Agenda item

An update will be given on the recent Wiltshire Council decision on how youth services will be provided.  A copy of a press release is attached.

With the agreement of the meeting, agenda item 11 – Youth Services was taken next to allow Mr Munday to attend another meeting which followed this.

Mr Munday provided an update on the recent Wiltshire Council decision taken by Cabinet on 15 May 2014 on how youth services will be provided.

There would be a change to the model of delivery, to a community-led model, the principle of which was to give money to local areas through the Area Board to commission services that had been identified locally as needed.

A written communication would be sent to all Area Board Chairman and Community Area Managers next week, inviting them to a briefing being held on 17 June. Mr Munday recognised it was a difficult time with staff being put at risk.

He confirmed that there would be no open access youth sessions from 1 October 2014. The Council would appoint and retain a full-time equivalent Community Youth Officer (CYO) in each of the area board areas, who could provide direct delivery, however their main focus would be to support the local offer and work with commissioning. In addition to the 18 CYO’s, three Youth Support workers would also be appointed to do casework and 1:2:1 work with specific identified individuals. They would sit within the early intervention team.

It was hoped that an apprenticeship scheme would be available from next year, providing an opportunity for engaged young people who were interested in a career in youth work.

Whilst embracing the localism principle of enabling communities to do more for themselves he recognised that it would not be fully embedded before March 2015.

When asked about the existing youth centre Mr Munday confirmed that an audit of youth premises was currently underway and no decision had been taken regarding premises, which formed part of the corporate estates budget.

He drew attention to the significant challenges facing the Council and accepted that current relationships with youth workers may in time be made with new people.

Mr Munday explained his understanding was that 48% of young people who responded to the consultation had preferred the community-led model, with 28 preferring to keep existing arrangements. Other options had been offered but the community-led model had been the preferred option. All views had been taken in account from all areas of the community.

The criteria for the allocation for funding would be announced next week, and although understood this was based on the area board funding formula, it would be a Wiltshire Council Cabinet decision and transparent what each area would receive.

Mr Munday confirmed that mapping work had been carried out in the voluntary sector and the CYO would enable these relationships. Wiltshire Council accepted the need to support communities, and would address any needs identified where there was no support available.

A Local Youth Network (LYN) which would include the existing Youth Advisory Group (YAG) would be set up in each area with the key principle of young people having a voice and influencing delivery. These would be run by the CYO. The CYO would have access to a range of services through the early intervention team. Open access would change unless the Area Board used their funding to try and deliver a local open access model.

Specific training events were being planned for Area Board members, CAM’s and CYO’s (if in place) to build knowledge on commissioning and procurement.

The Board thanked Mr Munday for the update.