Tim Loughton held a breakfast meeting on 22^nd July to discuss the “changing face of youth services and they might evolve within the context of the Big Society”. I attended on behalf of CHYPS alongside 20 others from across the Youth Sector and what follows is my account of the meeting.

Tim Loughton recognised that to date the new Government had appeared to be light on Youth Policy. Although, its emphasis to date has been on schools and safeguarding, he stressed that youth policy remains a priority as does the work in support of children and families. He pointed to the National Citizen Service and School Olympics as tangible initiatives from across Government to promote positive images of young people.

Looked forward to the Comprehensive Spending Review, he acknowledged that this was going to be “pretty bloody” and that inevitably some projects will go. He is looking for concrete examples of the impact youth services - not numbers but where the intervention has had “life changing experiences” for the young people involved. He believes there will be a focus on those young people who are most at risk, and in doing so preventing them becoming more vulnerable and needing more acute specialist services.

The Big Society Bank will have a prime focus on young people but that there needs to be evidence of maximising the return on the moneys invested.  He also highlighted that he believes that vetting and barring etc. has driven a “wedge has been driven between those wanting to volunteer and young people” and is looking at ways to redress the balance.

He ended by focussing on Local Authority  Youth Services, saying that some were good and others not (and accepted that this was also the case with voluntary sector services). He wanted Local Authorities to be imaginative and open to new ideas and ways of working. He gave an example where he saw the creation of a local federation of youth organisations (statutory and voluntary sectors) in an area to which the whole responsibility for youth services could be transferred. There wouldn’t be legislation on this, but would see it being an organic process.

He does see that it is his and the Department’s role to flag up differences in delivery – why are things happening in one area and not another. He, however, wasn’t going to “force” things on the sector other than he did want to force “smart thinking”

In response to the questions that followed he highlighted the value of youth participation and the need to respond to the issues facing young people created by the recession. He also revealed that John Hayes has been appointed as joint minister at the Department for Education (DfE) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), he will working on apprenticeships for 16- to 18-year-olds and careers advice.

He also talked a little about the role of extended schools. The Department’s focus is on improving standards of learning in school and he talked about “de-cluttering the curriculum” so for example the healthy living agenda may be something that young people engage in beyond the school day.

The session finished with him wanting to continue to engage with the sector and him expressing a desire to be invited to see projects and examples of good work.

National Citizen Service

The National Citizen Service was launched on July 22^nd; this will be piloted, initially focusing on 10,000 young people in the first year with a view to it being rolled out nationally. Those young people who sign up to the scheme will have access to activities that include structured training and work on a community social action plan. They will also spend at least 10 days and nights away from home on a residential activity. Nick Hurd and the Office for the Civil Society are now leading on this.

The Big Society

The Prime Minister visited Liverpool on Monday 19^th July to kick start the Big Society. He announced a new Big Society Bank, and four vanguard communities which will get Government help to be frontrunners in building the Big Society.

The four areas selected are Liverpool, Windsor and Maidenhead, Sutton, and Eden Valley in Cumbria, who will receive support from the Department for Communities and Local Government to take more responsibility for decisions which affect their local areas.

The Confederation of Heads of Young People’s Services and the National Youth Agency undertook a survey of all Heads of Young People’s Services in February 2010 to assess the impact of budget savings on Integrated Youth Support Services (IYSS).

Almost all respondents said that they were facing cuts in young people’s services averaging between 3.7% and 10% in the IYSS budget. On closer examination these savings impact on the different elements of IYSS as follows:

5% in Targeted Youth Support, up to 7% savings in Connexions and up to 17% in youth work.

The savings across IYSS are serious and the Confederation would urge all  Directors of Children’s Services that in setting future budgets the value of IYSS in supporting prevention work with young people is not ignored. Within IYSS the disproportionate savings on youth work is a worrying development. A comprehensive IYSS should value all elements of work with young people equally.

Fiona Blacke, chief executive of the National Youth Agency said: “There is little doubt that a strong youth offer, including robust and high quality youth work, can have a significant positive impact on the outcomes and life chances of young people, particularly the most vulnerable. We know that an investment in a youth offer now can bring significant savings in the future by reducing the need for much more expensive targeted and specialist services. We would urge heads of children’s and young people’s services and elected members to keep this in mind as they make local decisions.”

