Services for young people

Memorandum submitted by Devon Youth Service

1. Executive Summary

The submission considers the first seven areas of enquiry. It indicates that:

1.1 Local Authority youth work in Devon provides for consistent, quality, preventative services for teenagers.

1.2 Generic and project based youth work makes a positive impact in communities, reducing anti social behaviour, improving health and wellbeing, increasing attainment and aspiration.

1.3 With additional funding youth workers can lead and enhance partnerships

1.4 Without the generic base to youth work, youth workers cannot sustain the relationships which allow for voluntary engagement, personal development and community activity.

1.5 Without youth work provision the number of young people requiring targeted and complex services will increase.

1.6 Volunteers, of all ages, provide valuable resources but are not free from investment. All staff, paid and unpaid, require coaching, training and supervision.

1.7 Recent trends show communities continue to engage in charitable fund raising but require leadership in delivering provision and want professional staffing to ensure success in their endeavours.

1.8 The non statutory sector has become target focused according to funding opportunities. The sector is limited in reach, range and focuses on urban areas for reasons of cost. Commissioning incurs costs, limits the ‘added value’ and cuts across the enterprise of collaboration.

2 Introduction

2.1 Youth Services in Devon comprises a Local Authority Youth Service, non statutory providers and community based voluntary youth provision including church and uniformed organisations. Devon Youth Service (DYS) is a centrally managed service sitting within the Integrated Youth Support and Development Services section of the Children and Young Peoples Services. The service employs 229 youth work staff, 164 of whom are part time (October 2010). In 2006 OfSTED reported the service as good in all areas scoring 3 (of 4) in each category. See key facts document.

2.2 This submission is by Devon Youth Service Management Team using contributions from staff and young people. Key evidence is provided by supporting documents, namely the DCC Scrutiny Committee Report October 2010, Key Messages from young people 2010 document, DYS safeguarding audit 2009-10, extract from case studies of support for the voluntary sector, Work with Schools 2010.

3 Factual Information

3.1 The relationship between universal and targeted services for young people.

3.1.1 DYS has a proven history of delivering high quality services (OfSTED 2006) that have significant impact for individuals and communities. Projects and curriculum develops from need identified with partners, communities and young people. Work occurs in clubs and centres, schools, with partners (eg. Connexions, Police, Health), in parks and on streets and in villages and towns. Within a universal service youth workers build relationships with young people whose needs are unmet, providing support and opportunity at the point of need, not the point of crisis.

3.1.2 An example of the above came out of a multi agency group within the South Hams. Youth workers linked the partners concerns on rising anti social behaviour with young people’s need for new opportunities. Surveys followed and pilots established successful work from sport and leisure centres. Now regularised and nationally recognised, the Youth Leisure Nights mean young people are encouraged to visit local leisure centres, exclusively open to them, staffed by youth workers and sports staff, on Friday nights. Figures for Totnes, from November 2008–October 2009 show criminal damage by under 17s has reduced by over 58% since 2005–6 and assaults committed by under 17s have reduced by 37%. Fitness rates have improved, smoking has declined, social areas allow relationships to develop, participation leads to further projects. The success of this project is due to the skilled intervention of youth workers and the universal offer that neither stigmatises nor alienates.

3.1.3 Focusing on groups identified by the state or other agencies as needing particular intervention can lead to stigmatisation and marginalisation. Specialist and targeted services are expensive and access is limited by location and transport. Such services are often based in main towns/cities. An example of this is young LGBT people; the three support groups are based in Exeter and Plymouth.

3.1.4 DYS provides a safe, friendly space where young people know they can discuss issues with professional workers and explore ideas in a safe and considered way without threat or fear of being judged. (Evidence Scrutiny document / key messages)

3.1.5 There is a role for a particular focus, enabling young people to have the confidence to use services. Within youth work, particular sessions maybe targeted at, for example, NEETS. This work however, is rarely a means to an end; rather the start of a process of engagement. A school phobic not only attended all the youth centre led alternative curriculum sessions for schools but also completed awards including the bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofEA) and now acts as a mentor. A regular volunteer and user of the youth work provision who had not attended school for over two years was encouraged back into community by targeted sessions run by youth workers whose skills in working with young people facilitated her renewal. 476

3.2 How Services for young people can meet the Government’s priorities for volunteering, including the National Citizen Service.

3.2.1 DYS welcomes the Government’s intention to improve young people’s participation in active citizenship. Unfortunately, the NCS will not deliver the same educational value and long term sustainable commitment to volunteering, than current practice delivered through good youth work. Enabling young people to recognise their potential and to see the benefit of engaging in volunteering to improve their communities requires professional, skilled and sustained interventions. For the vulnerable or disengaged it takes considerable experience and skill to enable them to develop their confidence. Self belief is required before most young people will seek to give continuously and freely for the benefit of others. See above example of the school phobic.

