Agenda item - Youth Service Update and Use of Housing Revenue Account Funding

Report of the Executive Director for Families, Children & Learning (copy attached).

(1)  That the report be noted.

(2)  That a progress report is considered by the Committee in June 2019.

28.1   The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director of Families, Children and Learning which provided members with an update on youth services including the use of the Housing Revenue Account’s (HRA) annual £250,000 contribution to the budget. The report included information on performance from October 2017 to March 2018 including outcomes for Council tenants and their families. The report was considered by the Children, Young People and Skills Committee on 18 June.  The report was presented by the Head of Early Years, Youth and Family Support. She was accompanied by Adam Muirhead, from the Trust for Developing Communities and Georgina and Hayden, two young people involved with the Coldean Youth Centre.

28.2    Mr Muirhead explained that he was one of the project managers from the Trust for Developing Communities who were one of the external organisations who looked after contracts for youth work. They worked in a complementary model across the city with other partners.  He explained that four overarching outcomes were being worked on from funding from the HRA. Those were community cohesion, greater self-awareness, raised and positive aspirations and skills development. 

28.3    Mr Muirhead stated that the two young people present came from Coldean Youth Centre which was one of the Youth Clubs being supported.   In the last six months there had been 25 young people through the door. 56% of those were council tenants. 

28.4    Georgina and Hayden introduced themselves to the Committee. Hayden lived in council housing; Georgina did not live in council housing, but her grandmother did live in a council house. Both young people had taken part in the Coldean Youth Club over the last year. Georgina informed the committee that they had painted the youth club over the summer, using their own paint and having chosen the colours. They had brought cushions and other items to the club. Mr Muirhead asked what the young people had got out of the different types of youth work. Hayden stated that he had learnt to socialise and talk to people who were able to help him. Georgina stated that the people who ran the youth centre believed in them and respected them. They were treated as equals. 

28.5    Councillor Mears congratulated the young people and remarked that they had come across really well. She referred to page 179 and pointed out that the Saltdean Youth Centre had closed. Councillor Mears welcomed the report which was very informative. The fact that the Youth Participation Team was involved in bringing it forward was very positive. 

28.6    Councillor Gibson welcomed the report and the beginning of a process. He was pleased that more outcomes would be developed in future and looked forward to seeing more detail on how the goals were achieved and good measures for outcomes. Councillor Gibson noted that the report detailed antisocial behaviour in East & North but there was not similar information for Central and West.  He would appreciate if this could be circulated in future.    

28.7    The Head of Early Years, Youth and Family Support explained that each monitoring report was carried out by the lead partner in the area. She would look at how this was done for the next report and bring it up to date.  It was important that the council tracked interventions.

26.8    Councillor Druitt stated that hearing the young people speak had been one of the most moving five minutes on the committee. He thanked the officers present for all the work they carried out. 

26.9    Councillor Bell thanked Adam and the youth workers. He informed the young people that they had been very honest and he reassured them that they were worthwhile and respected.

26.10  Councillor Cattell thanked the young people and told them they could watch the webcast.

26.11  The Chair thanked officers and the young people for coming to the committee and hoped they could come back in a year.

28.12  RESOLVED:-

(1)            That the report be noted.

(2)            That a progress report is considered by the Committee in June 2019.