Survey results>>

The Confederation of Heads of Young People Services believes that, when it was launched, “Aiming High” provided a much needed focus on support for young people and set this within an ambitious 10 year vision.  Three years on, this review of re-affirms that ambition and “Aiming High” remains a significant policy framework for young people and the services supporting them.  The Confederation supported the aspirations in that document which promoted investment in young people, as they make their transition in adulthood, and in those adults that support them to do so. It agrees that “it is vital there is sustained investment in high quality opportunities and support services for all young people, but particularly for those who are most in need. This is crucial if we are to continue to support teenagers to succeed and thrive in the 21st century.”

The greater emphasis, that the Review places,  on a local youth offer for all young people -covering guidance, positive activities, volunteering and targeted support - is particularly welcomed as it should help ensure that, over the next few years,  Integrated Youth Support Services will continue to have an important role to play  in delivering the Every Child matters agenda.  Greater coordination of the youth offer, at a local level, which brings together resources, services and activities, should secure positive outcomes and opportunities for young people where it is most needed.

The Confederation especially welcomes the commitment, in the review, to real youth involvement in decision-making and for young people having a real choice over the services they receive and this includes delivering the Friday and Saturday night activities that they want. It hopes that this will lead to the continuation of the Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds in the forthcoming 3-year spending review and the retention of other external funding supporting services for young people.

It is good that the challenges of going forward with youth empowerment have also been recognised - ensuring that more young people have genuine influence over a wider range of budgets for positive activities; engaging more disadvantaged and marginalised young people; and increasing the involvement of voluntary and community sector organisations. Young People’s Services have a vital role to play in moving this forward.

The draft common “Quality Standards for Positive Activities” is a further welcome step to ensure that young people receive the highest quality services. This should commissioners and providers of youth services and positive activities with an important framework to achieve this.

The progress being made on the youth professional status and in young people's workforce reform, recognises the value of those working with young people in all sectors. This is essential to ensure the delivery of “Aiming High” and the Confederation looks forward to the piloting the Youth Professional Status in a number of local authority areas

Looking to the future, the Confederation will continue to work - as it has to date - in partnership with Government and other sector providers to secure these elements of Aiming High.

“Better Never Stops” was launched in Birmingham on March 24^th; developed with the Association of YOT Managers, the National Connexions Network, NCVYS and the NYA this framework informs and supports judgements around quality and performance for young people delivered by Integrated Youth Support Services.

The Confederation has agreed to convene a half day seminar with these partners and the DCSF to take forward these standards.

Better never stops>>

Members voted unanimously in favour of replacing the existing objects clause at an Extraordinary General Meeting on Tuesday 24^th March 2010 at the Government Office West Midlands, Birmingham. This paves the way for the Confederation to gain charitable status.

Constitution>>

A joint response to the Government’s strategy from three of the key national  bodies supporting local delivery

Today sees the launch of a ten point statement from the Confederation of Heads of Young People’s Services, the National Connexions Network and Youth Access. The statement sees the three national membership organisations come together for the first time to set out their response to a key area of national policy impacting on young people’s services

While broadly welcoming the general intentions of the Government’s IAG strategy launched last October in Quality Choice and Aspirations, the three organisations are concerned that the main thrust of the policy with its emphasis on improving the quality of IAG on careers should not lose sight of the wider needs of young people. They are urging that any drive towards improvement will only be assured if the strategy is delivered locally within a wider and holistic model of personal support.

Joint response>>

The Confederation of Heads of Young People’s Services is today pleased to announce the appointment of its new Chief Executive.  David Wright will join the organisation in mid March, following the retirement of the existing chief executive Susie Roberts.

Sue Payne, Confederation Chair said:

 “The Confederation is thrilled to be appointing David to the Chief Executives role, David is currently employed in Sandwell and he comes with a wealth of experience from a variety of posts in different authorities.  His experience covers a range of services within an Integrated Youth Support agenda.

It has been a difficult task to replace Susie, but we are sure we have made an excellent appointment and I look forward to working with David to take the Confederation into the next decade. “

We would like to bring to your attention the joint statement which has been agreed by AYM, CHYPS and NCN. We are seeking support from the NSU, LGA and DCSF in ensuring that the four recommendations that it contains are taken into account and endorsed.