3.2.2 In DYS young people usually start as service users and after engaging and benefiting themselves they are encouraged to volunteer through an incremental, supported and developmental process. Training is provided and achievement is accredited.

3.2.3 In Devon, there is a substantial risk that current and successful avenues into volunteering will be lost due to the reduction of funding to the Local Authority Youth Service. At risk are 4,480 young people currently engaged in DYS supported volunteering through the DofEA scheme, Youth Banks, UKYP, Senior Members, local Youth Councils, members of local youth clubs committees, Intergenerational and Community projects and important new peer led social enterprise projects.

3.2.4 This work unites young people from diverse backgrounds. Supported by each other and skilled adults they make invaluable contributions that support their own and communities confidence and development.

3.3 Which young people access services, what they want from those services and their role in shaping provision

3.3.1 Extracts from ‘Key Messages’ document.

Those young people already participating in Youth Service activities value the organisation and want to protect it.

The kinds of activities young people wanted were not specified. Sports were significant, but equally, merely having a place to meet with friends and have something positive to do were also important. They also wanted to meet with youth workers for advice and support.

The difficulty of travelling to activities or just being able to meet up with friends presents a significant barrier.

Young people in all sections of society are concerned about bullying but it particularly impacts on young people with disabilities, young carers, LGBT young people. There is concern about the misuse of alcohol and the fact that it has become the drug of choice for young people.

From the 82 written submission received by the Scrutiny Committee there was a clear message that they valued having a safe supportive place to go to, with lots of opportunities for them to try out new things, with trusted people to talk to and somewhere to enjoy just being with their friends and having opportunities to make new friends.

3.3.2 The diagram below illustrates DYS users and makes key points.

Target the 16 %

3.3.3 Core youth work focus is with 16% (C) of the target population who are for whatever reason unable to source their own support. Contact with the remaining ranges regularly occurs. This work seeks to stop young peo ple falling into the 3% (B ). We link into the 3% by design, through targeted work such as alternative curriculum work for schools, sexual h ealth groups, NEETS projects, partnership work on anti social behaviour issues. This work seeks to stop young peo ple falling into the resource intense 1 %( A ) and is funded by additional monies or partnership. If funding on the 16% is redirected to the 1% this will massively affect the number of young people falling into the 3% and ultimately the resource intense 1% group.

3.4 The relative roles of the voluntary, statutory, community and private sectors in providing services for young people.

3.4.1 Well established partnerships deliver key services for young people. Partnerships involving the voluntary, statutory, community and private sector have traditionally been convened and facilitated by the statutory sector, particularly DYS. The stability, reach and range of DYS work brings learning, knowledge and skill, to partnerships. Youth workers are trained in youth and community work, a factor which has enabled the service to work to the big society agenda over a sustained period of time facilitating cost effective, coordinated delivery of universal and targeted services.

3.4.2 In Devon, the non statutory services (and few in number private organisations) have tended to focus on specialist targeted delivery, often for social care, in the larger urban areas where delivery is cost effective. This has left rural communities dependant on the statutory youth service and uniformed groups to provide a full range of young people’s services. Where neighbourhood voluntary youth groups deliver rural provision they have accessed valued support, training and guidance provided by the statutory youth service. Recent trends have demonstrated that such groups increasingly seek staffing by the statutory youth service to ensure consistency.

3.4.3 DYS supports the Voluntary Sector through grants, management expertise, service level agreements and seconded staff. Devon Young Farmers provides an extensive range of young person led clubs and DYS provide the salaried worker who coordinates and supports the federation. DYS hold the largest Duke of Edinburgh Award license in Devon supporting schools, DYS and voluntary groups who offer the scheme. DYS funds staff and activity for Voluntary Youth Services Devon, an organisation that seeks to represent the sector. See Key Facts document.

3.5 The training and workforce development needs of the sector

3.5.1 The staffing of youth work has always been diverse, attracting committed and impassioned individuals. Training is an essential ingredient before and throughout the youth work career. Individuals drawn to the work may need to be disillusioned of any personal ‘mission’ and supported and challenged to understand the ethics, skills and knowledge implicit in the delivery of quality educative services.

3.5.2 DYS invests in regular training and supervision of staff and volunteers. Health and safety, safeguarding, and diversity training are all required and refreshed routinely. All workers undergo induction, Introductory youth work training and are required to become qualified. The JNC qualifications are minimums with professional staff, and youth support staff undertake the NVQ. Thereafter training in health issues, CAF’s, accreditation, street work and curriculum area’s all occur according to post and local need.

3.5.3 DYS provides much of its own training. We have strong links to the local JNC degree provider and influence the development of students nationally through our work with the University and through placements.

3.5.4 The last government’s investment in CWDC and FPM has not impacted upon DYS with both organisations failing to add to our current standards. We are concerned about the move to the intensely written based QCF qualification route for youth support work (YSW) staff having found value in the ‘demonstrate’ model of NVQ’s. With the majority of our YSW staff part time the requirement of 175+ guided learning hours (at level 2) is unachievable.

