to negotiate with departments where E2E schemes could be established which will attract LSC funding.

4.3 Some public bodies may wish to develop or expand apprenticeship schemes and, although this is not a necessary part of the project, the JDOs will assist in this. No funding is sought for such schemes from the Council.

5 Risks

5.1 There is always a risk that schemes specifically for young offenders can be perceived as providing services to people whose behaviour has, in some way, negated their entitlement to such services. However, it should be emphasised that what is being explored is a modest scheme which aims to help young people help themselves by finding employment (and also increases their ability to sustain suitable accommodation). It will also be targeted at other socially excluded young people in particular care leavers. It is anticipated that there will also be spin-off benefits for other socially excluded groups e.g. adults with learning difficulties.

5.2 All young people who are seen by the YOT are risk assessed and any young person being offered employment taster sessions would be screened to ensure that any risk that they presented to the public or staff was properly managed.

6 Timeline

6.1 The project, once final approval is received from the Learning and Skills Council, will need to progress quickly. A steering group is already in place with representatives from YOT, Connexions, Hampshire Own Grown, and Hampshire Children's Services. To this group will be added representatives from the LSC and OLASS. A project plan will be drawn up with a view to having a project leader and key positions filled by September. The project is currently scheduled to end in March 2008.

7 Performance Management

7.1 The LSC have stipulated a Performance Management Framework in the draft specification (attached).

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

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

NB: the list excludes:

1. Published works

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

None.