Agenda item

To consider the further development of Youth Services within the borough. 

Carolann James, Head of Early Years and Prevention, reported that the Youth Service had suffered from cuts in its budget of £1.6 million between 2011 and 2015.  However, funding had been increased since 2017 although by a modest amount and the service was now able to provide both universal and targeted services.  As a result of the additional Young Londoners funding that had been obtained for the Haringey Community Gold scheme, there were now detached youth workers working within the community and who were able to address areas of concern.   Funding had also been offered for a programme of activities during the school holidays.  The activities to be provided would include arts, leisure and sport.  There was also a programme of youth mentoring and targeted activity which was being funded in addition to the Community Gold programme.   A successful bid for £1.5 million had been made for Troubled Families funding and some of the youth initiatives had been funded by this.

Panel Members highlighted the abortive plans that had been made to develop a Youth Zone on a single site in the borough.  They asked whether the money that had been earmarked for investment in the scheme could now be used to develop provision across the borough rather than on a single site.  Schools had been provided with funding through the Networked Learning Communities initiative to develop their facilities and it was therefore felt that they should be used as venues for youth activities. 

In response, Ms James agreed to report back to the Panel on further plans for the development of youth provision.  She also stated that the Bruce Grove Youth Centre did not just provide a service on a single site but worked across the borough.  The Cabinet Member reported that the issue of the potential use of schools for youth activities had been raised with the Cabinet Member for Children and Families. 

In answer to a question on attendance levels of young people who attended Bruce Grove Youth Centre, Ms James reported that there were approximately 150 young people there on a Monday evening. She                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          agreed to provide the Panel with more comprehensive figures.  She stated that the Centre was very welcoming but acknowledged that there might be barriers, perceived or otherwise, to some young people attending it.   Peripatetic work was therefore also taking place in the community including provision of a youth bus to undertake outreach work.  It was nevertheless acknowledged that more needed to be done.  She also reported that engagement had taken place with young people regarding the venues where they would like to go to for activities, including schools and Children’s Centres.

Beverley Hendricks, Assistant Director for Safeguarding and Social Care, reported that the Youth Council was very active.  There was a core group within it that included the leadership team and there was also an outreach team.  The Youth Council followed the UK Youth Parliament model.  It had addressed a number of big issues for the borough including recruitment, policy issues and how services aimed at young people should be shaped.  She agreed to draft a detailed note on the impact of work undertaken by the Youth Council during the past year.

Panel Members stated that children and young people in the west of the borough could often be as vulnerable as well as those in the east and that there was a lack of places for them to go where they felt safe.   Councillor Mark Blake, the Cabinet Member for Communities and Equalities, stated that he wanted to see more Police officers on the street at peak times and the new Borough Commander had taken this issue on board.  He had recently attended a meeting organised by parents in Muswell Hill on knife crime.  Those who had attended wanted to see a visible Police presence on the street.  A number of positive ideas had come out of the meeting, including approaching schools regarding the use of their premises for youth activities.   There had been cuts to many early intervention services and this had been a factor in the increase in violent crime.  Whilst the new resources that had become available for services were welcome, more was needed.  It had been noted that although a number of acute services were statutory, this was not the case for early intervention services.  Early intervention had the potential to save a lot of money that was spent on acute services by preventing problems from escalating.

The Panel felt that there was a need to involve the voluntary and community sector, including faith communities.  Not all of these were linked to the Bridge, which acted as the voluntary and community sector umbrella organisation for the borough and the Council could play a role in co-ordinating provision.  One idea that had come out of the meeting in Muswell Hill was that first aid courses be provided for children and young people in schools.  Ms James reported that youth services had recently began doing some first aid training with schools.  Ms Hendricks commented that consideration needed to be given as to how professionals and parents could be empowered to reduce the burden on young people that taking responsibility for matters like first aid could entail. 

Panel Members reported that parents who had attended the meeting in Muswell Hill had requested training on when and how to intervene if they witnessed young people in difficulties.  There appeared to be an escalating level of fear and concern and it was important that a community response was developed.

AGREED:

1.    That a briefing note be prepared for the Panel on alternative proposals for the further development of the Youth Service following the decision not to proceed with the proposal to establish a Youth Zone, including how services will be spread across the borough;

2.    That further details be provided to the Panel on:

·         Attendance levels at Bruce Grove Youth Centre; and

·         The impact of work undertaken by the Youth Council during the past year.