3.5.5 Supervision is a key management tool; providing scrutiny, assessment, learning and identifying development needs for young people and staff. Workers value the support and recognise the need for reflection and feedback. It provides for consistency of purpose and policy and is an investment in quality. Supervision is a skill and relies on good observation skills, excellent communication, constructive feedback and supportive challenge. The same skills applied in effective youth work.

3.6. The impact of public sector spending cuts on funding and commissioning of services, including how available resources can best be maximised, and whether payment by results is desirable and achievable .

3.6.1 Efficiency savings and recent in-year cuts in funding for youth provision, in addition to recruitment freezes, have caused reduction in provision locally. Further cuts are anticipated. The young people most in need of reliable and consistent support often engage for two or more sessions per week allowing relationships to progress quickly. Cuts in provision threaten accessing the marginalised minority in this way and escalation of need will result. Winning the confidence of young people, particularly those who are disillusioned, requires relationships with suitable adults to be formed, tried and tested. Approaches need to be flexible and innovative. Youth Services are adept at engaging young people but time and processes are unavoidable costs. Reduced investment reduces impact.

3.6.2 In terms of added value reduced funding limits flexibility and the opportunistic response suffers. Resources are maximised where timely investment prevents an escalation of costs. In addition DYS note the Audit Commission assertion that current arrangements clearly maximise resources. Every pound allocated attracts on average eight times that amount in additional funding and staffing resources.

3.6.3 Where youth services have been commissioned out, provision has often been driven by the commissioning specification targets rather than the ongoing expressed and changing needs of local young people. A number of local authorities, such as Bromley, have seen the error of commissioning out services and taken youth work back ‘in house’.

3.6.4 Where other services such as leisure services have been out sourced by local authorities to alternative providers, the main drivers have tended to be profit. This then tends to disadvantage those most socially and economically excluded.

3.6.5 Payment by results is untested in youth work. Our work in supporting schools with pupils at the risk of exclusion might merit such an approach, but if the additional support provided outside of the ‘classroom’ in the youth projects was no longer available then impact would be lessened and youth workers would become less skilled in working with young people and more focused on working with the issues – to the overall detriment of all.

3.6.6 The loss of a distinct youth work provision has also been the cost of some mergers. Where re-prioritisation has occurred and youth work professionals have moved to caseloads of individual targeted young people services for communities have declined. This move to reactivity rather than pro-activity will result in more need for casework. In a recent DYS audit 565 individuals were identified as having issues of a safeguarding nature. All were given ongoing support by DYS. See safeguarding audit 09-10.

3.7 How local government structures and statutory frameworks impact on service provision.

3.7.1 Despite strengthening the legislation that supports Youth Work in the Statutory Guidance on Section 507B Education Act 1996, the structural change combining education and social care, combined with national cases and additional statutory responsibilities in social care, has resulted in a major shift to a focus on child protection. This has resulted in pressure on resources from social care, schools and public health. Our curriculum covers all these areas but is designed to be delivered through universal provision with groups. Concerns around risk to young people and the risk young people pose to their communities has also seen a strong desire to use youth work resources for soft policing.

3.7.2 These pressures have impacted on the resource we have left to support our core business with the voluntary sector. Some benefits have come from new partnerships with funding from early years available for twilight work and an increase in daytime provision funded in part by schools. In real terms the budget has reduced by more than 5% each year over the past three years, and now faces significant reduction over the next three.

3.7.3 Comprehensive Scrutiny review October 2010 of the Youth Service came to the conclusion that we are a good value service and should continue to be delivered by the Local Authority rather than move to an unproven mode of delivery.

4 How the Value and effectiveness of Services should be assessed.

4.1 The value and effectiveness of services for young people should be primarily assessed

on the quantity and quality of outcomes for young people for a given level of funding.

4.2 Consideration should also be given to the extent to which young people and their

communities are actively engaged in:

· Assessment of need on a regular basis

· Design of services to respond to assessed need

· Evaluation of the services delivered against the assessed need.

4.3 Youth Work in particular should be grounded in, and measured alongside National

Occupational Standards established by (now defunct) Lifelong Learning UK.

5 Recommendations

5.1 Youth Work is recognised as preventative and its early interventions are timely and cost effective.

5.2 That the key youth work contribution to targeted work be funded by host agencies for that area of work especially when working with smaller groups or individuals.

5.3 The standards achieved by the JNC and added to by the Resourcing Excellent Youth Services report be maintained.

5.4 The need for skilled, supervised and trained staff remains central to successful services.

5.5 That the trend in Devon villages and towns where leadership and delivery from professional statutory services is sought by the voluntary sector is appreciated.

5.6 The effectiveness of the mixed economy of provision and partnership arrangements (where they do not absorb other provision) merits protection.

5.7 That young peoples voices continue to be heard and government encourages all young people to engage.

5.8 Recognition that relationships and processes require time, consistency and contact to maximise impact.

December 2010