Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Children's Services (Statutory DCS). To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Children, Schools & Families

The Lead Member for Children, Schools and Families introduced the report. It was explained that Haringey’s Youth Strategy aimed to recognise that the delivery of a youth offer was not the responsibility of a single agency but was owned by all partners that worked with young people in the borough. It was stressed that the approach was underpinned by a strong vision that collaboration and partnership was at the heart of what the Council did to ensure young people received the support they needed to succeed and improve outcomes.

It was explained that the strategy focused on ensuring that there was a local youth offer that was needs-led, inclusive, diverse, and supported young people to feel safe, learn new skills, and be actively supported and engaged in influencing decision-making on topics that were important to them. A key priority of the strategy was to develop a borough-wide approach across the youth sector to ensure that there was a co-ordinated, accessible youth offer that provided high-quality spaces and activities for young people, offering opportunities that benefited them in their lives as they transitioned to adulthood.

Youth representatives gave an account of their input into the development of the strategy. It was explained that young people felt that the strategy was inclusive and open for young people, but that there could be a better structure and awareness of the impact that young people can have on the youth strategy and outcomes for young people. Young people did note that the survey had some limited impact in schools, due to lack of interest in schools and teaching staff. It was noted that young people often didn’t see an outcome from work that was undertaken by the local authority and that this could be an area in which the Council worked in future.

In response to comments and questions from Councillors Chandwani, Carlin, Hakata and Emery the following information was shared:

• Young people suggested that there should be more outreach on social media to outline the impact that young people can have on their community and how they can also impact the work of the Council.
  
  
• Young people stressed the need to build long-term relationships with young people in the community to help build networks and connections and therefore increase participation.
  
  
• Officers outlined the success criteria of the plan. It was explained that engagement with young people was a key identifier of success. However, it was stressed that there were some difficulties in reaching young people, but noted that there had been some success in this area in the development of the strategy. It was noted that the Council would work with schools to encourage more proactivity with the strategy’s aims.
  
  
• Officers explained that the prioritising of spending recommendations within the strategy were not yet known, and that the Council would provide future evidence of the prioritisation of resources. However, officers stressed that they would encourage young people to challenge the work of the Council.
  
  
• Officers explained that Haringey had produced their strategy ahead of the national strategy, and were pleased to be ahead of the government on this strategy.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Noted the content of this report.
   
   
2. Approved the Haringey Youth Strategy for 2025–2030.

Reasons for Decisions:

The Youth Strategy 2025–2030 outlined Haringey Council’s commitment to implementing the Borough Vision Call to Action to support young people by focusing on two initial key priorities:

a) Facilitated high-quality activities and spaces for young people to meet the diverse range of interests, needs, and experiences that young people had.
b) Heard young people’s voices by encouraging their participation in decision-making, civic, and democratic life in the borough.

This strategy was developed in alignment with other local strategies focused on young people and in anticipation of the forthcoming National Youth Strategy, set to be published in 2026.

The strategy consolidated findings from recent engagement with young people, integrating various council initiatives in areas such as placemaking, culture, and youth participation. It included the publication of the Haringey Local Youth Offer, which encompassed both universal and targeted council services, as well as activities provided by the voluntary and community sector (VCS). An analysis of youth services and activities in the borough provided a comprehensive overview of current provisions, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to inform planning, commissioning, and delivery of services. This strategy reflected the landscape of youth services in Haringey as of 2025, acknowledging that the provision and needs of these services might evolve over the coming years.

Furthermore, the strategy emphasised the importance of effective engagement with young people and outlined how their involvement in local decision-making would be enhanced. A series of recommendations were made to achieve the strategic outcomes detailed in the Borough Vision, accompanied by indicators to monitor progress and ensure the strategy remained responsive to the evolving needs of young people in Haringey.

Alternative Options Considered:

Consideration was given to having a sole focus on reviewing and strengthening the local authority youth offer. However, in recognition of the valuable wider youth and community sector offer delivered by partners and the context of a new national youth strategy being developed, it was decided that while this would be a council-led strategy, it would be underpinned by a partnership approach. This ensured shared ownership of a borough youth offer. For these reasons, it was recommended that the Council adopt the Youth Strategy attached as Appendix A: Haringey Youth Strategy 2025–2030.