Issue - meetings

Report by Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Director and Terence Herbert, Associate Director - Children's Social Care, Integrated Youth and Preventative Services, 0-25 SEN/Disability Service

This meeting was well attended by over 70 young people, youth workers and back bench Councillors.  For the benefit of the public in attendance, the Leader introduced the Cabinet members and officers. The Leader explained that this was a specially arranged meeting to ensure there was sufficient time to consider the submitted report in detail and to consider all views expressed at the meeting.

Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet member for Children’s Services presented a report which sought Cabinet approval for the implementation of a new community-led operating model for meeting the council’s statutory duty to secure for young people aged 13-19 (so far as reasonably practicable) access to sufficient positive leisure-time activities which are for the improvement of their

wellbeing, and sufficient facilities for such activities. Cllr Mayes gave a presentation to explain the main features of what was being proposed and moved the proposals and this was duly seconded.

A report had been previously considered by Cabinet in January 2014 when it was agreed to consult on four options. The consultation measures had included a Sparksite survey, direct texts to 20,000 young people, website coverage, various focus groups and participatory budget events, presentations at Area Boards and generally through the media. There had been an extremely good response to the consultation with 1,770 young people having completed a survey; 500 young people took part in focus groups, 6 groups presented ideas at Area Boards, 5 petitions were received (total c3,500 signatures); 38 letters and 26 responses from voluntary groups; 12 responses from Town and Parish Councils and a response from the Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner. The outcomes of the consultation were detailed in the report presented to Cabinet.

The report proposed the development of a community-led approach which would empower communities via area boards, with funding from the Council, to develop and make available positive leisure-time activities within their local area. If agreed by Cabinet, this new model would be in place in October 2014 and fully embedded by April 2015.

Under this proposal, young people and the members of the community would design a tailored and varied menu of youth activities in each area. Trained Community Youth Officers (CYO) would help co-ordinate, design, develop and quality assure a unique youth offer tailored to their needs. The aim would be to have a named CYO for each Area Board area and Area Boards would receive funding to support this. The report also detailed three other options which had been considered.

Cllr Mayes explained that young people had during their consultation feedback, made clear what they wanted. She explained that the community led model would ensure that young people would continue to have a trained and trusted adult; more young people would have access to a wider variety of activities; the youth offer would reflect community needs, the voluntary and community sector would have better opportunities  to develop provision for young people, young people and community partners would have greater influence over design of local youth provision and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55